In this study, the mean rain intensity (mm/h) in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, is examined during the period 1930-2007. The daily meteorological data were acquired from the meteorological stations of the National Observatory of Athens (Thissio) and the University Campus of Thessaloniki. These stations have recorded the longest and reliable daily rain time series in Greece. The trends of the annual and seasonal mean, as well as the maximum rain intensity, are analyzed. On the one hand, all of the time series in Athens present higher figures of mean rain intensity during the period 1990-2007 compared to the period 1930-1990. On the other hand, regarding the time series in Thessaloniki, the mean rain intensity remains in lower level than the respective one in Athens without significant trend at the Confidence Level (CL) 95%. As far as the annual and seasonal maximum rain intensity is concerned, similar patterns appear. However, the summer maximum rain intensity in Thessaloniki remains at higher levels till 1970's. The atmospheric circulation patterns for the extreme rain intensities show intense negative anomalies centred over Greece and positive anomalies to the north, with centre over Scandinavia.
The PMTs of the CMS Hadron Forward calorimeter were found to generate a large size signal when their windows were traversed by energetic charged particles. This signal, which is due to Čerenkov light production at the PMT window, could interfere with the calorimeter signal and mislead the measurements. In order to find a viable solution to this problem, the response of four different types of PMTs to muons traversing their windows at different orientations is measured at the H2 beam-line at CERN. Certain kinds of PMTs with thinner windows show significantly lower response to direct muon incidence. For the four anode PMT, a simple and powerful algorithm to identify such events and recover the PMT signal using the signals of the quadrants without window hits is also presented. For the measurement of PMT responses to Čerenkov light, the Hadron Forward calorimeter signal was mimicked by two different setups in electron beams and the PMT performances were compared with each other. Superior performance of particular PMTs was observed.
To investigate the transient nature of supersoft sources (SSSs) in M 31, we compared SSS candidates of the XMM-Newton Deep Survey, ROSAT PSPC surveys and the Chandra catalogues in the same field. We found 40 SSSs in the XMM-Newton observations. While 12 of the XMM-Newton sources were brighter than the limiting flux of the ROSAT PSPC survey, only two were detected with ROSAT ˜10 yr earlier. Five correlate with recent optical novae which explains why they were not detected by ROSAT. The remaining 28 XMM-Newton SSSs have fluxes below the ROSAT detection threshold. Nevertheless we found one correlation with a ROSAT source, which had significantly larger fluxes than during the XMM-Newton observations. Ten of the XMM-Newton SSSs were detected by Chandra with <1- ˜6 yr between the observations. Five were also classified as SSSs by Chandra. Of the 30 ROSAT SSSs three were confirmed with XMM-Newton, while for 11 sources other classifications are suggested. Of the remaining 16 sources one correlates with an optical nova. Of the 42 Chandra very-soft sources five are classified as XMM-Newton SSSs, while for 22 we suggest other classifications. Of the remaining 15 sources, nine are classified as transient by Chandra, one of them correlates with an optical nova. These findings underlined the high variability of the sources of this class and the connection between SSSs and optical novae. Only three sources, were detected by all three missions as SSSs. Thus they are visible for more than a decade, despite their variability. Based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.
We report the detection of a nova candidate in M 31 using observations with the UltraViolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) on board the Swift satellite. The object was serendipitously detected in the UVW1 filter (181-321nm) UVOT observation 00031255018 with 4333 s exposure starting on 2010-06-24.02 UT with a magnitude of 19.5+-0.2. The position for the nova candidate is RA = 00h42m55s.56, Dec = +41d19'25".5 (J2000, accuracy of 1.0"), which is 127" east and 197" north of the core of M 31.
Revithiadou A, Spyropoulos V. The Syntax-Phonology Interface. In: The Continuum Companion to Phonology. London & New York: Continuum Publications; 2010. pp. 225-253.
Glycogen phosphorylase (GP) is a promising molecular target for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. The design of potential inhibitors for the catalytic site of the enzyme is based on the high affinity for -D-glucopyranose and the pres- ence of a -cavity that extends from the sugar anomeric position forming a 15 x 7.5 x 10 Å available space. This review is focused on our efforts towards the design and synthesis of various families of potential inhibitors, including N--D- glucopyranosyl oxamic acid esters and oxamides, N--D-glucopyranosylaminocarbonyl L-aminoacids and peptides, as well as glucose-derived purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, spiro- and other bicyclic derivatives. Kinetic and crystallo- graphic study of the interactions of these inhibitors with GP has increased our understanding of the importance of the various functional groups within the catalytic site and has pointed the way towards the in silico prediction and design of potent inhibitors, which are both synthetically viable and pharmacologically relevant.
We have developed a quantum-mechanical theory for the interaction of light and electron-hole excitations in semiconductor quantum dots. Our theoretical analysis results in an expression for the photoluminescence intensity in the non-linear regime. The validity of the theoretical results is tested analyzing experimental data reported for the temperature dependence of the emission spectra of an individual lens-shaped In0.4Ga0.6As self-assembled quantum dot in a wide temperature range up to 300 K. Our theoretical predictions for the redshift of the emission peak with increasing temperature, in the range 2–300 K, agree with the experiment.
BACKGROUND: Current guidelines propose different reperfusion strategies for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) depending on the time delay from pain onset, the availability of a catheterization laboratory and the patient's characteristics. In order to implement national strategies to improve reperfusion rates the existing situation must be first analysed. The aim of this report is to provide a description of where and when STEMI patients present in a countrywide registry.
METHODS: The Hellenic Infarction Observation Study (HELIOS) was a countrywide registry that enrolled 1096 patients with STEMI from 31 hospitals with a proportional representation of all types of hospitals from all geographical areas. We recorded the proportion of patients that fits within each category of treatment algorithms.
RESULTS: The following percentages of the total STEMI population were recorded: a) admitted in invasive hospitals within 12 h 28.7% (with 26% of those not reperfused) and after 12 h 5.9% and b) admitted in non-invasive hospitals within 3 h 34.9% (with 30% of those not reperfused), 3-12 h 19.3% and after 12 h 11%.
CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of STEMI patients are admitted either in an invasive hospital within 12 h or in a non-invasive one within 3 h from pain onset and therefore can be treated locally according to the guidelines. A relatively small percentage of patients are late presenters in non-invasive centres and are candidates for immediate transfer for primary PCI. These data could be useful in planning reperfusion strategies at countrywide level since not all patients may require immediate transfer for primary PCI.
The revised tectono-stratigraphy of Crete and especially of the "Phyllites-Quartzites" complex demonstrated the distinction of the probable Paleozoic low-medium grade metamorphic rocks of the Arna unit from the underlying Permo-Triassic phyllites and associated carbonate sediments (Trypali facies) of Western Crete unit as well as the overlying Permo-Triassic phyllites and associated sediments of the Tyros/Ravdoucha Beds at the base of the Tripolis unit. The pre-existing mixture of the above tectono-stratigaphic units in a single complex created a number of misinterpretations as far as stratigraphy, metamorphism and interpretation of low angle faults as thrusts or detachments. Especially in cases where the inferred tectonic contact concerns the transition between the Tyros Beds and the base of the Tripolis carbonate platform there is no structural omission and therefore the contact represents a minor disharmonic sliding surface and not a detachment. Based on the revised tectono-stratigraphic analysis the determination of the structural omission for each tectonic contact was possible and several detachments were described for the first time. Footwall rocks of the detachments comprised several tectonic units usually from the lower nappes and hanging wall rocks comprised several tectonic units usually from the upper nappes. The detachment may separate not only metamorphosed units in the footwall (Mani, Western Crete, Arna) from non metamorphosed units in the hanging wall (Tripolis, Pindos and higher nappes) but also all other possible combinations from the Cretan nappe pile. Extension in Crete started in the Middle-Late Miocene with the formation of extensional detachment faults. The reported extensional structures of Oligocene to Early Miocene age do not correspond to crustal extension of Crete but to localized shear zones related to nappe stacking and the exhumation of metamorphic rocks. Extensional detachments in Crete form a tectonic horst through two oppositely dipping E-W-trending zones; one dipping north, related to the opening of the Cretan basin, and the other dipping south, related to the formation of the Messara supra-detachment basin. The deformation history of units within Crete can be summarized as: (i) compressional deformation producing arc-parallel east-west-trending south-directed thrust faults in Oligocene to Early Miocene time; (ii) extensional deformation along arc-parallel, east-west-trending detachment faults in Middle Miocene time, with hanging wall motion to the north and south; and (iii) Late Miocene-Quaternary transtensional deformation along high-angle normal and oblique normal faults that disrupt the older arc-parallel structures.
As a result of the variability survey in χ Persei and NGC 6910, the number of β Cep stars that are members of these two open clusters is increased to twenty stars, nine in NGC 6910 and eleven in χ Persei. We compare pulsational properties, in particular the frequency spectra, of β Cep stars in both clusters and explain the differences in terms of the global parameters of the clusters. We also indicate that the more complicated pattern of the variability among B-type stars in χ Persei is very likely caused by higher rotational velocities of stars in this cluster. We conclude that the sample of pulsating stars in the two open clusters constitutes a very good starting point for the ensemble asteroseismology of β Cep-type stars and maybe also for other B-type pulsators.
In this work we unmask a novel downregulation mechanism of the uric acid/xanthine transporter UapA, the prototype member of the ubiquitous Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter family, directly related to its function. In the presence of substrates, UapA is endocytosed, sorted into the multivesicular body pathway and degraded in vacuoles. Substrate-induced endocytosis, unlike ammonium-induced turnover, is absolutely dependent on UapA activity and several lines of evidence showed that the signal for increased endocytosis is the actual translocation of substrates through the UapA protein. The use of several UapA functional mutants with altered kinetics and specificity has further shown that transport-dependent UapA endocytosis occurs through a mechanism, which senses subtle conformational changes associated with the transport cycle. We also show that distinct mechanisms of UapA endocytosis necessitate ubiquitination of a single Lys residue (K572) by HulA(Rsp5). Finally, we demonstrate that in the presence of substrates, non-functional UapA versions can be endocytosed in trans if expressed in the simultaneous presence of active UapA versions, even if the latter cannot be endocytosed themselves.
The recent breakthrough discoveries of transport systems assigned with atypical functions provide evidence for complexity in membrane transport biochemistry. Some channels are far from being simple pores creating hydrophilic passages for solutes and can, unexpectedly, act as enzymes, or mediate high-affinity uptake, and some transporters are surprisingly able to function as sensors, channels or even enzymes. Furthermore, numerous transport studies have demonstrated complex multiphasic uptake kinetics for organic and mineral nutrients. The biphasic kinetics of glucose uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a result of several genetically distinct uptake systems operating simultaneously, is a classical example that is a subject of continuous debate. In contrast, some transporters display biphasic kinetics, being bona fidae dual-affinity transporters, their kinetic properties often modulated by post-translational regulation. Also, aquaporins have recently been reported to exhibit diverse transport properties and can behave as highly adapted, multifunctional channels, transporting solutes such as CO(2), hydrogen peroxide, urea, ammonia, glycerol, polyols, carbamides, purines and pyrimidines, metalloids, glycine, and lactic acid, rather than being simple water pores. The present review provides an overview on some atypical functions displayed by transporter proteins and discusses how this novel knowledge on cellular uptake systems may be related to complex multiphasic uptake kinetics often seen in a wide variety of living organisms and the intriguing diffusive uptake of sugars and other solutes.
Using Chandra, XMM-Newton and optical data we study the young (?Myr) X-ray binary (XRB) populations of the Magellanic Clouds. We find that the Be-XRBs of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are observed in regions with star formation (SF) rate bursts ˜25-60 Myr ago. The similarity of this age with the age of maximum occurrence of the Be phenomenon (˜40 Myr) indicates that the presence of a circumstellar decretion disk plays a significant role in the number of observed XRBs in the 10-100 Myr age range. We also find that regions with strong but more recent SF (e.g. the Wing) are deficient in Be-XRBs. By correlating the number of observed Be-XRBs with the formation rate of their parent populations, we measure a Be-XRB production rate of ˜1 system per 10^{-6} M⊙/yr. Finally, we use the strong localization of the Be-XRB systems in order to set limits on the kicks imparted on the neutron star during the supernova explosion. Understanding of the populations of compact objects and their connection with star-formation (SF) will allow us to investigate channels of XRB formation in a variety of environments and therefore help in studies of the X-ray source populations of star-forming galaxies outside our Local Group, and even enable their use as a SF diagnostic. This work was supported from NASA LTSA grant NAG5-13056, and NASA grant GO2-3117X.
We report on the effective optical response of a uniaxial crystal of metal–dielectric–metal nanosandwiches, which exhibits artificial optical magnetism, through full-electrodynamic simulations by the extended layer-multiple-scattering method. Using a recently developed all-angle homogenization procedure, which is based on rigorous results of complex-band-structure and reflection-coefficient calculations, we deduce local effective permittivity and permeability tensors, appropriate for this crystal. We show that the effective-medium description breaks down as we approach the region of the magnetic resonance. In a frequency region close to the resonance the retrieved effective parameters, though doubtful, indicate that the crystal under consideration may exhibit negative refraction. This behaviour is demonstrated by rigorous calculation of the isofrequency surfaces of the actual crystal and determination of the relevant group velocities.
OJ 287 is a BL Lac object at redshift z = 0.306 that has shown double-peaked bursts at regular intervals of ~12yr during the last ~40yr. We analyse optical photopolarimetric monitoring data from 2005 to 2009, during which the latest double-peaked outburst occurred. The aim of this study is twofold: firstly, we aim to analyse variability patterns and statistical properties of the optical polarization light curve. We find a strong preferred position angle in optical polarization. The preferred position angle can be explained by separating the jet emission into two components: an optical polarization core and chaotic jet emission. The optical polarization core is stable on time-scales of years and can be explained as emission from an underlying quiescent jet component. The chaotic jet emission sometimes exhibits a circular movement in the Stokes plane. We find six such events, all on the time-scales of 10-20d. We interpret these events as a shock front moving forwards and backwards in the jet, swiping through a helical magnetic field. Secondly, we use our data to assess different binary black hole models proposed to explain the regularly appearing double-peaked bursts in OJ 287. We compose a list of requirements a model has to fulfil to explain the mysterious behaviour observed in OJ 287. The list includes not only characteristics of the light curve but also other properties of OJ 287, such as the black hole mass and restrictions on accretion flow properties. We rate all existing models using this list and conclude that none of the models is able to explain all observations. We discuss possible new explanations and propose a new approach to understanding OJ 287. We suggest that both the double-peaked bursts and the evolution of the optical polarization position angle could be explained as a sign of resonant accretion of magnetic field lines, a `magnetic breathing' of the disc.
Hb Agrinio [α29(B10)Leu→Pro] is a highly unstable variant, classified as a nondeletional α-thalassemia (α-thal) mutation. To date it has only been described in individuals of Greek and Cypriot origin. Evaluation of the phenotypic presentation of 12 Hb Agrinio homozygotes or compound heterozygotes, diagnosed in a single center in Greece during a 15-year period, found a wide clinical expression, ranging from thalassemia intermedia (with or without transfusion requirement) to Hb H hydrops fetalis, with some phenotype-to-genotype correlation. The often severe clinical presentation of Hb Agrinio homozygotes or Hb Agrinio compound heterozygotes, coinheriting severe α-thal determinants, indicates that molecular identification of carriers of the Hb Agrinio mutation should be considered within the context of screening programs involving individuals of Greek and Cypriot origin. Selective molecular investigation of candidate carriers is facilitated by the observation that all heterozygotes for the Hb Agrinio mutation present with at least one hematological parameter implicating an α-thal carrier state.
Young stellar object jets are supersonic and highly collimated plasma outflows that propagate for large distances. Although their association to star formation is a well established fact, there are still open questions such as whether the outflow is of disk or stellar origin, how the jet’s time variable structure is produced and why there is an asymmetry between the opposite bipolar flows. The increasing angular resolution of modern telescopes gradually provides the clues to clarify and understand such issues. An emerging picture is that of a two-component protostellar jet, where a high mass loss rate disk wind surrounds a hot stellar outflow. In this context, our group has carried out numerical simulations of several two-component magnetohydrodynamic jet models, setting as initial conditions a combination of two well studied analytical solutions. We investigated the dynamics and the steady state features of many interesting cases as a function of the mixing parameters and the enforced time variability. A highly significant result was the morphological reproduction of the large scale knot-like structure of many young stellar objects jets. Moreover, with the assumption of a quadrupolar disk field we found asymmetric velocities between the bipolar outflows suggesting a possible explanation for this observational fact. In this article we summarize the results on the dynamics and the velocity profiles of a few interesting two-component jet scenarios.
Inquiries into the relationships between viral respiratory tract illnesses and the inception and exacerbation of asthma are being facilitated by recent advances in research approaches and technology. In this article we identify important knowledge gaps and future research questions, and we discuss how new investigational tools, including improved respiratory tract virus detection techniques, will permit current and future researchers to define these relationships and the host, virus, developmental, and environmental mechanisms that regulate them. A better understanding of these processes should facilitate the development of improved strategies for the prevention and treatment of virus-induced wheezing illnesses and asthma exacerbations and, possibly, the ultimate goal of discovering effective approaches for the primary prevention of asthma.
aspects on the interactive masks createdby the composer Georgia Spiropoulosfor the needs of the opera LesBacchantes (Ircam, 2010). Bacchae isan opera for a single performer, tapeand live electronics where the voice ofthe performer interprets four differentroles with the interactive environmentin Max/Msp. The virtual masks as ametaphor of Euripide’s dramaticpersonae and masks1 of the same actor.Are used as virtual scores whichregister the vocal trace of the performerand give further vocal agility,extensibility, mutation, multiplicationand augmented vocality.
alpha-Lactalbumin (alpha-La) is a major cow's milk (CM) allergen responsible for allergic reactions in infants.|We performed molecular, structural, and immunologic characterization of alpha-La.|Recombinant alpha-lactalbumin (ralpha-La) was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and characterized by means of mass spectrometry and circular dichroism, and its allergenic activity was studied by using microarray technology, as well as in a basophil histamine release assay. IgE epitope mapping was performed with synthetic peptides.|According to circular dichroism analysis, ralpha-La represented a folded protein with a high thermal stability and refolding capacity. ralpha-La reacted with IgE antibodies from 57.6% of patients with CM allergy (n = 66) and induced the strongest basophil degranulation with sera from patients with CM allergy who had exhibited gastrointestinal symptoms or severe systemic reactions on CM exposure. ralpha-La contained sequential and conformational IgE epitopes. Superposition of IgE-reactive peptides onto the 3-dimensional structure of alpha-La revealed a close vicinity of the N- and C-terminal peptides within a surface-exposed patch.|ralpha-La can be used for the diagnosis of patients with severe allergic reactions to CM and serves as a paradigmatic tool for the development of therapeutic strategies for CM allergy.
These files present the observational data of the paper. There are 7 files : 6 for photometry (BVRIri) and one for polarimetry. Details of the reduction procedures and the telescopes involved can be found in the paper. (7 data files).
Historical buildings are important structures and their preservation and restoration is a vital issue worldwide. A crucial step before interventions is the definition of potential hazards and the monument’s vulnerability estimation. The Kapnikarea chapel is one of the most important and popular Byzantine monuments in Athens and dates back to the 11th century. In 1994, construction of the Athens underground Metro system began, with the tunnels passing underneath Kapnikarea foundations. During excavations, sounds of the approaching underground activities (heavy drilling and hydraulic hammer equipment) were heard in the interior of the chapel, and several failures were observed inside the church. Additional reasons reduced the structure’s rigidity are deterioration in time and past severe earthquakes. Towards the restoration planning of the monument, the University of Athens together with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism, assigned to our research group the task to investigate the fundamental frequencies of the monument and of its soil foundation in order to determine resonance phenomena capable of compromising building stability during an earthquake. For this purpose, we conducted a microtremor survey. Ambient noise measurements were taken for 87 points located both on the ground and the chapel. Using the HVSR technique we determined the response of the ground, the monument’s predominant frequency and the spatial variations of the peak frequencies on the monument. Based on the experimental observations we discuss the possibility that differentiations are due to the structural members’ particularity and/or health.
The performance of QuantiFERON-tuberculosis (TB) Gold-In-Tube assay was compared with the tuberculin skin test for the diagnosis of TB among children. It was shown that among non-Bacille Calmette Guèrin immunized children, agreement between tests was excellent both in those with TB disease and in TB contacts. Among Bacille Calmette Guèrin-immunized children, agreement was fair in those with active disease and poor among TB contacts. It is concluded that QuantiFERON-TB Gold-In-Tube compares with the tuberculin skin test in the diagnosis of TB disease and latent tuberculosis infection in TB contacts among children and has enhanced specificity.
Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη & Al zyoud, Khaled (2010). Γυναίκα και Αθλητισμός στην Ιορδανία και στην «Κορανική Κοινωνία», Γυναίκα & Άθληση, VII, σελ. 54-72. Έκδοση της Πανελλήνιας Ένωσης για την Προώθηση των Γυναικών στον Αθλητισμό και τα Σπορ (ΠΕΠΓΑΣ) Abstractwomen_and_sports_in_jordan_and_in_koranic_society_2010.pdf-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής ήταν να εξετάσει τους λόγους που απομακρύνουν ή αποκλείουν τη γυναίκα της Ιορδανίας από την αθλητική δραστηριότητα.Χρησιμοποιώντας τα εργαλεία των κοινωνικών επιστημών και την κοινωνιολογική προσέγγιση, στην πρώτη ενότητα μελετήθηκαν η θέση της γυναίκας στο Ισλάμ και την Ιορδανία, καθώς και ο αθλητισμός από ισλαμική σκοπιά (Najy, 1995; Mansour, 2000; Alkakei, 2001; Υοnes, 2001; Mouner, 2003; Yones & Ibrahem, 2003; El-Azhary, 2005; Αλζιούντ, 2008).Στόχος της δεύτερης ενότητας ήταν να διερευνηθούν οι επιπτώσεις των ηθών και εθίμων στην αθλητική δραστηριότητα των μαθητριών της Ιορδανικής κοινωνίας-τόσο στην περιφέρεια όσο και την πόλη-και ο βαθμός παρέμβασης των κηδεμόνων/γονέων τους. Τα ερωτηματολόγια διανεμήθηκαν συνολικά σε 2.000 μαθήτριες και κηδεμόνες/γονείς: 1000 μαθήτριες της Ιορδανίας, ηλικίας 14-16 ετών, εκ των οποίων οι 580 εκπροσωπούσαν την αστική κοινωνία και οι 420 την αγροτική και αντίστοιχα ο ίδιος αριθμός ερωτηματολογίων μοιράστηκε στους κηδεμόνες/γονείς τους. Ως κηδεμόνας, των εν λόγω μαθητριών ορίζεται ο πατέρας ή ο μεγαλύτερος αδελφός. Η ιορδανική νομοθεσία δεν αναγνωρίζει τη μητέρα ως κηδεμόνα της κόρης της. Συμπεράσματα: Αναδεικνύεται ότι τα ήθη και έθιμα της αραβικής κοινωνίας, η θρησκεία, η εθνικο-θρησκευτικές και κρατικές δομές, ο αναλφαβητισμός, ο ενδυματολογικός κώδικας του Ισλάμ, οι κοινωνικές προκαταλήψεις, η έλλειψη αθλητικών χώρων αποκλειστικά για γυναίκες, η ανεπάρκεια «κατάλληλης» αθλητικής ενδυμασίας για τη μουσουλμάνα, καθώς και η έλλειψη αθλητικής κουλτούρας στην Ιορδανία, αποτελούν σοβαρά εμπόδια για τη συμμετοχή των κοριτσιών και των γυναικών στο μάθημα της φυσικής αγωγής και στον αγωνιστικό αθλητισμό.
