Publications

This paper describes the evaluation of a service-oriented prototype implementation. The prototype development aims to exploit the use of service-oriented concepts for achieving healthcare interoperability while it also attempts to move towards a virtual patient record paradigm. The proposed evaluation strategy investigates the adaptation of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems success with respect to service-oriented implementations. Specific service-oriented and virtual patient record characteristics were empirically encapsulated in the DeLone and McLean model and respective evaluation measures were produced. The proposed theoretical framework was utilized for conducting an empirical study amongst sixty two participants in order to observe their perceptions with respect to the hypothetical adoption of the prototype framework. The data gathered was analyzed using partial least squares. The generated results highlighted the importance of information quality whereas system quality did not prove to be a strong significant predictor in the overall model.

INTRODUCTION: It seems that there is a trend in undergraduate medical education towards including clinical attachments in primary health care (PHC) worldwide. The benefits of such initiatives are already well described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a clinical attachment in undergraduate medical students in a European country with an odd medical educational system that essentially lacks any kind of academic PHC departments. METHODS: The study was undertaken during 2005-2007. A non-mandatory 1-week clinical attachment in PHC/general practice was organized in an urban PHC unit by general practitioners with educational experience in collaboration with the Department of Physiology of the local medical school. The participants were a prospective cohort of medical students in the 2nd year of undergraduate studies. All participating students sat a pre-defined clinical exam which consisted of multiple choice questions, mini case papers and an objective-structured clinical examination before and after the attachment. In addition, the students rated the whole process. RESULTS: The response ratio was 77.06%. The mean score on objective structured clinical examination of participants increased from 30.70/100 to 62.28/100 (p < 0.001). The students' impression of the study was rather positive (4.39/5). DISCUSSION: The educational intervention of including a clinical attachment in an undergraduate curriculum seems to have encouraging results, considering the peculiarity of inexistence of academic departments of PHC or General Practice in the national medical schools and the inexperience of students regarding similar concepts.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic ability of the transcriptional profiling of the HER family genes in early breast cancer, as well as to investigate the predictive value of HER2 mRNA expression for adjuvant treatment with paclitaxel. RNA was extracted from 268 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumour tissue samples of high-risk breast cancer patients enrolled in the randomised HE10/97 trial, evaluating the effect of dose-dense anthracycline-based sequential adjuvant chemotherapy with or without paclitaxel. The mRNA expression of all four HER family members was assessed by kinetic reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (kRT-PCR). The overall concordance between kRT-PCR and IHC/FISH for HER2 status determination was 74%. At a median follow-up of 8 years, multivariate analysis showed that EGFR and HER2 mRNA expression was associated with reduced overall survival (OS). HER3 and HER4 mRNA level had a favourable prognostic value in terms of OS and disease-free survival (DFS), respectively. Adjusting for HER2 mRNA expression, OS and DFS did not differ between treatment groups. These data indicate that EGFR as well as HER2 are prognostic factors of worse clinical outcomes, whereas HER3 and HER4 gene transcription is associated with better prognosis in high-risk early breast cancer. However, HER2 mRNA expression did not predict clinical benefit from paclitaxel. Kinetic RT-PCR represents an alternative method for evaluating the expression of HER family members in FFPE breast carcinomas. © 2008 Cancer Research.

The South Balkan extensional system consists of normal faults and associated sedimentary basins within southern Bulgaria, Macedonia, eastern Albania, northern Greece, and northwestern Turkey. Extensional tectonism began during the final convergence across the Vardar, Intra-Pontide, and Izmir-Ankara suture zones, where oceanic regions closed between continental Europe and continental fragments that make up the Pelagonian, Sakar, and western Anatolian tectonic units. Earliest extension of latest Cretaceous- middle Eocene age appears to have occurred within a regional convergent tectonic setting and may be related to an increase in gravitation potential energy within a thickening continental lithosphere. Following diachronous closure across the suture zone, from the middle Eocene to late Oligocene, the transition from a regionally convergent to a regionally extensional tectonic setting occurred and was associated with abundant magmatism and formation of sedimentary basins. Extension was associated with lithospheric thinning probably related to changes in geometry of the subducted slab, dynamics of the mantle wedge, and beginning of slab rollback along the Hellenic subduction zone. A short period of local and diachronous (?) shortening (during latest Oligocene-early Miocene time) occurred in the Thrace basin of northwestern Turkey and in some basins in western Bulgaria and eastern Macedonia. Regional extension began in middle Miocene time and was related to the regional extensional tectonic setting that has dominated the Aegean extensional region to the present. Trench rollback was the dominant dynamic process, but during late Miocene time it was modified by the formation of the western part of the North Anatolian fault zone that partially decoupled the South Balkan extensional system from the Aegean extensional region. During late Cenozoic time, east-west-striking normal faults and associated sedimentary basins in the eastern part of the South Balkan extensional system propagated westward in tandem with westward migration of north-south-striking normal faults and sedimentary basins from western Bulgaria into eastern Albania. This migration was caused by evolution of the Hellenic subduction zone as it increased its curvature during trench rollback and clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of crustal fragments in the west and east, respectively. After formation of the western part of the North Anatolian fault zone, extension within the eastern part of the South Balkan extensional system was related to southward movement of its lithosphere at a slower rate than the extension within the Aegean extensional region. Active extension and basin formation show two provinces of extension that are nearly at right angles to one another and their overlap in the central South Balkan extensional system: east-west extension in central Albania to eastern Macedonia and north-south extension from northwestern Greece and eastern Macedonia to eastern Bulgaria and northwestern Turkey.

An alternative to TRO model of a W UMa-type star is presented in which the binary is past mass exchange with mass ratio reversal. The secondary is hydrogen depleted and both components are in thermal equilibrium. Evolution in contact is driven by orbital angular momentum loss and mass transfer from the secondary to primary component, similarly as it is observed in Algols. Temperature equalization of both components results from an assumed energy transfer by a large scale flow encircling the whole system in the common envelope.

Although platinum-based chemotherapy remains the "standard" in advanced non small-cell lung cancer, not all patients-derive clinical benefit from such a treatment. Hence, the development of predictive biomarkers able to identify lung cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from cisplatin-based chemotherapy has become a scientific priority. Among the molecular pathways involved in DNA damage control after chemotherapy, the nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a critical process for the repair of DNA damage caused by cisplatin-induced DNA adducts. Many reports have explored the role of the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 enzyme (ERCC1) expression in the repair mechanism of cisplatin-induced DNA adducts in cancer cells. Using immunohistochemistry in resected tumors from patients included in the International Adjuvant Lung Cancer Trial, the study of important biomarkers showed that high ERCC1 protein expression was associated with improved survival in chemo-naïve patients. On the contrary, the benefit of adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy was more profound in patients with low ERCC1 expression. In a prospective cohort studying mRNA expression in tumor biopsies from patients receiving customized therapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine depending on the molecular profile of the tumour, results showed that patients with low ERCC1 mRNA expression had a longer median survival compared to those with high expression. These data suggest the potent use of ERCC1 as a molecular predictor of clinical resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting of NSCLC. Nevertheless, optimization of methodology, including standardization of technical procedures, as well as validation of ERCC1 protein expression in large prospective cohorts, seem necessary before any routine immunohistochemical validation of ERCC1 can be implemented in daily practice.

Exercise-induced (EI) hypersensitivity disorders are significant problems for both recreational and competitive athletes. These include EI-asthma, EI-bronchoconstriction, EI-rhinitis, EI-anaphylaxis and EI-urticaria. A group of experts from the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology met to discuss the pathogenesis of these disorders and how to diagnose and treat them, and then to develop a consensus report. Key words (exercise with asthma, bronchoconstriction, rhinitis, urticaria or anaphylaxis) were used to search Medline, the Cochrane database and related websites through February 2008 to obtain pertinent information which, along with personal reference databases and institutional experience with these disorders, were used to develop this report. The goal is to provide physicians with guidance in the diagnosis, understanding and management of EI-hypersensitivity disorders to enable their patients to safely return to exercise-related activities.

An alternative route for the synthesis of a photoaffinity labelling (PAL) dCTP derivative is reported. This method involves the intermediacy of exo-N-[2-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzamido)ethyl]-dC. The latter is prepared from the coupling of known N-(2-aminoethyl)-4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzamide, prepared in an improved three-step sequence, with an activated 4-triazolyl derivative of dU, followed by deprotection. 19F NMR spectroscopy proved extremely useful in following the synthetic transformations, and enabled control of any adventitious reduction of the azides. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Air quality in two large athletic halls with different ventilation (natural and mechanical) was investigated in relation to outdoor pollution and meteorological conditions. Simultaneous measurements of O3, NO, NO2 and SO2 were performed in the halls at two heights (at the arena and spectators’ seats) and outdoors. BTX concentrations at the spectators’ seats and outdoor NMHCs, CH4, PM10 and CO concentrations were also measured. Analysis of diurnal variations of the pollutants’ concentrations, cross correlation analysis of the concentration time-series and principal component analysis were applied to the collected data. Results revealed that outdoor pollution significantly affected indoor air quality of both halls. However, this effect was different for the two buildings, depending on the ventilation types, the wind direction prevailing at the areas and the kind of indoor activity recorded. It was found that the latter parameters controlled the pollutants concentration levels in the halls and their response to the changes of the outdoor pollution levels. Temperature and pollution stratification enhancing during athletic events were also evident in both halls but with different characteristics observed, such as the spatial distribution of the indoor pollutants. The airflow patterns prevailing in each hall, imposed by the ventilation operation schemes were important factors. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BACKGROUND: L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme that was found to be involved in many malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the mRNA expression levels of DDC in prostate tissues and to evaluate its clinical utility in prostate cancer (CaP). METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from 118 tissue specimens from benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and CaP patients and a highly sensitive quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) method for DDC mRNA quantification has been developed using the SYBR Green chemistry. LNCaP prostate cancer cell line was used as a calibrator and GAPDH as a housekeeping gene. RESULTS: DDC was found to be overexpressed, at the mRNA level, in the specimens from prostate cancer patients, in comparison to those from benign prostate hyperplasia patients (p<0.001). Logistic regression and ROC analysis have demonstrated that the DDC expression has significant discriminatory value between CaP and BPH (p<0.001). DDC expression status was compared with other established prognostic factors, in prostate cancer. High expression levels of DDC were found more frequently in high Gleason's score tumors (p=0.022) as well as in advanced stage patients (p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Our data reveal the potential of DDC expression, at the mRNA level, as a novel biomarker in prostate cancer.

 Recent studies argue that the spread-adjusted Taylor rule (STR), which includes a response to the credit spread, replicates monetary policy in the United State. We show (1) STR is a theoretically optimal monetary policy under heterogeneous loan interest rate contracts in both discretionay and commitment monetary policies, (2) however, the optimal response to the credit spread is ambiguous given the financial market structure in theoretically derived STR, and (3) there, a commitment policy is effective in narrowing the credit spread when the central bank hits the zero lower bound constraint of the policy rate.

Women are more likely than men to suffer from stress-related mental disorders, such as depression. In the present experiments, we identified sex differences in one of the most common animal models of depression, that of learned helplessness. Male and female rats were trained to escape a mild footshock each day for 7 days (controllable stress). Each rat was yoked to another rat that could not escape (uncontrollable stress), but was exposed to the same amount of shock. One day later, all stressed rats and unstressed controls were tested on a more difficult escape task in a different context. Most males exposed to uncontrollable stress did not learn to escape and were therefore helpless. In contrast, most females did learn to escape on the more difficult escape task, irrespective of whether they had been exposed to controllable or uncontrollable stress. The sex differences in helplessness behavior were not dependent on the presence of sex hormones in adulthood, because neither ovariectomy of females nor castration of males abolished them. The absence of helplessness in females was neither dependent on organizational effects of testosterone during the day of birth, because masculinized females did not express helplessness as adults. Thus, sex differences in helplessness behavior are independent of gonadal hormones in adulthood and testosterone exposure during perinatal development. Learned helplessness may not constitute a valid model for depressive behavior in women, at least as reflected by the response of female rats to operant conditioning procedures after stressful experience.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between skeletal muscle fiber type composition and the maximum number of repetitions performed during submaximal resistance exercise. Twelve young men performed a maximum repetitions test at 85% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in the leg press, which was repeated after 1 week. Seven days after the second 85% 1RM test, they performed a maximum repetitions test at 70% of 1RM in the leg press. This test, at 70% 1RM, was repeated 7 days later. One week before the initiation of the testing sessions, a biopsy sample was obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle and analyzed for fiber type distribution, fiber cross-sectional area, and capillary density (capillaries x mm(2)). A low and nonsignificant relationship was found between the fiber type distribution or percent fiber type area and the number of repetitions performed at either 70% or 85% 1RM. Moreover, the number of repetitions performed at 70% or 85% of 1RM was not related significantly with 1RM strength. In contrast, the number of repetitions performed at 70% 1RM was significantly correlated with the number of capillaries per mm(2) of muscle cross-sectional area (r = 0.70; p = 0.01). These results suggest that fiber type composition is not the major biological variable regulating the number of repetitions performed in submaximal resistance exercise. Rather, it seems that submaximal strength performance depends on muscle capillary density, which is linked with the endurance capacity of the muscle tissue.

Rhodium and iridium complexes of flexible scorpionate ligands based on azaindole were synthesised in good yields. The complexes were characterised in solution and in the solid state. Structural characterisation revealed a B-H-metal interaction, which is retained in solution. Given the greater flexibility of the ligand and potential cooperative effect of boron, the complexes were tested for their activity in the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. © 2008 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Stars with changing Blazhko periods challenge the currently proposed hypotheses for the Blazhko effect. RR Lyr, the prototype of the class, is one of the best-studied Blazhko stars but it keeps on surprising its observers. We present the first results from a photometric follow- up campaign in 2006-2007 of the star. Multicolour data were gathered from 4 different observatories in the northern hemisphere. Our analysis focuses specifically on the period behaviour. We confirm the previously reported decrease of the modulation period.

Patients with lower limb and pelvic trauma, or undergoing major orthopaedic surgery represent one of the highest risk groups for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). A significant number of pharmacological and mechanical agents have been used for the prophylaxis and treatment of VTE. Fondaparinux is a relative new pharmacological agent that selectively binds to antithrombin, and represents a new class of synthetic selective inhibitors of activated factor X. Eleven percent of the fondaparinux-related English language literature, between 2001 and 2007, refers to orthopaedic trauma, and was the sample assessed for this critical analysis review. The clinical studies evaluating the safety, efficacy, and financial implications associated with lower limb orthopaedic trauma show that fondaparinux has comparable results with the well-established use of enoxaparin. However, the scientific community has raised several issues regarding mostly fondaparinux's safety, timing of its 1(st) dose, bleeding side effects, duration of administration and lack of a reliable reversing agent. Further trials are necessary focusing on the safety and efficacy of this drug mostly in relation to clinical relevant outcomes and to different fields of trauma surgery (pelvis, long bone fractures and polytrauma patients).

The purpose of the present studies was twofold: (a) to describe the spectrum of goals adopted in physical education, and, (b) to relate forced-choice reports of goal orientations to open-ended, qualitative ones. Elementary (n = 139) and middle school (n = 342) physical education students participated in two studies. Results indicated that mastery approach goals included strong elements of social goals, (b) mastery avoidance goals were nonexistent, questioning their presence in physical education, (c) performance approach goals involved strong elements of mastery approach goals and social goals, and, (d) performance avoidance goals involved high frequencies of mastery goals and affectivity goals. Also, the relationship between students' forced selection of goal orientations and their responses to open-ended questions was rather low. It is concluded that multiple goals are most likely operative in achievement contexts and researchers may need to focus on their combination in order to understand students' achievement strivings.

To capture patterns of normal age-associated atrophy, we previously used a multivariate statistical approach applied to voxel based morphometry that identified age-associated gray and white matter covariance networks (Brickman et al. [2007]: Neurobiol Aging 28:284-295). The current study sought to examine the stability of these patterns by forward applying the identified networks to an independent sample of neurologically healthy younger and older adults. Forty-two younger and 35 older adults were imaged with standard high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging. Individual images were spatially normalized and segmented into gray and white matter. Covariance patterns that were previously identified with scaled subprofile model analyses were prospectively applied to the current sample to identify to what degree the age-associated patterns were manifested. Older individuals were also assessed with a modified version of the Mini Mental State Examination (mMMSE). Gray matter covariance pattern expression discriminated between younger and older participants with high optimal sensitivity (100%) and specificity (90.5%). While the two groups differed in the degree of white matter pattern expression (t (75) = 5.26, P < 0.001), classification based on white matter expression was relatively low (sensitivity = 80% and specificity = 61.9%). Among older adults, chronological age was significantly associated with increased gray matter pattern expression (r (32) = 0.591, P < 0.001) but not with performance on the mMMSE (r (31) = -0.314, P = 0.085). However, gray matter pattern expression was significantly associated with performance on the mMMSE (r (31) = -0.405, P = 0.024). The findings suggest that the previously derived age-associated covariance pattern for gray matter is reliable and may provide information that is more functionally meaningful than chronological age.

SUMMARY: Fracture healing constitutes a complex and delicate physiological process. Local vascularity at the site of the fracture has been identified as one of the most significant parameters influencing the healing procedure. VEGF is the most important component of the regeneration of the vascular system at the fracture site. The aim of this review is to determine the evidence supporting the direct role of VEGF in the enhancement of fracture healing and the possible clinical use of VEGF for non-unions. The literature search was performed via the internet using the Medline. The key words which were searched in the abstracts were the terms "VEGF", "angiogenesis", "fracture", "bone" and "healing". Twenty-five articles were relevant to the topic of interest. A total of 11 articles were excluded from our research due to non conformity of their content to the inclusion criteria. Evidence retrieved suggests that VEGF could be extremely valuable for the treatment of critical size bone defects and that VEGF could have a direct effect on osteoprogenitor cells, mainly by promoting the differentiation of osteoblasts and by increasing the mineralisation of the regenerated bone. The former observation could have very interesting repercussions for the field of non-unions and the latter for the field of osteoporosis.

The aim of this study is to estimate future potential changes in duration of extreme dry and wet spells and rainfall intensity in Eastern Mediterranean. For this purpose, daily precipitation amounts, deriving from the regional climate model of UK Hadley Centre HadRM3P have been used for the present (1960-1990) and the future period 2070-2100 on 0.44° × 0.44° latitude by longitude grid. Future data are based on B2 IPCC emission scenario. For the identification of precipitation extremes three climatic indices were employed: a) CWD (Maximum number of consecutive wet days), b) CDD (Maximum number of consecutive dry days) and c) SDII (quotient of precipitation amount of wet days and the number of wet days of the period). They were calculated for the present and future period, on a seasonal and annual basis. A general future tendency was found towards drier Eastern Mediterranean, with reduced rainfall intensity. Longer dry spells are expected in all seasons, except autumn, with the largest increase in the southern part of the area. Extreme wet spells will shorten everywhere during all seasons, except autumn. Precipitation intensity was found reduced for all seasons and mostly for summer in South Aegean Sea. © 2008 Global NEST Printed in Greece. All rights reserved.

FYLOPAEDIA («Φύλο και Αθλητισμός») στον «κατάλογο με τις περισσότερες αναφορές»  “Αυτή η σελίδα έχει προσπελαστεί 2.229 φορές” (τελευταία πρόσβαση 24/9/2014  Αφορά το λήμμα: Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2008). «Φύλο και Αθλητισμός». FYLOPAEDIA-Φύλο Παιδεία. Ηλεκτρονικό Εγκυκλοπαιδικό Λεξικό του Προγράμματος ΘΕ.ΦΥΛ.ΙΣ., Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών. (www.thefylis.uoa.gr/fylopedia)  http://www.fylopedia.uoa.gr/index.php?title=%CE%9A%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1:%CE%9B%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1

Erosion represents a natural process, during which particles of geologicalformations are carried away by water, wind or by their combination. It is asignificant social and economic problem, which makes research on land and watermanagement necessary. Monitoring of erosion is needed in order to predict thedevelopment of the incident and moderate it.The selected study area is the Syros Island, a small Cycladic island. In order toassess erosion risk index, a number of effective factors were used. These factorswere used as input variables of the risk model, from which derived the outputvariable that lead to the production of the erosion risk map.

The increasing worldwide apprehension of groundwater contamination problems generated the concept of groundwater vulnerability, which is based on the theory that the natural environment can offer some degree of protection to groundwater, against the natural and human impacts,especially considering, contaminants entering the subsurface environment. Although there are several methods related to the vulnerability risk assessment and mapping for porous and karstic media, there is no relative method concerning the discontinuous media. Studying groundwatervulnerability on the smaller islands of the Aegean Sea is important, because water supplies are few and avoiding contaminants entering the groundwater is vital. Tinos Island has significant water tables, as far as quantity and quality is concerned. The selected study area is theFalatados-Livada drainage system, which is developed along the lithological contact of granites and schists. In order to assess groundwater intrinsic vulnerability, a number of effective factors were used. These factors were used as input variables of the risk model, from which derived theoutput variable that lead to the production of the groundwater intrinsic vulnerability risk map.