Λέξεις κλειδιά: αθλητισμός από ισλαμική σκοπιά, εμπόδια στην αθλητική δραστηριότητα, ήθη και έθιμα, κοινωνικο-θρησκευτικοί περιορισμοί, «κατάλληλη» αθλητική ενδυμασία.
--------------------------------------This study examines the participation of Muslim girls and women in physical education classes and competitive sports in Jordanian society. The first part of the study, using a sociological approach, focuses on international dialogue on the position of “Women in a Qur’ anic Society” (Al-Faruqi, 1984), namely in Islamic
cultures, including Jordanian society, and subsequently examines sport from an Islamic perspective (Najy, 1995; Mansour, 2000; Alkakei, 2001; ÀÔnes, 2001; Mouner, 2003; Yones & Ibrahem, 2003; El-Azhary, 2005; Αλζιούντ, 2008). The second part examines socio-cultural attitudes concerning Jordanian girls’ and women’s participation in sports. Questionnaires were distributed to 1.000 female high school students in Jordan between the ages of 14-16 – 580 from urban areas and 420 from agricultural. An equivalent number (1.000 questionnaires) was also distributed to their male parents or legal guardians. According to Jordanian legislation (law 34:1973) a female (the mother) is not recognized as a legal gal guardian. The results of the study indicate that the reasons that Jordanian girls and women are discouraged or forbidden from participating in sport activities –although there are exceptions to the rule– are due to cultural perspectives, socio-religious barriers and perceptions concerning women’s bodies as well as the lack of “appropriate sport attire”, social prejudices and attitudes, the scarcity of exclusively female sport spaces/installations and so forth. In Jordanian society girls and women still confront many obstacles to sport participation.
Key-words: sport from an Islamic perspective, women’s bodies, socio-religious barriers, Muslim women in sports, “appropriate” sport attire.
This paper argues for the support of women entrepreneurs and policies encouraging entrepreneurship regardless of gender in order to stimulate growth as Europe does not have enough entrepreneurs.Surveys conducted by the National Foundation of Women Business Owners (NFWBO)show that women-owned firms compete in the global market, stimulate growth, havegreater revenues and are more focused on business expansion than firms that aredomestically oriented.1 Women entrepreneurs have a significant impact on theeconomy, not only in their ability to create jobs for themselves but also in creatingjobs for others. However, they constitute only 34.4% of the EU's self-employedworkforce and only 39.4% women choose to be self-employed compared to 50.2%men Research also confirms that women entrepreneurs are highly educated anduse more high technology systems than their male counterparts. Additionally, studiesshow that women create smaller but relatively more viable enterprises, are morecautious than men and possess better awareness regarding the risk of failure. Consequently, it is vital for women to learn how to play the international trade gameand raise the visibility of women’s entrepreneurship...............................................................
Kamberidou, Irene (2010). Women Entrepreneurs, an Emerging Economic Force. Submitted Paper for the “SMEs and Entrepreneurship: European Actions for Women Entrepreneurs” Round Table on Women Entrepreneurship organized by the Transnational Consortium of the European project women@business and the Hellenic Association of Young Entrepreneurs, 14th December 2010, Hellenic European Parliament Office, 8 Amalias street, Athens, Greece. European Commission Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme 2007-2013. (info@militos.org). Published in EUD Community http://www.ictwomendirectory.eu (December 18, 2010 11:40 AM); in ECWT www.womenandtechnology.eu (December 18, 2010 11:18 AM Dec. 2010). Also disseminated in women@business website (www.womenatbusiness.eu) and in Home page: http://www.womenatbusiness.eu/ViewShopStaticPage.aspx?ValueId=2901. G.4 in Apella
Also published/disseminated in:
As one of the initiatives undertaken to promote Astronomy in Greece, particularly in view of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the Hellenic Astronomical Society (Hel.A.S.), in collaboration with the Hellenic Association of the Laboratory Centers of Physical Sciences, organized a special workshop, under the umbrella of the 9th Hellenic Astronomical Conference, addressed to school teachers. The aim was to develop and promote teaching of Astronomy, which is currently an optional subject, offered during the second year of senior high school (Lyceum).
Context. Classical novae (CNe) have recently been reported to represent the major class of supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs) in the central region of our neighbour galaxy M 31. Aims: We carried out a dedicated monitoring of the M 31 central region with XMM-Newton and Chandra in order to find SSS counterparts of CNe, determine the duration of their SSS phase and derive physical outburst parameters. Methods: We systematically searched our data for X-ray counterparts of CNe and determined their X-ray light curves and spectral properties. Additionally, we determined luminosity upper limits for all novae from previous studies which are not detected anymore and for all CNe in our field of view with optical outbursts between May 2005 and March 2007. Results: We detected eight X-ray counterparts of CNe in M 31, four of which were not previously known. Seven sources can be classified as SSSs, one is a candidate SSS. Two SSSs are still visible more than nine years after the nova outburst, whereas two other nova counterparts show a short SSS phase of less than 150 days. Of the latter sources, M31N 2006-04a exhibits a short-time variable X-ray light curve with an apparent period of (1.6±0.3) h. This periodicity could indicate the binary period of the system. There is no X-ray detection for 23 out of 25 CNe which were within the field of view of our observations and had their outburst from about one year before the start of the monitoring until its end. From the 14 SSS nova counterparts known from previous studies, ten are not detected anymore. Additionally, we found four SSSs in our XMM-Newton data without a nova counterpart, one of which is a new source. Conclusions: Out of eleven SSSs detected in our monitoring, seven are counterparts of CNe. We therefore confirm the earlier finding that CNe are the major class of SSSs in the central region of M 31. We use the measured SSS turn-on and turn-off times to estimate the mass ejected in the nova outburst and the mass burned on the white dwarf. Classical novae with short SSS phases seem to be an important contributor to the overall population. Partly based on observations with XMM-Newton, an ESA Science Mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.
The Saint Georgios coastal zone, located at the W coast of Naxos, the largest island of the Central Aegean Sea, was investigated in order to determine the palaeo-geography, sea level changes and their effect to the palaeo-environment of western Naxos island and to human activity. Detailed geomorphological mapping, study of micropaleontological and sedimentological characteristics and dating analyses of the Late Holocene of St. Georgios coastal zone were conducted.To obtain information about the Holocene stratigraphy under the recent alluvial cover, three boreholes followed the detailed geomorphological mapping. Microfaunal analysis took place and five samples of plants, shells, peat and charred material were also collected from several layers of the sedimentary sequence and were dated using AMS and conventional radiocarbon techniques providing temporal control of the sediments. The sea-land interactions during Upper Holocene, in relation to the eustatic sea level oscillations, as well as the geomorphologic observations and analysis on deposited sediments, aims to reveal the palaeo-geographic evolution of the landscape and its impact on the archaeological sites. Sea level rise along with sea-land interactions to the landscape evolution and the transgression of sea in 6144 BP have been verified.
(2010). Αθλητισμός και καπιταλισμός. Ηκατά τον Jean-MarieBrohm δομική τους αναλογία.
Σύμφωνα με τον Jean-Marie Brohm, τον μεγαλύτερο υποστηρικτή της ριζοσπαστικής κριτικής του αθλητισμού στη Γαλλία, η ανάπτυξη του αθλητισμού συνδέεται στενά με εκείνην της καπιταλιστικής βιομηχανικής εκμηχάνισης. Ο σύγχρονος αθλητισμός θα μπορούσε μάλιστα να θεωρηθεί ως η τυπική σωματική δραστηριότητα μιας βιομηχανικής κοινωνίας, καθώς αντανακλά τα θεμελιώδη γνωρίσματά της, τα οποία είναι:
α). Ο εμπορευματικός αθλητισμός.
β). Η εκλεκτική κατάταξη.
γ). Το αθλητικό ‘προϊόν’ ως κριτήριο της παραγωγής.
δ). Η ελιτίστικη επιλογή των αθλητών.
ε). Η επίδοση ως αποτέλεσμα της ‘τεχνικοποίησης’ του αθλητικού έργου.
στ). Η αύξηση της σωματικής αποδοτικότητας ως αποτέλεσμα της τεχνικής αποδοτικότητας.
ζ). Η ‘εκμηχάνιση’ της ανθρώπινης προσωπικότητας.
η). Η δέσμευση και αλλοτρίωση του προσωπικού χρόνου.
θ). Ο κατακερματισμός της ανθρώπινης ολότητας.
ι). Η εξωτερίκευση των αθλητικών ικανοτήτων.
κ). Η αλλοτρίωση του σύγχρονου πρωταθλητή και η μηχανιστική ηθική των προτύπων επιτυχίας.
Η αλλοτρίωση ή αποξένωση του ανθρώπου βρίσκει τέλεια εφαρμογή στην περίπτωση του σύγχρονου αθλητή και του έργου του. Πίσω από το μυϊκό έργο, πλέον, έχει κατασκευασθεί μια μηχανή, ανθρώπινη, αλλά, πάντως, μηχανή. Όλα λειτουργούν όπως ένα ρολόι ακριβείας, ενώ ο αθλητής έχει μετατραπεί σε εξάρτημα μιας ολόκληρης βιομηχανίας, η οποία στήνεται δίπλα του για να χρησιμοποιήσει το δικό του έργο και να κερδίσει από αυτό. Αυτό που μετράει για την κοινωνική καταξίωση είναι το σελοφάν της επιτυχίας. Τα πρότυπα που δημιουργεί το συγκεκριμένο σύστημα αξιών μπορεί προσωρινά να προκαλούν κάποια ικανοποίηση, αλλά, στην ηθική τους βάση πάσχουν, και αποπροσανατολίζουν την κοινωνία. Η αλλοίωση της πραγματικότητας που βιώνει η κοινή γνώμη, ανάγει τα ασήμαντα γεγονότα που συνιστούν οι αθλητικές συναντήσεις σε ζητήματα μείζονος σημασία, και τον μισθοφόρο-αθλητή σε επί μηχανής θεό. Οι αληθινές αξίες δεν επιβεβαιώνονται, ωστόσο, μέσω της υπερβολής και της προβολής, αλλά μπορεί να είναι σιωπηλές, μακροπρόθεσμες και πολύπλευρες. Η ενασχόληση που διαθέτει χαρακτηριστικά εξαναγκασμού και ανελευθερίας, ακόμη κι αν οδηγεί σε οποιοδήποτε ‘επιτυχές’ αποτέλεσμα, δεν μπορεί να συνιστά κοινωνικό πρότυπο, καθώς πρόκειται για αλλοίωση της ανθρώπινης φύσης. Η κοινωνία που δημιουργεί και αποδέχεται τέτοια πρότυπα, θα πρέπει, επομένως, ν’ αποκτήσει επίγνωση του εαυτού της, αναζητώντας βαθύτερα τους ιδεολογικούς παράγοντες που προξενούν τη νοσηρότητά της.
Η λέξη ‘έρις’ απαντάται πρώτη φορά στον ελληνικό γραπτό λόγο στον Όμηρο και μετέπειτα στον Ησίοδο. Από την εποχή των πρώτων αναφορών της μέχρι σήμερα το περιεχόμενό της φαίνεται να μην έχει αλλοιωθεί, καθιστώντας τη διαχρονικότητα της λέξης αξιοσημείωτη. Ο Νίτσε, μάλιστα, με αφορμή την έριδα (αγώνα) μεταξύ του Ομήρου και του Ησιόδου υποστηρίζει τη θεωρία του ότι η φύση του ανθρώπου είναι άρρηκτα συνδεδεμένη με τη διαμάχη. Η ετυμολογία της λέξης τη συνδέει με πολλές ερμηνείες, με επικρατέστερη αυτή της φιλονικίας, της προστριβής ή ακόμη και της ερινύος, της τύψης, της οργής και της κατάρας. Ο Ησίοδος ειδικά διαχωρίζει την έριδα σε καλή και σε κακή. Εξ αυτών η πρώτη οδηγεί τους ανθρώπους στα αγαθά έργα, ενώ η δεύτερη τους κατευθύνει σε βιαιότητες και σε πολέμους. Η κακή Έριδα, χαιρέκακη ούσα, συνδέεται με τη φιλονεικία (την αγάπη του νείκους=διχόνοιας) και την καταστροφή, ενώ αντίθετα η καλή με τη φιλονικία (την αγάπη της νίκης), τη δημιουργία, τον Έρωτα της ζωής, τη δικαιοσύνη και την Πανδώρα, που φέρει όλα τα δώρα. Η καλή Έριδα οδηγεί στην ευγενή άμιλλα, τον υγιή ανταγωνισμό και τον δίκαιο αγώνα, σε αντίθεση με την κακή, που στον αθλητισμό, και γενικότερα στις εκφάνσεις του πολιτισμού προκαλεί την έχθρα και το μίσος.
Η έριδα θεωρείται κάτι εγγενές του ανθρώπινου είδους, η επίγνωση, όμως, των δεινών που προκαλεί ο κακός ανταγωνισμός μπορεί να συμβάλλει στη σύλληψη από τον άνθρωπο του τρόπου με τον οποίο ο ίδιος θα ελέγξει την επιθετικότητά του, προκειμένου να ωφεληθεί από το ίδιο του το μειονέκτημα. Ο άνθρωπος έχει τη δύναμη, έλλογα, να μετατρέψει την κακή έριδα, τη φιλονεικία και τον πόλεμο σε φιλονικία με νόμο, ευγενή άμιλλα και αγώνα, εξασφαλίζοντας τη συνέχεια και την εξέλιξή του. Η χαλιναγώγηση της κατώτερης φύσης του ανθρώπου συνιστά συνειδητή στάση απέναντι στο υπό διαρκείς προκλήσεις φαινόμενο της ζωής, το οποίο δεν είναι μια συνεχής άμυνα απέναντι σε εχθρικές επιθέσεις, αλλά μια απόπειρα κατανόησης του άλλου. Η εξέλιξη του ανθρώπου βασίζεται, εν τέλει, στην αξιοποίηση της δυνατότητάς του ανθρώπου αφενός να εκλογικεύει και αφετέρου να εξανθρωπίζει τα ίδια τα ένστικτά του.
(2009). Η συμβολή της ‘Ολυμπιακής Παιδείας’ στην αντιμετώπιση της παραβατικότητας των νέων.
Η νεολαία, διαχρονικά, δεν είναι μόνο αντικείμενο διαπαιδαγώγησης, αλλά και υποκείμενο δράσης, με ιδιαίτερες επιδιώξεις και επιθυμίες. Η καθημερινότητα και ο δυτικός πολιτισμός αποδεικνύουν, μάλιστα, πως η σύγχρονη νεολαία είναι εκτεθειμένη σε μια πληθώρα ατομικών και κοινωνικών προβλημάτων, τα οποία κάθε νέος αντιμετωπίζει με εντελώς διαφορετικό τρόπο. Ο τρόπος με τον οποίο αντιμετωπίζει ο νεολαίος τα προβλήματα της πολιτισμικής κρίσης, εξαρτάται κυρίως από δύο παράγοντες: α) από την προσωπικότητα του ιδίου, και β) από το σύστημα αξιών της κοινωνίας. Ο πρώτος παράγοντας είναι αποτέλεσμα κυρίως της σχέσης του νέου με τους γονείς του, καθώς με την αποδοχή ή την απόρριψή τους αποτελούν το θετικό ή το διαλυτικό μοτίβο επάνω στο οποίο βασίζεται ολόκληρος ο ψυχισμός του. Το δεύτερο, το σύστημα αξιών, συνιστά το σύνολο των ηθικών αρχών που διέπει την κοινωνία. Εάν η τελευταία λειτουργεί με τις αρχές του σεβασμού της προσωπικότητας και της απόδοσης δικαιοσύνης, αυτές αντανακλώνται στην παιδεία της, και από εκεί στην ομάδα και το άτομο. Δια της παιδείας, επομένως, οι αξίες της κοινωνίας εξακτινώνονται σε κάθε τομέα της κοινωνικής ζωής.
Ποιός είναι, όμως, ο ορισμός της ‘παραβατικότητας’; Ποια είναι τα χαρακτηριστικά ειδικά της ‘εφηβικής παραβατικότητας’ και ποια φαινόμενα την επηρεάζουν; Πώς λειτουργεί το γονεϊκό πρότυπο, την ανάγκη αποκήρυξης του οποίου έχει ο νέος, προκειμένου να επιδιώξει την αυτονομία του; Πόσο έντονη είναι η δραματοποίηση (acting-out) στον έφηβο, από ποια συναισθήματα και ανάγκες κατακλύζεται, και πιο ρόλο ελέγχου μπορεί να διαδραματίσει το εφηβικό «εγώ»; (Georges Mauco (1948), Del'inconscient à l'âmeenfantine: Lapsychologiedel'enfantdanssesrapportsaveclapsychologiedel'inconscientReliureinconnue). Εξάλλου, πώς επιδρά στη διαμόρφωση παραβατικών συμπεριφορών η ενδοοικογενειακή βία, η εντεινόμενη αβεβαιότητα του μέλλοντος, τα κοινωνικά αδιέξοδα που αποτυπώνονται στις αυταρχικές δομές του συστήματος, το απαιτητικό σχολικό πρόγραμμα, η ελαχιστοποίηση του προσωπικού χρόνου του μαθητή, και η αντικατάσταση των άμεσων ανθρώπινων σχέσεων με την τεχνολογία; Μήπως περιορίζουν τη δυνατότητα κοινωνικοποίησης του νέου, ενώ τον εξασκούν στην αναζήτηση ατομικών λύσεων σε συλλογικά προβλήματα; Γενικά, πάντως, οι έφηβοι που εμφανίζουν απόκλιση από μία ‘αποδεκτή’ συμπεριφορά, είναι εγκλωβισμένοι οι ίδιοι στις αλυσίδες της παιδικής τους ηλικίας, όπου βίωσαν εγκατάλειψη, διακρίσεις, περιφρόνηση και κακή χρήση της εξουσίας, τα οποία και διαιωνίζουν από τη μια γενιά στην άλλη. Όταν τα παιδιά αυτά μπορέσουν να βιώσουν συνειδητά την αδυναμία και την οργή των πρώτων χρόνων της ζωής τους, δεν θα χρειάζονται πια να κρατούν σε απόσταση αυτά τα συναισθήματα και ταυτόχρονα να ασκούν εξουσία σε άλλους (Alice Miller, Das Drama des begabten Kindes, 1979, Neufassung 1994).
Η παιδεία και ειδικότερα η ολυμπιακή παιδεία μπορεί να προσφέρει ένα χώρο επούλωσης της σκληρότητας και της κακομεταχείρισης των νέων αυτών, υπό τον όρο οτι δεν λειτουργεί με αυταρχισμό και διακρίσεις, αλλά με ανθρωπισμό. Το ίδιο ισχύει και για τις αθλητικές δραστηριότητες, υπό τον όρο οτι δεν αναπαράγουν ένα αυστηρό σύστημα επιλογής και κατάταξης, αλλά εκεί αναγνωρίζεται κάθε είδους προσφορά. Η εφαρμογή της ολυμπιακής παιδείας, προϋποθέτει, εν προκειμένω, την υιοθέτηση εκ μέρους της πολιτείας μιας νέας αθλητικής ιδεολογίας, η οποία μεταξύ άλλων σημαίνει: Την αναγνώριση της μοναδικότητας του ατόμου. Την αξιοποίηση του ψυχαγωγικού και παιγνιώδους χαρακτήρα του αθλητισμού. Τον περιορισμό του κατακερματισμού του χρόνου των μαθητών. Τη βελτίωση των αθλητικών υποδομών, ώστε να μπορεί να δημιουργηθεί η αίσθηση της ομαδικότητας και της κοινότητας. Κυρίως, όμως, την αλλαγή νοοτροπίας, ώστε ν’ απαλλαγεί ο αθλητισμός από τον ψυχαναγκασμό της πρωτιάς ή την περιφρόνηση του ηττημένου, στοχεύοντας στην αποκατάσταση μιας επαφής με τη φύση, το σώμα του και την ομάδα. Οι ανταγωνιστικές και συγκρουσιακές τάσεις που αναζωπυρώνονται στις σύγχρονες κοινωνίες, ειδικά των μεγαλουπόλεων, έχει δυσμενείς έως και δραματικές επιπτώσεις στην ομαλή λειτουργία της ίδιας της κοινωνίας. * http://www.olympic.org.cy/media/Synodoi_EOAK/21st__Session_EOAK_2009_F.pdf
Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2010). Κοινωνικό φύλο - βιολογικό φύλο: το φύλο στον αθλητισμό και η ιστορικότητα του γυναικείου αποκλεισμού. Γυναίκα και Άθληση, τόμος VII, 2009/2010, σελ. 7-24.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής είναι να διερευνηθούν οι αιτίες που οδήγησαν στη σημερινή υπό-εκπροσώπηση των γυναικών όσον αφορά θέσεις διοικητικής ευθύνης στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς και να προταθούν στρατηγικές ενσωμάτωσης. Στην πρώτη ενότητα αναφέρονται οι θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις για το φύλο (κοινωνικό φύλο – βιολογικό φύλο). Εξετάζετε το έμφυλο υποκείμενο (gender subject) καθώς και η έμφυλη ταυτότητα ως αποτέλεσμα συσχετισμού της βιολογικής διαφοράς με πολύπλοκες κοινωνικές διεργασίες. Το ενδιαφέρον επικεντρώνετε στην έμφυλη ουδετερότητα, που αφορά στην πρόσβαση και ενσωμάτωση του υποκειμένου επιμέρους κοινωνικές περιοχές όπως της πολιτικής, του αθλητισμού κ.τ.λ. Διαπιστώθηκε ότι ιδιαίτερα στο υψηλό αθλητισμό, σε αντίθεση με άλλες κοινωνικές περιοχές, δεν συναντάται ως δομικό συστατικό μια έμφυλη ουδετερότητα. Στην δεύτερη ενότητα διερευνήθηκαν οι παράγοντες υπό-εκπροσώπησης στον αγωνιστικό αθλητισμό και στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς. Λέξεις κλειδιά: κοινωνικό φύλο, βιολογικό φύλο, έμφυλη ουδετερότητα, αθλητισμός, κοινωνική χειραφέτηση, εκδημοκρατισμός, αθλητικοί θεσμοί------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT: Women have come a long way since the 1952 Helsinki Games, where they represented only 10 percent of the Olympic athletes. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing women represented approximately 43 percent of the total athlete delegation, up from 41 percent in the Athens 2004 Olympics. This does not mean that their biological make-up has changed. What has changed however are the socio-cultural perceptions pertaining to gender. On the other hand, women constitute an invisible minority in sport governing bodies today. This paper focuses on women’s underrepresentation in sport governing bodies and proposes strategies-practices of gender inclusion, including the democratization of sport institutions. The first part of thestudy examines current discussions on gender, gender neutrality, the gender subject and gender identity. In the new theoretical framework gender is being transformed from a static biological perception into a dynamic social category, affecting and changing identity, gender relations and the expectations of the social environment. Namely, in today’s postmodernist reality discussions on gender no longer focus exclusively on the biological gender (sex) as an analytical category, but on the social gender which formulates, defines and redefines identity, according to evolving socio-cultural interpretations. Although the biological gender is losing its primacy as an analytical category in most social spaces (i.e. there is no regulated gender classification system in the political arena, in sports, etc.), it is enforced by rules and regulations in competitive sports, and not only. It seems to extend into sport governing bodies as well. The second part of the study explores the interrelation of outdated social theories, ‘biologistic’ approaches and anachronistic gender- based ideologies that established gender stereotypes, hierarchies in sports that continue to apply today. Women are still under-reprsented in executive bodies of national and international sport organizations, federations and institutions, such as the IOC: there are only 14 women who represent 14.1% of the total of 113 IOC members. Consequently, a critical issue which needs to be addressed extensively, among others, is the democratization of the IOC structures since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. Keywords: gender identity, gender neutrality, gender neutral, democratization of the IOC structures. ............................................
Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2010). Κοινωνικό φύλο - βιολογικό φύλο: το φύλο στον αθλητισμό και η ιστορικότητα του γυναικείου αποκλεισμού. Γυναίκα και Άθληση, τόμος VII, 2009/2010, σελ. 7-24.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής είναι να διερευνηθούν οι αιτίες που οδήγησαν στη σημερινή υπό-εκπροσώπηση των γυναικών όσον αφορά θέσεις διοικητικής ευθύνης στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς και να προταθούν στρατηγικές ενσωμάτωσης. Στην πρώτη ενότητα αναφέρονται οι θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις για το φύλο (κοινωνικό φύλο – βιολογικό φύλο). Εξετάζετε το έμφυλο υποκείμενο (gender subject) καθώς και η έμφυλη ταυτότητα ως αποτέλεσμα συσχετισμού της βιολογικής διαφοράς με πολύπλοκες κοινωνικές διεργασίες. Το ενδιαφέρον επικεντρώνετε στην έμφυλη ουδετερότητα, που αφορά στην πρόσβαση και ενσωμάτωση του υποκειμένου επιμέρους κοινωνικές περιοχές όπως της πολιτικής, του αθλητισμού κ.τ.λ. Διαπιστώθηκε ότι ιδιαίτερα στο υψηλό αθλητισμό, σε αντίθεση με άλλες κοινωνικές περιοχές, δεν συναντάται ως δομικό συστατικό μια έμφυλη ουδετερότητα. Στην δεύτερη ενότητα διερευνήθηκαν οι παράγοντες υπό-εκπροσώπησης στον αγωνιστικό αθλητισμό και στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς. Λέξεις κλειδιά: κοινωνικό φύλο, βιολογικό φύλο, έμφυλη ουδετερότητα, αθλητισμός, κοινωνική χειραφέτηση, εκδημοκρατισμός, αθλητικοί θεσμοί------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT: Women have come a long way since the 1952 Helsinki Games, where they represented only 10 percent of the Olympic athletes. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing women represented approximately 43 percent of the total athlete delegation, up from 41 percent in the Athens 2004 Olympics. This does not mean that their biological make-up has changed. What has changed however are the socio-cultural perceptions pertaining to gender. On the other hand, women constitute an invisible minority in sport governing bodies today. This paper focuses on women’s underrepresentation in sport governing bodies and proposes strategies-practices of gender inclusion, including the democratization of sport institutions. The first part of thestudy examines current discussions on gender, gender neutrality, the gender subject and gender identity. In the new theoretical framework gender is being transformed from a static biological perception into a dynamic social category, affecting and changing identity, gender relations and the expectations of the social environment. Namely, in today’s postmodernist reality discussions on gender no longer focus exclusively on the biological gender (sex) as an analytical category, but on the social gender which formulates, defines and redefines identity, according to evolving socio-cultural interpretations. Although the biological gender is losing its primacy as an analytical category in most social spaces (i.e. there is no regulated gender classification system in the political arena, in sports, etc.), it is enforced by rules and regulations in competitive sports, and not only. It seems to extend into sport governing bodies as well. The second part of the study explores the interrelation of outdated social theories, ‘biologistic’ approaches and anachronistic gender- based ideologies that established gender stereotypes, hierarchies in sports that continue to apply today. Women are still under-reprsented in executive bodies of national and international sport organizations, federations and institutions, such as the IOC: there are only 14 women who represent 14.1% of the total of 113 IOC members. Consequently, a critical issue which needs to be addressed extensively, among others, is the democratization of the IOC structures since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. Keywords: gender identity, gender neutrality, gender neutral, democratization of the IOC structures. ............................................
Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2010). Κοινωνικό φύλο - βιολογικό φύλο: το φύλο στον αθλητισμό και η ιστορικότητα του γυναικείου αποκλεισμού. Γυναίκα και Άθληση, τόμος VII, 2009/2010, σελ. 7-24.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής είναι να διερευνηθούν οι αιτίες που οδήγησαν στη σημερινή υπό-εκπροσώπηση των γυναικών όσον αφορά θέσεις διοικητικής ευθύνης στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς και να προταθούν στρατηγικές ενσωμάτωσης. Στην πρώτη ενότητα αναφέρονται οι θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις για το φύλο (κοινωνικό φύλο – βιολογικό φύλο). Εξετάζετε το έμφυλο υποκείμενο (gender subject) καθώς και η έμφυλη ταυτότητα ως αποτέλεσμα συσχετισμού της βιολογικής διαφοράς με πολύπλοκες κοινωνικές διεργασίες. Το ενδιαφέρον επικεντρώνετε στην έμφυλη ουδετερότητα, που αφορά στην πρόσβαση και ενσωμάτωση του υποκειμένου επιμέρους κοινωνικές περιοχές όπως της πολιτικής, του αθλητισμού κ.τ.λ. Διαπιστώθηκε ότι ιδιαίτερα στο υψηλό αθλητισμό, σε αντίθεση με άλλες κοινωνικές περιοχές, δεν συναντάται ως δομικό συστατικό μια έμφυλη ουδετερότητα. Στην δεύτερη ενότητα διερευνήθηκαν οι παράγοντες υπό-εκπροσώπησης στον αγωνιστικό αθλητισμό και στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς. Λέξεις κλειδιά: κοινωνικό φύλο, βιολογικό φύλο, έμφυλη ουδετερότητα, αθλητισμός, κοινωνική χειραφέτηση, εκδημοκρατισμός, αθλητικοί θεσμοί------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT: Women have come a long way since the 1952 Helsinki Games, where they represented only 10 percent of the Olympic athletes. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing women represented approximately 43 percent of the total athlete delegation, up from 41 percent in the Athens 2004 Olympics. This does not mean that their biological make-up has changed. What has changed however are the socio-cultural perceptions pertaining to gender. On the other hand, women constitute an invisible minority in sport governing bodies today. This paper focuses on women’s underrepresentation in sport governing bodies and proposes strategies-practices of gender inclusion, including the democratization of sport institutions. The first part of thestudy examines current discussions on gender, gender neutrality, the gender subject and gender identity. In the new theoretical framework gender is being transformed from a static biological perception into a dynamic social category, affecting and changing identity, gender relations and the expectations of the social environment. Namely, in today’s postmodernist reality discussions on gender no longer focus exclusively on the biological gender (sex) as an analytical category, but on the social gender which formulates, defines and redefines identity, according to evolving socio-cultural interpretations. Although the biological gender is losing its primacy as an analytical category in most social spaces (i.e. there is no regulated gender classification system in the political arena, in sports, etc.), it is enforced by rules and regulations in competitive sports, and not only. It seems to extend into sport governing bodies as well. The second part of the study explores the interrelation of outdated social theories, ‘biologistic’ approaches and anachronistic gender- based ideologies that established gender stereotypes, hierarchies in sports that continue to apply today. Women are still under-reprsented in executive bodies of national and international sport organizations, federations and institutions, such as the IOC: there are only 14 women who represent 14.1% of the total of 113 IOC members. Consequently, a critical issue which needs to be addressed extensively, among others, is the democratization of the IOC structures since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. Keywords: gender identity, gender neutrality, gender neutral, democratization of the IOC structures. ............................................
Κεντρική θέση της διατριβής είναι ότι το διεθνές περιβάλλον (και ιδιαίτερα οι διεθνείς σχηματισμοί / οργανισμοί των οποίων ένα κράτος είναι ή επιδιώκει να γίνει μέλος) επιδρά στην επιλογή, τη διαμόρφωση και την εφαρμογή εκπαιδευτικών πολιτικών σε μια χώρα, όχι κατά τρόπο ενιαίο αλλά σε συνδυασμό με την εγχώρια πολιτική, οικονομική, κοινωνική και πολιτισμική πραγματικότητα. Η μελέτη των επιδράσεων αυτών έχει ιδιαίτερη σημασία για την κατανόηση του εκπαιδευτικού γίγνεσθαι μιας χώρας, ιδιαίτερα όταν αφορά επιδράσεις από διεθνείς δομές, οι οποίες επιβάλλουν πολύ περιορισμένες θεσμικές ή άλλες δεσμεύσεις στις συνδεμένες χώρες και τα κράτη μέλη στον τομέα της εκπαίδευσης, αλλά διατυπώνουν ισχυρό πολιτικο-οικονομικό λόγο, όπως συνέβαινε με την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα την εξεταζόμενη από τη διδακτορική διατριβή περίοδο.Στο πλαίσιο αυτό η κεντρική ερευνητική υπόθεση είναι ότι: ο Ευρωπαϊκός προσανατολισμός της Ελλάδας, όπως εκφράζεται από τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1950, με το (κατ’ αρχήν ευοδωθέν) εγχείρημα της Σύνδεσης της χώρας με την Ευρωπαϊκή Οικονομική Κοινότητα, και επαναβεβαιώνεται μετά την αποκατάσταση της δημοκρατίας (1974) με την αποτελεσματική προσπάθεια πλήρους Ένταξης της χώρας στην Κοινοτική διαδικασία της Ευρωπαϊκής Ολοκλήρωσης, επιδρά με ουσιαστικό τρόπο, τόσο σε επίπεδο ρηματικού λόγου όσο και σε επίπεδο πραγματικών εκπαιδευτικών πολιτικών επιλογών, στις τελέσφορες ή ατελέσφορες εκπαιδευτικές πρωτοβουλίες, προσπάθειες αλλαγής και μεταρρυθμίσεις καθ’ όλη την περίοδο 1959-1981. Η διερεύνηση των επιδράσεων αυτών συμβάλλει στην πληρέστερη κατανόηση των εκπαιδευτικών πολιτικών και των παιδαγωγικών επιλογών, την επαρκέστερη διαπραγμάτευση της εκπαιδευτικής και παιδαγωγικής ιστορίας και την περισσότερο ολοκληρωμένη ιστορική συγκριτική ανάλυση των μεταρρυθμιστικών «επεισοδίων» της εξεταζόμενης περιόδου.Για να διερευνήσει το θέμα, η διατριβή αντλεί, θεωρητικά και μεθοδολογικά, από δύο διαφορετικά επιστημονικά πεδία: Αφενός από την ιστορική – συγκριτική μελέτη της εκπαίδευσης και της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής, και αφετέρου από το πεδίο των Ευρωπαϊκών σπουδών και ιδιαίτερα από τον τομέα που αφορά στις μελέτες αλληλεπίδρασης ανάμεσα στον εγχώριο και τον Ευρωπαϊκό λόγο και τις αντίστοιχες πολιτικές. Συνδυάζοντας θεωρητικές και μεθοδολογικές προσεγγίσεις και από τα δύο πεδία, για τη διερεύνηση του εκπαιδευτικού λόγου και των πολιτικών της εκπαίδευσης στο ευρύτερο συγκείμενο που δημιουργούν οι εθνικές (Ελληνικές) και οι Ευρωπαϊκές συνθήκες/ εξελίξεις, επιχειρείται μια «υβριδική» «ανάγνωση» της Ελληνικής εκπαίδευσης, του παιδαγωγικού κανόνα και της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής της εξεταζόμενης περιόδου, η οποία λαμβάνει ισχυρά υπόψη τη θέση της χώρας στο διεθνές σύστημα και την επιδίωξή της, καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια της εξεταζόμενης περιόδου, να αποτελέσει μέρος του Ευρωπαϊκού γίγνεσθαι, συμμετέχοντας ισότιμα στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ολοκλήρωση. Συνδυάζονται, κατ’ αυτόν τον τρόπο, στη μελέτη της εκπαίδευσης, το «ενδογενές» συγκείμενο, που διαμορφώνουν οι εσωτερικές / εθνικές πολιτικές, οικονομικές, κοινωνικές και πολιτισμικές συνθήκες με το «εξωγενές» συγκείμενο, που αναφέρεται στις συνθήκες που επικρατούν στο διεθνές περιβάλλον της χώρας, και ιδιαίτερα στη διαδικασία της Ευρωπαϊκής ενοποίησης.Μέσα από την ολοκληρωμένη διερεύνηση της κεντρικής υπόθεσης και την εμπεριστατωμένη διεκπεραίωση των επιμέρους στόχων της, η διατριβή επιδιώκει:
Να συνεισφέρει μια διαφορετική ανάγνωση της Ελληνικής εκπαιδευτικής ιστορίας της περιόδου.
Να προτείνει και να εφαρμόσει μια σύνθετη («υβριδική») μέθοδο ιστορικής συγκριτικής ανάλυσης του παιδαγωγικού κανόνα και της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής τόσο των εθνικών κρατών όσο και των διεθνών οργανισμών.
Να αποτελέσει ουσιαστική συμβολή στα επιστημονικά πεδία της συγκριτικής εκπαίδευσης / παιδαγωγικής, της παιδαγωγικής και της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής, των διεθνών σπουδών στην εκπαίδευση και της ιστορίας της εκπαίδευσης.
Πέρα από την Εισαγωγή, όπου παρουσιάζονται το σκεπτικό, η κεντρική θέση, το αντικείμενο, τα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα, και, με συνοπτικό τρόπο, η θεωρία και η μέθοδος καθώς και η διάρθρωση της μελέτης, η διατριβή αυτή αποτελείται από τρία μέρη:Το Πρώτο Μέρος περιλαμβάνει τα δύο πρώτα κεφάλαιά της τα οποία έχουν ως αντικείμενο τις θεωρητικές καταβολές και τις μεθοδολογικές προσεγγίσεις της έρευνας, της ανάλυσης και της ερμηνείας του αντικειμένου της διατριβής.Το Πρώτο Κεφάλαιο «Θεωρία και μέθοδος: Συγκριτική – Ιστορική Ανάλυση, Φουκωϊκή Επιστημολογία και Κριτική Ανάλυση της Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής» διαπραγματεύεται αναλυτικά τις θεωρητικές και μεθοδολογικές προσεγγίσεις της διατριβής που χρησιμοποιούνται για την θεωρητική θεμελίωση της μελέτης, τη μεθοδολογική οριοθέτηση της έρευνας και την ανάλυση και την ερμηνεία των ερευνητικών δεδομένων. Στην πρώτη ενότητα του κεφαλαίου γίνεται εκτενής αναφορά στο επιστημολογικό «μωσαϊκό» της συγκριτικής παιδαγωγικής με ιδιαίτερη αναφορά στη Συγκριτική – Ιστορική Ανάλυση η οποία αποτελεί την κύρια συγκριτική μεθοδολογική επιλογή της διατριβής. Η Συγκριτική – Ιστορική Ανάλυση επικαιροποιείται με την ένταξη σ’ αυτήν στοιχείων από την ιστορική κοινωνιολογία, την ιστοριογραφία των Annales και τη διαπραγμάτευση ζητημάτων περιοδολόγησης στη δεύτερη ενότητα του Κεφαλαίου. Η τρίτη ενότητα εξετάζει τις δύο πιο προβεβλημένες φουκωϊκές «επιστημολογίες» διερεύνησης, ανάλυσης και ερμηνείας ζητημάτων «εξουσίας / γνώσης» και «αλήθειας» , την «αρχαιολογία» και τη «γενεαλογία», ως μορφές Συγκριτικής – Ιστορικής Ανάλυσης και κριτικής της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής ως «ιστορίας-προβλήματος». Η τέταρτη ενότητα αφορά στη θεωρητική και μεθοδολογική θεμελίωση της κριτικής ανάλυσης της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής, ως «κειμένου» και «λόγου» στο πλαίσιο μιας ιστορικά ευαίσθητης πλουραλιστικής προσέγγισης. Αυτό το πρώτο Κεφάλαιο επιχειρεί να καταδείξει αναλυτικά την «εκλεκτική» προσέγγιση της διατριβής στα ζητήματα συγκριτικής ανάλυσης της εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής.Το Δεύτερο Κεφάλαιο συμπληρώνει τη θεωρία και τη μέθοδο της μελέτης, παρουσιάζοντας μια «Γενεαλογία των θεωριών για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ολοκλήρωση και εννοιολόγηση του Εξευρωπαϊσμού». Οι τρεις πρώτες ενότητες του Κεφαλαίου εξετάζουν τρείς διαδοχικές γενεές θεωριών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ολοκλήρωσης με στόχο (α) να εξηγήσουν τις διαφορετικές μεθοδολογικές και ερμηνευτικές προσεγγίσεις του Ευρωπαϊκού εγχειρήματος και (β) να αιτιολογήσουν την κατά κύριο λόγο Ιστορική – Κοινωνική Θεσμική προσέγγιση της διαπραγμάτευσης της Ενοποίησης στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας μελέτης. Η τέταρτη ενότητα αφορά στην εννοιολόγηση του Εξευρωπαϊσμού ως μιας από τις κύριες παραμέτρους της προσέγγισης της διατριβής στο ζήτημα των Ευρωπαϊκών επιδράσεων στις υποψήφιες χώρες και τις χώρες μέλη της Κοινότητας.Το Δεύτερο Μέρος περιλαμβάνει τα τρία ερευνητικά κεφάλαια, τα οποία αναφέρονται στις τρεις «εποχές» της χρονικής περιόδου που εξετάζει η διατριβή, 1959 – 1981. Για λόγους συνοχής, τα δύο πρώτα κεφάλαια (Τρίτο και Τέταρτο της Διατριβής) κατηγοριοποιούνται κάτω από τον τίτλο «Η Εποχή της Σύνδεσης», ενώ το επόμενο (Πέμπτο Κεφάλαιο), συνιστά την «Εποχή της Προσχώρησης». Τα κεφάλαια έχουν σχετικά ενιαία διάρθρωση, ώστε να είναι δυνατή η σύγκριση των διαφορετικών «εποχών», αλλά ταυτόχρονα να δίνεται η δυνατότητα στον αναγνώστη να παρακολουθήσει διαχρονικά τις εξελίξεις σε κάθε έναν από τους τομείς που διαπραγματεύεται η έρευνα. Διαπραγματεύονται διαδοχικά το «εξωγενές» και το «ενδογενές» συγκείμενο της εκπαίδευσης στην Ελλάδα για κάθε «εποχή» που εξετάζεται και ολοκληρώνονται με την συμπερασματική καταγραφή των επιδράσεων που μπορούν σε κάθε περίπτωση να ανιχνευθούν στην Ελληνική εκπαίδευση από την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα αλλά και πέρα απ’ αυτή, σε μια προσπάθεια να μην απομονωθεί αυθαίρετα το Ευρωπαϊκό από το παγκόσμιο πλαίσιο στην ιστορική του πορεία.Το πρώτο κεφάλαιο του Δεύτερου Μέρους (Τρίτο Κεφάλαιο) έχει τίτλο «Η Περίοδος της Προσέγγισης, 1959 – 1967». Στο κεφάλαιο καταγράφεται: το «εξωγενές συγκείμενο» της εκπαίδευσης, οι παράμετροι που διαμόρφωναν το διεθνές περιβάλλον στο τέλος της δεκαετίας του 1950 και οι εξελίξεις στην Ευρώπη και στις Ευρωπαϊκές Κοινότητες, σε μια περίοδο που χαρακτηρίζεται από τον αυξημένο ρόλο των διεθνών οργανισμών, της ενίσχυσης της αλληλεξάρτησης μεταξύ των κρατών και την παγίωση των δύο διεθνών συνασπισμών μέσω του Ψυχρού Πολέμου· το «ενδογενές συγκείμενο» που συνιστούσαν οι εγχώριες πολιτικές, οικονομικές και κοινωνικές εξελίξεις στην Ελλάδα, η οποία προσπαθούσε να βρει το βηματισμό της μετά τον Εμφύλιο πόλεμο και να μπει σε αναπτυξιακή τροχιά· ο πολιτικός, οικονομικός και κοινωνικο-πολιτισμικός λόγος που αναπτύχθηκε στην Ελλάδα ενόψει της Σύνδεσης με την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα από τους υπέρμαχους και τους πολέμιους της Ευρωπαϊκής προοπτικής· οι εκπαιδευτικές εξελίξεις στην Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα αλλά και στον ευρύτερο Ευρωπαϊκό χώρο· οι εκπαιδευτικές εξελίξεις στην Ελλάδα και κυρίως τα «μεταρρυθμιστικά επεισόδια» του 1959 και του 1964· οι επιδράσεις της Ευρωπαϊκής προοπτικής της χώρας στον εκπαιδευτικό λόγο, τις πολιτικές της εκπαίδευσης και τον παιδαγωγικό κανόνα. Το Κεφάλαιο ολοκληρώνεται με τη συνολική αποτίμηση της εκπαίδευσης κατά την περίοδο 1959-1967 υπό το πρίσμα της προσέγγισης με την Ευρώπη και ιδιαίτερα με την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα.Το επόμενο κεφάλαιο (Τέταρτο) έχει τίτλο «Η Περίοδος της Αποδρομής, 1967 – 1974» και αναφέρεται στην περίοδο της δικτατορίας, κατά τη διάρκεια της οποίας η εφαρμογή της Συμφωνία Σύνδεσης είχε ανασταλεί από τα Κοινοτικά όργανα, και εφαρμοζόταν μόνο σε «τρέχουσες υποθέσεις» δευτερεύουσας σημασίας. Ακολουθώντας τα ίδια βήματα με το προηγούμενο Κεφάλαιο για την εξέταση του «ενδογενούς» και του «εξωγενούς» συγκειμένου της εκπαίδευσης, τις «πανοπτικές» εκπαιδευτικές πολιτικές και πρακτικές της δικτατορίας και τις σημαντικές εξελίξεις στην κατεύθυνση της διαμόρφωσης μιας εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής της Ευρωπαϊκής Κοινότητας, διαπιστώνεται η ελαχιστοποίηση των επιδράσεων του Ευρωπαϊκού συγκειμένου στην Ελληνική εκπαίδευση. Στη συνολική αποτίμηση της περιόδου τονίζεται η αποδόμηση πολλών από τις μεταρρυθμίσεις της προηγούμενης περιόδου και η ενίσχυση της εσωστρέφειας του Ελληνικού εκπαιδευτικού συστήματος.Το Πέμπτο Κεφάλαιο έχει τίτλο «Η Εποχή της Προσχώρησης, 1974 - 1981» και αναφέρεται στην πρώτη περίοδο της «μεταπολίτευσης», η οποία συμπίπτει με την περίοδο των διαπραγματεύσεων για την Προσχώρηση της Ελλάδας στην Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα και την Ένταξη της, ως δέκατου μέλους, στην Κοινότητα το 1981. Όπως και στα δύο προηγούμενα Κεφάλαια, καταγράφονται οι εξελίξεις στην Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα και το διεθνές περιβάλλον, όπου έχει ήδη τελειώσει η «χρυσή εποχή» της μεταπολεμικής ανάπτυξης και κυριαρχεί η ύφεση, και το νέο εγχώριο πολιτικό οικονομικό και κοινωνικό σκηνικό που έφερε η μεταπολίτευση, καθώς και ο λόγος που αναπτύσσεται ενόψει της ένταξης και οι αντίστοιχες θεσμικές διαδικασίες. Αναφορικά με την εκπαίδευση, εξετάζονται οι σημαντικές εκπαιδευτικές εξελίξεις στην Κοινότητα, οι οποίες συνιστούν «οπισθοχώρηση» σε σχέση με την ανάπτυξη μιας Κοινοτικής εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής αλλά ταυτόχρονα σημαίνουν την προώθηση σημαντικών κοινών εκπαιδευτικών δράσεων των κρατών-μελών, αλλά και οι εξελίξεις στην Ελληνική εκπαίδευση, όπου δεσπόζει το «μεταρρυθμιστικό επεισόδιο» 1976-1977 και οι έντονες διεργασίες στην Ανώτατη Εκπαίδευση. Στη συνέχεια παρουσιάζονται οι επιδράσεις της πορείας προς την Ένταξη στον εκπαιδευτικό λόγο, τις εκπαιδευτικές πολιτικές και το θεσμικό πλαίσιο της εκπαίδευσης και γενικότερα στον παιδαγωγικό κανόνα την Ελληνικής εκπαίδευσης. Το Κεφάλαιο ολοκληρώνεται με τη συνολική αποτίμηση των διεργασιών της περιόδου για την Ελληνική εκπαίδευση.Το Τρίτο Μέρος περιλαμβάνει το Έκτο και τελικό Κεφάλαιο, όπου παρουσιάζονται προτάσεις για την περαιτέρω χρονική και εννοιολογική διερεύνηση του ζητήματος των επιδράσεων της Ευρωπαϊκής Οικονομικής Κοινότητας / Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης στην Ελληνικό εκπαιδευτικό λόγο, τις πολιτικές και τις πρακτικές μετά την Ένταξη της Ελλάδας στην Κοινότητα καθώς και τα συγκριτικά συμπεράσματα από τον έλεγχο των υποθέσεων της έρευνας και της μελέτης. Στα συμπεράσματα τονίζεται ότι η Ευρωπαϊκή πορεία της Ελλάδας επέδρασε στη διαμόρφωση των εκπαιδευτικών και παιδαγωγικών της επιλογών, πολιτικών και πρακτικών, τόσο στο επίπεδο του λόγου όσο και (κατά την περίοδο 1974-1981) σε θεσμικό επίπεδο, ενώ ανακεφαλαιώνονται και ερμηνεύονται συγκριτικά, με βάση το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο της διατριβής οι συγκεκριμένες επιδράσεις.Στο τέλος της διδακτορικής διατριβής παρατίθεται ο πλήρης κατάλογος των πρωτογενών και δευτερογενών, νομοθετικών και αρχειακών πηγών που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν καθώς και ο πλήρης κατάλογος των ξενόγλωσσων και ελληνόγλωσσων βιβλιογραφικών αναφορών.