Background: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) of the breast is one of the less recognized variants of this vasculitis and may represent an isolated finding or a manifestation of a more widespread disease. Case Report: We present the case of a 74-year-old woman with malaise and a 14-day persistent fever, reaching 38°C. There was a bilateral, painless and mobile axillary lymphadenopathy and a slight tenderness over the medial and lateral upper quadrants of her left breast, as well as an independent palpable tender mass in the upper outer quadrant of the same breast measuring 2 cm in its greatest diameter. Constitutional symptoms, anemia and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate suggestive of polymyalgia rheumatica were also present. An invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with coincidental pathologic findings of GCA in the same biopsy specimen was revealed. In this case, arteritis was limited to the breast and presented with diffuse breast tenderness. No other artery was involved by GCA. All arteritis-related symptoms disappeared after the removal of the tumor. Conclusions: There is a relationship between cancer, particularly breast cancer, and GCA of the same organ, but the real nature of this association still remains unknown. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG.

In this paper, we review the basic morphosyntactic and phonological properties of object clitic pro- nouns in Standard Greek. More specifically, we discuss the constraints on the combinatorial properties of clitic clusters and present evidence in support of the out-of-cycle adjunct status of clitic-doubled DP-objects. We then account for the distribution of object clitics with respect to the verb by means of a cliticization movement rule. Finally, we show that there is an asymmetry in the way object clitics are prosodically organized, depending on their position in relation to the verb. Being always a part of the phonological word of their verbal host, enclitics choose to incorporate to it whereas proclitics opt for prosodic adjunction.

Using Chandra, XMM and optical data (both photometric and spectroscopic), we studied the X-ray binary population in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), down to an X-ray luminosity of ~4×10^33 erg s-1, thus allowing the investigation of the faintest of the high-mass Xraybinary populations. The regions were selected so as to have varying star formation histories, in order to investigate, using homogeneous and well defined samples, the connection between the Be- XRB phenomenon and SF history. The characterization of the X-ray sources discovered in our Chandra and XMM surveys and the selection of our sample of Be-XRBs, was based on a combination of X-ray and optical properties. We found that the number of Be/X-ray binaries (Be-XRBs) peaks at the age of 40-70 Myr ago. Finally, we constructed their X-ray luminosity function (XLF). There are very few X-ray sources above ~10^35 ergs^-1, which is consistent with the transient nature of Be X-ray binaries. There is also indication for a flattening of the XLF at ~10^35 ergs^-1, which would be consistent with the onset of the propeller effect.

The role of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains controversial. This study was initiated to compare the efficacy and tolerability of HDCT as a consolidation approach in women with chemosensitive advanced EOC (FIGO stages IIC-IV). Patients who had achieved their first clinical complete remission after six cycles of conventional paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive or not high-dose melphalan. The primary objective was to compare time to disease progression (TTP). A total of 80 patients were enrolled onto the trial. Patients who were randomized to receive HDCT were initially treated with cyclophosphamide 4g/m2 for PBPC mobilization. HDCT consisted of melphalan 200 mg/m2. Of the 37 patients who were allocated to HDCT, 11 (29.7%) did not receive melphalan either due to patient refusal (n = 5) or due to failure of PBPC mobilization (n = 6). In an intent-to-treat analysis, there were no significant differences between the two arms in TTP (P = 0.059) as well as in overall survival (OS) (P = 0.38).

OBJECTIVES: To (1) compare home health and informal (unpaid) services utilization among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), (2) examine longitudinal changes in services use, and (3) estimate possible interdependence of home health and informal care utilization. METHODS: The sample is drawn from the Predictors Study, a large, multicenter cohort of patients with probable AD, prospectively followed annually for up to 7 years in three university-based AD centers. Bivariate probit models estimated the effects of patient characteristics on home health and informal care utilization. RESULTS: A large majority of the patients (80.6%) received informal care with a smaller proportion (18.6%) receiving home health services. Home health services utilization increased from 9.9% at baseline to 34.5% in year 4. Among users, number of days that services were provided in three-month recall increased from 21.9 to 56 days over time. Home health services utilization was significantly associated with function, depressive symptoms, being female, and not living with a spouse. Informal care utilization was significantly associated with cognition, function, comorbidities, and living with a spouse or child. CONCLUSIONS: Home health and informal care utilization relate differently to patient characteristics. Utilization of home health care or informal care was not influenced by utilization of the other.

Background: Kallikreins, a subgroup of the serine protease enzyme family, are considered important prognostic biomarkers in cancer. Here, we sought to determine the prognostic value of kallikrein 7 (hk7) in ovarian cancer using a novel method of compartmentalized in situ protein analysis. Patients and methods: A tissue array composed of 150 advanced-stage ovarian cancers, uniformly treated with surgical debulking followed by platinum-paclitaxel (Taxol) combination chemotherapy, was constructed. For evaluation of kallikrein 7 protein expression, we used an immunofluorescence-based method of automated in situ quantitative measurement of protein analysis (AQUA). Results: Mean follow-up time ofthe cohort was 34.35 months. One hundred and twenty eight of 150 cases had sufficient tissue for AQUA. In univariate survival analysis, low tumor hk7 expression was associated with better outcome for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival in 3 years (P values 0.032 and 0.037, respectively). In multivariate survival analysis, adjusting for well-characterized prognostic variables, low tumor hk7 expression level was the most significant predictor variable for OS (95% confidence interval 0.125-0.729, P = 0.007). Conclusions: High tumor hk7 protein expression is associated with inferior patient outcome in ovarian cancer. hk7 may represent a promising prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the daily minimum air temperature and human-biometeorological variables, as well as their day-to-day changes, on sleep disturbances (SD) in the inhabitants of Athens, Greece. The SD dataset used for the analysis included the daily records of the psychiatric emergency unit of the Athens University Medical School for the years 1989 (with mild thermal load) and 1994 (with heavy thermal load). The meteorological variables for the estimation of the thermal indices were recorded by the meteorological station of Hellenikon, which is located at the headquarters of the Hellenic National Weather Service. The mean radiant temperature (T mrt) and the thermal indices predicted mean vote (PMV), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) and standard effective temperature (SET*) have been analyzed. The first step was to assess the SD frequencies as a function of the meteorological and human-biometeorological variables on the basis of 10-day intervals to determine the influence of the examined variables on SD. The daily SD records were included as Poisson random variables in the applied Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The extracted results suggested that a considerable increase in SD existed in 1994 compared to 1989. This was due to the many consecutive days with heavy thermal load (PET >35°C and Tmin >23°C) in 1994 compared to the lack of such days in 1989. Furthermore, statistically significant (p<0.01) positive relationships were found between minimum air temperature, all thermal indices and SD. © SAGE Publications 2008.

Dermal exposure to hydrofluoric acid could potentially result in severe serum calcium and magnesium depletion induced by binding with fluoride anion. This report describes the case of a 48-year-old man who developed hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia accompanied by hypokalemia-an interesting finding-following a chemical injury with exposure to 70% hydrofluoric acid. Successful treatment included administration of calcium gluconate and magnesium both intravenously and topically.

The objective of this study is to estimate the duration, frequency and intensity of precipitation extreme episodes in Cyprus, in relation with the two phases of the Eastern Mediterranean teleconnection Pattern (EMP), during winter for the period 1958–2005. A standardised teleconnection index was employed to determine the phases (positive and negative) and the strength of the EMP. The identification of the precipitation extremes was performed with the aid of four climatic indices. It was found that during the positive phase of the pattern, the length of dry periods reduces while that of wet periods increases, being followed by increase of frequency of extreme wet days and precipitation intensity. On the contrary, during the negative phase, the dry spells become longer in accordance with shortening of the wet spells, decrease of the number of extreme wet days and precipitation intensity.

Over the years giant steps have been made in the evolution of fracture fixation and the overall clinical care of patients. Better understanding of the physiological response to injury, bone biology, biomechanics and implants has led to early mobilisation of patients. A significant reduction in complications during the pre-operative and post-operative phases has also been observed, producing better functional results. A number of innovations have contributed to these improved outcomes and this article reports on the advances made in osteosynthesis and fracture care.

BACKGROUND: We report a case of intracystic hemorrhage in a mediastinal cystic parathyroid adenoma causing parathyrotoxic crisis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 30-year-old man presented with a large neck mass, dyspnea, and abdominal pain. The patient's serum calcium and parathormone levels were elevated. Radiography showed a right tracheal deviation, ultrasonography identified a thyroid nodular goiter extending to the mediastinum with a large (4.0 cm x 5.6 cm) cystic mass adjacent to the lower left thyroid pole. After IV fluid, pamidronate, and furosemide were administered, the patient underwent total thyroidectomy, and excision of the cyst and a small mass (2 cm x 2 cm) adjacent to the upper right thyroid lobe. Histopathologic examination revealed a double parathyroid adenoma and identified the mediastinal lesion as a cystic adenoma with intracystic hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Intracystic hemorrhage in a functional mediastinal cystic parathyroid adenoma is an extremely rare cause of parathyrotoxic crisis. Aggressive medical treatment should be immediately instituted, and surgery should be performed as soon as hypercalcemia is controlled.

The geomorphological processes, which take place on the coastal zone, are influenced by a number of environmental factors, such as lithology, climate, biota, and oceanography. The present study investigated the causes of erosion taking place on the beach zones and on the coastal cliffs along the Island of Samos (eastern Aegean Sea). On the northern part of the island the coastline is characterised mainly by rocky and craggy coasts with the beach zones to be limited and in the form of a ‘pocket’ type of beach, while on the southern part by wide and long beach zones constituted by cobbles and pebbles. Intense coastal erosion takes place mainly on the rocky coasts on the northern and especially on the northwestern part of the island. In some coastal places intense coastal erosion causes problems not only to the infrastructure (road network), but also to near-coast people’s properties. Coastal erosion is more intense on the northern coasts, than on the southern coasts, due to the differenced in the incoming wave energy, which is dominated by the more intense and frequent blowing northerly winds. Furthermore, it seems that coastline retreat is more often along parts of the coast consisting of marles, malry limestones and limestones.

The shallow bay of St. Georgios is situated in the northwestern part of the Naxos Island and it is characterized by a 2.7 km long sandy coast consisting of fine-grained (sandy) material. Sand dunes are the landward limit of the beach zone, whilst at the southwestern part of the coast an extensive lagoon plain has been formed. A partially emerged reef and the morphologically associated Manto islet protect the middle and southwestern part of the beach zone from the most frequent (>40% annually) incoming N waves and the highest NW waves (>3 m). The coastal zone is under erosion as shown by the reduction in size (>50%) of the Manto islet and the extensive erosion of the foredunes, despite the reduction of the incoming wave energy due to the reef presence. The continuous erosion (lowering) of the reef in connection with the expected eustatic sea level rise is anticipated to cause further retreat of the shoreline, demolishing the sand dune field and inundating the nearby low-lying hinterland area.

Airborne particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1) and volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene) samples were collected during winter and summer seasons of 2005 at two sites, representing an urban and a suburban region of the Greater Athens Area. Urban site traffic emissions were the major contributor to the concentration of PM2.5, PM10, toluene, and xylenes, while benzene and PM1 concentrations were presented in significant spatial variations. K+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NO3 -, Cl- and SO4 2 - ions were analyzed for the chemical characterization of the collected PM samples. The results showed that Na+ cations and SO4 2 - anions were the dominant species, during winter and summer, respectively, in both sites. The analysis of the synoptic scale and mesoscale atmospheric circulation during the experimental periods demonstrated that the meteorological conditions play a key role, not only in the variation but also in the distribution of the ionic concentrations at the three fractions of particulates and the dominant character (alkaline/acidic/neutral) of the particulates at the two sampling sites. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

La présente étude traite des liens, qui unissent Lacarrière, connaisseur de l’histoire de l’art, à l’art occidental. En nous appuyant sur ses essais, ses préfaces et les catalogues d’expositions qu’il a rédigés, ainsi que sur ses collaborations avec des artistes dans le cadre d’éditions artistiques, nous présentons ses préférences esthétiques et nous révélons certaines de ses sources d’inspirations. Après avoir abordé sa révision du mythe d’Icare dans l’art, nous examinons sa description de l’atelier Brancusi. Ensuite, nous analysons la présentation des artistes français dans des préfaces et des catalogues rédigés à l’occasion des expositions. Dans Aristide Caillaud l’enchanteur 1902-1990  (2001), Lacarrière, qui établit le lien entre les créations de l’artiste et sa vie personnelle, nous fait découvrir son univers. Finalement, nous étudions les créations artistiques, qui ont illustré ses récits.

This study focuses on the importance of Dance— and its relationship to music, poetry and gymnastics— as a means and an element of education in the historical context of the classical period (5th-4th centuries B.C.) Certainly Greek literature and archaeological finds provide a rich source for the study of dance as a social and cultural phenomenon (Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Demosthenes, Herodotus, et al.). As a socio-cultural expression it reflected all personal, private, group, religious, and public emotions, in other words all joys, grief and major events in the daily life of the people and the state. Dance was considered a divine inspiration in which women, men and children participated The festivals in each Greek city were regarded as “the most humane and kindly institutions in their life” and the gods, were worshipped at these festivals “not in sadness, but with joy”(Mahaffy, 1879:79). During the era of Pericles, renowned figures, such as Sophocles, Epaminondas, Aeschylus and Aristophanes danced in front of audiences. ‘Professionalization’, namely dance masters/instructors enjoyed the highest esteem, professional dancers excelled, and the state encouraged, or rather financially supported the public to attend the theatre. In contrast to the gender exclusion in the palaistras where adolescent males exercised and received dance lessons, as well as the non-participation of women in athletic competitions— with the exception of Sparta— women in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. participated in the dance process and were allowed to join in the dance processions to honor the gods, goddesses, deities, local or deceased heroes, athletic heroes, etc.   Keywords: dance as a socio-cultural expression, education of mind and soma (body), “the joy of dance” (Terpsichore), gender and dance, “free citizens with useful bodies” (Plato), professionalization, dance professionals.

La présente étude analyse les rapports de Jacques Lacarrière avec l’art grec. Sa première partie, qui s’appuie sur sa préface de L’érotisme sculpté (2005) et sur les entrées de son Dictionnaire amoureux de la Grèce (2001) ainsi que sur sa communication sur la Corè de Samos (2001) traite de sa perception de la sculpture grecque ancienne. Lacarrière ne s’est pas limité à l’analyse esthétique de l’art de la Grèce ancienne, mais a voulu tracer son évolution. La deuxième partie notre article étudie sa perception de l’oeuvre des artistes grecs contemporains (Alkis Pierrakos, Yannis Tsarouchis, Alecos Fassianos). L’écrivain, qui a souvent présenté les oeuvres des artistes grecs dans le cadre d’expositions individuelles et collectives présentées dans des galeries et musées grecs et français, était influencé par leur esthétique, mise en lumière dans ses écrits.

Objective - Genetic polymorphisms in the gene for endothelial nitric oxide synthase have been considered as potential risk factors for the development of coronary artery disease in some populations. Methods - We studied two polymorphisms of the NOS3 gene, the VNTR in intron 4 (4VNTR) and the Glu298Asp polymorphism in exon 7, in relation to the existence of premature coronary artery disease and the occurrence of myocardial infarction. A total number of 370 individuals of the Greek population was examined by PCR-RFLP method. The patient group consisted of 209 subjects, aged less than 58 years presenting symptomatic coronary artery disease, documented by coronary angiography. Results - The frequencies for bb, ab and aa genotypes of 4VNTR polymorphism were 0.67, 0.29, 0.04, respectively, for the patient group and 0.73, 0.24, 0.03 for the control group. The frequencies for GG (Glu/ Glu), GT (Glu/Asp), TT (Asp/Asp) of the Glu298Asp polymorphism were 0.52, 0.41, 0.07, respectively, in patients compared to 0.47, 0.46, 0.07, in control subjects. Statistical analysis indicated that there are no significant differences in the frequencies of the genotypes between patients and control subjects for both polymorphisms. The combined analysis of the two polymorphisms indicated no synergistic effect of the a and T alleles on coronary artery disease. Conclusions - We have found no evidence for association between the a allele of the 4VNTR polymorphism, or the T allele of Glu298Asp polymorphism and the risk for premature coronary artery disease or occurrence of myocardial infarction. Furthermore, no synergistic contribution of these polymorphisms to the development of premature coronary artery disease has been observed.

This analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide + dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) previously treated with thalidomide. Of 704 patients, 39% were thalidomide exposed. Thalidomide-exposed patients had more prior lines of therapy and longer duration of myeloma than thalidomide-naive patients. Lenalidomide + dexamethasone led to higher overall response rate (ORR), longer time to progression (TTP), and progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo + dexamethasone despite prior thalidomide exposure. Among lenalidomide + dexamethasone-treated patients, ORR was higher in thalidomide-naive versus thalidomide-exposed patients (P = .04), with longer median TTP (P = .04) and PFS (P = .02). Likewise for dexamethasone alone-treated patients (P = .03 for ORR, P = .03 for TTP, P = .06 for PFS). Prior thalidomide did not affect survival in lenalidomide + dexamethasone-treated patients (36.1 vs 33.3 months, P > .05). Thalidomide-naive and thalidomide-exposed patients had similar toxicities. Lenalidomide + dexamethasone resulted in higher rates of venous thromboembolism, myelosuppression, and infections versus placebo + dexamethasone, independent of prior thalidomide exposure. Lenalidomide + dexamethasone was superior to placebo + dexamethasone, independent of prior thalidomide exposure. Although prior thalidomide may have contributed to inferior TTP and PFS compared with thalidomide-naive patients, these parameters remained superior compared with placebo + dexamethasone; similar benefits compared with placebo + dexamethasone were not evident for thalidomide-exposed patients in terms of overall survival. Studies were registered at http://www.clinicaltrials. gov under NCT00056160 and NCT00424047. © 2008 by The American Society of Hematology.

OBJECTIVE: In obese postmenopausal women with normal glucose metabolism (NGT) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) we assessed serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin, soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R) during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in order to investigate their response to acute changes in glucose and insulin in the abnormal glucose metabolism, as it is early detected by IGT. METHODS: Thirty in total, overweight/obese postmenopausal women, were included in the study: 15 with NGT and 15 with IGT as it was diagnosed by OGTT. Serum glucose and insulin levels were measured at 30 min intervals, leptin, sOB-R, adiponectin and resistin at 60 min intervals during the 120 min OGTT. RESULTS: In fasting state, leptin, adiponectin, resistin and sOB-R levels did not differ between the two groups. In women with NGT, leptin was positively correlated with BMI, insulin and HOMA, and negatively correlated with QUICKI and with sOB-R; adiponectin was negatively correlated with insulin and HOMA and positively correlated with QUICKI. In women with IGT, resistin was positively correlated with BMI and waist circumference. In both groups, sOB-R was negatively correlated with insulin. During OGTT, in both groups, leptin concentration increased significantly and fasting glucose predicts significantly serum leptin change; there was no change in adiponectin, resistin and sOB-R concentrations. CONCLUSION: In overweight/obese postmenopausal women fat distribution does not affect leptin and adiponectin production. Abnormal glucose metabolism is not accompanied by disturbance in adipokines production. Leptin secretion is acutely regulated by glucose levels in insulin presence.

Cette étude ambitionne d’éclairer un aspect de la voie singulière tracée par Simone de Beauvoir au sein de l’Université où elle fut professeure de philosophie entre 1931 et 1941 : l’acte de voyager. La réflexion proposée tente d’inscrire les voyages beauvoiriens « outre France » (1931-1938) dans le contexte plus vaste de l’expérience viatique d’avant-guerre des enseignantes du secondaire, afin de mettre en évidence le caractère spécifique des pérégrinations de cette professeure de passage. Dans cette perspective, le récit viatique de Beauvoir incorporé dans son oeuvre autobiographique La force de l’âge (avec des renvois à sa correspondance personnelle avec Jean Paul Sartre et Jacques-Laurent Bost): est étudié en confrontation avec les textes de six enseignantes et anciennes Sévriennes publiés entre 1938 et 1934 dans le Bulletin de l’Association des élèves et anciennes élèves de Sèvres.Compte tenu de l’hétérogénéité relative du corpus, de la pluralité des discours et de la diversité des voix qui interviennent en chassé-croisé, cette analyse comparative permet de faire surgir l’originalité du récit de Simone de Beauvoir. Les textes des six Sévriennes transmis au sein d’un réseau universitaire ont clairement un but pédagogique : en privilégiant une approche de l’altérité qui respecte le discours hégémonique de l'époque, ils visent en premier lieu à informer, à instruire sinon à inciter au voyage. Leurs auteurs font ainsi de l’acte d’écrire un acte social. À l’opposé, la narration de Simone de Beauvoir relate un voyage individuel dont le but est la recherche d’un bonheur égoïste à travers la découverte d’un monde culturellement et socialement différent. L’acte de publicité est dans une optique d’utilité sociale entièrement gratuit : il s’agit d’un acte de création littéraire à travers lequel est assouvi encore une fois un besoin personnel.