Με τον όρο «κοινωνικά συστήματα προστασίας της υγείας» εννοούνται τα συστήματα στα οποία η υποβάθμιση της υγείας του ανθρώπου θεωρείται κοινωνικός κίνδυνος. Οι συμπράξεις στα κοινωνικά συστήματα προστασίας της υγείας εγείρουν δύο βασικά ερωτήματα στα οποία εστιάζεται η μελέτη: Πρώτον, εάν η ιδιαίτερη φύση της υγειοπροστατευτικής δραστηριότητας επιβάλλει τη θέσπιση ιδιαίτερου νομοθετικού καθεστώτος σε σχέση με το γενικό καθεστώς που ισχύει για τις συμπράξεις στους υπόλοιπους τομείς της διοικητικής δράσεως. Δεύτερον, ποιες επιπτώσεις επιφέρει ο χαρακτηρισμός των ταμείων κοινωνικής ασφάλισης και των δημόσιων οργανισμών παροχής υπηρεσιών υγείας ως επιχειρήσεων, κατά την εφαρμογή του ευρωπαϊκού δικαίου για την εσωτερική αγορά, τις κρατικές ενισχύσεις και τον ανταγωνισμό, στη νομική φύση των συμπράξεων. Τα τελευταία χρόνια η κοινωνική ασφάλιση και οι κοινωνικές υπηρεσίες αποτελούν το αντικείμενο συζητήσεων και προβληματισμού, κυρίως επειδή η επιδίωξη μεγαλύτερης συμμετοχής του ιδιωτικού τομέα εντείνει τις δυσκολίες στην εφαρμογή των κανόνων για την εσωτερική αγορά, τον ανταγωνισμό και τις κρατικές ενισχύσεις και δημόσιες συμβάσεις.
Από την ανάλυση της νομοθεσίας και της νομολογίας του ΔΕΚ προκύπτουν τα εξής: Στα κοινωνικά συστήματα προστασίας της υγείας η καθολική πρόσβαση, δηλαδή η αλληλεγγύη δεν έχει σχέση αυτό καθεαυτό με την παροχή των ιατρικών υπηρεσιών, αλλά με την ασφαλιστική ή φορολογική κάλυψη του κινδύνου. Επομένως, θα πρέπει να διαχωρίζεται η ασφαλιστική δραστηριότητα από την υγειοπροστατευτική. Η ασφαλιστική δραστηριότητα κινείται εκτός του ευρωπαϊκού δικαίου για την εσωτερική αγορά και τον ανταγωνισμό, εφόσον προέχει η κοινωνική αλληλεγγύη και ο κρατικός έλεγχος. Οι ιατρικές υπηρεσίες μπορεί να παρέχονται και από τον δημόσιο και από τον ιδιωτικό τομέα. Στην περίπτωση αυτή η τυχόν προνομιακή μεταχείριση του δημόσιου τομέα ή των ιδιωτικών φορέων που διαχειρίζονται το σύστημα για λογαριασμό του στο μέτρο που δεν δικαιολογείται με βάση το άρθρο 86 παρ. 2 ΣΕΚ θίγει τον ανταγωνισμό. Υποστηρίζω ότι η φύση της υγειοπροστατευτικής δραστηριότητας και ο σκοπός της παροχής υψηλής ποιότητας υπηρεσιών υγείας με ανεκτό δημοσιονομικά κόστος επιβάλλουν την επεξεργασία και εισαγωγή ιδιαίτερου θεσμικού πλαισίου για τις συμπράξεις του δημόσιου, του κοινωνικού και του ιδιωτικού τομέα των υπηρεσιών υγείας.
Le présent travail, qui s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une recherche plus vaste consacrée à l’étude des représentations sexuées véhiculées par les manuels scolaires d’histoire, se situe au croisement de l’histoire de l’éducation et de celle du genre. Il porte sur la visibilité des sexes dans les manuels d’histoire de deux pays, la Grèce et la France, à travers l’étude comparée d’une unité thématique, la Révolution française. Le choix de cette unité n’est pas arbitraire : étant donné que cette période marque une rupture profonde dans l’histoire du monde occidental, une place, plus ou moins importante, est consacrée à son étude dans les manuels d’histoire de tous les degrés d’enseignement. De surcroît, c’est pendant la Révolution française qu'un débat est ouvert en France, pour la première fois, sur la question de la participation des femmes au politique.Dans un premier temps, ce travail examine plus précisément, par le biais d’une analyse quantitative des notations sexuées, le partage de l’espace historique entre les sexes dans la partie textuelle et documentaire de neuf ouvrages français et de six manuels grecs enseignés entre 2000 et 2008 à l’école primaire, au collège et au lycée. Les résultats de cette enquête furent décevants. La place réservée à l’histoire du sexe féminin est extrêmement réduite ; en outre l’organisation des ouvrages étudiés favorise la présence fragmentaire des femmes dans le récit historique. La deuxième partie de l’étude est consacrée à un travail de marquage des présences et des absences des femmes prenant appui sur l’historiographie relative au sujet. Ce travail vise à inscrire le récit proposé dans un engagement politique pour une réécriture « genrée » de l’histoire enseignée à l’école.
Στόχος της εργασίας αυτής είναι να συνοψίσει και να παρουσιάσει τα ευρήματα των πιο πρόσφατων μετα-αναλύσεων και ανασκοπήσεων για την αποτελεσματικότητα των προληπτικών και παρεμβατικών προγραμμάτων κατά του σχολικού εκφοβισμού. Γίνονται αναφορές στα ερευνητικά σχέδια με τα οποία έχει αξιολογηθεί η αποτελεσματικότητα των προγραμμάτων, καθώς και στους τρόπους αξιολόγησης του εκφοβισμού και της θυματοποίησης στα προγράμματα αυτά. Με δεδομένη την ελάχιστη έως μέτρια επιτυχία των περισσότερων παρεμβάσεων, διατυπώνονται ερμηνείες για την περιορισμένη αυτή αποτελεσματικότητα. Η ερευνητικά τεκμηριωμένη γνώση των αρχών, των συστατικών και των επιπέδων παρέμβασης που επιφέρουν τη μεγαλύτερη μείωση του σχολικού εκφοβισμού είναι απολύτως απαραίτητη για τη διαμόρφωση της αντι-εκφοβιστικής πολιτικής και στην Ελλάδα.
Η μεγάλη οικονομική και κοινωνική κρίση που πλήττει τον δυτικό κόσμο σήμερα, επηρεάζει και την Ελλάδα, αναδεικνύοντας τις αδυναμίες και τις ελλείψεις του πολιτικού της συστήματος. Η χώρα καλείται να διαμορφώσει πολιτικές, ικανές να την συγκρατήσουν πρώτα, και στη συνέχεια να την σταθεροποιήσουν και να την αναπτύξουν. Ο στόχος, επομένως, μιας ανάκαμψης, η οποία θα αρχίσει ενδεχομένως να εξακτινώνεται στην κοινωνική ζωή και τις δραστηριότητές της -μία εκ των οποίων είναι και ο αθλητισμός- δεν είναι ακόμη ούτε ορατός ούτε και σαφής. Ειδικότερα, ο αθλητισμός, ως επιγέννημα του τεχνολογικού συστήματος, επηρεάζεται καθοριστικά από την οικονομική κρίση, καθώς ως προτεραιότητα δεν συνιστά μία από τις πρώτες επιλογές στην κατάταξη των κοινωνικών αναγκών. Είναι λογικό, κοινωνίες που αντιμετωπίζουν ένα ευρύ φάσμα προβλημάτων, να αξιολογούν ως άμεση ανάγκη την επιβίωσή τους, περιθωριοποιώντας αντίστοιχα άλλες δράσεις οι οποίες δεν συνδέονται άμεσα με αυτήν.
Ο αθλητισμός αντικειμενικά δεν συνιστά μία από τις μεγάλες προτεραιότητες του συστήματος, με αποτέλεσμα αυτός να τίθεται σε δεύτερη ή και τρίτη μοίρα, και να μην ενισχύεται οικονομικά. Ωστόσο, καθένας γνωρίζει ότι η εφαρμογή και η αποτελεσματικότητα του αθλητισμού προϋποθέτει υλικοτεχνικές υποδομές. Ο αθλητισμός, όπως ακριβώς ο τουρισμός και η ναυτιλία, συνδέονται και εξαρτώνται από τις υποδομές, χωρίς τις οποίες οι δράσεις αυτές ατονούν και συρρικνώνονται. Γεννιούνται, επομένως, σχετικά με το παρόν και το μέλλον του ελληνικού αθλητισμού, ορισμένα θεμελιώδη ζητήματα, τα οποία η πολιτεία πρώτα και οι αρμόδιοι φορείς ύστερα, καλούνται να αποσαφηνίσουν. Σε ποια θέση της κλίμακας προτεραιοτήτων τοποθετείται ο αθλητισμός; Τι επακριβώς ορίζεται από την πολιτεία και την κοινωνία ως «ελληνικός» αθλητισμός; Υπάρχει κάποια ιεράρχηση από την πολιτεία των μορφών του αθλητισμού, και βάσει ποιών ποιοτικών κριτηρίων γίνεται αυτή; Υπάρχει κάποιο εκφρασμένο από το παρελθόν ενδιαφέρον της πολιτείας για τον αθλητισμό και μια στοιχειώδης υποδομή, που θα μπορούσαν σε αυτή τη φάση να αποτελέσουν στήριγμά του, ή, μήπως, αποκαλύπτεται ένα γυμνό αθλητικό τοπίο; Μήπως το γυμνό τοπίο του αθλητισμού στην Ελλάδα του 2010, δεν είναι μόνο αποτέλεσμα της υπάρχουσας οικονομικής κρίσης, αλλά, κυρίως, της έλλειψης φιλοσοφικού στόχου της πολιτείας για τον αθλητισμό; Συνιστά, εν προκειμένω, για την πολιτεία ο αθλητισμός μια ανάγκη και μια αξία, ή μήπως συνιστά μια απαξία; Και, τέλος, κατά πόσο επηρεάζεται ο αθλητισμός, ως κοινωνική έκφανση, από το υπάρχον σύστημα αξιών της κοινωνίας;
We present the clinical and radiographic outcomes of the cementless low-contact-stress (LCS) rotating-platform total knee arthroplasty. Overall, 423 prostheses were implanted in 393 consecutive patients (30 patients had bilateral total knee replacement) for primary varus gonarthrosis (381 patients) and rheumatoid arthritis (12 patients). There were 81 men and 312 women with a mean age of 73 years (range, 58-85 years). Patella replacement was not performed in any case. Clinical and radiographic evaluation was performed using the Knee Society Score (KSS) and the Knee Society Assessment Form, respectively. The mean follow-up was 10 years (range, 5-15 years). Three patients were lost to follow-up. Survival of the prostheses was 98% at 10 years; three prostheses required revision for deep infection, bearing dislocation, and periprosthetic fracture. The mean KSS improved significantly, from 42 and 44 points preoperatively to 90 and 79 points, respectively, at the latest evaluation (P < 0.001); results were excellent in 278 cases, good in 106, fair in 27, and poor in nine. Radiolucent lines were observed in 80 cases; revision arthroplasty was not performed in any of these cases. Complications included deep infection in one patient, bearing dislocation in one, skin necrosis in four, and a supracondylar fracture in one. The cementless LCS rotating-platform total knee arthroplasty is associated with excellent mid- and long-term results for patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee.
A series of 2-oxoamides based on dipeptides and pseudodipeptides were synthesized and their activities towards two human intracellular phospholipases A2 (GIVA cPLA2 and GVIA iPLA2) and one human secretory phospholipase A2 (GV sPLA2) were evaluated. Derivatives containing a free carboxyl group are selective GIVA cPLA2 inhibitors. A derivative based on the ethyl ester of an ether pseudodipeptide is the first 2-oxoamide, which preferentially inhibits GVIA iPLA2. The effect of 2-oxoamides on the generation of arachidonic acid from RAW 264.7 macrophages was also studied and it was found that selective GIVA cPLA2 inhibitors preferentially inhibited cellular arachidonic acid release; one pseudodipeptide gave an IC50 value of 2 μM.
Ozellikle soğuk savas doneminde etkili olan Anglosakson jeostratejik yaklasım, cok onemli iki Anglosakson coğrafyacı ve jeopolitik uzmanı Sir Halford Mackinder (1861-1947) ve Nicholas Spykman (18931943) tarafından dile getirilmistir. Bu jeopolitik modellerden, Ege takım adalarını ve onun devamı Girit ile Kıbrıs’ ı iceren dikey coğrafi alanın, Rimland’ ın stratejik bolumunu olusturduğunu ve aynı zamanda bu alanın NATO’ nun Guneydoğu kanadı icin bir istikrarsızlık noktası olduğu ortaya cıkıyor. Bu alanın stratejik kontrol altında tutulması icin Anglosaksonların ilgisi, 20’nci yuzyıl boyunca devamlı ve buyuk olmus, Soğuk Savas doneminde ise doruğa varmıstır. 50li ve 60lı yıllar arasında kalan donem, Soğuk Savasın tırmandığı ve iki buyuk rakip arasındaki tehlikeli olayların arttığı bir donemdir. Bizim analizimize gore Anglosakson “Ozel İliskisi”, yani Londra – Vasington jeostratejik iliskisi her zaman Batı olarak anılan tarafı, nitelendirmistir.
The aim of this study was to examine differences in intrinsic motivation and perceived academic competence as well as in their association between 5th- and 6th-grade students with learning disabilities (LD) (n = 40) and their typically achieving peers. Participants were 980 Greek elementary students from the metropolitan area of Athens. As predicted, students with LD showed lower intrinsic motivation and perceived academic competence than students without LD almost across all subscales. Exceptions were noticed in intrinsic motivation concerning curiosity/interest and history subscales as well as perceptions of academic competence in the subjects of history and science. Support was found that among typically achieving students intrinsic motivation was positively and significantly related at a moderate level to perceived academic competence across all subscales, as opposed to students with LD, for whom few correlations were found.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the acute effect of drop jumping on throwing performance. Eight men and 8 women, moderately trained subjects with basic shot put skills, performed 3 squat underhand front shot throws after a short standard warm-up. Three minutes later they performed 5 maximal consecutive drop jumps from 40 cm. Immediately after the drop jumps, they repeated the squat underhand front shot throws. On another day, their 6 repetition maximum (RM) muscular strength in leg press was assessed. Muscle biopsies were also obtained from vastus lateralis for the determination of fiber-type composition and fiber cross-sectional area. Throwing performance was significantly increased after drop jumping (8.25 +/- 1.1 m vs. 8.63 +/- 1.3 m, p < 0.01). The percentage of type II muscle fiber area was significantly related to the increase in throwing performance after drop jumping (r = 0.76, p < 0.01). The increase in throwing performance was significant in men (8.94 +/- 1 m vs. 9.60 +/- 0.9 m, p < 0.01) but not in women (7.56 +/- 1 m vs. 7.67 +/- 0.9 m, ns). Of note, the percentage of type II fiber area was higher in men than in women (M: 66.4 +/- 13%, F: 50.2 +/- 15%, p < 0.01). Leg press strength (6RM) was moderately related to the increase in throwing performance after drop jumping (r = 0.50, p < 0.05). These results suggest that drop jumping just before a throwing action induces an increase in performance in subjects with a high percentage of type II muscle fiber area and (to a lesser degree) in subjects with enhanced muscular strength.
Dikeakos G, Mougiakakos A, Fragkoulis DG, Papoutsidakis M, Chamilothoris G. Adaptive System of Recording and Process. the 4th International Scientific Conference e-RA4 for the Contribution of Information Technology to Science, Spetses, Greece, 2009. 2009.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of vasomotor and mood symptoms on insomnia in postmenopausal women. METHODS: One hundred sixty-three postmenopausal women, not receiving hormone therapy, attending a menopause clinic at the University of Athens, Greece, were included in this cross-sectional study. Climacteric symptoms were assessed by Greene's scale, whereas psychological morbidity was measured by Zung Self-Assessment Depression Scale, Symptom Checklist-90-R, and Athens Insomnia Scale. RESULTS: Vasomotor symptoms were significantly associated with insomnia (P = 0.001). When depressive symptomatology was added to the logistic regression analysis, the predictive ability of the model was significantly improved as defined by the increase in the log likelihood (P < 0.001) and the increase in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia in postmenopausal women attending a menopause clinic is related both to the effects of vasomotor symptoms and depressive symptomatology. Mood symptoms seem to affect sleep independently of vasomotor symptoms, suggesting that depression should be carefully assessed and treated in postmenopausal women with insomnia.
CONTEXT: Higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet is linked to lower risk for mortality and chronic diseases, but its association with cognitive decline is unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of a Mediterranean diet with change in cognitive performance and risk for dementia in elderly French persons.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective cohort study of 1410 adults (> or = 65 years) from Bordeaux, France, included in the Three-City cohort in 2001-2002 and reexamined at least once over 5 years. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (scored as 0 to 9) was computed from a food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour recall.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitive performance was assessed on 4 neuropsychological tests: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Isaacs Set Test (IST), Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), and Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT). Incident cases of dementia (n = 99) were validated by an independent expert committee of neurologists.
RESULTS: Adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, energy intake, physical activity, depressive symptomatology, taking 5 medications/d or more, apolipoprotein E genotype, cardiovascular risk factors, and stroke, higher Mediterranean diet score was associated with fewer MMSE errors (beta = -0.006; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.01 to -0.0003; P = .04 for 1 point of the Mediterranean diet score). Performance on the IST, BVRT, or FCSRT over time was not significantly associated with Mediterranean diet adherence. Greater adherence as a categorical variable (score 6-9) was not significantly associated with fewer MMSE errors and better FCSRT scores in the entire cohort, but among individuals who remained free from dementia over 5 years, the association for the highest compared with the lowest group was significant (adjusted for all factors, for MMSE: beta = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.05 to -0.001; P = .04; for FCSRT: beta = 0.21; 95% CI, 0.008 to 0.41; P =.04). Mediterranean diet adherence was not associated with the risk for incident dementia (fully adjusted model: hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.60 to 2.10; P = .72), although power to detect a difference was limited.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with slower MMSE cognitive decline but not consistently with other cognitive tests. Higher adherence was not associated with risk for incident dementia.
Extant pharmacological options for motor conversion disorder include mainly antidepressants and benzodiazepines. We report on the case of a 42-year-old female patient with frequent daily episodes of almost complete paralysis for the last 6 months resistant to an escitalopram-lorazepam combination at adequate doses. By contrast, the adjunctive administration of low-dose amisulpride at 200 mg/d to the patient's regimen resulted in her substantial and durable improvement. We hypothesize that low-dose amisulpride, acting as a selective antagonist of D2 and D3 dopamine autoreceptors, might reverse the decreased activity of frontal and subcortical dopaminergic circuits presumably involved in motor control during hysterical paralysis.
The new Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007), introduced by INQUA, incorporates the advances and achievements of palaeoseismology and earthquake geology and evaluates earthquake size and epicentre solely from the earthquake environmental effects (EEE). This scale is tested and compared with traditional existing scales for the 1981 Alkyonides earthquake sequence in the Corinth Gulf (Ms=6.7, Ms=6.4, Ms=6.3), the 1993 Pyrgos event (Ms=5.5) and the 2006 Kythira event (Mw=6.7). These earthquakes were of different magnitudes, focal mechanisms and focal depths and produced well-documented environmental effects. The ESI 2007 intensity values and the isoseismal pattern for the 1993 Pyrgos and the 2006 Kythira events are similar to those resulting from the traditional scales, demonstrating that for moderate intensity levels (VII and VIII) the ESI 2007 and the traditional scales comply well. In contrast, the 1981 Alkyonides earthquake sequence shows that there is an inconsistency between the ESI 2007 and the traditional scales both in the epicentral area, where higher ESI 2007 intensity values have been assigned, and for the far-field effects. The ESI 2007 scale offers higher objectivity in the process of assessing macroseismic intensities, particularly in the epicentral area, than traditional intensity scales that are influenced by human parameters. The ESI 2007 scale follows the same criteria-environmental effects for all events and can compare not only events from different settings, but also contemporary and future earthquakes with historical events. A reappraisal of historical earthquakes so as to constrain the ESI 2007 scale may prove beneficial for seismic hazard assessment by reducing the uncertainty implied in the attenuation laws, which constitute one of the most important seismic hazard parameters.
We've come a long way since the 1952 Helsinki Games, where women represented only 10 percent of the Olympic athletes. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing women represented approximately 43 percent of the total athlete delegation, up from 41 percent in the Athens 2004 Olympics. However, the "glass escalator " (Kamberidou 2009; Williams 1992, 1995) is not yet gender inclusive since women are exceedingly under-represented in all sport governing bodies (SGBs), primarily in the executive bodies of national and international sport organizations and institutions, such as the IOC. Researchers argue that men ride up the " glass escalator " when they enter predominantly female professions, as opposed to women who confront the glass ceiling and the " sticky floor " (Kimmel 2004) when they enter predominantly male professions. Taking their gender privilege with them, men experience positive discrimination (the glass escalator) when they enter female dominated social spheres, in other words they are socialized, encouraged, supported and promoted up the ladder even faster than their female counterparts. The first part of this study examines to what extent gender personification, the structurally secured and enforced gender segregation system continues-extends beyond the competitive sport expression, defeating the advocated values of social equity. In exploring the interrelation of social theories, anachronistic biologistic approaches and gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes and gender segregation in competitive sports, this paper renegotiates sport identity and corporeality in ways that reflect the processes of change in the construction of new sport identities: e.g. gender fluidity, men's participation in women's sports, respect for diversity, normalizing bodies and identities, bionic athletes, 'naturality' versus artificiality, emerging technologies used to enhance performance in competitive sports. (Miah 2005, et al.) Current discussions on the gender subject, no longer focus exclusively on the biological gender (sex), as an analytical category, but on the social gender (Kimmel 2004, McNay 2000) which formulates, defines and redefines identity, according to evolving socio-cultural interpretations. In the new theoretical framework, gender identity and corporeality are being rediscovered and are under reconstruction, namely viewed as linguistic conceptions, socio-cultural manifestations, transformable meanings and evolving elements of change. Such an example is men's participation in rhythmic gymnastics (Tsopani et al. 2006, Kamberidou, Tsopani, Dallas, Patsantaras 2009), despite gender stereotypes that depict the sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, including the male body aesthetic. In light of the growing participation of men in the competitive sport of rhythmic gymnastics—on national and international levels— in Japan, Australia, Canada, the US, Russia, Greece and Italy,
Thirty New Zealand white rabbits underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in their right knees; 15 animals underwent a double-bundle anatomic ACL reconstruction using the medial third of the patellar tendon and the semitendinosus tendon. Additionally, 15 animals underwent ACL reconstruction, using a single-bundle semitendinosus tendon autograft. The knees of both groups were evaluated with a device similar to the KT1000 arthrometer onto which a dial indicator was attached (Mitutoyo dial indicator 2050) in 30 degrees and 90 degrees of flexion, preoperatively, after ACL resection and 3 months postoperatively. Statistical analysis of the results revealed that for 90 degrees of knee flexion, the mean estimated anterior shift for the double-bundle technique was 1.92 mm lesser than that of the single-bundle technique (P = 0.006). For 30 degrees of knee flexion, the mean anterior shift was again lesser than that of the single-bundle technique by 0.66 mm, but this difference was not statistically significant. The described double-bundle ACL reconstruction technique resulted in a more stable knee as far as the anterior tibial shift was concerned as compared to a single-bundle ACL reconstruction. This animal model may be potentially useful in the future for the study of other parameters influencing the outcome of the double-bundle ACL reconstruction.
Kokkorou-Alevras G, Chatziconstantinou A, Efstathopoulos A, Zavvou E, Themos N, Kopanias K, Poupaki E. Ancient quarries in LaconiaCavanagh W, Gallou C, Georgiadis M. Sparta and Laconia from Prehistory to Pre-Modern. Proceedings of the Conference held in Sparta, organised by the British School at Athens, the University of Nottingham, the 5th Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the 5th Ephoreia of Byza [Internet]. 2009:169–179. Publisher's Versionpaper_2009_ancient_quarries_in_laconia.pdf
Angiogenesis represents an essential step of disease progression in several hematological malignancies. In Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) the bone marrow microvessel density is increased in 30%-40% of patients but seems to have no impact on survival. Angiogenic cytokines, such as angiogenin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor are increased in the serum of WM or IgM-MGUS patients, while the ratio of angiopoietin-1/ angiopoietin-2 is reduced in WM but not in IgM-monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Angiogenin and angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio correlates with disease activity and clinical features of WM. Macrophage and mast-cell chemoattractants, such as macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha are also elevated in the serum of patients with WM, while both macrophages and mast cells that are increased in the WM microenvironment have angiogenic properties and participate in the angiogenesis process in several malignancies. This review summarizes all data available by November 2008 (end of literature search) for the role of angiogenesis in the biology of WM and its correlation with clinical and laboratory features of the disease.
Cardiac contractility is regulated through the activity of various key Ca(2+)-handling proteins. The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) transport ATPase (SERCA2a) and its inhibitor phospholamban (PLN) control the uptake of Ca(2+) by SR membranes during relaxation. Recently, the antiapoptotic HS-1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1) was identified as a binding partner of PLN, and this interaction was postulated to regulate cell apoptosis. In the current study, we determined that HAX-1 can also bind to SERCA2. Deletion mapping analysis demonstrated that amino acid residues 575-594 of SERCA2's nucleotide binding domain are required for its interaction with the C-terminal domain of HAX-1, containing amino acids 203-245. In transiently cotransfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells, recombinant SERCA2 was specifically targeted to the ER, whereas HAX-1 selectively concentrated at mitochondria. On triple transfections with PLN, however, HAX-1 massively translocated to the ER membranes, where it codistributed with PLN and SERCA2. Overexpression of SERCA2 abrogated the protective effects of HAX-1 on cell survival, after hypoxia/reoxygenation or thapsigargin treatment. Importantly, HAX-1 overexpression was associated with down-regulation of SERCA2 expression levels, resulting in significant reduction of apparent ER Ca(2+) levels. These findings suggest that HAX-1 may promote cell survival through modulation of SERCA2 protein levels and thus ER Ca(2+) stores.
Growing evidence suggests the involvement of glutamate in mood disorders and in the response to antidepressants. However, there is no information regarding a hypothesized sex-dependent glutamatergic modulation following treatment in animal models of depression. We comparatively assayed in male and female Flinders and control Sprague-Dawley rats glutamate and aspartate tissue levels in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens following 14-day treatment with either 10mg/kg clomipramine or mirtazapine, intraperitoneally. Clomipramine increased cortical glutamate in both sexes and hippocampal glutamate only in female Flinders rodents. Mirtazapine had no effect on cortical glutamate content but increased hippocampal glutamate in both Flinders sexes. Neither mirtazapine nor clomipramine altered glutamate levels in the nucleus accumbens. There were no any significant differences in aspartate levels. However, in control male SD rats clomipramine and mirtazapine significantly decreased cortical aspartate levels. Our results indicate that two different types of established antidepressants induce a brain region-specific effect on glutamate content. This effect is also characterized by sex-dependent differences mainly in the hippocampus, highlighting a differentiated response of glutamate to distinct antidepressants.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and will become increasingly prevalent with the growing elderly population. Despite established clinical diagnostic tools, the workup for dementia among primary caregivers can be complicated and specialist referral may not be readily available. A host of AD diagnostic tests has been proposed to aid in diagnosis, including functional neuroimaging such as positron emission tomography (PET). We review the basis for FDG-PET and PiB-PET, as well as available operating statistics. From this we advise scenarios for use of PET in primary settings and referral centers, approach to its interpretation, and outline a clinical prediction model based on findings.
BACKGROUND: The evaluation of academic research performance is nowadays a priority issue. Bibliometric indicators such as the number of publications, total citation counts and h-index are an indispensable tool in this task but their inherent association with the size of the research output may result in rewarding high production when evaluating institutions of disparate sizes. The aim of this study is to propose an indicator that may facilitate the comparison of institutions of disparate sizes. METHODS: The Modified Impact Index (MII) was defined as the ratio of the observed h-index (h) of an institution over the h-index anticipated for that institution on average, given the number of publications (N) it produces i.e. MII = h/10alphaNbeta (alpha and beta denote the intercept and the slope, respectively, of the line describing the dependence of the h-index on the number of publications in log10 scale). MII values higher than 1 indicate that an institution performs better than the average, in terms of its h-index. Data on scientific papers published during 2002-2006 and within 36 medical fields for 219 Academic Medical Institutions from 16 European countries were used to estimate alpha and beta and to calculate the MII of their total and field-specific production. RESULTS: From our biomedical research data, the slope beta governing the dependence of h-index on the number of publications in biomedical research was found to be similar to that estimated in other disciplines ( approximately 0.4). The MII was positively associated with the average number of citations/publication (r = 0.653, p < 0.001), the h-index (r = 0.213, p = 0.002), the number of publications with > or = 100 citations (r = 0.211, p = 0.004) but not with the number of publications (r = -0.020, p = 0.765). It was the most highly associated indicator with the share of country-specific government budget appropriations or outlays for research and development as % of GDP in 2004 (r = 0.229) followed by the average number of citations/publication (r = 0.153) whereas the corresponding correlation coefficient for the h-index was close to 0 (r = 0.029). MII was calculated for first 10 top-ranked European universities in life sciences and biomedicine, as provided by Times Higher Education ranking system, and their total and field-specific performance was compared. CONCLUSION: The MII should complement the use of h-index when comparing the research output of institutions of disparate sizes. It has a conceptual interpretation and, with the data provided here, can be computed for the total research output as well as for field-specific publication sets of institutions in biomedicine.
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a significant risk factor for the presence and increased severity of asthma- and allergy-related symptoms in children. Smoking during pregnancy has detrimental effects on asthma-associated outcomes in childhood. Whether passive exposure of pregnant women to ETS may also lead to asthma in their offspring, is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of passive exposure of pregnant women to ETS and asthma- and/or allergy-related symptoms in Preschool children. Cross-sectional data were collected with questionnaires from 2374 Preschool children, recruited from public and private nurseries and day-care centers. Parental smoking was significantly associated with wheezing symptoms in their children. Mother's active smoking during pregnancy significantly increased the risk for occurrence of asthma symptoms and/or medically diagnosed asthma in Preschool children in a dose-dependent manner. Passive exposure to ETS, mainly during the third trimester of pregnancy, was significantly associated with asthma- and allergy-related symptoms after adjusting for several confounders in a multivariate analysis (current wheeze: OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.06-1.91, pruritic rash ever: OR= 1.45, 95% CI = 1.01-2.08). Passive exposure of pregnant women to ETS during the third trimester is positively associated with asthma- and allergy-related symptoms in their Preschool age children. Public health policies should be oriented not only towards smoking cessation, but also reinforce elimination of ETS exposure of pregnant women.
Vyssoulis G, Karpanou E, Kyvelou SM, Tzamou V, Adamopoulos D, Theodosiadis G, Triantafyllou A, Cokkinos D, Stefanadis C. Beta thalassemia minor and cardiovascular risk in hypertensives. In: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. Vol. 30. OXFORD UNIV PRESS GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND; 2009. pp. 144–144.
Objectives: Based on the Achievement Goal perspective [Dweck, C. S., Leggett, E. L (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95, 256-273; Nicholls, J.G. (1984). Achievement motivation: conceptions of ability, subjective experience, task choice, and performance. Psychological Review, 91, 328-346] and on Pekrun et al.'s [(2004). Beyond test anxiety: development and validation of the test emotions questionnaire (TEQ). Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 17, 287-316] model of discrete class-related emotions, this study investigated the relation of achievement goals to discrete emotions in the Physical Education (PE) class. Design: Cross-sectional. Method: Participants were 319 Greek upper elementary school students who responded to a set of questionnaires assessing their achievement goal orientation, perceived competence, and the class-related emotions they experienced in the PE classes. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that, after controlling for perceived competence and gender differences, task goals were positively related to positive activating emotions and negatively related to negative emotions. Ego goals exhibited a mixed picture as they were positively associated with pride and all the negative emotions. Furthermore, the relations between ego goals and emotions were qualified by an ego by task goal and by an ego by perceived competence interaction suggesting that ego goals were especially linked to emotional maladjustment when task goals were low and when competence perceptions were high rather than low. Conclusion: Unique associations between task and ego goals and specific emotions were found, rendering insightful the disentanglement of positive and negative emotions into its components. The pursuit of task goals might help to counteract the emotional burden associated with ego goal pursuit whereas feeling competent to outperform when one endorses ego goals might perhaps put extra pressure on the pupils and, hence, have negative implications for their emotional adjustment. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Iron oxide Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles (FNs) such as magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) are currently employed in biomedical applications owing to their relatively high biocompatibility. Recently, we have introduced a novel application of Fe3O4 FNs in the so-called Magnetically Assisted Haemodialysis (MAHD), a promising concept that can be employed for the treatment of End-Stage Renal Disease. The key characteristic of MAHD is the selective removal of toxins that cannot be removed by current low-and high-flux dialysers that are extendedly used during conventional Haemodialysis (HD). In addition, MAHD could enable the more efficient removal of all toxins when compared to conventional HD so that the duration of dialysis session could be decreased. This is an important benefit that could significantly improve the quality of life of patient. The present work focuses on the in vitro evaluation of the biocompatibility of both bare Fe3O4 FNs and Fe3O4-Bovine Serum Albumin Conjugates (Fe3O4-BSA Cs) with blood cells, namely Red Blood Cells (RBCs), White Blood Cells (WBCs) and Platelets (Plts). Their solubility in whole human blood medium is also carefully evaluated. Both issues are fundamental for the MAHD application since the latter is based on the intravenous injection of FN Cs into the bloodstream of the patient. Atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy were employed for the investigation of both surface characteristics and overall morphology of blood cells, respectively. Samples of donated blood, where bare Fe3O4 FNs or Fe3O4-BSA Cs were added, were maturated under mild incubation for durations up to 120 min. We investigated two representative temperatures, T=20 degrees C owing to easy experimental realization, and T=37 degrees C trying to simulate human body conditions. We did not observe noticeable interference of either bare Fe3O4 FNs or Fe3O4-BSA Cs with RBCs, WBCs and Plts. More importantly we did not observe any degradation of the surface of RBCs and WBCs that were maturated under the presence of bare FNs or Cs in concentrations that strongly exceed the ones used for the treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia. Incidents where either bare FNs or Cs were bound onto the surface of RBCs or internalised by WBCs were very rare. Our observations suggest high biocompatibility of both bare Fe3O4 FNs and Fe3O4-BSA Cs with blood cells, while the solubility depends on the BSA content of the Fe3O4-BSA Cs.
AIM: While clinical endpoints provide important information on the efficacy of treatment in controlled conditions, they often are not relevant to decision makers trying to gauge the potential economic impact or value of new treatments. Therefore, it is often necessary to translate changes in cognition, function or behavior into changes in cost or other measures, which can be problematic if not conducted in a transparent manner. The Dependence Scale (DS), which measures the level of assistance a patient requires due to AD-related deficits, may provide a useful measure of the impact of AD progression in a way that is relevant to patients, providers and payers, by linking clinical endpoints to estimates of cost effectiveness or value. The aim of this analysis was to test the association of the DS to clinical endpoints and AD-related costs.
METHOD: The relationship between DS score and other endpoints was explored using the Predictors Study, a large, multi-center cohort of patients with probable AD followed annually for four years. Enrollment required a modified Mini-Mental State Examination (mMMS) score >or= 30, equivalent to a score of approximately >or= 16 on the MMSE. DS summated scores (range: 0- 15) were compared to measures of cognition (MMSE), function (Blessed Dementia Rating Scale, BDRS, 0-17), behavior, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and psychotic symptoms (illusions, delusions or hallucinations). Also, estimates for total cost (sum of direct medical cost, direct non-medical cost, and cost of informal caregivers' time) were compared to DS scores.
RESULTS: For the 172 patients in the analysis, mean baseline scores were: DS: 5.2 (SD: 2.0), MMSE: 23.0 (SD: 3.5), BDRS: 2.9 (SD: 1.3), EPS: 10.8%, behavior: 28.9% psychotic symptoms: 21.1%. After 4 years, mean scores were: DS: 8.9 (SD: 2.9), MMSE: 17.2 (SD: 4.7), BDRS: 5.2 (SD: 1.4), EPS: 37.5%, behavior: 60.0%, psychotic symptoms: 46.7%. At baseline, DS scores were significantly correlated with MMSE (r=-0.299, p < 0.01), BDRS (r=0.610, p < 0.01), behavior (r=.2633, p=0.0005), EPS (r=0.1910, p=0.0137) and psychotic symptoms (r=0.253, p < 0.01); and at 4-year follow-up, DS scores were significantly correlated with MMSE (r=-0.3705, p=0.017), BDRS (r=0.6982, p < 0.001). Correlations between DS and behavior (-0.0085, p=0.96), EPS (r=0.3824, p=0.0794), psychotic symptoms (r=0.130, ns) were not statistically significant at follow-up. DS scores were also significantly correlated with total costs at baseline (r=0.2615, p=0.0003) and follow-up (r=0.3359, p=0.0318).
DISCUSSION: AD is associated with deficits in cognition, function and behavior, thus it is imperative that these constructs are assessed in trials of AD treatment. However, assessing multiple endpoints can lead to confusion for decision makers if treatments do not impact all endpoints similarly, especially if the measures are not used typically in practice. One potential method for translating these deficits into a more meaningful outcome would be to identify a separate construct, one that takes a broader view of the overall impact of the disease. Patient dependence, as measured by the DS, would appear to be a reasonable choice - it is associated with the three clinical endpoints, as well as measures of cost (medical and informal), thereby providing a bridge between measures of clinical efficacy and value in a single, transparent measure.
This paper presents some of the most important known evidence up to this day, proving the defining British interference in the case of the Pogrom in Istanbul-Constantinople (Events of September 1955) and how these tragic events completely destroyed Hellenism of Constantinople are connected to the British colonial interests in Middle East. The theoretical methodological is based on the geopolitical analysis and, in particular, on the model proposed by the Anglo-Saxon Geographers - Geopoliticians Sir Halford Mackinder (1861-1947, School of Geography-London School of Economics) and especially in its elaborated form presented in 1944 by the American Professor of Yale, Nicolas Spykman (1893-1943, Yale Institute for International Studies, Yale University - USA). Therefore, this paper supports the theoretical hypothesis of the desire to preserve Rimland on the part of Britain and explains, based on the same theoretical model, the final approach of the USA towards the British stances. Naturally, the aforementioned model explains the role of Turkey. The presence of the secret paramilitary networks “Stay Behind”, known as Gladio also validates and fully supports the writer’s hypothesis.
Rhinoviruses (RVs) are responsible for the majority of acute asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. RVs infect the lower airways and induce the production of pro-inflammatory and remodelling-associated mediators. Budesonide (BUD) and formoterol (FORM) synergize in controlling asthma and COPD exacerbations; however, their effects on virus-induced inflammation and remodelling are less known.|We investigated whether BUD and FORM synergize in suppressing RV-induced inflammation and remodelling in the airways.|In vitro models of RV infection of BEAS-2B and primary normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells were used. We assessed the effects of individual and combined drugs administered post-infection, at a clinically relevant concentration range (10(-6)-10(-10) m), on the production of CCL5, CXCL10, CXCL8, IL-6 and the remodelling-associated VEGF and bFGF, using ELISA and RT-PCR.|BUD effectively suppressed RV-mediated induction of all mediators studied, in a concentration-dependent manner. FORM alone suppressed the production of CXCL8 and bFGF. The combination of BUD and FORM had concentration-dependent, additive or synergistic effects in the suppression of RV-induced CCL5, CXCL8 and CXCL10 in both cell types as well as VEGF in NHBE only. Combination treatment also resulted in an enhanced suppression of RV-induced IL-6, and CCL5 at the mRNA level as compared with BUD or FORM alone.|BUD and FORM suppress RV-induced chemokines and growth factors in bronchial epithelial cells in a concentration-dependent, synergistic or additive manner. These data further support the combined use of BUD and FORM in asthma and COPD and intensification of this therapy during exacerbations.
A new catalog of visual double systems containing eclipsing binaries as one component is presented. The main purpose of this catalog is to compile a complete list of all known multiples of this variety, both for current analysis and to highlight those in need of additional observations. All available photometric and astrometric data were analyzed, resulting in new orbits for eight systems and new times of minimum light for a number of the eclipsing binaries. Some of the systems in the catalog have acceptable solutions for their visual orbits, although in most cases their orbital periods are too long for simultaneous analysis. Also included, however, are a number of systems which currently lack an orbital solution but which may be suitable for simultaneous analysis in the future.