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between loneliness/social dissatisfaction and teacher-identified behavioural risk during late childhood. A broad range of behaviour problems, as well as academic adjustment, are assessed, in order to specify in which types of behaviour and academic problems loneliness/social dissatisfaction is most likely to occur. Forty-six fifth and sixth graders who were in the borderline or clinical spectrum on the basis of their total Teacher's Report Form score completed the Children's Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale, and were compared with 50 students who did not have behaviour problems. Overall, the behaviourally at-risk group experienced more loneliness/social dissatisfaction than the comparison group. Loneliness was a more strong correlate of the variables studied than social dissatisfaction. For the behaviourally at-risk students, the strongest positive associations were found between loneliness and social problems, withdrawn/depressed behaviour and inattention; a trend for a negative association between loneliness and hyperactivity/impulsivity, as well as rule-breaking behaviour was also found. Children having both internalizing and externalizing problems experienced more loneliness than children with either internalizing or externalizing problems. Academic adjustment (i.e. academic performance, how much a student is learning and how happy he/she is) had negative links with loneliness. Several hypothetical explanations are offered and suggestions for research and action are made.

Tail loss is an effective antipredator strategy in many lizards. After loss the tail continues to thrash vigorously and may distract predators away from the escaping lizard. However, autotomy imposes energetic and survival costs (loss of lipid reserves, reduction of reproductive output, impairment of locomotor performance). Autotomy may have been lost when costs exceed benefits, while a substantial reduction or full loss may occur during ontogeny. The Balkan green lizard, Lacerta trilineata is a skilful sprinter despite its robust structure. Predation was simulated in a total of 83 individuals (48 juveniles and 35 adults). All juveniles shed their tail readily while none of the adults autotomized their tails. Postautotomyduration of movement and levels of involving metabolites in shed tails were measured. No differences were found on comparison to other Greek lacertids. These findings suggest that autotomic ability is lost ontogenetically in L. trilineata while post-autotomy energetics seems to be a conservative character.

Background: The aim was to examine characteristics and treatment results of patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Patients and methods: Epidemiological and clinical features of 97 patients with MALT lymphoma from the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group registry were analysed retrospectively for their prognostic significance in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Comparisons were made between patients with gastric and nongastric sites of primary lymphoma and between different therapeutic modalities. Results: Sixty-five patients presented with gastric and 32 with nongastric lymphomas. The most frequent locations of nongastric lymphomas were the bowel, lung and parotid. Gastric lymphomas occurred more frequently in males and younger patients compared with nongastric lymphomas. Seventy-four per cent of patients had early (Ann Arbor stages I-II) and 26% had advanced (stages III-IV) disease. The median PFS for the entire population was 44 months. At 5 years, 47% of patients were progression free and the OS rate was 80%. The most reliable prognostic factor for PFS and OS was the Ann Arbor stage; 5-year PFS was 67% versus 13% and 5-year OS 91% versus 51% for patients with early versus advanced disease, respectively (P < 0.001). Of the patients treated with chemotherapy only, 87% achieved an objective response and 71% complete response. Surgery did not offer survival benefit compared with chemotherapy in localised gastric lymphoma. Conclusion: MALT lymphomas represent a distinct disease entity with widespread extranodal origin, indolent clinical course and high chemosensitivity. Ann Arbor stage was the most reliable prognostic and predictive factor. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved.

We propose a new method for the rejection of the comparatively strong diamagnetic contribution usually observed in SQUID magnetization measurements, originating from the substrates that are widely used for the preparation of thin magnetic films either by sputtering or by laser ablation techniques. Our method relies on the use of a substrate of length exceeding significantly the scan length employed in the magnetization measurements. Simple symmetry considerations reveal that the substrate's signal can be removed efficiently. This is also verified by a simple quantitative model, which is based on the form of total response of the four SQUID pick-up coils for a long sample. Our experimental data show clear evidence that the direct rejection of the substrate's undesired diamagnetic signal is complete in all the different categories of films (CoPt uniform single layers, CoPt isolated nanoparticles and La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3) multilayered specimens) studied in the present work. As a result, the real underlying mechanism that governs the physics of these magnetic films was uncovered. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Owing to vast technological advances, hemodialysis (HD) has become a mature modality significantly increasing the survival of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. However, many HD complications still exist that mainly relate to the nature of middle-molecular-weight and/or protein-bound toxins that both low- and high-flux dialysers cannot efficiently remove. For instance, hyperhomocysteinemia and amyloidosis are two dialysis-related disorders that motivate serious health complications. Here, we introduce a new method for the selective removal of specific toxins that is based on the preparation of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticle-Targeted Binding Substance Conjugates (FN-TBS Cs) constituted of biocompatible FNs and a specifically designed TBS that must have high affinity for the respective Target Toxin Substance (TTS). The FN-TBS Cs should be administered to the patient timely prior to the dialysis session so that they will be able to bind with the specific TTS owing to their free circulation in the bloodstream. The complex FN-TBS-TTS can be selectively removed from the ESRD patient during the HD session by means of a magnetic dialyser (MD). For the in vitro evaluation of this proposal we employed highly biocompatible Fe3O4 and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as constituents of the FN-TBS Cs and an array of permanent magnets placed along the circulation line as a simple MD. We have evaluated the binding affinity and capacity of both bare Fe3O4 FNs and Fe3O4-BSA Cs by employing homocysteine (Hcy) as a model TTS. We investigate Hcy concentrations ranging from mild to severe hyperhomocysteinemia. Most importantly, we investigate the effectiveness of low concentrations of Fe3O4 that are within the safety levels established from the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia, thus making a preliminary evaluation of future in vivo applications. We observed that Hcy is readily adsorbed onto both bare Fe3O4 FNs and Fe3O4-BSA Cs. The obtained results prove the successful in vitro applicability of the proposed method since pathological Hcy concentrations may be adequately handled by relatively low Fe3O4 concentrations, thus making feasible future in vivo applications.

By using x-ray diffraction, magnetization and Mossbauer spectroscopy techniques we have studied the magnetoelectric Al2-xFexO3 (x = 0.8, 0.9 and 1.0) compound. Ac-susceptibility and magnetization measurements revealed magnetic transitions at T-N = 180, 210 and 260 K for x = 0.8, 0.9 and 1.0 respectively, that can be attributed to the Neel temperatures of ferrimagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition for all samples. Mossbauer spectra for the three samples were recorded between 4.2 and 295 K. Above the Neel temperature the paramagnetic spectra can be analyzed by three quadrupole doublets associated with the octahedral Fe1, Fe2 and Fe4 sites. The values of the hyperfine parameters show that iron ions are in the high spin Fe3+ state. The spectrum area of the doublet with larger quadrupole splitting increases with x, and in combination with x-ray diffraction results it can be attributed to the iron which occupies the Fe4 site. Below T-N(x) the Mossbauer spectra are magnetically split and at T = 4.2 K consist of six broad lines, indicating either a hyperfine magnetic field distribution (P(H-hyp)) or that the three octahedral sites give three unresolved sextets. The most probable value of H-hyp (the maximum value of P(H-hyp)) follows a power law indicative of a second order transition, in agreement with ac-susceptibility and magnetization measurements. The width of P(H-hyp) increases drastically toward low hyperfine magnetic fields as temperature increases. In addition, an appreciable percentage of the iron nuclei sense a hyperfine field with values in the interval [0, H-max]. This behavior can be explained by assuming that several magnetic sites with different superexchange parameters exist.

The magnetic properties of nanocrystalline titanium carbide dispersed in a carbon matrix (TiCx/C) prepared by the non-hydrolytic sol-gel process have been studied by dc magnetization measurements. The superconducting phase of titanium carbide has been observed at low temperatures with the onset of the superconducting transition temperature Tc at about 3.5 K, superimposed on a ferromagnetic component. At T > Tc the magnetic response of TiCx/C is determined by the interplay of the ferromagnetic contribution with the paramagnetic/diamagnetic signal of the metallic system and the contribution of exchange coupled paramagnetic ions. Moreover, significant differences are observed in the magnetic response for samples of the same preparation batch, indicative of the magnetic/electronic inhomogeneity of nanocrystalline titanium carbide which is important for its practical applications.

The magnetic properties of γ-Fe 2O 3 nanoparticles embedded in a thermoplastic elastomer poly(ether-ester) copolymer by the in situ polycondensation reaction process have been investigated by means of magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements at low filler concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3 wt% with the magnetic additive introduced in the polymer matrix in powder and solution form. The magnetic behavior of the magnetopolymeric nanocomposites indicates significant interparticle interaction effects that depend mainly on the dispersion state of the magnetic nanoparticles as well as their concentration, consistent with the variation of the particle microstructure characterized by magnetic aggregates in the nanometer and micron scale for the solution and powder dispersions, respectively. The magnetization and FMR results at different filler concentrations and dispersions show a close correspondence to the relaxation processes of the copolymer, implying the coupling of polymeric and magnetic properties. Copyright © 2008 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.

The main characteristics of relativistic, steady, ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) outflows are discussed, focusing on their bulk acceleration and collimation. It is shown that the Bernoulli equation relates the bulk Lorentz factor with the shape of the flow, permitting an analytic estimation of the acceleration efficiency, while the transfield force-balance equation gives a simple relation of the bulk Lorentz factor to the distance.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if baseline measurements of cerebral atrophy and severity of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) predict the rate of future cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN: Data were drawn from the Predictors Study, a longitudinal study that enrolls patients with mild AD and reassesses them every 6 months with use of the Columbia modified Mini-Mental State (mMMS) examination (score range, 0-57). Magnetic resonance images were analyzed to determine the severity of WMH, using the Scheltens scale, and the degree of atrophy, using the bicaudate ratio. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine whether severity of baseline magnetic resonance image measurements and their interaction predicted the rate of mMMS score decline at subsequent visits. SETTING: Three university-based AD centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: At baseline, 84 patients with AD from the Predictors Study received structural magnetic resonance imaging and were selected for analysis. They had a mean of 6 follow-up evaluations. Main Outcome Measure The mMMS score. RESULTS: Generalized estimating equation models demonstrated that the degree of baseline atrophy (beta = -0.316; P = .04), the severity of WMH (beta = -0.173; P = .03), and their interaction (beta = -6.061; P = .02) predicted the rate of decline in mMMS scores. CONCLUSIONS: Both degree of cerebral atrophy and severity of WMH are associated with the rapidity of cognitive decline in AD. Atrophy and WMH may have a synergistic effect on future decline in AD, such that patients with a high degree of both have a particularly precipitous cognitive course. These findings lend further support to the hypothesis that cerebrovascular pathological abnormalities contribute to the clinical syndrome of AD.

Background: Cycloxygenase (COX)-2 has been associated with proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis in urothelial cancer. The prognostic significance of COX-2 in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for urothelial cancer was examined. Patients and Methods: Expression of COX-2, p53, ki67, β-catenin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) were studied retrospectively in 59 patients with urothelial cancer (pT3, pT4, N+) who had undergone surgery. The patients had subsequently received adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Thirty-eight out of 59 cases (64% ) were positive for COX-2. COX-2 was not associated either with progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS). MVD levels ≥47 were associated with longer median PFS compared with lower levels (not reached vs. 13 months [95% CI: 8-18], p=0.048). The median PFS for patients with β-catenin nuclear accumulation and COX-2 expression was 6 months (95% CI: 4-7) compared with 19 months (95% CI: 14-23) for neither or only one of these factors (p=0.018). Conclusion: MVD may be a useful indicator of relapse in high-risk urothelial cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

The recent revision of Verticillium sect. Prostrata led to the introduction of the genus Lecanicillium, which comprises the majority of the entomopathogenic strains. Sixty-five strains previously classified as Verticillium lecanii or Verticillium sp. from different geographical regions and hosts were examined and their phylogenetic relationships were determined using sequences from three mitochondrial (mt) genes [the small rRNA subunit (rns), the NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 (nad1) and 3 (nad3)] and the ITS region. In general, single gene phylogenetic trees differentiated and placed the strains examined in well-supported (by BS analysis) groups of L. lecanii, L. longisporum, L. muscarium, and L. nodulosum, although in some cases a few uncertainties still remained. nad1 was the most informative single gene in phylogenetic analyses and was also found to contain group I introns with putative open reading frames (ORFs) encoding for GIY-YIG endonucleases. The combined use of mt gene sequences resolved taxonomic uncertainties arisen from ITS analysis and, alone or in combination with ITS sequences, helped in placing uncharacterised Verticillium lecanii and Verticillium sp. firmly into Lecanicillium species. Combined gene data from all the mt genes and all the mt genes and the ITS region together, were very similar. Furthermore, a relaxed correlation with host specificity -- at least for Homoptera -- was indicated for the rns and the combined mt gene sequences. Thus, the usefulness of mt gene sequences as a convenient molecular tool in phylogenetic studies of entomopathogenic fungi was demonstrated.

Purpose: There are major differences affecting genes in adenocarcinomas in ever and never smokers. However, data on whether mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation state differs according to smoking status are limited. Experimental Design: Expression of activated extracellular signal - regulated kinases, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases, and P38 enzymes (pP38) were evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry in 188 chemonaïve patients with surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma. Cell viability of the lung adenocarcinoma cell line HCC827 was studied after treatment with cisplatin or the P38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580. Results: Thirty-seven of 44 never smokers [84%; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), 70-92%] expressed high pP38 levels compared with 45 of 104 ever smokers (43%; 95% CI, 34-53%; P < 0.0001). The proportion of never smokers expressing high c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase levels (72%; 95% CI, 57-83%) was greater than that of ever smokers (53%; 95% CI, 44-62%; P = 0.03). The proportion of ever smokers expressing high extracellular signal - regulated kinase levels (51%; 95% CI, 42-59%) was similar to that of never smokers (57%; 95% CI, 42-71%; P = 0.47). Never smokers were 10.5 times (95% CI, 3.5-31.5) more likely to express high pP38 levels after adjustment for variables linked to smoking status, including age, sex, and histologic subtype. None of the activated MAPKs predicted for overall survival. Cell viability of HCC827 was significantly reduced after exposure to SB203580 alone or when combined with cisplatin. Conclusions: Life-long nonsmoking is associated with high activated P38 levels in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Activated P38 can contribute to the viability of adenocarcinoma cells in never smokers, but is not predictive for overall survival. © 2008 American Association for Cancer Research.

In the recent years, studies of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) dynamics have drawn great attention as they provide insight into the process of virus elimination/production and of infected cells decay during antiviral treatment. Estimates of viral dynamic parameters may be used to determine the lifetime of HCV/HBV virions and of infected cells, to estimate how long patients need to be treated and to evaluate antiviral therapies. The implementation of viral dynamics studies is difficult because they involve an intensive blood-sampling schedule and subsequent viral load quantification. In the majority of these studies, a model proposed by Neumann et al. (Science 1998; 282:103-107) is used under various assumptions, such as ignoring the delay in initial viral load decay, assuming time-constant treatment efficacy in reducing virion production and/or complete blocking of new infections, etc. However, only recently the effect of some of these assumptions on the estimated parameters has been evaluated. In this paper we provide a detailed review of the model, its underlying assumptions as well as the assumptions usually made by researchers during the design and analysis of viral dynamics studies. Then, we investigate the effect of these assumptions on the estimated parameters using simulations and draw useful conclusions concerning the analysis of these studies. Real data examples from a clinical trial on hepatitis B are provided as illustrations.

Immune responses to rhinovirus (RV) as well as direct effects of RV on respiratory epithelium may contribute to the induction of asthma exacerbations.|To evaluate the effect of the environment resulting from an atopic immune response on RV-induced epithelial inflammation, replication and cytotoxicity.|Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from atopic asthmatic subjects and matched controls (12 pairs) were isolated and stimulated by RVs. Human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells were infected with RV in the presence of conditioned media from RV-stimulated PBMC cultures. IL-6, IL-8, RANTES and TGF-beta1 levels were measured by ELISA, RV-induced cytotoxicity by a colorimetric method and RV titres on Ohio-HeLa cells.|RV-induced epithelial production of IL-6, IL-8 and RANTES was significantly lower, while TGF-beta1 was higher when cells were exposed to conditioned media from atopic asthmatic subjects compared with those from normal controls. Exposure to the 'atopic' environment also resulted in elevated RV titres and increased RV-induced cytotoxicity.|Under the influence of an atopic environment, the epithelial inflammatory response to RV is down-regulated, associated with increased viral proliferation and augmented cell damage, while TGF is up-regulated. These changes may help explain the propensity of atopic asthmatic individuals to develop lower airway symptoms after respiratory infections and indicate a mechanism through which viral infections may promote airway remodelling.

Sarcomeric filament proteins display extraordinary properties in terms of protein length and mechanical elasticity, requiring specific anchoring and assembly mechanisms. To establish the molecular basis of terminal filament assembly, we have selected the sarcomeric M-band protein myomesin as a prototypic filament model. The crystal structure of the myomesin C-terminus, comprising a tandem array of two immunoglobulin (Ig) domains My12 and My13, reveals a dimeric end-to-end filament of 14.3 nm length. Although the two domains share the same fold, an unexpected rearrangement of one beta-strand reveals how they are evolved into unrelated functions, terminal filament assembly (My13) and filament propagation (My12). The two domains are connected by a six-turn alpha-helix, of which two turns are void of any interactions with other protein parts. Thus, the overall structure of the assembled myomesin C-terminus resembles a three-body beads-on-the-string model with potentially elastic properties. We predict that the found My12-helix-My13 domain topology may provide a structural template for the filament architecture of the entire C-terminal Ig domain array My9-My13 of myomesin.

AIM: To examine whether isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana are more closely associated to their summer hosts compared with overwintering hosts, with recently developed molecular tools based on mitochondrial regions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Primers for the traditional ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and two mitochondrial intergenic regions, namely, nad3-atp9 and atp6-rns, were used. All amplified products were sequenced, aligned and Neighbour-Joining (NJ), parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic inference analyses were performed. The isolates examined were grouped with very good support into three distinct groups, two of them showed geographical correlation, but no clear association to their host. CONCLUSIONS: The mitochondrial intergenic regions used were more informative than the nuclear ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences. The sequence variability observed, that allowed the phylogenetic placement of the isolates into distinct groups, depended on the geographical origin of the isolates and can be exploited for designing group-specific and isolate-specific primers for their genetic fingerprinting. No clear associations with summer Sunn Pest populations were observed. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Studies on the genetic variability of biocontrol agents like B. bassiana are indispensable for the development of molecular tools for their future monitoring.

We have studied drug release from matrices with periodic layers of high and low diffusivity using Monte Carlo simulations. Despite the fact, that the differential equations relevant to this process have a form that is quite different from the classical diffusion equation with constant diffusion coefficient, we have found that the Weibull model continues to describe the release process as well as in the case of the ``classical{''} diffusion controlled drug release. We examine the similarities and differences between release from matrices with periodic layers and matrices with random mixtures of high and low diffusivity area and show that the periodic geometrical arrangement of the low diffusivity areas has an influence in the release profile which is negligible for low diffusivity ratios, but becomes important in the case of high diffusivity ratios and for intermediate values of the periodic ``length{''}. Such an arrangement in periodic layers leads to Weibull exponent a which are lower than those of the corresponding random arrangement and exponents b which are higher than those of the random case. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this work, the morphology, structure, surface chemical composition, and optical properties of very thin (10-70 nm) anodic silicon films grown on a silicon substrate by electrochemical dissolution of bulk crystalline silicon in the transition regime between the porous formation and electropolishing were investigated in detail. Anodization was performed by using short single pulses of anodization current in low and high hydrofluoric acid (HF) concentration electrolytes. A systematic comparison was made between films grown at low and high HF concentration electrolytes. The morphology and structure of the films were investigated by combining atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies were used to investigate the chemical composition of the films. Photoluminescence was used to investigate the optical properties. It was found that films that formed at low HF concentrations were much thinner than films that formed at high HF concentrations due to surface dissolution of the films during anodization. High resolution TEM images revealed an amorphouslike structure (porous) in all of the films in which discrete Si nanocrystals (NCs) were identified. NC size was, on the average, larger in films fabricated in low HF concentration electrolytes and these films were not luminescent. On the other hand, films fabricated in high HF concentration electrolytes were thicker and contained smaller NCs. A silicon oxide layer covered the internal surface of all films, this oxide being much thinner in films grown at high HF concentrations. This last effect was attributed to self-limiting oxidation of the very small NCs constituting these films. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Based on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), an experimental study with middle school students participating in a physical education task and a correlational study with highly talented sport students investigated the motivating role of positive competence feedback on participants' well-being, performance, and intention to participate. In Study 1, structural equation modeling favored the hypothesized motivational model, in which, after controlling for pretask perceived competence and competence valuation, feedback positively predicted competence satisfaction, which in turn predicted higher levels of vitality and greater intentions to participate, through the mediation of autonomous motivation. No effects on performance were found. Study 2 further showed that autonomous motivation mediated the relation between competence satisfaction and well-being, whereas amotivation mediated the negative relation between competence satisfaction and ill-being and rated performance. The discussion focuses on the motivational role of competence feedback in sports and physical education settings.

OBJECTIVES: Moxifloxacin is recommended in the empirical treatment of infections involving Gram-negative anaerobes. However, current European data regarding its activity against anaerobic pathogens are limited. In order to evaluate its potency, we comparatively studied the activity of moxifloxacin against recently isolated Gram-negative anaerobes. METHODS: Four hundred and ninety-five Gram-negative anaerobic clinical isolates (296 Bacteroides fragilis group, 58 non-fragilis Bacteroides spp. and 141 Prevotella spp.) were prospectively recovered in six Greek hospitals. Moxifloxacin MICs were determined in comparison with those of penicillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoxitin, imipenem, metronidazole and clindamycin. RESULTS: Overall moxifloxacin MIC(50) and MIC(90) were 2 and 32 mg/L, respectively. Based on the current CLSI breakpoints (susceptible, < or =2 mg/L; resistant, > or =8 mg/L), almost half of the total isolates (49%) were non-susceptible to moxifloxacin (32% resistant; 17% intermediate). This was more evident among the non-fragilis Bacteroides species, where 47% of the isolates were resistant and 14% intermediate to moxifloxacin. Species variation was noticed, with the highest non-susceptible rates detected among Prevotella oralis (90%), Prevotella bivia (80%), Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (75%), Bacteroides uniformis (70%) and Bacteroides capillosus (67%) species. Among the 19 (4%) isolates that were metronidazole non-susceptible (MIC > or = 16 mg/L), only 4 (21%) were additionally non-susceptible to moxifloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: High resistance rates to moxifloxacin among Bacteroides and Prevotella spp. were recorded, exceeding those previously reported in Europe and contraindicating its use as monotherapy for infections involving Gram-negative anaerobes without prior microbiological confirmation. For empirical usage, moxifloxacin should be combined with metronidazole in order to cover for these pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Many surgeons tend to believe that MRI is an accurate, non invasive diagnostic method, enough to lead to decisions for conservative treatment and save a patient from unnecessary arthroscopy. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the accuracy of the MRI of the knee for the detection of injuries of the meniscus, cruciate ligaments and articular cartilage, in comparison with the preoperative clinical examination and intraoperative findings. Between May 2005 and February 2006 102 patients after clinical examination were diagnosed with meniscal or cruciate injury and underwent definitive treatment with arthroscopy. 46 of these patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of the MRI findings were correlated with the lesions identified during arthroscopy. The diagnostic performance of the initial clinical examination was also calculated for the meniscal and cruciate ligament injuries. RESULTS: The accuracy for tears of the medial, lateral meniscus, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments and articular cartilage was 81%, 77%, 86%, 98% and 60% respectively. The specificity was 69%, 88%, 89%, 98% and 73% respectively. The positive predictive value was 83%, 81%, 90%, 75% and 53% respectively. Finally, the clinical examination had significant lower reliability in the detection of these injuries. CONCLUSION: MRI is very helpful in diagnosing meniscal and cruciate ligament injuries. But in a countable percentage reports with false results and in chondral defects its importance is still vague. The arthroscopy still remains the gold standard for definitive diagnosis.

Background: Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) lacks established therapy although it affects 3% of cancer patients. We evaluated the irinotecan- oxaliplatin combination (IROX regimen) in previously untreated patients with non-favorable subsets of unknown primary carcinomas. Methods: This was a multicenter phase-II trial. Protocol treatment consisted of oxaliplatin 80 mg/m2 followed by irinotecan 160 mg/m2 administered every 3 weeks. The primary end points were response rate and toxicity, and secondary end points were time to progression and survival. Results: Forty-seven patients with liver, bone or multiple visceral metastases entered into the trial and received a median 6 chemotherapy cycles (1-11). The regimen was very well tolerated with one febrile neutropenia case and six cases with diarrhea grade 3 (16%). In intent-to-treat analysis the tumor response rate was 13% (95% CI = 4.8-25.7%) and 12 patients (27%, 95%CI 13.9-40.4%) had at least 4 months' duration of disease stabilization. The median time to progression was 2.7 months and the median survival was 9.5 months, with 40% of patients alive at 1 year. Conclusions: The IROX regimen demonstrated similar efficacy and a favorable toxicity profile compared to other more toxic chemotherapy combinations in patients with poor-prognosis CUP. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was combined with multivariate analysis for detection of an Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cerebral blood flow (CBF) covariance pattern. Whole-brain resting CBF maps were obtained using spin echo, echo planar imaging (SE-EPI) CASL in patients with mild AD (n=12, age=70.7+/-8.7 years, 7 males, modified Mini-Mental State Examination (mMMS)=38.7/57+/-11.1) and age-matched healthy controls (HC) (n=20; age=72.1+/-6.5 years, 8 males). A covariance pattern for which the mean expression was significantly higher (P<0.0005) in AD than in HC was identified containing posterior cingulate, superior temporal, parahippocampal, and fusiform gyri, as well as thalamus, insula, and hippocampus. The results from this analysis were supplemented with those from the more standard, region of interest (ROI) and voxelwise, univariate techniques. All ROIs (17/hemisphere) showed significant decrease in CBF in AD (P<0.001 for all ROIs, alphacorrected=0.05). The area under the ROC curve for discriminating AD versus HC was 0.97 and 0.94 for covariance pattern and gray matter ROI, respectively. Fewer areas of depressed CBF in AD were detected using voxelwise analysis (corrected, P<0.05). These areas were superior temporal, cingulate, middle temporal, fusiform gyri, as well as inferior parietal lobule and precuneus. When tested on extensive split-half analysis to map out the replicability of both multivariate and univariate approaches, the expression of the pattern from multivariate analysis was superior to that of the univariate.

We analyzed the presenting features and survival in 1689 patients with multiple myeloma aged younger than 50 years compared with 8860 patients 50 years of age and older. Of the total 10 549 patients, 7765 received conventional therapy and 2784 received high-dose therapy. Young patients were more frequently male, had more favorable features such as low International Staging System (ISS) and Durie-Salmon stage as well as less frequently adverse prognostic factors including high C-reactive protein (CRP), low hemoglobin, increased serum creatinine, and poor performance status. Survival was significantly longer in young patients (median, 5.2 years vs 3.7 years; P< .001) both after conventional (median, 4.5 years vs 3.3 years; P < .001) or high-dose therapy (median, 7.5 years vs 5.7 years; P = .04). The 10-year survival rate was 19% after conventional therapy and 43% after high-dose therapy in young patients, and 8% and 29%, respectively, in older patients. Multivariate analysis revealed age as an independent risk factor during conventional therapy, but not after autologous transplantation. A total of 5 of the 10 independent risk factors identified for conventional therapy were also relevant for autologous transplantation. After adjusting for normal mortality, lower ISS stage and other favorable prognostic features seem to account for the significantly longer survival of young patients with multiple myeloma with age remaining a risk factor during conventional therapy. © 2008 by The American Society of Hematology.

Background: A number of studies have shown that absence of myelotoxicity during chemotherapy is associated with worse outcome for various types of cancer, including carcinoma of the breast. The aim of this study was to determine whether myelosuppression in patients being treated with chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer has an impact on their prognosis. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of a series of 475 patients with advanced breast cancer enrolled in two randomised trials, who received first-line chemotherapy. The impact of severe (grade 3 or 4) hematological toxicity on survival and time to disease progression was assessed. Results: When severe myelotoxicity was evaluated as a whole, a significant negative association for time to disease progression and a trend for a worse survival were demonstrated. In multivariate analysis, hematological toxicity retained its significance as an independent negative prognostic factor for time to disease progression. Conclusion: Our findings do not confirm the results of previous studies which have demonstrated a better outcome for patients experiencing hematological toxicity during treatment.

Purpose: To evaluate the natural history of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients with multiple myeloma. Patients and Methods: Ninety-seven patients with myeloma from the United States (n = 37) and Greece (n = 60) were observed prospectively for a minimum 3.2 years after ONJ. Patients characteristics were similar with regard to age, bisphosphonate use, and myeloma therapy, except more autologous transplantations were performed on patients in the United States than in Greece (73% v 28%; P < .0001). Results: ONJ resolved in 60 patients (62%), resolved and recurred in 12 patients (12%), and did not heal in 25 patients (26%). Dental procedures preceded ONJ in 46 patients (47%) and were more common in those with single episodes (35 of 60, 58%) than recurrent or nonhealing (11 of 37, 30%; P = .007). Recurrent ONJ followed reinitiation of bisphosphonates in six of 12 patients. Greek patients had more bone pain than United States patients (60% v 30%, P = .001) and were less likely to restart bisphosphonates (5% v 35%, P < .0002). Myeloma relapses were more common in patients with recurrent/nonhealing than single-episode ONJ (84% v 62%; P = .02). Median overall survival from myeloma diagnosis was 10.8 years (95% CI; 9.3 years to not reached) and did not differ between patients with single, recurrent, and nonhealing ONJ (P = .2). Conclusion: ONJ healed in 75% of patients. Patients with spontaneous ONJ have a higher risk of nonhealing and recurrence. Reinitiating bisphosphonates after healing of ONJ is a reasonable option in patients experiencing relapse who are at risk of skeletal complications. Further studies of the pathogenesis and healing of ONJ are needed. © 2008 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Twenty-five naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenes, 15 of which were synthesized in this study, were biologically evaluated as inhibitors of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase a (GPa). From SAR studies, the presence of a sugar moiety in triterpene saponins resulted in a markedly decreased activity (7, 18-20) or no activity (21, 22). These saponins, however, might find their value as potential natural prodrugs which are much more water-soluble than their corresponding aglycones. To elucidate the mechanism of GP inhibition, we have determined the crystal structures of the GPb-asiatic acid and GPb-maslinic acid complexes. The X-ray analysis indicates that the inhibitors bind at the allosteric activator site, where the physiological activator AMP binds. Pentacyclic triterpenes represent a promising class of multiple-target antidiabetic agents that exert hypoglycemic effects, at least in part, through GP inhibition.

1. Καμπερίδου, Ε. (2008). ‘Νεομάρτυρες της Σμύρνης: «ο Ξεδιάντροπος Ζυγός»’ (1816). Φιλοσοφία & Παιδεία, 46, 33-37. I.4 in Apella

• Kamberidou, I. (2008). Neo-martyrs of Smyrna and the ‘Turkish yoke’ (1816). Philosophy & Education (EKDEF), issue  46, Jan. – April 2008,  33–37.   I.4 in Apella

We report the discovery of a possible nova in M 31 on four consecutive dithered stacked 100s R filter CCD images, obtained on 2008 July 06.04, with the 1.3m Ritchey Chretien f/7.5 telescope at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using an Andor DZ436-BV CCD Camera (with a Marconi 2k x 2k chip with 13.5μm sq. pixels). The R magnitude of the object was 18.7. The object is already visible with a magnitude of 18.3 on a 12*60s stacked R filter CCD image obtained with the robotic 60cm telescope with an E2V CCD (2kx2k) of the Livermore Optical Transient Imaging System (Super-LOTIS, located at Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA) on 2008 June 30.45.

We report the discovery of a new nova in M 31 on four consecutive dithered stacked R filter CCD images, obtained on 2008 Oct 18.91, with the 1.3m Ritchey Chretien f/7.5 telescope at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using an Andor DZ436-BV CCD Camera (with a Marconi 2k x 2k chip with 13.5µm sq. pixels). The R magnitude of the object was 18.3. The object is already visible on several earlier R images obtained with the same telescope and camera.

Two new possible hetero-holococcolithophore combinations are shown: Syracosphaera histrica withS. pulchra HOL oblonga type and S. molischii with Gliscolithus amitakareniae. In addition, an ambiguous combination of S. pulchra HOL oblonga type with S. pulchra HOL pirus type is recorded by light-microscope imaging. Although represented by ambiguous combinations, they potentially document new life-cycle associations within coccolithophores to add to the complexity of haplo-diplontic coccolithophore stages.

In many aspects, respiratory allergies, i.e., allergic asthma and rhinitis, represent the hallmarks of allergy. Epidemiologic data highlight their large prevalence of most parts of the world, socioeconomic analysis reveal their large impact on global health and the large number of scientific publications in this field regularly brings to light many new aspects of these diseases. However, the current understanding of respiratory allergies, in particular in children remains scarce. How can we efficiently prevent respiratory allergies in allergy-prone infants? How can we prevent the progression of the disease? What therapeutic strategies could efficiently address efficient immunomodulation? the international Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Consortium, addressed these issues by a thorough review of the literature providing a state-of-the-art current knowledge in respiratory allergy, and identified a series of needs to be addressed in future studies.

We present a detailed analysis of three globular cluster X-ray sources in the XMM-Newton extended survey of M31. The X-ray counterpart to the M31 globular cluster Bo 45 (XBo 45) was observed with XMM-Newton on 2006 December 26. Its combined pn+MOS 0.3-10 keV light curve was seen to vary by ~10%, and its 0.3-7.0 keV emission spectrum was well described by an absorbed power law with photon index 1.44 +/- 0.12. Its variability and emission is characteristic of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) in the low-hard state, whether the accretor is a neutron star or black hole. Such behavior is typically observed at luminosities lesssim10% Eddington. However, XBo 45 exhibited this behavior at an unabsorbed, 0.3-10 keV luminosity of 2.5 +/- 0.2 × 1038 erg s-1, or ~140% Eddington for a 1.4 M⊙ neutron star accreting hydrogen. Hence, we identify XBo 45 as a new candidate black hole LMXB. XBo 45 appears to have been consistently bright for ~30 years, consistent with theoretical prediction for a globular cluster black hole binary formed via tidal capture. Bo 375 was observed in the 2007 January 2 XMM-Newton observation, and has a two-component spectrum that is typical for a bright neutron star LMXB. Bo 135 was observed in the same field as Bo 45, and could contain either a black hole or a neutron star.

A combined experimental, using the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and theoretical investigation, using the full-potential Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) Green function method, is carried out to study the spin structure of small magnetic Cr adatom clusters on the surface of 3 monolayers of fcc Fe deposited on Cu(001). The exchange interaction between the different Cr adatoms as well as between the Cr atoms and the Fe atoms is of antiferromagnetic nature and of comparable magnitude, leading due to frustration to complex non-collinear magnetic configurations. The presence of non-collinear magnetic coupling obtained by ab initio calculations is confirmed by the experimental results. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2008.

Neoangiogenesis is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma and angiopoietins possibly contribute to myeloma-induced neovascularization. Bortezomib's antineoplastic potential includes an anti-angiogenic effect. We determined serum levels of angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 with ELISA pre- and post-bortezomib administration in 35 patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Pre-bortezomib, serum angiopoietin-1 levels did not differ in patients and in healthy individuals, while serum angiopoietin-2 levels were elevated. Corresponding serum angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio was reduced in patients compared with controls. After treatment, serum angiopoietin-1 levels increased, while serum angiopoietin-2 levels decreased, therefore the angiopoietin-1/ angiopoietin-2 ratio increased and normalized. This increase was significant in patients who responded to treatment. In conclusion, angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin- 2 ratio normalization reflected response to bortezomib. ©2008 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

During the last decade several novel agents have been used in the management of patients with multiple myeloma. Immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors exert their efficacy both directly by inducing apoptosis of myeloma cells and indirectly through the interruption of the interactions between myeloma and stromal cells in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. These interactions are crucial for myeloma cell growth and survival. The adherence of myeloma cells to BM stromal cells leads to the overproduction of several cytokines with angiogenic properties that enhance the survival and growth of myeloma cells through paracrine and autocrine loops. The correlation of these molecules with clinical features and survival of myeloma patients supports the importance of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of the disease and reveals these cytokines as suitable targets for the development of novel anti-myeloma therapies. This review summarises all available preclinical and clinical data for the effect of novel agents that are used in myeloma therapy, such as thalidomide, lenalidomide, bortezomib and VEGF inhibitors, on angiogenesis, which is at least partially responsible for their remarkable anti-myeloma efficacy.

A variety of long chain 1,2-diamines and related compounds were synthesized and tested for their activity on fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacyglycerol lipase (MGL). (2S,9Z)-Octadec-9-ene-1,2-diamine selectively inhibits MGL (Ki 21.8 μM) without significantly affecting FAAH. This compound exhibited interesting in vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that selective inhibitors of MGL may be valuable novel agents for the treatment of inflammatory pain.

This review summarizes knowledge concerning a ubiquitous plasma transmembrane protein family that mediates nucleobase or ascorbate secondary active transport (NAT). We show that prototype bacterial and mostly fungal members have become unique model systems to unravel structure-function relationships and regulation of expression, using classical and reverse genetics, as well as biochemical approaches. We discuss the importance of NAT-mediated ascorbate transport in mammals and how changes in substrate specificity, from different nucleobases to ascorbate, might have evolved at the molecular level. Finally, we also discuss how modelling NAT-purine interactions might constitute a step towards the use of NAT proteins as specific gateways for targeting pathogenic microbes.

Two tautomeric forms of one-electron oxidized 2-aminoadenosine (2AA) have been produced by reactions of hydrated electrons (e(aq)(-)) with 8-bromo-2-aminoadenosine (8-Br-2AA) at natural pH, whereas only one tautomer is formed by oxidation of 2AA. Tailored experiments by pulse radiolysis and time-dependent DFT (TD-B3LYP/6-311G**//B1B95/6-31+G**) calculations allowed the definition of the reaction mechanism in some detail. The electron adducts of 8-Br-2AA protonated at C8 eject Br- and produce the two short-lived tautomers (8 and 9). The first observable species decays by first-order kinetics to produce the second intermediate, which is also obtained by oxidation of 2AA by SO4 center dot-. The rate of tautomerization (k(taut) = 4.5 x 10(4) s(-1)) is strongly accelerated by phosphate and is retarded in D2O (kinetic isotope effect 7). B1B95/631+G** calculations showed that the tautomerization is a water-assisted process. In acidic or basic solutions, the "instantaneous" formation of one-electron oxidized 2AA or its deprotonated forms has been produced by reactions of e(aq)(-) with 8-Br-2AA. gamma-Radiolysis of 8-Br-2AA in aqueous solutions followed by product studies led to the formation of 2AA as a single product.

Two tautomeric forms of one-electron oxidized 2-aminoadenosine (2AA) have been produced by reactions of hydrated electrons (eaq-) with 8-bromo-2-aminoadenosine (8-Br-2AA) at natural pH, whereas only one tautomer is formed by oxidation of 2AA. Tailored experiments by pulse radiolysis and time-dependent DFT (TD-B3LYP/6-311G**//B1B95/6-31+G**) calculations allowed the definition of the reaction mechanism in some detail. The electron adducts of 8-Br-2AA protonated at C8 eject Br- and produce the two short-lived tautomers (8 and 9). The first observable species decays by first-order kinetics to produce the second intermediate, which is also obtained by oxidation of 2AA by SO4•-. The rate of tautomerization (ktaut = 4.5 × 104 s -1) is strongly accelerated by phosphate and is retarded in D 2O (kinetic isotope effect 7). B1B95/6-31+G** calculations showed that the tautomerization is a water-assisted process. In acidic or basic solutions, the "instantaneous" formation of one-electron oxidized 2AA or its deprotonated forms has been produced by reactions of eaq- with 8-Br-2AA. $\gamma$-Radiolysis of 8-Br-2AA in aqueous solutions followed by product studies led to the formation of 2AA as a single product. © 2008 American Chemical Society.

Plasmonic systems of two- and three-dimensional ordered arrays of metallic nanodisks are studied by means of full-electrodynamic calculations using the layer-multiple-scattering method. In particular, we investigate the electromagnetic interaction of waveguide modes of an indium tin oxide film on a quartz substrate with collective-plasmon modes of a two-dimensional periodic overlayer of gold nanodisks and obtain excellent quantitative agreement with experiment. Moreover, we report a thorough analysis of the optical properties of three-dimensional photonic crystals of metallic nanodisks.

We report a theoretical study of two-dimensional periodic arrays of composite particles, consisting of two metallic nanodisks separated by a dielectric spacer, using an efficient and accurate multiple-scattering method, which was originally developed for systems of spherical particles and recently extended to non-spherical shapes. In particular, we discuss the plasmonic excitations in such isolated nanosandwiches and study the influence of geometrical parameters like the thickness of the dielectric spacer. Moreover, we investigate the interaction between such composite particles as they approach each other in a two-dimensional periodic lattice.

We carried out spectroscopic observations of the optical transient near M31 reported in ATel #1591 (RA = 0h42m27s.81 DEC =+41o14'48".2 (J2000)) from the 1.3m telescope of the Skinakas Observatory in Crete (Greece) on the nights 27 June 2008 and 2 July 2008. The spectra covered the range 5080-7160 angstroms. The Halpha appeared strongly in emission and displayed a double peaked profile. The ratio of the blue peak to the red peak (B/R) reversed from B > R (i.e blue-dominated profile) on 27 June to B < R (i.e red-dominated profile) on 2 July.

A proposal for transporting photons invisibly between two unconnected points in space seems worthy of a Star Trek plot. But it is in principle wholly realizable, and could open up new vistas - literally. ©2008 Nature Publishing Group.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoid osteoma is a benign tumor of the growing skeleton. It presents with pain, which is usually worse at night. The radiographic features consist of a central oval or round nidus surrounded first by a radiolucent area followed by another area of sclerotic bone. In the hand, osteoid osteoma is more commonly located in the phalanges and carpal bones. The metacarpals are the least common sites for osteoid osteoma. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of an osteoid osteoma of the left third metacarpal bone in a 36-year-old woman. The clinical and radiographic findings along with the surgical management of the lesion are presented. The pain disappeared immediately after the operation. At the 2-year follow-up, the patient was pain-free and there was no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Physicians should be aware of the unusual presence and the atypical clinical presentation of this benign lesion in the metacarpal bones of the hand.