Arabatzis T. Cathode Rays. In: F. Weinert, K. Hentschel, & D. Greenberger (eds.), Compendium of Quantum Physics: Concepts, Experiments, History and Philosophy. Dordrecht: Springer; 2009. pp. 89-92. Publisher's Version2009b
Inland sand dune activities that set an interesting example in terms of wind erosion and accummulation in the Aegean Region under the conditions of the Mediterranean climate, and that appear on lands where the annual rainfall is about 600 mm, exist on the Akselendi Plain, Manisa. Until today, some studies have been conducted on the Akselendi Plain, which has become famous worldwide for that matter. Besides, there is an ongoing Bilateral Project with GREECE, supported by TUBITAK, some results of which will be explained in this paper. Besides the erosive winds blowing on the Akselendi Plain, the existence of mostly coarse textured alluvial deposits, the first of which is the large bed of Kum Çayı, moreover, the misuse of agricultural and non-agricultural areas have caused wind erosion, and they also caused the sediments, moving from the bed of Kum Çayı by deflation, to give great damages along with the sand dune invasion in the south of the bed. This activity has especially increased in the last fifty years. The views that we reached on the subject of wind erosion on this area and the causes, evolution and effects of sand dunes will be reported in the paper. Moreover, information will be given on the problems and on the status and efficiency of the precautions that have been taken, besides on the precautions that will need to be taken in the short term and long term. Again, the continued sand plunder because of the incorrect applications, and the effects of that on the sand dune formation will be explained. Also, some interesting formations that we determined in the last studies we conducted and that can set an example in this scientific area will be submitted to the world of science.
We present the most likely optical counterparts of 113 X-ray sources detected in our Chandra survey of the central region of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) based on the OGLE-II and Magellanic Clouds Photometric Survey catalogs. We estimate that the foreground contamination and chance coincidence probability are minimal for the bright optical counterparts (corresponding to OB type stars; 35 in total). We propose here for the first time 13 high-mass X-ray binaries, of which four are Be/X-ray binaries (Be-XRBs), and we confirm the previous classification of 18 Be-XRBs. We estimate that the new candidate Be-XRBs have an age of ~15-85 Myr, consistent with the age of Be stars. We also examine the "overabundance" of Be-XRBs in the SMC fields covered by Chandra, in comparison with the Galaxy. In luminosities down to ~1034 erg s-1, we find that SMC Be-XRBs are ~1.5 times more common when compared to the Milky Way even after taking into account the difference in the formation rates of OB stars. This residual excess can be attributed to the lower metallicity of the SMC. Finally, we find that the mixing of Be-XRBs with other than their natal stellar population is not an issue in our comparisons of Be-XRBs and stellar populations in the SMC. Instead, we find indication for variation of the SMC XRB populations on kiloparsec scales, related to local variations of the formation rate of OB stars and slight variation of their age, which results in different relative numbers of Be stars and therefore XRBs.
Muscular adaptation which occurs following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been associated with changes in the mechanical properties of muscle manifested as a shift in the length-tension relationship towards longer muscle lengths. However, it is not clear whether this shift is a long term adaptation to eccentric exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate functional adaptations to skeletal muscle damage in humans, tracking such responses several days into muscle recovery. Ten healthy young men performed an eccentric exercise protocol involving the quadriceps muscle and functional measurements were performed before and on days 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 post-exercise. Blood samples were also withdrawn before and at 6 h, and 2 days, 5 days and 16 days post-exercise. The exercise protocol resulted in muscle damage, indicated by changes in clinical markers including increased serum creatine kinase activity and muscle soreness compared to pre-exercise levels (p<0.05-0.001). An acute, but not sustained shift in the quadriceps isokinetic and isometric angle-torque curves towards longer muscle lengths was observed post-exercise (p<0.05). It was speculated that the functional adaptations following eccentric exercise might be affected by the short resting and functional length of the quadriceps muscle, relative to its optimum. More studies are needed to confirm the hypothesis that a sustained shift in the muscle's length-tension relationship, as an adaptation after lengthening contraction-induced damage, is muscle specific.
Muscular adaptation which occurs following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been associated with changes in the mechanical properties of muscle manifested as a shift in the length-tension relationship towards longer muscle lengths. However, it is not clear whether this shift is a long term adaptation to eccentric exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate functional adaptations to skeletal muscle damage in humans, tracking such responses several days into muscle recovery. Ten healthy young men performed an eccentric exercise protocol involving the quadriceps muscle and functional measurements were performed before and on days 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 post-exercise. Blood samples were also withdrawn before and at 6 h, and 2 days, 5 days and 16 days post-exercise. The exercise protocol resulted in muscle damage, indicated by changes in clinical markers including increased serum creatine kinase activity and muscle soreness compared to pre-exercise levels (p<0.05-0.001). An acute, but not sustained shift in the quadriceps isokinetic and isometric angle-torque curves towards longer muscle lengths was observed post-exercise (p<0.05). It was speculated that the functional adaptations following eccentric exercise might be affected by the short resting and functional length of the quadriceps muscle, relative to its optimum. More studies are needed to confirm the hypothesis that a sustained shift in the muscle's length-tension relationship, as an adaptation after lengthening contraction-induced damage, is muscle specific.
Muscular adaptation which occurs following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been associated with changes in the mechanical properties of muscle manifested as a shift in the length-tension relationship towards longer muscle lengths. However, it is not clear whether this shift is a long term adaptation to eccentric exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate functional adaptations to skeletal muscle damage in humans, tracking such responses several days into muscle recovery. Ten healthy young men performed an eccentric exercise protocol involving the quadriceps muscle and functional measurements were performed before and on days 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 post-exercise. Blood samples were also withdrawn before and at 6 h, and 2 days, 5 days and 16 days post-exercise. The exercise protocol resulted in muscle damage, indicated by changes in clinical markers including increased serum creatine kinase activity and muscle soreness compared to pre-exercise levels (p<0.05-0.001). An acute, but not sustained shift in the quadriceps isokinetic and isometric angle-torque curves towards longer muscle lengths was observed post-exercise (p<0.05). It was speculated that the functional adaptations following eccentric exercise might be affected by the short resting and functional length of the quadriceps muscle, relative to its optimum. More studies are needed to confirm the hypothesis that a sustained shift in the muscle's length-tension relationship, as an adaptation after lengthening contraction-induced damage, is muscle specific.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to estimate circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels in postmenopausal women and evaluate their association with obesity and smoking status.
DESIGN AND METHODS: The study included 135 postmenopausal women aged 52-75 years. Forty of them were overweight (BMI 32.4+/-6.4) and non-smokers (Group A), 40 non-overweight (BMI 22.6+/-1.8) and smokers (Group B) and 55 non-overweight (BMI 23.5+/-1.4) and non-smokers (Group C). oxLDL and antibodies against them (anti-oxLDL) were measured using ELISA. Serum total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides were measured in an automated analyzer.
RESULTS: Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and oxLDL serum levels were significantly elevated in Group A as compared to Group B or C, as well as oxLDL in Group B in comparison to Group C (p<0.001). Triglycerides and anti-oxLDL were increased in Group A in comparison to Group C (p=0.043 and 0.023). Total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and anti-oxLDL did not differ between Groups B and C, while HDL was decreased in Group B as compared to Group C (p<0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between oxLDL and LDL in Group A (r=0.53, p<0.001) as well as in Group C (r=0.955, p
Kambezidis H, Larissi I, Nastos P, Paliatsos A. Climatology of rain intensity variability and trends over Greece. In: 11th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms, held September 7-10, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. http://meetings. copernicus. org/plinius11, id. Plinius11-47. Vol. 1. ; 2009. pp. 47.
BACKGROUND: Oxaliplatin has become one of the major cytotoxic agents for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. As a result, several cases of the so-called oxaliplatin-associated hypersensitivity reaction have been documented.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have retrospectively evaluated and characterized these reactions in our patient group by reviewing the files of 1,224 patients exposed to an oxaliplatin-containing regimen in order to provide useful clinical information for diagnosis and management.
RESULTS: Three hundred and eight (308) patients who have never been exposed to platinum compounds developed symptoms compatible with a reaction to oxaliplatin that was verified by manifestation of at least similar symptoms on rechallenging. The reactions occurred after the first 5 courses, with a median course number of 9 (range 1-24). These reactions could be distinguished as (1) mild reactions occurring in 195 (63%) patients manifesting with itching and small area erythema either during treatment or within the next hours, and (2) severe reactions occurring in 113 (37%) patients within minutes of drug infusion manifesting with diffuse erythroderma, facial swelling, chest tightness, bronchospasm and changes in blood pressure. Oxaliplatin withdrawal was not required in patients with a mild reaction. Forty-eight (42%) patients having a severe reaction with appropriate premedication and prolongation of the infusion duration could tolerate 2-4 subsequent courses. For the remaining 65 (58%) patients, oxaliplatin withdrawal was inevitable because of the very severe reactions occurring on rechallenging. In addition, 3 patients presented with thrombocytopenia and 3 others with hemolytic anemia, all reversible upon oxaliplatin discontinuation.
CONCLUSIONS: Hypersensitivity reactions to oxaliplatin are underestimated. Although the reactions are not frequent during first courses, in extensively pretreated patients, they may become a serious problem. In the majority of patients, drug discontinuation might not be necessary. In patients manifesting a severe reaction, re-exposure to oxaliplatin should be considered only if the patient can tolerate the reaction and there has been clinical benefit from this therapy. Physicians and nursing staff should be aware of the risk and be well prepared.
Spargias K, Adreanides E, Demerouti E, Gkouziouta A, Manginas A, Pavlides G, Voudris V, Cokkinos DV. CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE. Circulation. 2009;120:1793–1799.
Purpose of investigation: Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is a rare malignancy with only few data existing on the impact of prognostic factors. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 26 patients. Tissue blocks were reviewed and sections were stained for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1 and 2 (TIMP-1, TIMP-2), c-erbB-2, estrogen (ER), and progesterone receptors (PgR). Results: Reactivity for VEGF, ER, PgR, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and c-erbB-2 was observed in 85%, 46%, 27%, 11.5%, 58%, 0%, 23% and 8% of specimens, respectively. None of the markers studied displayed prognostic significance. Regarding clinical prognostic factors, the hazard ratio (HR) for progression and death for patients with tumor residuum > 2 cm was 5.24 (p < 0.01) and 11.19 (p < 0.005), respectively. Patients with advanced stage disease had a HR of 12.55 (p < 0.05) for progression, while the HR for death was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: None of the biomarkers studied seems to influence survival. Early-stage disease and optimal debulking are associated with improved outcome.
The European Union Network for Patient Safety (EUNetPaS) is a project funded and supported by the European Commission within the 2007 Public Health Programme and aims to encourage and enhance the collaboration of participating EU countries in the field of Patient Safety. One of its major objectives is to promote Patient Safety (PS) education and training in Member States, through building a platform for mutual exchange of experience and knowledge on methods of planning and implementing sustainable learning activities. Towards this direction, a methodology has been applied, based on a three axes schema, which describes the roles, the awareness level and the competences of the PS Education and Training Activities. Based on this scheme, a questionnaire has been developed and distributed across EU organizations though National Contact Points, as a tool for information collection. Looking to the above structure, a web-based resource has been developed aiming to facilitate the information collection and sharing, in a truly networking environment.
Star clusters are valuable tools for theoretical and observational astronomy across a wide range of disciplines from cosmology to stellar spectroscopy. For example, properties of globular clusters are used to constrain stellar evolutionary models, nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution, as well as the star formation and assembly histories of galaxies and the distribution of dark matter in present-day galaxies. Open clusters are widely used as stellar laboratories for the study of specific stellar phenomena (e.g., various emission-line stars, pulsating pre-MS stars, magnetic massive stars, binarity, stellar rotation, etc.). They also provide observational constraints on models of massive star evolution and of Galactic disk formation and chemical evolution.
The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and patient discomfort between four techniques for obtaining nasal secretions. Nasal secretions from 58 patients with symptoms of a common cold, from three clinical centers (Amsterdam, Lodz, Oslo), were obtained by four different methods: swab, aspirate, brush, and wash. In each patient all four sampling procedures were performed and patient discomfort was evaluated by a visual discomfort scale (scale 1-5) after each procedure. Single pathogen RT-PCRs for Rhinovirus (RV), Influenza virus and Adenovirus, and multiplex real-time PCR for RV, Enterovirus, Influenza virus, Adenovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Parainfluenza virus, Coronavirus, Metapneumovirus, Bocavirus and Parechovirus were performed in all samples. A specific viral cause of respiratory tract infection was determined in 48 patients (83%). In these, the detection rate for any virus was 88% (wash), 79% (aspirate), 77% (swab) and 74% (brush). The degree of discomfort reported was 2.54 for swabs, 2.63 for washes, 2.68 for aspirates and 3.61 for brushings. Nasal washes yielded the highest rate of viral detection without excessive patient discomfort. In contrast, nasal brushes produced the lowest detection rates and demonstrated the highest level of discomfort.
8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxo-G) is the major lesion of oxidatively generated DNA damage. Despite two decades of intense study, several fundamental properties remain to be defined. Its isoelectronic 8-aminoguanine (8-NH2-G) has also received considerable attention from a biological point of view, although its chemistry involving redox processes remains to be discovered. We investigated the one-electron oxidation and one-electron reduction reactions of 8-oxo-G and 8-NH2-G derivatives. The reactions of hydrated electrons (eaq−) and azide radicals (N3•) with both derivatives were studied by pulse radiolysis techniques, and the transient absorption spectra were assigned to specific tautomers computationally by means of time-dependent DFT (TD-B3LYP/6-311G**//B1B95/6-31+G**) calculations. The protonated electron adducts of 8-NH2-G and 8-oxo-G showed a substantial difference in their absorption spectra, the unpaired electron being mainly delocalized in the imidazolyl ring and in the six-membered ring, respectively. On the other hand, the deprotonated forms of one-electron oxidation of 8-NH2-G and 8-oxo-G showed quite similar spectral characteristics. In a parallel study, the one-electron reduction of 8-azidoguanine (8-N3-G) afforded the same transient of one-electron oxidation of 8-NH2-G, which represents another example of generation of one-electron oxidized guanine derivatives under reducing conditions. Moreover, the fate of transient species was investigated by radiolytic methods coupled with product studies and allowed self- and cross-termination rate constants associated with these reactions to be estimated.
To compare the performance of the reference scaled average bioequivalence(scABE(R)) method proposed by FDA scientists {[}Haidar et al., 2008. Pharm. Res. 25,237-241] with other approaches focusing on the human exposure expressed as the product sample size x periods of drug administration. Simulated bioequivalence studies were generated assuming the partial replicate 3-way crossover design and the classic (2 x 2) crossover design. Intrasubject variability (CV(W)) values ranged from 15% to 60% and sample sizes from 16 to 54. The procedures examined include: the scABER method. the classic 0.80-1.25 approach, a levelling-off scaled BE limit (BELscW), and some other scaled bioequivalence lit-nits. To assess the performance of the aforementioned approaches, the typical as well as novel three-dimensional modified power curves were constructed. A new index, termed %Mean Relative Difference (MRD%). was introduced in order to quantitatively compare the performance of the bioequivalence limits. The recently proposed scABER approach showed the lowest producer risk in particular for highly variable drugs. When exposure was taken into account scABER resulted in a desired behaviour when CV(W) was low. For high CV(W) values the overall performance diminished when geometric mean ratio (GMR) substantially deviated from unity. Application of the MRD% index clearly revealed that the effect of lowering the producer risk at GMR = I was totally Counterbalanced by the rise of consumer risk at high GMR values. The classic 0.80-1.25 limits were favoured at low intrasubject variability and high exposure, whereas the levelling-off limits demonstrated a preferred overall performance when variability was high and exposure was limited. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A comprehensive theoretical study of the optical properties and switching competence of double-shell photonic crystals (DSPC) and doubleinverse-opal photonic crystals (DIOPC) is presented. Our analysis reveals that a DIOPC structure with a silicon (Si) background exhibits a complete photonic bandgap (PBG), which can be completely switched on and off by moving the core spheres inside the air pores of the inverse opal. We show that the size of this switchable PBG assumes a value of 3.78% upon judicious structural optimization, while its existence is almost independent of the radii of the interconnecting cylinders, whose sizes are difficult to control during the fabrication process. The Si-based DIOPC may thus offer a novel and practical route to complete PBG switching and optical functionality.
Zymomonas mobilis is an ethanol-producing alphaproteobacterium currently considered a major candidate organism for bioethanol production. Here we report the finished and annotated genome sequence of Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis strain NCIMB 11163, a British ale-infecting isolate. This is the first Z. mobilis strain whose genome, chromosomal and plasmid, is presented in its entirety.
Using Chandra, XMM-Newton and optical photometric catalogs we study the young X-ray binary (XRB) populations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We find that the Be/X-ray binaries (Be-XRBs) are observed in regions with star-formation (SF) rate bursts ~30-70 Myr ago, which coincides with the age of maximum Be-star formation, while regions with strong but more recent SF (e.g., the Wing) are deficient in Be-XRBs. Using the 2dF spectrograph of the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) we have obtained optical spectra of 20 High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) in the SMC. All of these sources were proved to be Be-XRBs. Similar spectral-type distributions of Be-XRBs and Be field stars in the SMC have been found. On the other hand, the Be-XRBs in the Galaxy follow a different distribution than the isolated Be stars in the Galaxy, in agreement with previous studies.
In this study, we aimed to explore the factors related to acceptance of evolutionary theory among students/preservice preschool education teachers using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as a theoretical frame. We aimed to look into the acceptance and the understanding of evolutionary theory, and also to look into the relationship of the acceptance with understanding of evolutionary theory, parents’ educational level and frequency of church attendance as independent variables. Students’ restricted understanding of evolutionary theory is positively correlated with moderate acceptance of evolutionary theory but we did not find any significant positive correlation between parents’ educational level, religiosity and acceptance of evolution. Our findings indicate that studying a controversial issue such as the acceptance of evolutionary theory in a multivariate fashion, using conceptual ecology as a theoretical lens to interpret the findings, is informative. They also, indicate the differences that exist from society to society and how sociological factors as part of the conceptual ecology influence acceptance of evolution and have strong influence on Evolution education. And how useful is the enrichment of the Conceptual Ecology with other factors, i.e. thinking dispositions or making students familiar with the scientific method.
We confirm a nova candidate in M 31 reported to us by K. Nishiyama and F. Kabashima and present a pre-discovery detection that allows us to tightly constrain the time of outburst for this object. The nova candidate was discovered by Nishiyama and Kabashima (Miyaki-Argenteus observatory, Japan) on 2009 September 3.752 UT, with no object visible at its position on September 1.566 UT (private communication).
BACKGROUND: Vascular factors including medical history (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension), smoking, and prediagnosis blood lipid measurements (cholesterol: total, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein [LDL-C], and triglyceride concentrations) may be predictors for progression of Alzheimer disease (AD).
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prediagnosis vascular risk factors are associated with progression of AD.
DESIGN: Inception cohort followed up longitudinally for a mean of 3.5 (up to 10.2) years.
SETTING: Washington Heights/Inwood Columbia Aging Project, New York, New York. Patients One hundred fifty-six patients with incident AD (mean age at diagnosis, 83 years). Main Outcome Measure Change in a composite score of cognitive ability from diagnosis onward.
RESULTS: In generalized estimating equation models (adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and years of education), higher cholesterol (total cholesterol and LDL-C) concentrations and history of diabetes were associated with faster cognitive decline. Each 10-U increase in cholesterol and LDL-C was associated with a 0.10-SD decrease in cognitive score per year of follow-up (P < .001 for total cholesterol; P = .001 for LDL-C). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were not associated with rate of decline. A history of diabetes was associated with an additional 0.05-SD decrease in cognitive score per year (P = .05). History of heart disease and stroke were associated with cognitive decline only in carriers of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (APOE-epsilon4) gene. In a final generalized estimating equation model that included high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations and history of diabetes, only higher LDL-C was independently associated with faster cognitive decline.
CONCLUSION: Higher prediagnosis total cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations and history of diabetes were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with incident AD, which provides further evidence for the role of vascular risk factors in the course of AD.
The overall performance of a Volleyball team depends on many factors, from which decisive are considered to be the execution of skills that lead immediately to winning or losing the rally. These are lost serves, aces, kill- attacks, attack errors and kill-blocks. The analysis of these skills in relation to team performance, as expressed by the ratio of sets won to the total number of sets, lead to the formation of two new correlates. These are the serving efficiency ratio (SER), defined as the ratio of lost serves to aces, and the attack efficiency ratio (AER), defined as the number of kill attacks divided by the sum of attack errors and kill-blocks. Analysis of the data collected from all the matches of the male A1 volleyball professional league of 2005-2006 in Greece proved that the two efficiency ratios were better predictors of the teams overall performance than the five original variables. The findings lead to clear-cut definitions of norms both for the serving and attack efficiency ratio. The leading teams had a SER of around two and an AER of around three. These criteria are valuable tools especially for Volleyball coaches in deciding for the appropriate tactics of their teams.
CoPt and FePt compound films with L1(0) ordered structure have been intensively studied,due to their extremely high uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy which makes them suitable for application in ultra high density magnetic recording media. A basic requirement in these type of media is the development of strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The role of Ag underlayers in promoting strong (001) crystallographic texture and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in post-annealed Ag/CoPt and Ag/FePt bilayers (BLs) has already been reported, along with a possible correlation between L1(0) formation and development of (001) crystallographic texture. In this work we present new data, which provide further evidence that there is indeed such a correlation during the annealing process of Ag/CoPt BLs. The most obvious manifestation of this correlation is the fact that the X-ray intensity ratios I-001/I-002 (used as a measure of the degree of L1(0)-ordering) and I-002/I-111 (used as a measure of the crystallographic texture) and the coercivity H-c and relative remnant magnetization m(r) (for field H normal to the surface of the films) exhibit the same kind of dependence from the thickness of the Ag underlayer. Comparison with respective crystallographic data from post-annealed Ag/CoPt nanocomposites (NCs) shows that in the case of NCs the (001) texture starts to degrade for lower total film thickness, compared to the case of BLs. This difference can be attributed to the structural incoherence in the growth of the CoPt grains imposed by the presence of Ag inside the Ag/CoPt NCs, while in BLs Ag is only used as an underlayer. Based on the above data and on detailed Heavy Ion Elastic Rutherford Back Scattering (HIRBS) measurements, performed on post-annealed Ag/CoPt NCs, we propose a possible mechanism for the interpretation of the observed correlation. The proposed mechanism is based on the reduction of total strain (residual strain of as-deposited film and transformation strain due to deformation of the unit cell as L1(0)-CoPt is formed) throughout the annealing process.