The city planning of Heraklion in Crete included the construction of the new Courthouse building at the eastern part of the town where several active fault have been mapped during an earlier microzonation study. The significance of the new building required detailed studies for the exact tracing of the faults and the period of their latest activation. The proposed methodology included trenching across the fault traces which are either controlling a morphological discontinuity or covered by human activities. Sampling for radiocarbon and optical luminance dating was carried out aiming for the exact age of the ruptured strata by the active faults. The combination of the described methodologies resulted the modification of the city plan, as constructions were designed to be built on the fault trace.

BACKGROUND: This phase III study was designed to compare the combination paclitaxel (Taxol)-gemcitabine (PG) versus carboplatin-gemcitabine (CG) in patients with advanced inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer. METHODS: Chemotherapy-naive patients with performance status of zero or one were randomized to gemcitabine 1 gm/m(2) on days 1 and 8 plus either paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2) on day 1 (arm A) or carboplatin at an area under the concentration-time curve of 6 mg on day 1 (arm B) every 3 weeks. Primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included objective response (OR), time to progression and toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 512 patients were enrolled and 452 eligible (arm A, 225; arm B, 227) were analyzed. All characteristics were well balanced with the exception of vena cava obstruction symptoms and lymph node involvement. Median survival was 9.97 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.74-12.0] for group A and 10.49 (95% CI 9.04-11.94) for group B. There was no difference in the OS, 1-year survival, OR and TtP. However, statistically significant differences were seen in toxicity. CONCLUSION: The two regimens are equally active. Myelotoxicity is worse in the CG group whereas alopecia, myalgia and neurotoxicity worse in the PG group.

Background: Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is a rare gynecologic malignancy with very few data existing on the activity of the combination of paclitaxel with a platinum analogue as adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 41 consecutive patients with PFTC who were treated postoperatively with paclitaxel- and platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens. Results: We observed 12 (63.2%) complete and 6 (31.6%) partial responses among 19 patients with measurable disease. The median time to disease progression (TTP) for all patients was 68 months. The median overall survival (OS) for all patients has not been reached yet. The median TTP was 84 months for patients with stage I/II disease and 34 months for patients with advanced disease (p = 0.017). Median OS has not been reached yet for patients with stage I/II PFTC, while it was 63.8 months for patients with stage III/IV disease (p = 0.002). Furthermore, OS has not been reached yet for patients with optimally debulked tumors, while it was 34.1 months for patients with residual disease >2 cm (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Adjuvant platinum- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy should be regarded as the standard treatment in patients with PFTC. Early stage disease and optimal debulking are associated with improved TTP and OS. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG.

Objective: Taxanes, anthracyclines, and platinum compounds represent the chemotherapeutic agents with the greatest activity in metastatic endometrial carcinoma. We administered the combination of paclitaxel, epirubicin and carboplatin to patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium to evaluate its activity and to define its toxicity. Methods: Sixty-three consecutive patients were treated on an outpatient basis with epirubicin 50 mg/m2, followed by paclitaxel 150 mg/m2, administered intravenously over a 3-h period. Subsequently, the patients received carboplatin at AUC of 5. The chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support for a maximum of six courses. Results: Response was assessed among 56 eligible patients. Thirty-six (63.2%) patients achieved objective clinical response (95% CI, 50.6-75.7%) including 14 (24.6%) complete and 22 (38.6%) partial responses. The median duration of response was 7.9 months, and the median times to progression and survival for all patients were 7.8 and 13.8 months, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred in 9 (15.5%) patients but only 3 episodes of neutropenic fever were encountered. Grade 2 or 3 neurotoxicity was observed in 19% of patients. Two patients died of sudden cardiac death 10 and 14 days after the administration of the first chemotherapy cycle, respectively, but these deaths were not clearly treatment related. Conclusions: The combination of paclitaxel, epirubicin and carboplatin with G-CSF support appears active in patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Objective: Taxanes, and platinum compounds represent the chemotherapeutic agents with the greatest activity in metastatic endometrial carcinoma. We administered the combination of paclitaxel, topotecan and carboplatin to patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium to evaluate its activity and to define its toxicity. Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive patients were treated on an outpatient basis with paclitaxel 150 mg/m2, administered intravenously over a 3-h period and followed by carboplatin at AUC of 5 on day 3, with both agents proceding topotecan that was given at 0.75 mg/m2/day on days 1 through 3. The chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support for a maximum of six courses. Results: Twenty-one (60%) patients achieved objective clinical response (95% CI, 42.2-75.7%) including 4 (11.4%) complete and 17 (48.6%) partial responses. The median times to progression and survival for all patients were 8.9 and 17.7 months, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 thombocytopenia and neutropenia occurred in 5 (13%) and 4 (10%) patients, respectively, but only 2 episodes of neutropenic fever were encountered. Grade 2 or 3 neurotoxicity was observed in 23% of patients. Conclusions: The combination of paclitaxel, topotecan and carboplatin with G-CSF support appears active with acceptable toxicity in patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium. © 2008 Elsevier Inc.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether Parental Body Mass Index is associated with overweight/obesity in a sample of Greek adolescents, taking into consideration dietary and lifestyle habits. The Vyronas study is a cross-sectional health and nutrition survey. During 2004/2005, 2008 schoolchildren were selected. BMI was calculated for both parents and adolescents. A semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was applied. Results demonstrated that there is a strong positive association between the parental overweight/obesity status and their offspring's BMI. Some dietary and lifestyle habits seem to affect boys and girls BMI in relation to parental status differently.

The Fermi (diffusive) particle acceleration in astrophysical shocks is reviewed and evaluated. We discuss their properties and we present Monte Carlo simulations studying the shocks’ efficiency in accelerating particles (i.e. protons) up to very high energies with an application to astrophysical regions such as Supernovae, Active Galactic Nuclei hot spots and Gamma Ray Bursts. We find that the efficiency of the acceleration mechanism at shocks, varies in regard to the inclination of the magnetic field and the shock normal (e.g. sub-luminal shocks, super-luminal shocks), with consequences to the contribution of the very high energy particles to the observed cosmic ray spectrum.

Renal failure is a frequent complication in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) that causes significant morbidity. In the majority of cases, renal impairment is caused by the accumulation and precipitation of light chains, which form casts in the distal tubules, resulting in renal obstruction. In addition, myeloma light chains are also directly toxic on proximal renal tubules, further adding to renal dysfunction. Adequate hydration, correction of hypercalcemia and hyperuricemia and antimyeloma therapy should be initiated promptly. Recovery of renal function has been reported in a significant proportion of patients treated with conventional chemotherapy, especially when high-dose dexamethasone is also used. Severe renal impairment and large amount of proteinuria are associated with a lower probability of renal recovery. Novel agents, such as thalidomide, bortezomib and lenalidomide, have significant activity in pretreated and untreated MM patients. Although there is limited experience with thalidomide and lenalidomide in patients with renal failure, data suggest that bortezomib may be beneficial in this population. Clinical studies that have included newly diagnosed and refractory patients indicate that bortezomib-based regimens may result in rapid reversal of renal failure in up to 50% of patients and that full doses of bortezomib can be administered without additional toxicity.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To examine the incremental effect of patients' dependence on others, on cost of medical and nonmedical care, and on informal caregiving hours over time. METHODS: Data are obtained from 172 patients from the Predictors Study, a large, multicenter cohort of patients with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) followed annually for 4 years in 3 University-based AD centers in the USA. Enrollment required a modified Mini-Mental State Examination score >or=30. We examined the effects of patient dependence (measured by the Dependence Scale, DS) and function (measured by the Blessed Dementia Rating Scale, BDRS) on medical care cost, nonmedical care cost, and informal caregiving time using random effects regression models. RESULTS: A one-point increase in DS score was associated with a 5.7% increase in medical cost, a 10.5% increase in nonmedical cost, and a 4.1% increase in caregiving time. A one-point increase in BDRS score was associated with a 7.6% increase in medical cost, a 3.9% increase in nonmedical cost and an 8.7% increase in caregiving time. CONCLUSIONS: Both functional impairment and patient dependence were associated with higher costs of care and caregiving time. Measures of functional impairment and patient dependence provide unique and incremental information on the overall impact of AD on patients and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of patient's age on the impact of typically proposed predictors of sustained virological response (SVR) in treatment-naïve, high-pretreatment viral load (>700.000 IU/ml), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated under real-life conditions in Greece. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 185 CHC patients (14.4% cirrhotics) who had been treated with weight-adjusted dosing (1.5 microg/kg per week) of pegylated interferon-a2b (PEG) plus genotype-based ribavirin (RIB) for 24 or 48 weeks of treatment, based on viral genotype. SVR was confirmed by undetectable serum HCV-RNA 6 months after the end of treatment. RESULTS: Overall, 68.5% of patients exhibited SVR and 31.5% were non-responders (non-SVRs). Among the non-SVRs, 71.4% were infected with HCV genotype-1. Importantly, 71.4% of genotype 4-infected treated patients exhibited SVR. In the multivariate analyses, only the early histological stage of liver disease (p=0.015) and the presence of genotype non-1 infection (p=0.003) were independent predictors of SVR. For patients younger than 35 years, none of the baseline parameters and neither viral genotype (p=0.284) nor the stage of liver disease (p=0.351) was an independent predictor of non-SVR, whereas for patients between 35 and 55, only the presence of genotype-1 infection independently predicted non-SVR (p=0.008). For older patients (>55 years), only the histological stage of liver disease (p=0.047) and not the viral genotype (p=0.275) independently predicted non-SVR. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of the typical predictors of SVR, such as viral genotype and liver histopathology, is modified according to patient's age in currently approved combination treatment.

The aim of this study was to determine the relative exercise intensity that elicits maximal fat oxidation during walking in inactive and overweight men and women and evaluate any possible sex differences. Forty six healthy, sedentary, overweight men (age: 36.3±1.3 years, body fat: 28.8 ± 0.8%, n = 28, mean ± SE) and women (age: 36.6±1.8 years, body fat: 37.1 ± 0.8%, n = 18) participated in the study. Fat oxidation was calculated from expired air analysis using indirect calorimetry during an incremental treadmill walking test. Peak fat oxidation rate (PFO) was higher in men compared to women (0.31 ± 0.02 vs. 0.20 ± 0.02 g.min-1; p < 0.001), but this difference disappeared when PFO was scaled per kg fat-free mass (4.36 ± 0.23 vs. 3.99 ± 0.37 mg.kg fat free mass -1.min-1). Also, the relative exercise intensity at which PFO occurred was similar for men and women and corresponded to 40.1 ± 1.8 and 39.5 ± 2.3% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and 60.0 ± 1.4 and 57.8 ± 1.4% of maximal heart rate, respectively. The walking speed corresponding to PFO was 5.5 ± 0.2 and 5.0 ± 0.1 km·h-1 for men and women, respectively. Regression analysis showed that sex, FFM and VO2max were significant predictors of PFO expressed in g.min-1 (adjusted R2 = 0.48, p = 0.01). However when PFO was scaled per kg FFM, only a small part of the variance was explained by VO2max (adjusted R2 = 0.12, p < 0.05). In conclusion, peak fat oxidation rate and the corresponding relative exercise intensity were similar in male and female overweight and sedentary individuals, but lower compared to those reported for leaner and/or physically active persons. Walking at a moderate speed (5.0-5.5 km·h-1) may be used as a convenient way to exercise at an intensity eliciting peak fat oxidation in overweight individuals. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2008).

{The aim of this study was to determine the relative exercise intensity that elicits maximal fat oxidation during walking in inactive and overweight men and women and evaluate any possible sex differences. Forty six healthy, sedentary, overweight men (age: 36.3±1.3 years, body fat: 28.8 ± 0.8%

{The aim of this study was to determine the relative exercise intensity that elicits maximal fat oxidation during walking in inactive and overweight men and women and evaluate any possible sex differences. Forty six healthy, sedentary, overweight men (age: 36.3±1.3 years, body fat: 28.8 ± 0.8%

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous cholecystostomy without interval cholecystectomy as definitive treatment for acute cholecystitis in elderly or critically ill patients with various coexisting diseases who were unfit for surgery under general anesthesia. DESIGN: Between July 2004 and June 2006, 24 consecutive elderly and critically ill patients unfit for surgery, suffering from acute cholecystitis, and in whom significant comorbid factors were present, underwent percutaneous cholecystostomy as an emergency procedure at Laiko General Hospital. The diagnosis and the severity of acute cholecystitis were based on the Tokyo Guidelines, whereas the American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) physical status classification was used for the perioperative risk stratification for cholecystectomy. RESULTS: There were 14 male and 10 female patients with a median age of 79 years. Acute cholecystitis was classified as grade 2 in 20 patients and as grade 3 in 4 patients; 17 patients were classified as ASA score III and 7 as ASA score IV, whereas a total of 52 comorbid factors were present. Gallstones were disclosed as the underlying etiology in 23 patients, whereas one patient was diagnosed as suffering from acalculous cholecystitis. Percutaneous cholecystostomy was technically feasible in all patients (100%). Clinical improvement was noticed in 14 patients within 24 hours and in all patients within 72 hours. Statistically significant reduction in the values of white blood cells, C-reactive protein, and axillary body temperature were observed within 72 hours. The procedure-related mortality was 4%, whereas within a median follow-up of 17.5 months, definitive and effective control of symptoms was achieved in 90.5% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: For the subgroup of extremely high-risk and unfit for surgery patients, percutaneous cholecystostomy might be considered as the definitive treatment since it controls the local symptoms and the systemic inflammatory response.

The capability of the general circulation model(GCM) Hadley Center atmospheric general circulation model 3P (HadAM3P) to reproduce the mean pattern and the frequency of circulation types concerning the 500 hPa geopotential height fields and 1000-500 hPa thickness fields over Europe and the Mediterranean region are evaluated against the NCEP/NCAR dataset for the period 1960-1990. Daily catalogues of the circulation types describing the regional circulation over Greece at the 500 hPa and 1000-500 hPa thickness fields are constructed based on the two datasets, and the corresponding seasonal frequencies are also estimated. The evaluation is performed for the mean seasonal fields of the two parameters, as well as for those derived for each circulation type separately. It is demonstrated that the HadAM3P model generally succeeds in reproducing the two fields over the examined area, while their seasonal variability is underestimated. The mean patterns of the circulation types are well represented by the model but the seasonal simulated frequencies of the circulation types are not in good agreement with the national centers for environmental predictions (NCEP) ones. The systematic errors of the frequency estimation and the variability in some anticyclonic or cyclonic types should be considered seriously, because it can introduce some degree of uncertainty in the results of a downscaling method based on a circulation type approach. Nevertheless, the links between the precipitation, temperature and circulation types frequency seem to hold in the GCMs. It is therefore safe to use the frequencies of circulation types as predictor in a downscaling technique in order to obtain future precipitation and temperature. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society.

More than half of all serious adverse reactions are identified 7 or more years after a drug receives approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2002, 9 months after the intravenous bisphosphonate zoledronic acid received regulatory approval for marketing, the FDA received reports of nine patients with cancer, who were treated with zoledronic acid, who unexpectedly developed osteonecrosis of the jaw. During the next 2 years, three oral surgeons described 104 patients with cancer with osteonecrosis of the jaw in the medical literature and identified intravenous bisphosphonate therapy as being common to the care of these patients. In subspecialty medical, radiology, and dental journals, case reports and case series described clinical features of osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients with cancer who were treated with bisphosphonates. Manufacturer-sponsored epidemiological studies reported the first estimates of the incidence of this toxic effect, ranging from 0·1% to 1·8%. By contrast, independent epidemiological efforts from clinicians and the International Myeloma Foundation reported incidence estimates between 5% and 10%. Between 2003 and 2005, warnings about the risks of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis were disseminated by national regulatory agencies, the manufacturers of bisphosphonates, and the International Myeloma Foundation. From 2006, independent clinical recommendations for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this toxic effect have been disseminated by manufacturers, national regulatory authorities, the International Myeloma Foundation, and medical specialty organisations. Furthermore, independent efforts by pharmaceutical manufacturers, dental and medical professionals, a non-profit organisation (the International Myeloma Foundation), patients, and regulatory authorities has led to the rapid identification and dissemination of safety information for this serious adverse reaction. Better coordination of safety-related pharmacovigilance initiatives is now needed. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polarized micro-Raman spectroscopy was applied to investigate the phase composition and transformation from the amorphous to the crystalline state, size effects, and the crystallographic orientation and antenna polarization effects on self-organized anodic TiO2 nanotubes (NTs), The morphological characteristics of the NTs were tailored by electrochemical anodization in both aqueous (phosphate buffer) and organic (ethylene glycol) electrolytes as well as in perchlorate/chloride-containing electrolytes. Postgrowth thermal annealing was confirmed to reduce markedly the organic and inorganic species encapsulated in the as-grown arrays and drive the transformation of the amorphous titania to nanocrystalline anatase. Crystallite size and shape effects as well as oxygen nonstoichiometry were investigated through the variation of the low-frequency Eg anatase mode for the TiO2 NT arrays produced in different electrolyte media, and the results were compared with the predictions of the phonon confinement model for anatase nanoparticles. Polarized micro-Raman spectra identify partial orientation effects, indicating preferential (101) growth in the case of the shorter TiO2 NTs (length ≤ 1 μm), while a predominant random orientation of the anatase crystallites is found for the long tubes (length ≥ 10 μm). Polarized measurements on the cross section of free-standing NT membranes revealed significant enhancement of the Raman intensity when the polarization of the incident laser beam is parallel to the NT axis, indicating an "antenna" effect attributed to the enhanced light scattering along the cylindrical NT structure. Such an effect could result in optimum optical properties and selectively enhanced vectorial transport of electric carriers. © 2008 American Chemical Society.

The majority of patients with indolent lymphomas relapse due to minimal residual disease (MRD). In the present study, we sought to determine whether by using rituximab consolidation, for eradication of MRD, following induction chemotherapy with fludarabine and mitoxantrone (FN) combination could improve the outcome of indolent lymphomas. Patients with indolent lymphoma received fludarabine 25mg/m2 Day 1-3 and mitoxantrone 10mg/m2 on Day 1 every 28 days. Patients who attained a response (complete response, CR or partial response, PR) received four weekly doses of Rituximab 375mg/m2 1 month and 3 months after completion of treatment. Forty-five patients were entered into this Phase II trial. The median follow-up time was 39 months. The median number of delivered cycles was 6. Fifty-three percent of patients attained a CR and 38% a PR for an overall response rate of 91%. One patient had stable disease, one had progression of the disease, whereas 2 were non-evaluable. After a median follow-up of 39 months, 32 of 46 patients (74%) are alive and disease-free. Grade III and IV toxicities included leucopenia (37%), neutropenia (28%), thrombocytopenia (7%), anemia (4%), and diarrhea (2%). Grade V toxicities included septic death in one patient and death due to hepatititis B reactivation 6 months after the last Rituximab dose in another patient. FN followed by R consolidation is a well-tolerated and active regimen in the treatment of patients with indolent lymphomas. Further follow-up is required to determine if these remissions are maintained.

Periodic nanostructures for plasmonic engineering, comprising one or two types of silica core - metallic shell spherical particles, are studied by means of full electrodynamic calculations using the layer-multiple-scattering method. The complex photonic band structure of such three-dimensional crystals is analyzed in conjunction with relevant transmission spectra of corresponding finite slabs and the physical origin of the different optical modes is elucidated, providing a consistent interpretation of the underlying physics. In the case of binary structures, collective plasmonic modes originating from the two building components coexist, leading to broadband absorption and a rich structure of resonances and hybridization gaps over an extended frequency range.

Background: A randomized phase III trial in high-risk breast cancer patients was conducted, to further explore the impact of dose-density in the adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. The safety analysis is presented. Patients and methods: From October 2000 until June 2005, 1121 node-positive patients were randomized to sequential dose-dense epirubicin 110 mg/m2 and paclitaxel (Taxol®, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey, USA) 250 mg/m2 (group A), or concurrent epirubicin 83 mg/m2 and paclitaxel 187 mg/m2 (group B), both followed by three cycles of 'intensified' combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was given prophylactically with the dose-dense treatments. Results: Median dose intensity of epirubicin and paclitaxel was double in group A, as designed, with significantly less cycles administered at full dose (P < 0.001). Median cumulative dose of all drugs and total treatment duration, however, were identical between groups. Severe taxane-related toxic effects were more frequent in group A, while severe thrombocytopenia was low and present only in group A. There were no differences in the rates of other hematological toxic effects, including febrile neutropenia. The rates of secondary malignancies were low. Conclusion: Both regimens as used in the present study are well tolerated and safe. The rates of severe taxane-related toxic effects and thrombocytopenia, although low overall, are significantly increased with the dose-dense sequential regimen. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Land use changes are sources for a series of problems but they can be solutions as well. In a nature conservation area it call reduce and increase biodiversity, however in the Tihany Peninsula nature conservationists try to protect the present natural environment. Human induced landscape changes gained the peninsula the first landscape protection district status of the Country. Geological background, microclimatic conditions, given soil heritage, plant cover and land use plays all important role in the life of the Peninsula. We wish to give an example flow human induced activities might affect the valuable natural environment ill a way that threatens the aim of the protection.

The closed intra-mountainous Levidi basin (average altitude 680 m), characterized by an asymmetric spatial extension, drains at its south-eastern part by the homonymous sinkhole, and its paleorelief is covered by homogeneous quaternary sediments. The boundaries of the basin consist mostly of carbonate and clastic sediments of the Pindos unit, while carbonate sediments of the Tripoli unit are limited to the south and south-western parts. In order to investigate the alpine basement of the quaternary deposits, the geometry of the prequaternary topography of the basin and the lithology of the quaternary sediments, geophysical investigation was employed. The study involved 27 geoelectrical soundings and 7 resistivity measurements, both in boreholes and surface outcrops of the alpine formations. The results of the geophysical investigations facilitated the constructing of (i) the sub-terrain morphological map of the alpine basement, where the thickness of Pleistocene sediments in the central part of the basin does not exceed 15 m, although in the area of Palaeopyrgos (to the north-east) the sediments appear to reach a thickness up to 60 m, and (ii) the sub-terrain geological map. Structurally, the Levidi basin can be characterised as a polje, formed as a result of alpine deformation and subsequent karsting, accentuated by the lack of impermeable flyschic formations in the area.

Among a total of 101 isolates from the first systematic multicentre surveillance effort concerning invasive Streptococcus pyogenes disease in Greece, conducted between 2003 and 2005 and covering 38% of the population, emm types 1 and 12 were prevalent, being responsible for 27 and nine cases, respectively. The isolates from the remaining 65 cases were assigned to 26 other emm types. Erythromycin resistance (12 isolates) was primarily mef(A)-mediated, although all emm type 1 strains were susceptible. Tetracycline resistance, due mostly to tet(M), was detected in 26 isolates. Subtyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis yielded 50 chromosomal fingerprints, thus discriminating further among ten of the 28 observed emm types.

The study was aimed to find out the prevalence of non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NC-CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHdef) among Greek women with hirsutism and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to compare the results of ACTH stimulated 17-hydroxyprogesterone 60 min (17-OHP60) values, with human leukocyte antigens (HLA) phenotypes, in any patient diagnosed as having NC-CAH. One hundred and seven women with hirsutism and PCOS were included in the study. All were presented at the Reproductive Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic with hirsutism and PCOS. After ACTH stimulation test, 10 women were diagnosed as having NC-CAH because of high 17-OHP60 values ≥36 nmol/l, and 97 as having PCOS. Ten (10.3%) of the 97 women presented hormonal findings compatible with adrenal hyper-response due to ACTH testing, because of hyperstimulated 17-OHP60 values ≥21 nmol/l and <32 nmol/l. The HLA typing of 10 patients with NC-CAH revealed the phenotypes B14, DR1, B35, B7 and B44 which present positively genetic linkage disequilibrium with 21-OHdef, as reported in the literature. In conclusion: In Greek women with hirsutism and PCOS we have found that: a. The prevalence of NC-CAH among these women is relatively high and reaches at 10%. b. The HLA phenotypes B14, DR1, B35, B7 and B44 were found in high frequency in these NC-CAH patients. c. Adrenal NC-CAH due to 21-OHdef as well as adrenal hyperactivity, revealed after ACTH testing, constitutes an important reason of hirsutism and PCOS in these Greek women and both reach a rate of 20%.

The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is more than 1‰ annually in the general population and increases further in cancer patients. The risk of VTE is higher in multiple myeloma (MM) patients who receive thalidomide or lenalidomide, especially in combination with dexamethasone or chemotherapy. Various VTE prophylaxis strategies, such as low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), warfarin or aspirin, have been investigated in small, uncontrolled clinical studies. This manuscript summarizes the available evidence and recommends a prophylaxis strategy according to a risk-assessment model. Individual risk factors for thrombosis associated with thalidomide/lenalidomide-based therapy include age, history of VTE, central venous catheter, comorbidities (infections, diabetes, cardiac disease), immobilization, surgery and inherited thrombophilia. Myeloma-related risk factors include diagnosis and hyperviscosity. VTE is very high in patients who receive high-dose dexamethasone, doxorubicin or multiagent chemotherapy in combination with thalidomide or lenalidomide, but not with bortezomib. The panel recommends aspirin for patients with ≤1 risk factor for VTE. LMWH (equivalent to enoxaparin 40mg per day) is recommended for those with two or more individual/myeloma-related risk factors. LMWH is also recommended for all patients receiving concurrent high-dose dexamethasone or doxorubicin. Full-dose warfarin targeting a therapeutic INR of 2-3 is an alternative to LMWH, although there are limited data in the literature with this strategy. In the absence of clear data from randomized studies as a foundation for recommendations, many of the following proposed strategies are the results of common sense or derive from the extrapolation of data from many studies not specifically designed to answer these questions. Further investigation is needed to define the best VTE prophylaxis.

We study a system where the service provider offers priority options. We identify the optimal option pricing policy, by deriving the optimal number a customer would buy and the customer's exercise policy as a function of system congestion, options remaining, time to expiration and possibility of balking.

Objectives: To investigate potential prognostic and predictive factors in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) treated with docetaxel chemotherapy. Methods: This analysis included 94 consecutive AIPC patients who were treated between March 2001 and May 2006 with biweekly docetaxel 45 mg/m2 (day 2) and estramustine 140 mg three dimes daily (days 1-3). Results: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses were observed in 45 of 84 evaluable patients (53%), whereas objective responses were observed in 16 of 40 patients with measurable disease (40%). Median survival (OS) was 16.2 mo (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.9-19.4) and median time to PSA progression (TTP) 5.0 mo (95%CI, 3.6-7.1). OS was independently associated with pain score baseline PSA and weight loss. Patients with only extraosseous disease had higher PSA response rate (87% vs. 49%, p = 0.014) and superior TTP compared with patients with bone metastases with or without extraosseous disease (7.3 vs. 4.3 vs. 4 mo, p = 0.002). Concurrent bone and extraosseous metastases were associated with worse prognosis compared with each site alone (median OS: 12.3 vs.19 vs.18.3 mo, p = 0.007). Conclusions: Among patients with AIPC treated with biweekly docetaxel and estramustine, baseline PSA >100, existence of pain, weight loss, and simultaneous extraosseous and bone disease were associated with worse prognosis. Extraosseous metastases seem to be more sensitive than bone disease to this chemotherapy. © 2007 European Association of Urology.

Kallikrein-related peptidases, a subgroup of the serine protease enzyme family, are considered important prognostic biomarkers in cancer. In the present study, we sought to determine the prognostic value of kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6) in ovarian cancer using a novel method of compartmentalized in situ protein analysis. A tissue array composed of 150 advanced stage ovarian cancers, uniformly treated with surgical debulking followed by platinum-paclitaxel combination chemotherapy, was constructed. For evaluation of KLK6 protein expression, we used an immunofluorescence-based method of automated in situ quantitative measurement of protein analysis (AQUA). Mean follow-up time of the cohort was 34.35 months. One hundred and thirty-five of 150 cases had sufficient tissue for AQUA analysis. In univariate survival analysis, low tumor KLK6 expression was associated with better outcome for overall survival over 3.years (P = 0.019). There was no association between tumor KLK6 expression and progression-free survival (P = 0.128). In multivariate survival analysis, adjusting for well-characterized prognostic variables, low tumor KLK6 expression level was one of the most significant predictor variable for overall survival (95% confidence interval, 1.19-3.50; P = 0.009). High tumor KLK6 protein expression is associated with inferior patient outcome in ovarian cancer. KLK6 may represent a promising disease biomarker and therapeutic target in ovarian cancer. © 2008 Japanese Cancer Association.

Following the riots in France, officials in Brussels had to concede that after 50 years of immigration policies the assimilation of immigrants has not been achieved. In recent years we have seen many manifestations of racial intolerance and violence at football matches, converted into stages for regional and identity conflicts. The impact of globalization on racism and xenophobia has generated international discourse concerning the need to integrate Peace Education in schools and communities around the globe. This paper examines the holistic education model, namely the holistic school-change model and experience of the American Peace Games Organization (Peace Games), an NGO that supports and inspires a new generation of educators, volunteers and activists in becoming peacemakers through curriculum, social action, service-learning activities and civic engagement. Subsequently, it identifies the role of public education as an incubator and laboratory for democracy, taking into account the first Peace Education Seminars recently held in Greece, where a core group of peacemakers—regional trainers from Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Bosnia— combined their experience and expertise. The purpose of the seminars, organized by Women’s Initiative for Peace (WINPEACE), was to introduce the concept as well as the process of sensitizing key stakeholders and decision-makers on the importance of integrating Peace Education into the public school system and the surrounding community. This paper argues that Peace Education should be incorporated into future reforms, in educational policies and practices— integrated into all subjects, classrooms, schools and communities, and not only. Furthermore required is international- interdisciplinary research and collaborations with organizations and institutions— such as Peace Games, Olympism or Olympic Education (peace education) and the IOC as well as activities such as those of games and sports, specifically the power of play— in order to raise awareness concerning the core values of peace, i.e. promoting multiethnic understanding, respect for ethnic diversity, cross-cultural cooperation, gender equality, non-violent conflict resolution and democratic decision-making, while fostering intergenerational connections and intergenerational interactions. Ultimately, networking or partnerships between international organizations, institutions, universities and NGO’s could prove invaluable, in view of today’s increasing multi-ethnic diversity, multiculturalism and rising violence in public schools and sport arenas. Incontestably, the ‘globalization of peace’ through Peace Education requires allies and networks..   Keywords: collaborative games, a holistic school change model, multicultural awareness, non-violent conflict resolution, ethnic diversity, civic engagement, active agents, ageappropriate curriculum, service-learning activities, “Peacemaker Projects”, cross-cultural understanding, intergenerational activities/projects, an ethos of peacemaking, Peace Education/Pedagogy.

One in two Europeans is xenophobic and one in three is racist, according to a survey conducted by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). Following the riots in France, officials in Brussels had to concede that after 50 years of immigration policies the assimilation of immigrants has not been achieved. In recent years we have seen many manifestations of racial intolerance and violence at football matches, converted into stages for regional and identity conflicts. The impact of globalization on racism and xenophobia has generated international discourse concerning the need to integrate Peace Education in schools and communities around the globe. This paper examines the holistic education model, namely the holistic school-change model and experience of the American Peace Games Organization (Peace Games), an NGO that supports and inspires a new generation of educators, volunteers and activists in becoming peacemakers through curriculum, social action, service-learning activities and civic engagement. Subsequently, it identifies the role of public education as an incubator and laboratory for democracy, taking into account the first Peace Education Seminars recently held in Greece, where a core group of peacemakers—regional trainers from Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Bosnia— combined their experience and expertise. The purpose of the seminars, organized by Women’s Initiative for Peace (WINPEACE), was to introduce the concept as well as the process of sensitizing key stakeholders and decision-makers on the importance of integrating Peace Education into the public school system and the surrounding community. This paper argues that Peace Education should be incorporated into future reforms, in educational policies and practices— integrated into all subjects, classrooms, schools and communities, and not only. Furthermore required is international- interdisciplinary research and collaborations with organizations and institutions— such as Peace Games, Olympism or Olympic Education (peace education) and the IOC as well as activities such as those of games and sports, specifically the power of play— in order to raise awareness concerning the core values of peace, i.e. promoting multiethnic understanding, respect for ethnic diversity, cross-cultural cooperation, gender equality, non-violent conflict resolution and democratic decision-making, while fostering intergenerational connections and intergenerational interactions. Ultimately, networking or partnerships between international organizations, institutions, universities and NGO’s could prove invaluable, in view of today’s increasing multi-ethnic diversity, multiculturalism and rising violence in public schools and sport arenas. Incontestably, the ‘globalization of peace’ through Peace Education requires allies and networks..   Keywords: collaborative games, a holistic school change model, multicultural awareness, non-violent conflict resolution, ethnic diversity, civic engagement, active agents, ageappropriate curriculum, service-learning activities, “Peacemaker Projects”, cross-cultural understanding, intergenerational activities/projects, an ethos of peacemaking, Peace Education/Pedagogy. ..............................when citing: Kamperidou, Irene (2008). Promoting a Culture of Peacemaking: Peace Games and Peace Education. International Journal of Physical Education (IJPE). Issue 4/2008: 176-188.

Symmetric DNA sequence motifs allow the formation of palindromic protein/DNA complexes. Although symmetric protein sequence motifs are less common, recent structural discoveries have unraveled a few protein/protein complexes with palindromic symmetry. Remarkably, symmetric protein/protein complexes can be generated either by adjacent or remote sequence motifs, which may be repeated or inverted. This contribution reflects and comments on recent findings of palindromic protein/protein complexes.

Due to the competition between spatial and magnetic confinement, the density of states (DOS) of a quasi-two-dimensional system deviates from the ideal step-like form both quantitatively and qualitatively. We study how this affects the spin-subband populations and the spin polarization as functions of the temperature, T, and the in-plane magnetic field, B, for narrow to wide dilute-magnetic-semiconductor quantum wells (QWs). We focus on the QW width, the magnitude of the spin–spin exchange interaction, and the sheet carrier concentration dependence. We look for ranges where the system is completely spin polarized. Increasing T, the carrier spin splitting, U0σU0&#x3C3;">, decreases, while on increasing B, U0&#x3C3;"> U0σ increases. Moreover, due to the DOS modification, all energetically higher subbands become gradually depopulated.

We consider the internal shock formation in magnetized outflows and we examine the plastic collision between such relativistic blobs taking into account a possible dissipation of magnetic flux. We find that after the collision a large amount of energy is released in thermal form and consequently we assume that this is transferred into protons which obtain a relativistic Maxwellian distribution. The relativistic thermal proton plasma is dense enough to suffer substantial energy losses through proton-proton interactions and thus to transfer its initial energy into photons, electron-positron pairs and neutrinos. We estimate the radiated spectrum by following the evolution of protons, electrons and photons as they interact with each other and with the magnetic field as well.

OBJECTIVE: To assess combined antidepressant and cognitive enhancer treatment in elderly patients presenting with depression plus cognitive impairment. METHODS: Twenty-three elderly (>50 years old) depressed, cognitively impaired (DEP-CI) patients participated in a pilot study. We evaluated whether, after 8 weeks of open antidepressant treatment, donepezil HCl (Aricept) would afford added cognitive benefit compared to placebo in a randomized 12-week trial. A subsample continued in an 8-month extension phase of open treatment with donepezil. Neuropsychological testing (NPT) was performed and antidepressant response monitored at baseline and the 8, 20, and 52-week time points. RESULTS: At 8-weeks, the antidepressant response rate was 61% (14/23). Improvement in SRT immediate recall (SRT-IR; e.g. episodic verbal memory) was observed in responders compared to non-responders. During the 12-week, placebo-controlled, donepezil add-on trial, patients on donepezil showed further improvement in SRT-IR versus patients on placebo. In the open extension phase, patients who continued open donepezil treatment (n = 6) maintained improvement in memory and tended to show an advantage over patients who never received donepezil and were evaluated at the 52-week time point (n = 6). There were no observed significant donepezil effects on non-memory cognitive domains. CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings suggest that addition of a cholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) following antidepressant medication treatment in elderly Dep-CI patients may improve cognition, and support the need for a confirmatory, larger randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Aims: We investigate the one-zone SSC model of TeV blazars in the presence of electron acceleration. In this picture, electrons achieve their maximum energy as the acceleration saturates due to a combination of synchrotron and inverse Compton scattering losses. Methods: We solve the spatially averaged kinetic equations that describe the simultaneous evolution of particles and photons, obtaining the multiwavelength spectrum as a function of time. Results: We apply the model to the rapid flare of Mrk 501 of July 9, 2005 as observed by the MAGIC telescope, and derive the relevant parameters for the pre-flare quasi-steady-state and the states during the flare. We demonstrate that a hard lag flare can be obtained with parameters well inside the range expected for this source. In particular, a high value of Doppler factor appears necessary.

La présente recherche prend appui d’une part sur les textes viatiques d’un groupe de voyageuses françaises appartenant au milieu de l’enseignement secondaire féminin et d’autre part sur leurs dossiers personnels conservés aux Archives Nationales. Le profil socioprofessionnel de ces éducatrices commande le caractère spécifique de leur voyage (pays de destination, motif du voyage, contraintes temporelles et financières) et de son écriture (discours qui sous-tendent le récit). Par la publication de ces textes au début du xxe siècle un genre particulier de narration est créé : le récit de “voyage universitaire” féminin.This article examines a series of texts written by a group of French women travellers, who were secondary school teachers, in conjunction with their personnel files in the French National Archives. Analysis of the socio-professional profile of these teachers sheds light on their travels (country of destination, reasons for embarking on this journey, financial and chronological limitations) and its textualisation, that is the specific discourse underlying and enveloping their narrative. The publication of these narratives in the early 20th century, constitute a new literary genre: the female educational travelogue.

The major allergen of the house-dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der p 2, is recognized by approximately 90% of mite-allergic patients. We have produced two recombinant fragments of Der p 2 comprising aa 1-53 and aa 54-129 and a hybrid molecule (aa 54-129+1-53), combining the two fragments in inverse order, by genetic engineering. The recombinant Der p 2 derivatives were expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. rDer p 2 derivatives (fragments and hybrid) showed a considerably reduced beta sheet structure and IgE reactivity compared to the Der p 2 wild-type allergen. The allergenic activity of the Der p 2 derivatives was reduced more than tenfold as evaluated in vitro in basophil activation assays and in vivo by skin prick testing of mite-allergic patients. Immunization of mice and rabbits with rDer p 2 derivatives induced Der p 2-specific IgG antibodies, which inhibited the binding of allergic patients' IgE to Der p 2. Immunization of mice with rDer p 2 derivatives induced less allergenic IgE responses than immunization with rDer p 2. Thus the rDer p 2 derivatives exhibited less in vivo allergenic activity and allergenicity than the Der p 2 allergen but preserved immunogenicity and may hence represent candidates for specific immunotherapy of house-dust mite allergy.

Although development of clinical tolerance is the rule in allergy to cow's milk (CM), food challenges are required in order to reintroduce CM into the patient's diet. Less 'invasive' procedures able to predict tolerance would be useful as clinical tools. The purpose of this study was to identify potential risk factors for clinical reactivity in CM-allergic children assessed for CM reintroduction.|One hundred and sixteen open challenges performed in children 10-47 months old with IgE-mediated allergy to CM, in order to reintroduce CM into the diet, were retrospectively evaluated. Specific IgE (sIgE) levels assessed by the CAP System FEIA and skin prick tests (SPT) were obtained at diagnosis and prechallenge. Demographic parameters and measures of sIgE were evaluated as potential predictors of a positive challenge in univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.|Twenty-four out of 116 challenges were positive, 9 of which required the use of adrenaline. In order of performance, prechallenge sIgE <3.94 kU/l, the combination of SPT and sIgE or an SPT wheal <4 mm could correctly predict a negative challenge outcome, whereas values of SPT >7.5 mm or sIgE >25.4 kU/l, or their combination, had a high positive predictive value. The presence of atopic dermatitis did not affect the predictive accuracy of these values.|Milk sIgE level prechallenge is a useful predictor of challenge outcome in patients with milk allergy. SPT do not offer an additional predictive value, but can be used when sIgE is not available.

BACKGROUND: Although there has been much research devoted to understanding the predictors of nursing home placement (NHP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, there is currently a lack of research concerning the predictors of home health care. The objective of this study was to examine whether the Dependence Scale can predict home health aide (HHA) use. METHODS: The sample is drawn from the Predictors Study, a large, multicenter cohort of patients with probable AD, prospectively followed annually for up to 7 years in three university-based AD centers in the United States. Markov analyses (n=75) were used to calculate annual transition probabilities for the "new onset" of HHA use (instances where an HHA was absent at the previous visit, but present at the next visit) as a function of HHA presence at the preceding year's visit and dependence level at that preceding year's visit. RESULTS: The dependence level at the previous year's visit was a significant predictor of HHA use at the next year's visit. Three specific items of the Dependence Scale (needing household chores done for oneself, needing to be watched or kept company when awake, and needing to be escorted when outside) were significant predictors of the presence of an HHA. CONCLUSION: The Dependence Scale is a valuable tool for predicting HHA use in AD patients. Obtaining a better understanding of home health care in AD patients may help delay NHP and have a positive impact on the health and well-being of both the caregiver and the patient.

Aims: To correlate the values of MBG to HbA1c in Greek patients with Type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome. Methods: We followed up 140 Greek adult patients: 92 patients with Type 2 diabetes treated with insulin or oral glucose-lowering medication, and 48 patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome not receiving any treatment. MBG was calculated for each patient from self-measurements of blood glucose using a portable glucometer, made six times a day (before eating and 2 h after a meal), three times a week for 1 month. HbA1c was determined by HPLC at 0 and 12 weeks. Results: HbA1c at 0 (x) and 12 weeks (y) correlated strongly (y = 0.790x + 1.115, r = 0.92), confirming that the patient's glycaemic status remained stable during the whole period of follow-up. Linear regression was performed on MBG values; HbA1c at 12 weeks, sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and patient status (Type 2 diabetes treated or not) were used as independent variables. None of the independent variables reached statistical significance in the model, with the exception of HbA1c at 12 weeks. The final model was: MBG (mg/dl) = (34.74 × HbA1c) - 79.21, r = 0.93; or MBG (mmol/l) = 1.91 × HbA1c - 4.36, r = 0.93. Conclusions: Our results establish for the first time a strong correlation between MBG and HbA1c in Type 2 diabetic patients and support the idea of expressing HbA1c results as MBG. This will help patients to gain a clearer interpretation of the result, with less confusion. This simplification will allow every person with diabetes using home glucose-monitoring to understand his or her own target level. © 2008 The Authors.