The parameter of health economics in the use of any contemporary medical module plays a dominant role in decision making. A prospective nonrandomised comparative study of the direct medical costs on the first attempt of treating aseptic nonunions of tibial fractures, with either autologous-iliac-crest-bone-graft (ICBG) or bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), is presented. Twenty-seven consecutive patients, who were successfully treated for fracture nonunions, were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 12) received ICBG and group 2 (n = 15) received BMP-7. All patients healed their nonunions, and the financial analysis presented represents a best-case scenario. Three out of 12 of the ICBG group required revision surgery while just one out of 15 required it in the BMP-7 group. Average hospital stay was 10.66 vs. 8.66 days, time-to-union 6.9 vs. 5.5 months, hospitals costs pound2,133.6 vs. pound1,733.33, and theatre costs were pound2,413.3 vs. pound906.67 for the ICBG and BMP-7 groups, respectively. The BMP-7 cost was pound3002.2. Fixation-implant was pound696.4 vs. pound592.3, radiology pound570 vs. pound270, outpatient pound495.8 vs. pound223.33, and other costs were pound451.6 vs. pound566.27 for the ICBG and BMP-7 groups, respectively. The average cost of treatment with BMP-7 was 6.78% higher (P = 0.1) than with ICBG, and most of this (41.1%) was related to the actual price of the BMP-7. In addition to the satisfactory efficacy and safety of BMP-7 in comparison to the gold standard of ICBG, as documented in multiple studies, its cost effectiveness is advocated favourably in this analysis.
We began with discussions on what is gender, including a presentation of international dialogue on gender and the role of sport in addressing gender issues. Topics/lectures include: Doping and Gender, agency, the under-representation of women in competitive sports and in sport governing bodies (SGBs), the social gender and sport identity, the sport-gender imbalance, Women athletes in the mass media, genderless athletes, Olympism or peace education, underdevelopment of sport in developing countries, racism and xenophobia in sport, child exploitation and child protection in sport, gender and leadership skills, and so on. Gender refers to the socially-constructed roles of and relationships between men and women. Gender concerns men and women, including conceptions of both femininity and masculinity. The difference between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ is that the latter refers only to biological differences as an analytical category. Gender does not mean focusing solely on women or females, but rather on the inequalities regarding both genders, and should not be confused with feminism or women’s studies. However, analyses of gender differences often show a socially disadvantaged and weaker position of women and girls in social, political, economic, legal, educational and sport issues. This is why there is a tendency for gender discussions and interventions to focus on correcting these imbalances by specifically targeting women and girls. More analytically with regard to the course content see links]..............................................._________________________________________________________________________________________-Initially, discussions on what is gender, presentation of international dialogue on gender and the role of sport in addressing gender issues. Topics/lectures include: Doping and Gender, agency, the under-representation of women in competitive sports and in sport governing bodies (SGBs), the social gender and sport identity, the sport-gender imbalance, Women athletes in the mass media, genderless athletes, Olympism or peace education, underdevelopment of sport in developing countries, racism and xenophobia in sport, child exploitation and child protection in sport, gender and leadership skills, and so on. More analytically with regard to the course content see attachment........................................when citing: Kamberidou, I., & Karteroliotis, K. (2009). “Course Proposal for Postgraduate Interdisciplinary Education of Women”. Presentation at the international workshop of the project “Estia-Earth to Sustain Women’s Careers as Academics, Researchers and Professionals in Engineering, Computer and the. In “Estia-Earth to Sustain Women’s Careers as Academics, Researchers and Professionals in Engineering, Computer and the Sciences, Lifelong Learning Erasmus Network” (partner: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Athens Greece). "1st Expert Meeting “Development of MSc Programs” & Jointly the 3rd International steering Committee Meeting ESTIA-EARTH", Venue: Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Nov. 20-21, 2009. (www.estia.net).DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3256.0489V
Konstantinidou AE, Fryssira H, Sifakis S, Karadimas C, Kaminopetros P, Agrogiannis G, Velonis S, Nikkels PGJ, Patsouris E. Cranioectodermal dysplasia: a probable ciliopathy. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 2009;149(10):2206-2211.
Korn P, Votis K, Tzovaras D, Segouli S, Bekiaris E, Chalkia E, Lopes, R. KC, Ringler M, Papadopoulou M, Van Isacker K, et al.D2.2b ACCESSIBLE User Needs and System Requirements. ACCESSIBLE EU project. 2009.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are major antigen-presenting cells that constitute a link between innate and adaptive immune responses, and are critical in the processes of control and elimination of viral infections. On the other hand, there is a large body of data strongly implicating respiratory viruses in morbidity during infancy through the induction of lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchiolitis, and later on in childhood and adult life, mainly due to their association with asthma exacerbations. Little is known, however, about the precise role of DCs in human respiratory tract infections. This review focuses on current data, both from in vivo and in vitro studies, that highlight the interplay between DCs and the viral causes of bronchiolitis.
One of the most common cancer types among women is breast cancer. Regular mammographic examinations increase the possibility for early diagnosis and treatment and significantly improve the chance of survival for patients with breast cancer. Keeping an informed and complete patient record is of great importance as the doctor needs this information for every patient examination. The proposed implementation is a patient record system that includes 'smart' algorithms in order to automatically use data from the patient's record to calculate well established epidemiological breast cancer models. A computer-aided diagnosis system is also used in order to analyze each mammogram and obtain a certain risk percentage concerning whether the patient has to undergo biopsy or not. The aforementioned system has been implemented to support a large set of patient data (1,178 patients) which included detailed personal patient data, medical history and examination details per date and is used in the daily clinical practice of a breast cancer diagnostic center facilitating patient record retrieval, storage and supporting the doctor's decisions.
Previous studies showed that high levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA are associated with a faster progression to AIDS, an increased risk of death, and a higher risk of HIV RNA rebound in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Our objective was to develop and assess a highly sensitive real-time multiplex PCR assay for the quantification of HIV-1 DNA (RTMP-HIV) based on molecular beacons. HIV-1 DNA quantification was carried out by RTMP in a LightCycler 2.0 apparatus. HIV-1 DNA was quantified in parallel with CCR5 as a reference gene, and reported values are numbers of HIV-1 DNA copies/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The clinical sensitivity of the assay was assessed for 115 newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected individuals. The analytical sensitivity was estimated to be 12.5 copies of HIV-1 DNA per 10(6) PBMCs, while the clinical sensitivity was 100%, with levels ranging from 1.23 to 4.25 log(10) HIV-1 DNA copies/10(6) PBMCs. In conclusion, we developed and assessed a new RTMP-HIV assay based on molecular beacons, using a LightCycler 2.0 instrument. This multiplex assay has comparable sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy to single real-time PCR assays.
OBJECTIVE: The FcgammaRIIa receptor is responsible for the activation of platelets by antibodies in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The c.497G>A polymorphism in the corresponding FCG2RA gene (H131R) has been implicated in the HIT syndrome and we aimed at its rapid and reliable determination. DESIGN AND METHODS: We designed a novel asymmetric real-time PCR method in the LightCycler that uses two hybridization probes and is followed by melting curve analysis. Seventy-one post-cardiac-surgery HIT Greek patients well ascertained by clinical data, immunological and functional tests (PAT, CD62P-selectin and microparticle flow cytometric detection) were studied, along with a clinically relevant group of 49 thrombocytopenic control patients and 119 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The developed method has excellent analytical characteristics (linear and efficient amplification, precision), has wide DeltaT(m) between the two alleles H and R (11.53 degrees C), and is in 100% concordance with validated controls and another commonly used screening method. The RR percentage increased from 10% in the control populations to 24% in the HIT patient group. CONCLUSION: The described method is technically simple, robust, fast, and accurate. A statistically significant difference was found in the comparison between the groups of HIT patients and healthy subjects [RR vs. RH+ HH, chi(2) test, p=0.01, OR (95% C.I.) 2.81 (1.21-4.68)]. The RR frequency in the Greek population was found to be the lowest among Caucasians
Data concerning the efficacy of PEG-IFN alpha 2a plus ribavirin treatment in treatment-naive, genotype 4-infected chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients from Europe are limited. Hence the aim of this study was to investigate the viral kinetics as well as the sustained virological response (SVR) rates and their predictors, in these patients. One hundred and twenty-three patients were retrospectively analysed. Early (EVR) and late virological response (LVR) was confirmed by undetectable (<50 IU/mL) serum HCV-RNA at week 12 and week 24 of treatment, respectively. SVR was confirmed by undetectable serum HCV-RNA at the end of treatment as well as 6 months later. Overall, 43.5% of patients exhibited SVR, 42.6% were nonresponders and 13.9% were relapsers. EVR was observed in 40.74% and LVR in 59.25% of them. The positive predictive values of EVR and LVR were 72.97% and 86.27% whereas their negative predictive values were 64.29% and 92.85%, respectively. EVR independently predicted SVR in Caucasian patients (P < 0.001) but not in Egyptian patients (P = 0.613), in whom the only independent predictor of SVR was the absence of cirrhosis (P = 0.004). LVR seems to be a better predictor of SVR than EVR in the vast majority of genotype 4-infected CHC patients, irrespective of ethnicity and all the other baseline parameters.
The phospholipase A2 (PLA2) superfamily hydrolyzes phospholipids to release free fatty acids and lysophospholipids, some of which can mediate inflammation and demyelination, hallmarks of the CNS autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. The expression of two of the intracellular PLA2s (cPLA2 GIVA and iPLA2 GVIA) and two of the secreted PLA2s (sPLA2 GIIA and sPLA2 GV) are increased in different stages of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. We show using small molecule inhibitors, that cPLA2 GIVA plays a role in the onset, and iPLA2 GVIA in the onset and progression of EAE. We also show a potential role for sPLA2 in the later remission phase. These studies demonstrate that selective inhibition of iPLA2 can ameliorate disease progression when treatment is started before or after the onset of symptoms. The effects of these inhibitors on lesion burden, chemokine and cytokine expression as well as on the lipid profile provide insights into their potential modes of action. iPLA2 is also expressed by macrophages and other immune cells in multiple sclerosis lesions. Our results therefore suggest that iPLA2 might be an excellent target to block for the treatment of CNS autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
AIMS: To study circulating levels and distribution of adiponectin multimers [low molecular weight (LMW)-, medium molecular weight (MMW)- and high molecular weight (HMW)-adiponectin] in preterm and full-term infants. METHODS: Total serum adiponectin and its multimers were measured in 40 healthy infants at the age of one month and associations with anthropometric parameters [body weight and length, body mass index (BMI)], weight gain and metabolic indices (glucose, insulin) were examined. Twenty of the infants were born preterm (gestational age 33.2+/-1.6 weeks). RESULTS: LMW-adiponectin level and its fractional ratio to total adiponectin were significantly higher in full-term than in preterm infants (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively), whereas, MMW-adiponectin level and its ratio were significantly lower (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively). HMW-adiponectin did not differ significantly between full-term and preterm infants and accounted for almost 60% of total adiponectin levels in both groups. HMW-adiponectin, but not MMW adiponectin or LMW adiponectin, correlated significantly with anthropometric measurements, similarly to total adiponectin; in addition, HMW adiponectin correlated significantly with weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: HMW adiponectin is the most prevalent form in infants. Circulating levels and distribution of MMW- and LMW-adiponectin differ between full-term and preterm infants, but the role of these adiponectin multimers needs to be studied further.
Division VII gathers astronomers studying the diffuse matter in space between stars, ranging from primordial intergalactic clouds, via dust and neutral and ionized gas in galaxies, to the densest molecular clouds and the processes by which stars are formed.
Kountouris P, Gaitanakis L, Ntozis C, Katsikadelli A.
Current approaches to syntactic derivation capitalize on the notion of syntactic cycles either in the sense of phases (Chomsky 2000) or derivational cascades (Uriagereka 1999). Such models raise some interesting issues regarding the way in which phonology processes the syntactic output. In this paper we propose that the derivational status of syntactic material is reflected on the way PF organizes the output of syntax into phonological phrases. More specifically, based on evidence from the prosodification of clitic-doubled DP-objects in Greek, we argue that elements which exhibit derivational islandhood form independent phonological phrases and, significantly, are impervious to PF restructuring mechanisms. We further explore the limits of this isomorphism by investigating the derivational and prosodic status of preverbal Greek subjects and conclude that their syntactic non-islandhood is matched by an analogous behavior at the PF since they are subject to restructuring. This particular type of isomorphism provides empirical justification for drawing a distinction between two different implementations of Spell-Out, as originally proposed in Uriagereka (1999).
A simple, safe and cost-effective treatment protocol in ovarian stimulation is of great importance in IVF practice, especially in the case of previous unsuccessful attempts. hCG has been used as a substitute of LH because of the degree of homology between the two hormones. The main aim of this prospective randomized study was to determine, for the first time, whether low dose hCG added to rFSH for ovarian stimulation could produce better results compared to the addition of rLH in women entering IVF-ET, especially in those women that had previous IVF failures. An additional aim was to find an indicator that would allow us to follow-up ovarian stimulation and, possibly, modify it in order to achieve a better IVF outcome; and that indicator may be the cDNA copies of the LH/hCG receptor. Group A patients (n = 58) were administered hCG and Group B rLH (n = 56) in addition to rFSH in the first days of ovarian stimulation. The number of follicles and oocytes and, most importantly, implantation and pregnancy rates were shown to be statistically significantly higher in the hCG group. This study has also determined, for the first time to our best knowledge, m-RNA for LH/hCG receptors in the lymphocytes of peripheral blood 40 h before ovum pick-up. cDNA levels of the hCG receptor after ovarian stimulation were significantly higher among women receiving hCG compared to those receiving LH. In addition, higher levels were encountered among women with pregnancy compared to those without, although this was not statistically significant due to the small number of pregnancies. It seems that hCG permits a highly effective and more stable occupancy of rLH/hCG receptors and gives more follicles and more oocytes. The determination of cDNA copies could be, in the future, a marker during ovulation induction protocols and of course a predictor for the outcome of ART in the special subgroup of patients with previous failures.
We describe a patient in whom an initially intact sciatic nerve became rapidly encased in heterotopic bone formed in the abductor compartment after reconstruction of the posterior wall of the acetabulum following fracture. Prompt excision and neural release followed by irradiation and administration of indometacin resulted in a full neurological recovery and no recurrence 27 months later.
Hip resurfacing has recently been offered as an attractive alternative to conventional total hip arthroplasty. This report evaluated the short-term functional outcome and longevity of a newer generation resurfacing device and includes the results of 228 consecutive hip resurfacing in 209 patients at a minimum of two-year follow-up. All resurfacing were performed by a single surgeon using a posterior approach. Excluding infections, there were only three failures (1.3%). The overall survival at 4.6 years was 96.9%. The survival of resurfacing in this study was comparable to that of other published studies of hip resurfacing. Surface hip arthroplasty appears to be an effective alternative to conventional total hip arthroplasty in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.
Syriopoulos TC, Diakomihalis MN, Lekakou M, Stefanidaki E. The economic impact of the cruise industry on local communities: The case of Greece. CD-ROM Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the Aegean University," Planning for the Future-Learning from the Past: Contemporary Developments in Tourism, Travel & Hospitality. 2009:3-5.
A commercially available powder of MgB2 is used as starting material for the examination of the influence of the annealing temperature on the properties of this intermediate-T-c superconductor. We performed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Hall ac-susceptibility measurements as a function of temperature and ac-field amplitude on samples annealed at 650, 750, 850 and 950 degrees C. The imaginary part of ac-susceptibility measurements is used to calculate both the inter-granular critical current density, J(c)(T-p) and density of pinning force, alpha(j)(0). It was observed that all T-c, J(c)(T-p) and alpha(j)(0) exhibit a non-monotonic behavior on the annealing temperature range studied in this work. T-c is measured to be 39.85 +/- 0.02 K and J(c)(T-p) is estimated to be as high as 60 A/cm(2) at 39.2 K for the sample annealed at 850 degrees C. The peak temperature, T-p, in the imaginary part of the ac-susceptibility curves shifts to lower temperatures with both decreasing the annealing temperature and increasing the amplitude of the ac-magnetic fields. A comparison of the experimental ac-susceptibility data with theoretical critical-state models that are currently available is performed. SEM investigations showed that the grain size increases, and the grain connectivity improves when the annealing temperature increases up to 850 degrees C. The possible reasons for the observed changes in transport, microstructure and magnetic properties due to annealing temperature are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Praziquantel (PZQ), the primary drug of choice in the treatment of schistosomiasis, is a highly lipophilic drug that possesses high permeability and low aqueous solubility and is, therefore, classified as a Class II drug according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS). In this work, beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) were used in order to determine whether increasing the aqueous solubility of a drug by complexation with CDs, a BCS-Class II compound like PZQ could behave as BCS-Class I (highly soluble/highly permeable) drug. Phase solubility and the kneading and lyophilization techniques were used for inclusion complex preparation; solubility was determined by UV spectroscopy. The ability of the water soluble polymer polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) to increase the complexation and solubilization efficiency of beta-CD and HP-beta-CD for PZQ was examined. Results showed significant improvement of PZQ solubility in the presence of both cyclodextrins but no additional effect in the presence of PVP. The solubility/dose ratios values of PZQ-cyclodextrin complexes calculated considering the low (150 mg) and the high dose (600 mg) of PZQ, used in practice, indicate that PZQ complexation with CDs may result in drug dosage forms that would behave as a BCS-Class I depending on the administered dose.
BACKGROUND: Several reports have shown that homocysteine promotes thrombosis by disturbing the procoagulant-anticoagulant balance, whereas alterations in coagulation and fibrinolysis have been suggested as important pathogenetic and prognostic determinants of mortality in acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of plasma homocysteine levels on the outcomes of patients with ALI/ARDS. METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive ventilated patients with ALI/ARDS were studied. Blood samples were drawn within 3 days of clinical recognition of ARDS. Measurement of plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12, folate, creatinine, protein C and plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 antigen levels, and genotyping of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were carried out. The primary outcomes were 28- and 90-day mortality, whereas secondary outcomes included nonpulmonary organ failure-free days, liberation from mechanical ventilation up to day 28, and ventilator-free days during the 28 days after enrollment. RESULTS: In the multivariable analysis, plasma homocysteine concentration adjusted for age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphisms, and levels of plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 antigen, protein C, creatinine, vitamin B12, and folate was not found to affect significantly mortality at 28 and 90 days (P = 0.39 and P = 0.83, respectively), days without organ failure besides lungs (P = 0.38), the probability of being free from mechanical ventilation at day 28 (P = 0.63), and days without ventilation assistance (P = 0.73). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that increased plasma homocysteine levels, either alone or in synergy with other thrombophilic risk factors, do not seem to adversely affect the prognosis in patients with ALI/ARDS
Stellar winds seem to be very efficient at removing angular momentum from stars. By means of analytical axisymmetric solutions of the ideal MHD equations for steady outflows, we show via a specific example how collimated stellar winds can brake Weak T Tauri stars in a reasonable time. This result can be generalized to Classical T Tauri stars provided that part of the accreted angular momentum is removed by the inner disk wind. We also extend briefly to Kerr metrics the self similar MHD solutions for relativistic flows and conjecture that relativistic outflows may efficiently slow down spinning black holes at the center of Active Galactic Nuclei or microquasars.
Stellar winds seem to be very efficient at removing angular momentum from stars. By means of analytical axisymmetric solutions of the ideal MHD equations for steady outflows, we show via a specific example how collimated stellar winds can brake Weak T Tauri stars in a reasonable time. This result can be generalized to Classical T Tauri stars provided that part of the accreted angular momentum is removed by the inner disk wind. We also extend briefly to Kerr metrics the self similar MHD solutions for relativistic flows and conjecture that relativistic outflows may efficiently slow down spinning black holes at the center of Active Galactic Nuclei or microquasars.
THE EFFECT OF THE STARTING LINE-UP OF THE PLAYERS ON THE OUTCOME OF THE SET IN VOLLEYBALL.Laios. A., Kountouris. P., Laios. Y., Drikos. S.Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of AthensOne of the peculiarities of the game of Volleyball is its rotation system. Before the beginning of every set the team coach must give to the referees in written form the starting positions of the six players of his team. During the set, every time the team wins a rally served by the opponent all its players shift their positions in a clockwise manner 1→6→5→4→3→2→1. During position shifts the relative positions of the players do not change. A complete rotation of the team is achieved after six position shifts, whence the players are again in the same positions as the starting line-up. After the application of the rally point system the number of rallies played per set (except the fifth one) was significantly reduced. The aim of the present study was to examine the distribution of the number of position shifts per set in various situations, with the intention to infer whether this information may prove to have practical importance. The primary data were collected from the Greek Men’s Volleyball Championship of 2005-2006 with the participation of twelve teams in a two round system. This gives a total of 132 matches, in which 491 sets were played. The primary dependent variable was the number of position shifts of the winning team. Its distribution was examined in different kinds of sets (first four or fifth) and in different outcomes of the set, measured as point differences between the winning and the losing team. For the first four sets the mean value of position shifts was 14.8±2.8 with only 6.8% of the sets having position shifts equal to or greater than 18. Even in the sets with a minimum difference between the two teams (25-23) and therefore a maximum number of points, the mean value of position shifts was 16.4±1.7 with only 9.1% of the sets having position shifts equal to or greater than 18. For the fifth set the mean value of position shifts was 9.0±2.3 with only 3.1% of the sets having position shifts equal to or greater than 12. Therefore the number of complete rotations for the first four sets was around two-and-a-half and the number of complete rotations for the fifth set was around one-and-a-half. In a previous research it was found that there seem to be favourable situations during position shifts, when the serving team has increased chances of winning the point. Since most probably during a set a team will not complete a whole number of complete rotations, the coach should start the set with the most favoured positions coming up first, or at least in the middle, but certainly not last. This will guarantee that the favoured positions will appear more frequently and most probably at crucial points at the end of the set. This is especially important in view of the fact that the winning team must win at least two more points than its opponent when serving, with the odds of winning against losing the rally when serving being only one to two.
Landbridge islands offer unique opportunities for understanding the effects of fragmentation history on genetic variation in island taxa. The formation of islands by rising sea levels can be likened to a population bottleneck whose magnitude and duration is determined by island area and time since isolation, respectively. The Holocene landbridge islands of the Aegean Sea (Greece) were formed since the last glacial maximum and constitute an ideal system for disentangling the effects of island area, age and geographic isolation on genetic variability. Of the many reptile species inhabiting this island system, the Aegean wall lizard Podarcis erhardii is an excellent indicator of fragmentation history due to its widespread distribution and poor over-water dispersal abilities. In this study, we utilize a detailed record of Holocene fragmentation to investigate the effects of island history on wall lizard mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite diversity. Findings show that the spatial distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes reflects historical patterns of fragmentation rather than geographic proximity per se. In keeping with neutral bottleneck theory, larger and younger islands retain more nuclear genetic variation than smaller, older islands. Conversely, there is no evidence of an effect of isolation by distance or effect of distance to the nearest larger landmass on genetic variability, indicating little gene flow between islands. Lastly, population-specific measures of genetic differentiation are inversely correlated with island area, suggesting that smaller islands exhibit greater divergence due to their greater susceptibility to drift. Taken together, these results suggest that both island area and time since isolation are important predictors of genetic variation and that these patterns likely arose through the progressive fragmentation of ancestral diversity and the ensuing cumulative effects of drift.