The main driving mechanism of relativistic jets is likely related to magnetic fields. These fields are able to tap the rotational energy of the central compact object or disk, accelerate and collimate matter ejecta. To zeroth order these outflows can be described by the theory of steady, axisymmetric, ideal magnetohydrodynamics. Results from recent numerical simulations of magnetized jets, as well as analytical studies, show that the efficiency of the bulk acceleration could be more than ∼ 50 %. They also shed light to the degree of the collimation and how it is related to the pressure distribution of the environment, the apparent kinematics of jet components, and the observed polarization properties.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible relationship between a change in Thr(389) phosphorylation of p70S6 kinase (p70(S6k)) after a single resistance training session and an increase in skeletal muscle mass following short-term resistance training. Eight male subjects performed an initial resistance training session in leg press, six sets of 6RM with 2 min between sets. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis before (T1) and 30 min after the initial training session (T2). Six of these subjects completed a 14-week resistance-training programme, three times per week (nine exercises, six sets, 6RM). A third muscle biopsy was obtained at the end of the 14-week training period (T3). One repetition maximum (1RM) squat, bench press and leg press strength as well as fat-free mass (FFM, with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) were determined at T1 and T3. The results show that the increase in Thr(389) phosphorylation of p70(S6k) after the initial training session was closely correlated with the percentage increase in whole body FFM (r = 0.89, P < 0.01), FFM(leg) (r = 0.81, P < 0.05), 1RM squat (r = 0.84, P < 0.05), and type IIA muscle fibre cross sectional area (r = 0.82, P < 0.05) after 14 weeks of resistance training. These results may suggest that p70(S6k) phosphorylation is involved in the signalling events leading to an increase in protein accretion in human skeletal muscle following resistance training, at least during the initial training period.

Numerical simulations with self-similar initial and boundary conditions provide a link between theoretical and numerical investigations of jet dynamics. We perform axisymmetric resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations for a generalized solution of the Blandford & Payne type, and compare them with the corresponding analytical and numerical ideal MHD solutions. We disentangle the effects of the numerical and physical diffusivity. The latter could occur in outflows above an accretion disc, being transferred from the underlying disc into the disc corona by MHD turbulence (anomalous turbulent diffusivity), or as a result of ambipolar diffusion in partially ionized flows. We conclude that while the classical magnetic Reynolds number Rm measures the importance of resistive effects in the induction equation, a new introduced number, Rβ = (β/2)Rm with β the plasma beta, measures the importance of the resistive effects in the energy equation. Thus, in magnetized jets with β < 2, when Rβ <~ 1 resistive effects are non-negligible and affect mostly the energy equation. The presented simulations indeed show that for a range of magnetic diffusivities corresponding to Rβ >~ 1, the flow remains close to the ideal MHD self-similar solution.

Numerical simulations with self-similar initial and boundary conditions provide a link between theoretical and numerical investigations of jet dynamics. We perform axisymmetric resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations for a generalized solution of the Blandford & Payne type, and compare them with the corresponding analytical and numerical ideal MHD solutions. We disentangle the effects of the numerical and physical diffusivity. The latter could occur in outflows above an accretion disc, being transferred from the underlying disc into the disc corona by MHD turbulence (anomalous turbulent diffusivity), or as a result of ambipolar diffusion in partially ionized flows. We conclude that while the classical magnetic Reynolds number Rm measures the importance of resistive effects in the induction equation, a new introduced number, Rβ = (β/2)Rm with β the plasma beta, measures the importance of the resistive effects in the energy equation. Thus, in magnetized jets with β < 2, when Rβ <~ 1 resistive effects are non-negligible and affect mostly the energy equation. The presented simulations indeed show that for a range of magnetic diffusivities corresponding to Rβ >~ 1, the flow remains close to the ideal MHD self-similar solution.

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) and house dust mites (HDMs) are among the most common environmental factors able to induce airway inflammation in asthma. Although epidemiological studies suggest that they also synergize in inducing asthma exacerbations, there is no experimental evidence to support this, nor any information on the possible mechanisms involved.|To investigate their interaction on the induction of airway epithelial inflammatory responses in vitro.|BEAS-2B cells were exposed to activated HDM Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus major allergen I (Der p I), HRVs (HRV1b or HRV16) or both in different sequences. IL-8/CXCL8 release, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 surface expression and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) translocation were evaluated. Complementary, primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) exposed to both Der p I and RVs and IL-8, IL-6, IFN-gamma-induced protein (IP)-10/CXCL10, IFN-lambda1/IL-29, regulated upon activation normal T lymphocyte expressed and secreted (RANTES)/CCL5 release were measured.|RV and Der p I up-regulated IL-8 release, ICAM-1 expression and NF-kappaB translocation in BEAS-2B cells. Simultaneous exposure to both factors, as well as when cells were initially exposed to HRV and then to Der p I, resulted in further induction of IL-8 in a synergistic manner. Synergism was not observed when cells were initially exposed to Der p I and then to HRV. This was the pattern in ICAM-1 induction although the phenomenon was not synergistic. Concurrent exposure induced an early synergistic NF-kappaB translocation induction, differentiating with time, partly explaining the above observation. In HBECs, both HRV and Der p I induced IL-8, IL-6, IL-29 and IP-10, while RANTES was induced only by HRV. Synergistic induction was observed only in IL-8.|HRV and enzymatically active Der p I can act synergistically in the induction of bronchial epithelial IL-8 release, when HRV infection precedes or is concurrent with Der p I exposure. Such a synergy may represent an important mechanism in virus-induced asthma exacerbations.

OBJECTIVES: Limited data exist about the risk factors of melanoma in the Greek population. We investigated the association of melanoma with phenotypic and solar indices in this darker skin population residing in an environment of high ambient ultraviolet radiation. METHODS: Our study included 200 sporadic melanoma cases and 200 age-, sex-matched control subjects. Information on history of sun exposure patterns and cutaneous reaction to sunlight was obtained and a clinical evaluation of pigmentary traits, pigmented lesions, and actinic keratoses was performed. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis, fair skin (OR: 4.63, for fair skin versus light brown, 95% CI: 1.54-13.92), intermittent sun exposure during childhood (OR: 3.33, >2 weeks/year of sun exposure versus < or =2 weeks/year 95% CI: 1.37-8.09), and outdoor leisure activities (OR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.28-5.89), but not skin phototype or sunburns, were positively related to the risk of melanoma. In addition to an elevated count of common melanocytic nevi (OR: 6.27, > or =10 nevi versus no nevi, 95% CI: 1.65-23.76) and the presence of clinically atypical nevi (OR: 2.84, 95% CI: 1.16-6.98), solar lentigenes were an independent risk factor of melanoma (OR: 4.33, 95% CI: 1.67-11.22). CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent sun exposure of moderate intensity during childhood/adolescence and outdoor leisural activities, in conjunction with a more resistant skin phenotype to acute sunburns and a strong association with nevi and solar lentigenes was a prominent determinant of melanoma risk in our population.

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for fluoroquinolone resistance (QR) among ESBL- producing Enterobacteriaceae causing nosocomial infections. The study was conducted in Laikon General Hospital in Athens, Greece, during the period January 2004 - January 2005. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected from the medical charts of the patients diagnosed with nosocomial infections due to an ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. QR was 60% among the 84 ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates. Infection from QR-ESBL bacteria was associated with increased hospital stay (p=0.028); QRESBL bacteria were isolated later during hospitalization than fluoroquinolone susceptible (QS)-ESBL (p=0.089); factors associated with QR were immune-deficiency (p=0.047), previous use of carbapenems (p=0.08) and fluoroquinolones (p=0.067), and admission to the Transplantation Unit (p=0.047). In addition, QR-ESBL bacteria were more likely to be resistant to co-trimoxazole (p<0.001), gentamicin (p=0.054) and tobramycin (p=0.004). Logistic regression analysis indicated that admission to the transplantation unit was an independent risk factor for infection due to a QR-ESBL isolate. Results of this study question ciprofloxacin's usefulness as a valid alternative to carbapenems in our hospital for the treatment of infections due to ESBL-producing bacteria. In addition strategies for addressing the QR-ESBL situation should focus on limiting fluoroquinolone and carbapenem consumption and emphasize on barrier precautions in patients with longer hospitalization, immunosuppression, or admission to the transplantation unit.

This study focuses on the phenomenon of erosion regarding the coastal dune system inNaxos island (Cyclades), Greece. In the western coastal zone of Naxos, several dunefields are observed. Despite the fact that erosion on the inland has become more intenseduring the last years, providing thus sufficient material for the development of new dunefields, the current dunes are retreating.Climate variability and prolonged human activities are the major components that lead tothe dunes’ modification, which is a sign of desertification that comes in accordance withthe recent climate change. The climatic factors that are probably involved in the dunes’erosion are the aeolian blow and the precipitation, which may act in counterbalance to thedunes formation. The climatic data that were used in the analysis include daily values ofprecipitation and wind speed, acquired from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service,for the period from 1955 to 2003.This study results in the main reasons for the retreat of the dune fields, namelyanthropogenic constructions, whose intensity increases because of the touristicdevelopment on the western coastal zone, climatic conditions and wave processes.

A geographical information system (GIS) is more than a sophisticated softwareprogram; it is a powerful tool that can be used effectively in geocultural landscape research. Geocultural landscape researchers analyze the historical content of a present landscape and its landscape evolution over time; they strive to reconstruct historical states of a landscape, using different sources, methods and techniques developed in various disciplines such as archaeology, geography, history, planning sciences as well as in related auxiliary sciences. The general interest of this study is the application of geoinformation technology in the geocultural landscape research.The introductory chapter overviews different functions of a GIS and demonstrates its role in a geocultural landscape analysis. The differences between methodology, science and GIS as a tool are presented, specifically dealing with research issues with a time and space component, as well as their representation in a computer-based system. The chapter concludes with a summary of research issues that may concern the interdisciplinary teams of both landscape researchers and geoinformation scientists.

We investigate the emission spectra of individual lens-shaped self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) in the high-temperature regime in order to contribute to the fine structural analysis and to the appreciation of the QDs’ optical response. Our theoretical analysis results in an expression for the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of QDs in the linear regime, which reproduces satisfactorily the experimentally observed PL signal of individual lens-shaped In0.5Ga0.5As self-assembled QDs. Using the appropriate material parameters, the theoretical predictions for the interlevel spacing as well as for the dephasing time caused by electron-longitudinal optical phonon interactions are in good agreement with experiment.

This study aimed to identify candidate new diagnosis and prognosis markers and medicinal targets of prostate cancer (PCa), using state of the art proteomics. A total of 20 prostate tissue specimens from 10 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 10 with PCa (Tumour Node Metastasis [TNM] stage T1-T3) were analyzed by isobaric stable isotope labeling (iTRAQ) and two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (2DLC-MS/MS) approaches using a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight system (QqTOF). The study resulted in the reproducible identification of 825 nonredundant gene products (p < or = 0.05) of which 30 exhibited up-regulation (> or =2-fold) and another 35 exhibited down-regulation (< or =0.5-fold) between the BPH and PCa specimens constituting a major contribution toward their global proteomic assessment. Selected findings were confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis of prostate tissue specimens. The proteins determined support existing knowledge and uncover novel and promising PCa biomarkers. The PCa proteome found can serve as a useful aid for the identification of improved diagnostic and prognostic markers and ultimately novel chemopreventive and therapeutic targets.

A long-term (2000–2005) data set of aerosol optical properties obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is analyzed focusing on the Greater Athens Area in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The MODIS aerosol optical depth standard product (AOD at 550 nm) and its respective ratio attributed to fine-mode particles (FM) are employed to evaluate the inter-annual and seasonal variability of the aerosol properties over Athens. Based on AOD550 and FM values three specific aerosol types are discriminated corresponding to different aerosol load and optical properties. The aerosol types considered correspond to urban/industrial aerosols, coarse-mode particles and clean maritime conditions. This study focuses on the seasonal and year-to-year fluctuation of the number of occurrences as well as the AOD550 and FM values of each aerosol type. The coarse-mode particles are observed mainly in the summer, while spring is the most favorable season for the occurrence of urban/industrial aerosols. On the other hand, clean maritime conditions occur mainly in the winter. The AOD550 values for the coarse-mode particles are higher in spring, while the urban/industrial and clean maritime aerosols exhibit slightly higher values in the summer. The seasonal distribution of the aerosol properties is related to anthropogenic and dust emissions in the spring/summer period, but is modified by atmospheric dispersion and precipitation in late autumn/winter. The main conclusion of the study is that the coarse-mode particles exhibit much stronger interannual and seasonal variability compared to the urban/industrial aerosols. Finally, three cases corresponding to each aerosol type are analyzed with the aid of synoptic weather maps, air mass trajectories and MODIS data.

This study concerns the species composition and seasonality of extant coccolithophore communities in Eastern Mediterranean coastal environments and investigates their significance as environmental indicators. Water samples were collected during six one-day cruises carried out between 2001 and 2004, in two separate marine ecosystems (Gulfs of Korthi and Kastro, southeastern coast of Andros Island). High species diversities (65 species of heterococcolithophores and 45 species of holococcolithophores), associated with the dominant K-selected taxa, Rhabdosphaeraceae, and holococcolithophores, were recorded during summer whereas low diversities coupled with maximum concentration of cells and the predominance of r-selected species (Emiliania huxleyi) were observed during late autumn-early spring. The coccolithophores of the upper photic zone have been grouped into four distinct communities (Emiliania huxleyi group, Palusphaera vandelii group, Rhabdosphaera clavigera group and Helladosphaera cornifera group).A taxonomic study of the modern coccolithophores of Aegean Sea is presented. Several combination coccospheres of Algirosphaera robusta with Sphaerocalyptra quadridentata have been well documented, therefore their synonymy is proposed and the remaining species of Sphaerocalyptra have been transferred to the genus Holococcolithophora. One more holococcolith-heterococcolith association between Corisphaera sp. type A, Zygosphaera bannockii, Zygosphaera amoena and Syracosphaera bannockii is presented, recombining all taxa into Syracosphaera amoena comb. nov. A new species, Holococcolithophora kastriensis sp. nov. is described.

Anorectal melanoma (AM) is a rare disease and few guidelines have been established regarding its therapeutic management. Wide local excision, or less frequently, abdominoperineal resection is the treatment of choice. We present a female patient with an excised AM who was submitted to our Nuclear Medicine department for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping of the area. Under rigid proctoscopy the anal scar received four submucosal injections of technetium-99m-sulfur nanocolloid of 29.6 MBq each. Lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative gamma-probe guided detection of the SLNs followed. SLNs were localized in the inguinal basins bilaterally and were negative on histology. A wide local excision followed the above test. Thirty months postoperatively the patient developed distant metastases, underwent radiotherapy and died six months later. Without changing prognosis sentinel lymph node detection, excision and histology were important in sparing the patient a futile inguinal lymph node dissection.

AIMS: To investigate whether genetic variants of the histidine-rich calcium (HRC)-binding protein are associated with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and its progression. METHODS AND RESULTS: We screened 123 idiopathic DCM patients and 96 healthy individuals by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing for genetic variants in HRC. Six polymorphisms were detected: Leu35Leu (A/G), Ser43Asn (G/A), Ser96Ala (T/G), Glu202_Glu203insGlu (-/GAG), Asp261del (GAT/-), and an in-frame insertion of 51 amino acids at His321. The analysis of their frequencies did not reveal any significant correlation with DCM development. However, the Ser96Ala polymorphism exhibited a statistically significant correlation with the occurrence of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. During a follow-up of 4.02 +/- 2.4 years, the risk for ventricular arrhythmias was higher (HR, 9.620; 95% CI, 2.183-42.394; P = 0.003) in the Ala/Ala patients, compared with Ser/Ser homozygous patients. On multivariable Cox regression analysis, the Ser96Ala polymorphism was the only significant genetic arrythmogenesis predictor in DCM patients (HR, 4.191; 95% CI, 0.838-20.967; P = 0.018). CONCLUSION: The Ser96Ala genetic variant of HRC is associated with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in idiopathic DCM and may serve as an independent predictor of susceptibility to arrhythmogenesis in the setting of DCM.

OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to estimate the extent of oxidative stress in patients with aneurysmal and arterial occlusive disease (AAOD) by analyzing the magnitude of serum oxidizability, total antioxidant status and serum antioxidants and to evaluate their potential clinical significance. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 47 patients with AAOD and 49 healthy individuals. Oxidative stress was assessed by: a) copper-induced lipid oxidation described in terms of "lag-time" (t(LAG)) and "maximal rate of accumulation of absorbing products" (RA) and b) the measurement of serum total antioxidant status (TAS) and hydrophilic serum antioxidants (albumin, uric acid, transferrin, bilirubin). LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were also estimated. RESULTS: A decrease of t(LAG) and albumin levels in patients as compared to controls was observed. t(LAG) was negatively correlated with RA in both patients and controls. RA and LDL-cholesterol did not differ between the two groups. HDL-cholesterol was decreased in patients in comparison to controls. There is statistically significant evidence that low albumin serum levels are associated with increased risk of AAOD. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the involvement of oxidative stress in AAOD. Significant alterations in serum oxidizability were found in patients with AAOD and low albumin serum levels were correlated with the disease. Clinical evaluation of both findings needs further investigation

Sex differences in behavioral and neurobiological responses to stress are considered to modulate the prevalence of some psychiatric disorders, including major depression. In the present study, we compared dopaminergic neurotransmission and behavior in response to two different stress paradigms, the Forced Swim Test (FST) and the Chronic Mild Stress (CMS). Male and female rats were subjected to one session of swim stress for two consecutive days (FST) or to a variety of mild stressors alternating for six weeks (CMS). Subsequently, the tissue levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites (HVA and DOPAC) in the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, the prefrontal cortex and the striatum were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ratios HVA/DA and DOPAC/DA were also calculated as indices of the dopaminergic activity. Results from the FST determined that males exhibited lower immobility, higher climbing duration and increased dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus compared to females. CMS induced alterations in sucrose intake in both sexes, while it only decreased dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortex of females. These findings show that FST and CMS have different effects on the dopaminergic activity of discrete brain regions depending on the sex of the animal. These data support the growing evidence that females display a differential response and adaptation to stress than males.

Sex differences in behavioral and neurobiological responses to stress are considered to modulate the prevalence of some psychiatric disorders, including major depression. In the present study, we compared dopaminergic neurotransmission and behavior in response to two different stress paradigms, the Forced Swim Test (FST) and the Chronic Mild Stress (CMS). Male and female rats were subjected to one session of swim stress for two consecutive days (FST) or to a variety of mild stressors alternating for six weeks (CMS). Subsequently, the tissue levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites (HVA and DOPAC) in the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, the prefrontal cortex and the striatum were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ratios HVA/DA and DOPAC/DA were also calculated as indices of the dopaminergic activity. Results from the FST determined that males exhibited lower immobility, higher climbing duration and increased dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus compared to females. CMS induced alterations in sucrose intake in both sexes, while it only decreased dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortex of females. These findings show that FST and CMS have different effects on the dopaminergic activity of discrete brain regions depending on the sex of the animal. These data support the growing evidence that females display a differential response and adaptation to stress than males.

This paper presents a new shear velocity and attenuation model for the lower crust and litho-sphere of the Aegean region, obtained by inversion of broadband surface-wave phase veloci-ties and attenuation coefficients. We have two main motivations for conducting this study. First, knowledge of the regional structure of the Aegean lithosphere is fundamental for understanding the tectonic framework and mantle dynamics, posing constraints on possible models of deformation and evolution. Second, the exponential dependence of Q with temperature implies that attenuation tomography could explain better hot regions (high attenuation) than elastic tomography. Furthermore, elastic velocity is highly influenced by the constitution of the medium. In case of strong lateral Q variations, elastic parameters also vary. Hence, it is important to combine results of elastic and anelastic tomography. Apparently, the high rates of deformation in the Aegean constitute this region particularly interesting in this perspective.

Significant changes in the regional climate of coastal and island stations in and bordering the Aegean during 1961-2002 are identified. Here we start with a very large number of parameters describing the surface temperature climate measured at 9 Greek island and coastal stations, and highlight those parameters which show regionally significant trends. Statistical significance of trends is assessed over multiple sliding time-windows of data. For each parameter and each time-window, a regional summary is produced using two quantities: the statistical significance of the trend in the regionally averaged parameter, and the number of stations which individually show significant trends in that parameter. The relationship between these two quantities provides a simple way of highlighting those climate parameters for which the region shows a trend, which is spatially relatively homogeneous, and those for which the region may need to be divided into sub-regions. Some very detailed characteristics of trends in daily surface temperatures are summarized in a concise way. Notably, the established cooling during the 1960s is shown to be especially strong for November and also December. Some trends were also shown to be significant only in terms of temperatures of unseasonably warm or cool days. For example, cooling in May temperatures in the late 70s/early 80s occurred most clearly for the low-temperature range-appearing as a decrease in the temperature reached by unseasonably cold days. This behaviour was inhomogeneous across the region, with significant cooling at only a subset of the stations. Such results could be used by subsequent analysis to focus on particular parts of the data, rather than using averaging to reduce the data. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society.

We report on the observation of two hypersonic phononic gaps of different nature in three-dimensional colloidal films of nanospheres using Brillouin light scattering. One is a Bragg gap occurring at the edge of the first Brillouin zone along a high-symmetry crystal direction. The other is a hybridization gap in crystalline and amorphous films, originating from the interaction of the band of quadrupole particle eigenmodes with the acoustic effective-medium band, and its frequency position compares well with the computed lowest eigenfrequency. Structural disorder eliminates the Bragg gap, while the hybridization gap is robust.

A Singular Antiquity is an attempt to investigate the ideological strategies, somewhat improvised yet at times quite effective, through which the materiality of Greek archaeology has been employed as the foundation for the metaphysics of Greekness.

We demonstrate the deceleration of guided electromagnetic waves propagating along an adiabatically tapered negative-refractive-index metamaterial heterostructure and show that light can ideally be brought to a complete halt. It is analytically shown that, in principle, this method simultaneously allows for broad bandwidth operation (since it does not rely on group index resonances), large delay-bandwidth products (since a wave packet can be completely stopped and buffered indefinitely) and high, almost 100 % in/out-coupling efficiencies. The halting of a monochromatic field component travelling along the heterostructure is demonstrated on the basis of a wave analysis and confirmed in a pertinent ray analysis, which unmistakably illustrates the trapping of the associated light-ray and the formation of a double light-ray cone (optical clepsydra) at the point where the ray is trapped. This method for trapping photons conceivably opens the way to a multitude of hybrid optoelectronic devices to be used in quantum information processing, communication networks and signal processors and may herald a new realm of combined metamaterials and slow light research © 2008 IEEE.

We show how guided electromagnetic waves propagating along an adiabatically tapered negative-refractive-index metamaterial heterostructure can be brought to a complete halt. It is analytically shown that, in principle, this method simultaneously allows for broad bandwidth operation (since it does not rely on group index resonances), large delaybandwidth products (since a wave packet can be completely stopped and buffered indefinitely) and high, almost 100%, in/out-coupling efficiencies. By nature, the presented scheme invokes solid-state materials and, as such, is not subject to low-temperature or atomic coherence limitations. A wave analysis, which demonstrates the halting of a monochromatic field component travelling along the heterostructure, is followed by a pertinent ray analysis, which unmistakably illustrates the trapping of the associated light-ray and the formation of a double light-ray cone ('optical clepsydra') at the point where the ray is trapped. This method for trapping photons conceivably opens the way to a multitude of hybrid optoelectronic devices to be used in 'quantum information' processing, communication networks and signal processors and may herald a new realm of combined metamaterials and slow light research.

A competent method for slowing and completely stopping light, based on wave propagation along an adiabatically tapered negative-refractive-index metamaterial heterostructure, is presented. It is analytically shown that, in principle, this method simultaneously allows for broad bandwidth operation (since it does not rely on group index resonances), large delay-bandwidth products (since a wave packet can be completely stopped and buffered indefinitely) and high, almost 100%, in/out-coupling efficiencies. Moreover, by nature, the presented scheme invokes solid-state materials and, as such, is not subject to low-temperature or atomic coherence limitations. A wave analysis, which demonstrates the halting of a monochromatic field component travelling along the heterostructure, is followed by a corresponding ray analysis that illustrates the trapping of the associated light-ray and the formation of a double light-ray cone ('optical clepsydra'). This method for trapping photons conceivably opens the way to a multitude of hybrid, optoelectronic devices to be used in 'quantum information' processing, communication networks and signal processors, and may herald a new realm of combined metamaterials and slow light research.

Background: Small cell carcinomas (SCC) originate mainly from bronchial tissue. Several extrapulmonary sites of origin have been described, including the genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts, the ear, nose and throat and lymph nodes. SCC of the lung may be associated with paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes. Case Report: We report an oat cell histological variant of SCC found in the thymus gland of a 53-year-old woman who presented with subacute cerebellar dysfunction. Conclusions: SCC of the thymus gland, which is a rare extrapulmonary site of origin of SCC, accompanied by cerebellar dysfunction, is rarely reported.

Οι ριζοτόμοι ήταν βοτανοσυλλέκτες. Το Ριζοτομικό βοτανολόγιο του Κρατεύα (2ος αιώνας π.Χ.) χάθηκε. Το πρωτότυπο κείμενο του Διοσκουρίδη Περί ύλης ιατρικής ή De materia medica του Διοσκουρίδη (1ος αιώνας μ.Χ.) δεν υπάρχει. Ό,τι βρίσκεται γραμμένο σε κώδικες είναι προϊόν αντιγραφής από άγνωστο αρχέτυπο. Το αρχαιότερο αντίγραφο, ο περίφημος ελληνικός, εικονογραφημένος κώδικας του 6ου αιώνα, φυλάσσεται στην Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Αυστρίας, στη Βιέννη, από τον 16ο αιώνα. Το κείμενο Περί ύλης ιατρικής διαδόθηκε, μελετήθηκε, μεταφράστηκε και περιπλανήθηκε, από ανάγκη, για την αναγνώριση ύλης χρήσιμης, με ιδιότητες θεραπευτικές, που είναι διαθέσιμη στη φύση. Τα πρώτα χειρόγραφα έγιναν πηγή πληροφοριών για δραστικά συστατικά των φυτών. Στο έργο του Διοσκουρίδη υπάρχει γνώση που φαίνεται πως βασίζεται στην παράδοση, η οποία προέρχεται από θρυλικούς ριζοτόμους. Η γνώση πυροδότησε την ενασχό ληση με υλικά της φύσης, σε μια διαδικασία αέναης αναζήτησης, με σκοπό τη βελτίωση των συνθηκών ζωής των ανθρώπων. Αυτή την πληροφορία μάς την παραδίδουν χειρόγραφοι κώδικες του έργου Περί ύλης ιατρικής, που συνέχισε να διαδίδεται με την τυπογραφία. Μυθική γνώση, παρατήρηση, εμπειρική προσέγγιση και ζωγραφική απεικόνιση, όλα βοήθησαν την έρευνα επίμονων μελετητών και τη διάδοση της αξίας που κρύβει η ποικιλότητα των φυτών, έως τις μέρες μας. Στο βιβλίο αυτό παρουσιάζεται η περιπλάνηση του έργου του Διοσκουρίδη και αναφέρονται εκατοντάδες φυτά, όπως τοποθετήθηκαν κατά αλφαβητική σειρά (χάριν ευκολίας) σε κώδικες με αξία γνωστική, πολιτισμική και ανταλλακτική.

Στα τέλη του 19ου αι. σε όλες τις ελληνικές κοινότητες της Αμερικής γεννήθηκε και ένας ερασιτεχνικός θίασος δρώντας εθελοντικώς και προσφέροντας υπηρεσίες δίδοντας ευεργετικές παραστάσεις. Το πρώτο μισό του 20ού αι. η θεατρική κίνηση αυξάνεται ραγδαία. Η εξαπλωμένη θεατρική δραστηριότητα δεν αφήνει ανέπαφη ούτε την μικρότερη ελληνική κοινότητα στην Αμερική. Και η μικρότερη παροικία διέθετε ερασιτεχνικό θεατρικό όμιλο και κάθε αστικό κέντρο διέθετε επαγγελματικό ελληνικό θίασο. Το θέατρο γίνεται για τους μετανάστες οικείος τρόπος έκφρασης. Μετά τη δεκαετία του 1950 διαφαίνεται μια μεταστροφή. Στις θεατρικές ομάδες συμμετέχουν και Έλληνες δεύτερης γενιάς, το ρεπερτόριο παραμένει ελληνικό αλλά η γλώσσα παύει να είναι η ελληνική. Μετά το δεύτερο παγκόσμιο πόλεμο τα έργα των Ελληνοαμερικανών δραματουργών γράφονται κυρίως στην αγγλική. Οι πρώτοι μετανάστες απ’ τη μια αγνοούσαν πλήρως την αγγλική κι απ’ την άλλη απευθύνονταν αυστηρά στο κοινό των Ελλήνων μεταναστών. Οι Έλληνες δεύτερης γενιάς αλλά και εκείνοι, οι οποίοι διασχίζουν τον Ατλαντικό μεταπολεμικά διακατέχονται από την ανάγκη να απεγκλωβιστούν από τα στενά όρια των ελληνικών κοινοτήτων και να αναπτύξουν πιο σύνθετες ανάγκες επικοινωνίας σε ένα διευρυμένο περιβάλλον διατηρώντας όμως συναισθηματικά στοιχεία σε σχέση με την ελληνικότητα, όπως διαφαίνεται στη συγγραφέα Αθηνά Ντάλλα-Ντάμη. Το δεύτερο μισό του 20ου αι. σηματοδοτείται από τον Αδαμάντιο Λεμό, τον George Arkas, τον Yiannis Simonides, ο οποίος το 1979 όταν ήταν ακόμα καθηγητής και πρόεδρος του Drama Department of New York University ίδρυσε το Greek Theater of New York. Αξιοσημείωτη είναι η εμφάνιση του νεοσύστατου θιάσου στο La Mama E.T.C., 74 A East Fourth Street όπου παρουσίασε τα “Theatrika”, ένα φεστιβάλ μουσικής, χορού, ποίησης και θεάτρου στην αγγλική γλώσσα αλλά και στην ελληνική. Παράλληλα με τη δράση των George Arkas και Yannis Simonides, το 1974 ιδρύθηκε το Greek Cultural Center, με σκοπό να προάγει τη μουσική, τους παραδοσιακούς χορούς, το θέατρο σκιών και το θέατρο. Η συστηματική θεατρική δράση ξεκίνησε το 1978. Τα τελευταία τριάντα χρόνια έχει παραστήσει πάνω από 75 έργα. Και ο θίασος έχει επανδρωθεί από νέους Έλληνες επαγγελματίες και κατορθώνει να ανεβάζει έως και τέσσερις παραγωγές ετησίως λαμβάνοντας θερμές κριτικές και στηρίζοντας σθεναρά το νεοελληνικό θέατρο.

The study of particulate matter with diameter less than 1 μm (PM 1) in Athens' atmosphere and their impacts on human health is the goal of this study. PM1 concentrations were recorded by three detectors (light scattering method) at six vital points in high traffic peak roads, during the period 1/10/2006-30/9/2007. The collected PM1 samples concern the same hour of the day, in absence of wind. The spatial distributions of the PM1 concentrations for the warm (April to September) and the cold (October to March) period of the year were achieved by the use of Kriging method. Further to, in order to find out the impacts of PM1 concentrations on health, we analyzed daily admissions for non-fatal arrhythmias to emergency units of the Social Security Institute and a Regional Hospital of Athens. Results demonstrate a significant relationship of PM1 with sinus arrhythmias, which confirms the assumption that PM1 represent one of the main hazards in cardio respiratory syndromes in the most polluted cities of Europe, which confront high traffic problems, due to the enormous number of exhausts emissions.

UapA, a uric acid-xanthine permease of Aspergillus nidulans, has been used as a prototype to study structure-function relationships in the ubiquitous nucleobase-ascorbate transporter (NAT) family. Using novel genetic screens, rational mutational design, chimeric NAT molecules, and extensive transport kinetic analyses, we show that dynamic synergy between three distinct domains, transmembrane segment (TMS)1, the TMS8-9 loop, and TMS12, defines the function and specificity of UapA. The TMS8-9 loop includes four residues absolutely essential for substrate binding and transport (Glu356, Asp388, Gln408, and Asn409), whereas TMS1 and TMS12 seem to control, through steric hindrance or electrostatic repulsion, the differential access of purines to the TMS8-9 domain. Thus, UapA specificity is determined directly by the specific interactions of a given substrate with the TMS8-9 loop and indirectly by interactions of this loop with TMS1 and TMS12. We finally show that intramolecular synergy among UapA domains is highly specific and propose that it forms the basis for the evolution of the unique specificity of UapA for uric acid, a property not present in other NAT members.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) has been applied to study spin dynamics and charge transfer interactions in C60(Fe(C5H5)2)2. A low concentration of C60- spins is derived by ESR, suggesting the presence of weak charge transfer between C60 and ferrocene. The C60- ESR spectra display an appreciable anisotropy at T < 40 K reflecting molecular rotation freezing, while their low temperature variation (T < 10 K) implies development of antiferromagnetic spin-spin interactions. At high temperatures, the narrow ESR line of C120O- impurity spins inhibits observation of a C60- ESR. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We study the possibility of spin injection from Fe into Si(001), using the Schottky barrier at the Fe/Si contact as tunneling barrier. Our calculations are based on density-functional theory for the description of the electronic structure and on a Landauer-Buttiker approach for the current. The current-carrying states correspond to the six conduction-band minima (pockets) of Si, which, when projected on the (001) surface Brillouin zone (SBZ), form five conductance hot spots: one at the SBZ center and four symmetric satellites. The satellites yield a current polarization of about 50%, while the SBZ center can, under very low gate voltage, yield up to almost 100%, showing a zero-gate anomaly. This extremely high polarization is traced back to the symmetry mismatch of the minority-spin Fe wave functions to the conduction-band wave functions of Si at the SBZ center. The tunneling current is determined by the complex band structure of Si in the {[}001] direction, which shows qualitative differences compared to that of direct-gap semiconductors. Depending on the Fermi level position and Schottky barrier thickness, the complex band structure can cause the contribution of the satellites to be orders of magnitude higher or lower than the central contribution. Thus, by appropriate tuning of the interface properties, there is a possibility to cut off the satellite contribution and to reach high injection efficiency. Also, we find that a moderate strain of 0.5% along the {[}001] direction is sufficient to lift the degeneracy of the pockets so that only states at the zone center can carry current.

Violence and Racism in sport under the spotlight Sport federations, academics, politicians, and NGOs alike are sounding the alarm over the increase in violence and racism linked with sport events. In recent years we have seen many manifestations of racial intolerance and violence at football matches, converted into stages for regional and identity conflicts: (1) In Spain, racist right-wing supporters mocked and taunted black players. (2) In Greece, an Albanian fan was stabbed to death by a Greek at a qualifying match for the World Cup. (3) A referee was slashed by a missile at the Champions League match between Roma and Dynamo Kiev. (4) In the Netherlands, Dutch fans threw a smoke bomb into the Portuguese goal and firecrackers on to the pitch, hitting one of the players at the UEFA Cup match between Feyenoord of Rotterdam and Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. (5) German police used clubs and riot gas to arrest 46 fans after a minor regional league match between SSV Ulm of Germany and visiting FC Normannia Gmuend of Switzerland. (6) The violence in Milan, when two bitter rivals, Inter and AC, played in the quarter-finals for the Champions League, the top European club tournament, and (5) riots, such as those in the cities of Leipzig (Germany) and Catania (Italy), are the reason why the EU ministers responsible for sport are now closely studying the issue of sport and violence. Instead of focusing on enjoying sports, teaching youth pro-social attitudes and values through sports, or in reaping physical benefits, and instilling a lifelong involvement in athletics, we have been witnessing a notable increase of violent behaviour in stadiums, dehumanizing racist and xenophobic attitudes, hooliganism, doping, corruption, cheating, wheeling-and-dealing, political interference as well as the influence of big business, the media, sponsors, etc. Has sport lost its fun, and its positive social impact and values? Is it geared exclusively toward winning at all costs, and supporting obsessive competitiveness that leads to violence and racial conflicts?

Violence and Racism in sport under the spotlight Sport federations, academics, politicians, and NGOs alike are sounding the alarm over the increase in violence and racism linked with sport events. In recent years we have seen many manifestations of racial intolerance and violence at football matches, converted into stages for regional and identity conflicts: (1) In Spain, racist right-wing supporters mocked and taunted black players. (2) In Greece, an Albanian fan was stabbed to death by a Greek at a qualifying match for the World Cup. (3) A referee was slashed by a missile at the Champions League match between Roma and Dynamo Kiev. (4) In the Netherlands, Dutch fans threw a smoke bomb into the Portuguese goal and firecrackers on to the pitch, hitting one of the players at the UEFA Cup match between Feyenoord of Rotterdam and Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. (5) German police used clubs and riot gas to arrest 46 fans after a minor regional league match between SSV Ulm of Germany and visiting FC Normannia Gmuend of Switzerland. (6) The violence in Milan, when two bitter rivals, Inter and AC, played in the quarter-finals for the Champions League, the top European club tournament, and (5) riots, such as those in the cities of Leipzig (Germany) and Catania (Italy), are the reason why the EU ministers responsible for sport are now closely studying the issue of sport and violence. Instead of focusing on enjoying sports, teaching youth pro-social attitudes and values through sports, or in reaping physical benefits, and instilling a lifelong involvement in athletics, we have been witnessing a notable increase of violent behaviour in stadiums, dehumanizing racist and xenophobic attitudes, hooliganism, doping, corruption, cheating, wheeling-and-dealing, political interference as well as the influence of big business, the media, sponsors, etc. Has sport lost its fun, and its positive social impact and values? Is it geared exclusively toward winning at all costs, and supporting obsessive competitiveness that leads to violence and racial conflicts?

Context: Finite radius accretion disks are a strong candidate for launching astrophysical jets from their inner parts and disk-winds are considered as the basic component of such magnetically collimated outflows. Numerical simulations are usually employed to answer several open questions regarding the origin, stability and propagation of jets. The inherent uncertainties, however, of the various numerical codes, applied boundary conditions, grid resolution, etc., call for a parallel use of analytical methods as well, whenever they are available, as a tool to interpret and understand the outcome of the simulations. The only available analytical MHD solutions to describe disk-driven jets are those characterized by the symmetry of radial self-similarity. Those exact MHD solutions are used to guide the present numerical study of disk-winds. Aims: Radially self-similar MHD models, in general, have two geometrical shortcomings, a singularity at the jet axis and the non-existence of an intrinsic radial scale, i.e. the jets formally extend to radial infinity. Hence, numerical simulations are necessary to extend the analytical solutions towards the axis and impose a physical boundary at finite radial distance. Methods: We focus here on studying the effects of imposing an outer radius of the underlying accreting disk (and thus also of the outflow) on the topology, structure and variability of a radially self-similar analytical MHD solution. The initial condition consists of a hybrid of an unchanged and a scaled-down analytical solution, one for the jet and the other for its environment. Results: In all studied cases, we find at the end steady two-component solutions. The boundary between both solutions is always shifted towards the solution with reduced quantities. Especially, the reduced thermal and magnetic pressures change the perpendicular force balance at the “surface” of the flow. In the models where the scaled-down analytical solution is outside the unchanged one, the inside solution converges to a solution with different parameters. In the models where the scaled-down analytical solution is inside the unchanged one, the whole two-component solution changes dramatically to stop the flow from collapsing totally to the symmetry axis. Conclusions: It is thus concluded that truncated exact MHD disk-wind solutions that may describe observed jets associated with finite radius accretion disks, are topologically stable.

Lightwaves guided along an adiabatically tapered negative-index heterostructure can efficiently be brought to a complete halt. We prove this conclusion by means of, both, full-wave and pertinent ray-tracing analyses. © 2007 Optical Society of America.

Mitten in einem sich bewegenden, unabgeschlossenen Literaturprozess versucht der vorliegende Band Christa Wolfs poetisches Schaffen sowie ihr Poetikverständnis in der Kontinuität und Diskontinuität seiner Entwicklung in der spätesten Phase ihres Oeuvres nachzuzeichnen. Wolfs Schreiben ist eine archäologische Arbeit, eine Suche nach der Wahrheit und nach den blinden Flecken der persönlichen Geschichte und der modernen Industriegesellschaft. Was ist dem Menschen zumutbar? Wie entsteht Literatur angesichts unzumutbarer sozialer Verhältnisse? Welcher Art kann die Beziehung von Literatur zu Mythos, antikem und modernem, zur Subjektwerdung des modernen Ichs, zur Psyche und Psychologie bzw. Psychoanalyse, zur Krankheit, zur Friedensforschung sein? Ist eine Literatur von Frauen über Frauen "Frauenliteratur"? Kann eine "Ästhetik des Alltags" zur "Ästhetik des Widerstands" werden? 

A variety of 2-oxoamides and related amides based on natural and non-natural amino acids were synthesized. Their activity on two human intracellular phospholipases (GIVA cPLA2 and GVIA iPLA2) and one human secretory phospholipase (GV sPLA2) was evaluated. We show that an amide based on (R)-γ-norleucine is a highly selective inhibitor of GV sPLA2.

The aim of this paper is to study the historical alluviation of Thessaloniki using mainly archaeological data. Such data have been found in many places in the study-area. These findings date from the Neolithic to the Ottoman period. We have approached this problem by studying the geomorphological processes of this area and through detailed mapping of the alluviation around ancient monuments. A spatial database was created containing geological, geomorphological and archaeological data, along with all measurements collected during fieldwork. Apart from contemporary data, older topographical maps of the area were also imported and analyzed in the GIS together with the other datasets. The results indicate that deposition rates vary on temporal and spatial scales. This is due to the topography, the lithology and the climatic changes in the area. Thus, the whole landscape of Thessaloniki area has undergone continuous change; we have estimated vertical deposition rates ranging between 1,66 and 7,5 mm p.a.