To determine the effect of montelukast on asthma during the allergy season in children with persistent asthma and seasonal aeroallergen sensitivity.|This 3-week double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group multicenter study compared daily montelukast 5 mg chewable tablets and placebo in patients 6-14 years of age with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) > or = 60 and < or = 85% predicted, persistent asthma that is also active during allergy season, and documented sensitivity to seasonal allergens. Concomitant inhaled corticosteroid use was permitted in up to 40% of enrolled patients. The primary endpoint was the percentage change from baseline in FEV(1) over 3 weeks of treatment. Additional endpoints included the percentage change from baseline in beta-agonist use, average changes in daytime and nighttime symptom score, AM and PM peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), investigator's global asthma evaluation, and parent/guardian global asthma evaluation at the end of the treatment period. Adverse experiences (AEs) were collected to assess safety and tolerability.|A total of 421 patients were randomized to montelukast (N = 203) or placebo (N = 218). For the primary endpoint, the percentage change from baseline FEV(1), montelukast was not significantly different from placebo (least squares mean 9.53% vs. 9.15%, respectively; p = 0.810). Compared with placebo, montelukast was associated with significantly lower (better) investigator's global asthma evaluation (LS mean 2.71 vs. 2.98; p < 0.05) and parent/guardian global asthma evaluation (LS mean: 2.63 vs. 2.90; p < 0.05) scores. There were no significant differences between treatment groups for the other efficacy evaluations. Both treatments were well tolerated, with no significant differences observed in AE rates.|Montelukast did not significantly improve FEV(1) compared with placebo over three weeks of treatment during the allergy season in pediatric patients with seasonal allergen sensitivity. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00289874).
The elaboration of analytical microzoning studies involves a multidisciplinary approach comprising geological, geotechnical, seismological, geophysical and dynamic soil analysis data. In an attempt to incorporate the maximum available amount of information and in the view of the continuously expanding use of GIS, as a tool for analyzing and integrating data, a new software environment called AUTO-SEISMO-GEOTECH has been developed for handling these multi-parameter data. This user friendly package is presently implemented for the cities of Heraklion (Crete island- province of Heraklion) and Thiva (province of Viotia) in Greece. The pilot methodologies applied in these urban areas, aimed also at determining a minimum package of tasks/methods needed for the elaboration of a microzoning study, are described and evaluated here. Next, a database with appropriate architecture was formed in order to handle all available geo-information for each city separately and produce thematic maps, such as geological, tectonic, hydrogeological, seismic hazard and microzonation ones. These maps can be easily reproduced, integrated and used for building safer constructions contributing so to mitigation of earthquake consequences. Geo-information obtained by a) existing regional seismicity maps and installation of local portable seismographic networks around both cities, to monitor the microseismic activity and define possible active fault zones, b) geological mapping of the broader urban area in scale 1:5000, c) evaluation of existing geotechnical data as well as new data coming from boreholes, d) geophysical data resulting from surface and borehole techniques, for Vp, Vs and dynamic elastic parameters estimation and e) consideration of historical seismological data for seismic hazard estimation, have been incorporated in this GIS based platform, to be easily handled for further use. The output of this information combined with the dynamic soil analysis produces detailed microzonation maps. Such maps are valuable for city planners and urban designers.
Arabatzis T. Electrons. In: F. Weinert, K. Hentschel, & D. Greenberger (eds.), Compendium of Quantum Physics: Concepts, Experiments, History and Philosophy. Dordrecht: Springer; 2009. pp. 195-199. Publisher's Version2009c
A novel parametrization within a simplified LCAO model (a type of Hückel model) is presented for the description of π molecular orbitals in organic molecules containing π-bonds between carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen atoms with sp2 hybridization. It is shown that the model is quite accurate in predicting the energy of the highest occupied π orbital and the first π–π* transition energy for a large set of organic compounds. Four empirical parameter values are provided for the diagonal matrix elements of the LCAO description, corresponding to atoms of carbon, nitrogen with one pz electron, nitrogen with two pz electrons, and oxygen. The bond-length dependent formula of Harrison (proportional to 1/d2) is used for the non-diagonal matrix elements between neighbouring atoms. The predictions of our calculations have been tested against available experimental results in more than sixty organic molecules, including benzene and its derivatives, polyacenes, aromatic hydrocarbons of various geometries, polyenes, ketones, aldehydes, azabenzenes, nucleic acid bases and others. The comparison is rather successful, taking into account the small number of parameters and the simplicity of the LCAO method, involving only pz atomic-like orbitals, which leads even to analytical calculations in some cases.
Η λέξη ‘άριστος’ είναι μία από τις αρχαιότερες ελληνικές λέξεις. Η γέννηση του όρου ανάγεται σε εποχές προομηρικές, ενώ η σημερινή σημασία της λέξης διατηρεί σε αμείωτο επίπεδο την αίγλη της. Στην ομηρική σκέψη ο «άριστος» συνιστά μια αξία, ένα μέγεθος ηθικό, και μάλιστα τον ύψιστο βαθμό ανωτερότητας, καθώς αποτελεί την υπερθετική εξέλιξη του «αγαθός». Ο άριστος δεν αποτελεί έναν εκ των πολλών, αλλά τον άνδρα ο οποίος επιτυγχάνει έναν άθλο, δηλαδή τον καλύτερο όλων, τον αξιότερο. Στο ηρωϊκό έπος της Ιλιάδας, όπου κατεξοχήν συγκρούονται αντίπαλοι ήρωες, η πολεμική αναμέτρηση συνιστά την αφορμή για την ανάδειξη της «αριστείας», δηλαδή των ανδραγαθημάτων, των σημαντικότερων ηρώων του στρατοπέδου των Αχαιών, καθώς επίσης και των επιλέκτων ανδρών εκ των Τρώων. Η ομηρική αριστεία δεν περιορίζεται, ωστόσο, μόνο στο πεδίο της μάχης αλλά εκδηλώνεται και στους αθλητικούς αγώνες, όπου είναι έκδηλη η λαχτάρα της νίκης και της υπεροχής. Τόσο στην Ιλιάδα, όσο και στην Οδύσσεια το ‘νικάν’ στους αγώνες συνδέεται με το ‘αριστεύειν’, καθώς ο νικητής είναι ο άριστος, ο ικανότερος, ο πιο γενναίος όλων, εξ ου και ‘αριστεία’ ή ‘άθλα’ τα κατορθώματα του ήρωα-αθλητή. Και στα δύο έπη είναι σημαντική η ανάδειξη της αριστείας, καθώς με τον τρόπο αυτόν αποκαλύπτει ο άνδρας της ομηρικής περιόδου τον χαρακτήρα και τη δύναμή του, που απηχούν την αρετή του, γεγονός που επηρεάζει την κοινωνική του αξιολόγηση. Η ‘αριστεία’ στον Όμηρο, έχει εν τέλει χαρακτήρα επικό, σχεδόν δραματικό, καθώς ο μαχητής, προκειμένου να κατακτήσει το ιδεώδες της ανδρείας, φτάνει ως τα όρια του θανάτου, ενώ η αριστεία στον αθλητικό χώρο δεν συνιστά, παρά μία προέκταση της πολεμικής αριστείας.
Ce travail, élaboré dans le cadre d’une recherche amorcée en 2004 et financée à partir de 2008 par le programme de recherche universitaire « Kapodistrias », est composé d’une Introduction, de trois parties divisées chacune en sept chapitres, d’un Épilogue et de deux Annexes.Dans l’Introduction (p. 17-21) est délimité le champ de réflexion, sont définis les principaux axes et fixées les limites chronologiques de l’étude. Plus précisément ce travail se donne pour propos d’étudier, dans une perspective historique, l’adaptation du système de la langue aux exigences qu’a fait surgir l’entrée progressive des femmes dans la sphère publique et notamment dans la vie professionnelle et politique. Point de départ de la réflexion, la thèse selon laquelle la langue constitue un vecteur privilégié de débats et de conflits idéologiques. Véhicule de stéréotypes et de préjugés sociaux, elle dévoile la naturelle culturelle et institutionnelle des rapports de pouvoirs inégalitaires entre les sexes ; de ce fait, elle joue un rôle actif dans le processus de construction identitaire, de formation également de la conscience de genre. La perspective chronologique commande la structure de la présente étude. Chacune de ses trois parties est centrée autour d’un temps fort de l’histoire en question.Première partie : « La naissance de la question : de la Révolution française à la IIIe République » (p. 23-61). En prenant comme point de départ de l’analyse la Révolution française, cette partie qui se divise en trois chapitres, s’étend jusqu’au milieu de la IIIe République. Chapitre I : « La Révolution française et les droits de la femme » (p. 25-31). Dans un premier temps, l’intérêt se porte ici principalement sur Olympe de Gouges. Par son action et surtout par son texte subversif de 1791, la « Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne », cette dernière met en évidence le piège du masculin universel et conteste l’oecuménisme de la Déclaration de 1789. Ensuite, l’analyse s’intéresse à la théorie sociale de Charles Fourier. Celui-ci, conscient du rapport étroit entre égalité sociale et politique des sexes, d’une part, et visibilité du féminin au niveau linguistique, d’autre part, prend soin de créer des noms féminins pour toutes les fonctions et professions exercées au sein de la nouvelle société qu’il préconise. Chapitre II : « L’éveil de la conscience féminine collective : 1830-1848 » (p. 32-44). La période de la Monarchie de Juillet, marquée par l’action des saint-simoniennes et de Flora Tristan constitue également un moment important de cette histoire. Flora Tristan, en particulier, convaincue que l’émancipation de son sexe est intrinsèquement liée à sa visibilité dans la langue, utilise, en pleine conscience, dans ses textes les deux genres grammaticaux. Elle considère qu’en nommant les femmes, elle contribue à l’évolution des mentalités et au progrès de la société et de ses lois. L’année 1848 constitue un autre moment clé dans l’évolution de la question. L’institution, sous la IIe République, d’un « suffrage universel » excluant pourtant les femmes constitue le catalyseur qui provoque la rixe avec le socialisme et le mouvement ouvrier. Les saint-simoniennes, dont Jeanne Deroin, impliquées activement dans le débat ouvert recourent constamment à l’arsenal linguistique légué par leurs devancières. Chapitre III : « Préoccupations féministes et questions linguistiques à la fin du XIXe siècle » (p. 45-61). Ce chapitre divisé en trois unités examine le tournant survenu aux débuts de la IIIe République : c’est le moment où des liens entre féminisation des emplois et féminisation des noms se tissent. Des féministes de la première vague (Maria Deraismes, Marie-Louise Gagneur, Hubertine Auclert) associent explicitement l’égalité professionnelle et politique à la féminisation des noms de métiers et de fonctions. Elles développent les arguments de leurs devancières pour démanteler la théorie du « masculin universel » : elles soulignent la dimension sociale de la grammaire et contestent ouvertement les prises de position avancées par les membres de l’Académie française et par certains journalistes. Pour elles, l’inégalité dans la langue s’inscrit dans la culture et les institutions d’un pays. Deuxième partie : « L’évolution de la question au XXe siècle » (p. 63-102). Au cours de cette période, la féminisation de la langue cesse de constituer une affaire de penseurs sociaux et devient objet d’étude de la science linguistique nouvellement fondée. Elle préoccupe d’abord les grammairiens, puis, après 1975, les linguistes féministes. Cette partie est composée de deux chapitres. Chapitre IV : « Les grammaires françaises » (p. 65-80). Ce chapitre, divisé en deux unités, porte sur un certain nombre d’essais de grammaire publiés surtout au XXe siècle. En fonction de la prise de position de leurs auteurs, deux sont les tendances principales qui se dessinent. La première unité examine, entre autres, les essais de Cyprien Ayer (1876), d’Arsène Darmsteter (1925-1926), Maurice Grevisse (1939) qui, en invoquant l’impératif du « bon usage », soit proposent la stricte utilisation du genre masculin même pour les métiers exercées par des femmes soit se limitent à inventorier les différentes formes du féminin. De ces classifications résulte une multitude d’exceptions. La deuxième unité fait état des thèses des représentants progressistes des sciences du langage (Edouard Pichon et Jacques Damourette – 1911-1927-, Ferdiand Brunot – 1909 - et Albert Dauzat - 1954) qui en tenant compte des acquis sociaux et professionnels des femmes, proposent des féminins pour rendre ces dernières visibles dans la langue. Ces spécialistes signalent surtout le rôle de frein pour la féminisation de la langue que jouent des facteurs d’ordre psychologique : notamment le désir de certaines femmes de s’identifier sur le plan de la langue au sexe masculin, ce qui automatiquement occulte leurs conquêtes professionnelles et sociales – si elle ne les remet pas en cause. Chapitre V I « La contestation du principe de la prééminence du genre masculin » (p. 81-102). Ce chapitre tente de mettre en relief le rôle important joué par les linguistes féministes dans la promotion de la parité linguistique. Leurs travaux, qui commencent à être publiés à la fin des années 1970, décennie féministe par excellence, portent surtout sur la question de la disparition du sexe féminin derrière le genre grammatical masculin, sur la dissymétrie également des règles grammaticales quant à l’accord en genre. L’analyse insiste sur les théories de trois linguistes : Marina Yaguello, Anne-Marie Houdebine-Gravaud et Edwige Kaznadhar. Celles-ci avancent l’argument que la langue est un « miroir culturel qui fixe les représentations symboliques et se fait l’écho des préjugés et des stéréotypes » ; elles soulignent ainsi la dimension sociale de la question, d’où l’importance de l’instruction et notamment de l’enseignement de la grammaire dans la construction d’identités de genre. À l’exception de Marina Yaguello, qui sur certains points adopte des positions plus conservatrices, elles mettent en cause la théorie du masculin générique et procèdent à la déstructuration de l’image sexiste du monde : elles soulignent que l’être humain n’est pas neutre, mais a un sexe, masculin ou féminin, ce qui oblige à utiliser le genre grammatical correspondant. Vu la souplesse de la langue française, elles considèrent que celle-ci peut exprimer, sans difficultés, le nouvel ordre social et politique.La troisième partie, « Vers une politique de la parité linguistique » (p. 103-149), rend compte de l’intervention des pouvoirs publics en matière de féminisation linguistique au cours des dernières décennies du XXe siècle et examine le degré d’efficacité des politiques élaborées en la matière. Cette partie est composée de deux chapitres.Le chapitre VI, « Politiques linguistiques en France et dans d’autres pays de la francophonie (p. 105-129) comprend deux unités thématiques. La première porte sur la planification et la mise en oeuvre d’une réforme linguistique en France. On y distingue deux phases. Au milieu des années 1980, est créée, à l’instigation d’Yvette Roudy, une commission de terminologie chargée, sous la présidence de l’écrivaine Benoîte Groult, de former ou de remettre en usage les féminins de noms de métier, fonction ou titres ; cette initiative s’inscrit dans le dispositif en faveur de l’égalité professionnelle : la féminisation est ainsi présentée comme un outil contre le sexisme. Elle déclenche une vive controverse entre partisans de la réforme et Académie française soutenue par une large partie de la presse. Les travaux de la commission aboutissent à la circulaire de 1986 qui ne fut pas pourtant appliquée. La valeur symbolique du texte n’en est pas moins grande. Il a fallu que la dynamique paritaire progresse pour que la réforme prenne corps, une décennie plus tard, avec la publication d’une nouvelle circulaire en 1998 : cette évolution est surtout le résultat de la pression exercée par des femmes, membres du gouvernement Jospin. La deuxième unité du présent chapitre porte sur les interinfluences entre la France et les autres régions de la francophonie concernant la question de la féminisation de la langue. La recherche effectuée montra, enfin, que la circulaire de 1986 constitua le point de référence des initiatives entreprises dans cette direction par l’Union européenne et l’Unesco. Le chapitre VII, « Bilan d’une réforme linguistique » (p. 130-149), examine les résultats de ces politiques dans le domaine de l’administration, des médias, de la lexicographie, de l’éducation. À l’exception des manuels scolaires, l’enquête enregistra des progrès importants. Plus précisément, les documents administratifs (émanant des ministères, du Parlement, du Sénat plus récemment) appliquent de manière de plus en plus systématique les règles de la syntaxe épicène et de la féminisation des noms de grade et de fonction. En ce qui concerne le domaine des médias, la langue journalistique a fini par consacrer l’emploi des substantifs féminins en cause. La lexicographie, enfin, après une phase d’hésitation lisible dans la multitude des usages proposés, passe à une autre où est bien évidente la volonté d’enregistrer, de manière claire qui ne soulève pas de doutes, des formes grammaticales qui rendent visibles les femmes dans la langue.Dans la Conclusion (p. 151-154), est tenté un bilan du long cheminement des Françaises vers la parité linguistique qui montre l’épaisseur historique de la question. Celui-ci rappelle le rôle qu’ont joué ces pionnières et pionniers – plus rares, il est vrai – dans la contestation du masculin « universel ». Leur action a mis en évidence le rapport entre la parité linguistique et politique. Même si certains noms de métier et de fonction n’ont pas encore été dotés d’une forme féminine attestée, lacune qui perpétue une image masculine du monde, le processus de visibilité des deux sexes dans la langue – « revendication fondamentale, essentielle et existentielle » - semble être désormais irréversible.Deux annexes qui éclairent certains aspects importants de la question complètent cette étude. Dans la première (p. 157-176) sont présentés trois tables de substantifs provenant des éditions successives de trois dictionnaires français (Le Petit Robert, Le Petit Larousse, le Dictionnaire de l’Académie française) et d’un dictionnaire franco-hellénique (éd. Kauffmann). Ils mettent en lumière les progrès effectués dans le domaine de la féminisation de la langue. La deuxième annexe (p. 177-195) présente un florilège de textes traduits en grec par les auteures de la présente étude : a) articles publiés dans la presse de la fin du XIXe siècle : ils restituent le débat public ouvert entre partisanes de la féminisation de la langue et tenants du statu quo linguistique ; b) l’adresse de l’Académie française au Président de la République française publiée dans Le Figaro du 9 janvier 1998 sous le titre : « L’Académie française veut laisser les ministres au masculin » ; c) enfin les textes législatifs : les circulaires de Laurent Fabius (1986) et de Lionel Jospin (1998), la Recommandation du Comité des ministres du Conseil de l’Europe « sur l’élimination du sexisme dans le langage » : ce texte recommande aux gouvernements des États-membres de prendre des mesures en faveur de l’utilisation d’un langage reflétant le principe de l’égalité des deux sexes non seulement dans les textes juridiques et administratifs mais aussi dans l’éducation.L’étude se termine par un Index des noms de personnes (p. 221-223) et une bibliographie (p. 197-220) composée d'essais de grammaire, de dictionnaires, de guides de féminisation et de rédaction non sexiste, de manuels scolaires, d'essais philosophiques, d'articles de presse, de textes législatifs et administratifs. La diversité des sources recueillies met en relief la complexité d’une question qui est loin de n’être que linguistique pour revêtir un caractère surtout politique, social et culturel.
Zahariadis T, Leligou HC, Voliotis S, Maniatis S, Trakadas P, Karkazis P. An energy and trust-aware routing protocol for large wireless sensor networks. In: WSEAS international conference on Applied informatics and communications (AIC'09). World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS). ; 2009.
Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to present the epidemiological, pathological and clinical characteristics and treatment results of Greek women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Patients and Methods: From February 1976 to December 2006, 1,791 patients had been diagnosed, treated and followed up in the participating centers of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG). Cox-regression analysis was carried out in order to identify possible prognostic factors. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 60 years. Seventy-five percent had a performance status (PS) of 0-1, 58.5% had a serous carcinoma, 36% had poorly differentiated tumors and 57% had International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III disease. Approximately half of the patients had been subjected to a total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy and omentectomy, and 80% of them had undergone optimal debulking surgery. Among 1,462 patients with advanced disease, 96% had received platinum-based chemotherapy, while platinum plus paclitaxel had been administered to two-thirds of them. Among 609 patients with known data for response, 34% had achieved a complete objective response (CR) and 30% a partial response (PR), resulting in an overall response rate (RR) of 64%. Performance status, FIGO stage and residual disease (RD) after cytoreductive surgery were the strongest prognostic factors for time-to-tumor progression (TTP) and for overall survival (OS), while age was found to be significant only for OS. The median TTP was 107 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 92-121 months) for patients with stages I-II, 17 months (95% CI, 15-18 months) for those with stages III-IV, 96 months (95% CI, 58-133 months) for patients without RD and 17 months (95% CI, 15-18 months) for those with RD. Median OS had not been reached for the patients with stages I-II, while it was 40 months (95% CI, 37-43 months) for those with stages III-IV, 141 months (95% CI, 103-179 months) for patients without RD and 42 months (95% CI, 39-45 months) for those with RD. Conclusion: There were no significant differences in patient characteristics or types of treatments administered in Greek women with EOC in comparison with those reported in the English literature.
Evaluation and treatment of pain following hip resurfacing arthroplasty can be challenging, even for the most experienced arthroplasty surgeon. As in any total hip replacement, there are a number of investigative tools at the disposal of orthopaedic surgeons to elicit the underlying causes of pain for diagnosis and treatment. A detailed history and physical examination are the most important first steps in the differential diagnosis of the intrinsic and extrinsic etiologies of hip pain. Serial radiographs from the time of surgery also should be reviewed and compared for changes indicative of loosening, migration, and osteolysis, in combination or alone. Diagnostic injections with local anesthetic agents additionally can be performed to localize the origin of pain. Bone scintigraphy, hip joint aspiration, and laboratory tests, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), should be requested routinely to exclude an occult infection. The use of ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and even hip arthroscopy has been suggested as potential diagnostic tools when metal sensitivity is suspected. Relative to cause, femoral neck fractures and the possibility of metal hypersensitivity as sources of persistent groin pain should always be considered in metal-on-metal hip resurfacing. Additionally, iliopsoas tendinopathy and anterior impingement of the femoral neck are well-recognized causes of pain and should be included in the differential diagnosis. Surface arthroplasty is becoming an acceptable alternative to standard total hip replacement in young patients. It is increasingly essential to recognize the different causes of pain following resurfacing in order to make an accurate diagnosis and initiate timely, appropriate treatment.
An apparently unambiguous combination coccosphere from the Eastern Mediterranean (Aegean Sea, Greece) is documented involving Syracosphaera protrudens Okada & McIntyre, 1977 and Syracosphaera pulchra Lohmann, 1902 HOL pirus-type. This finding is difficult to interpret in terms of the current understanding of Syracosphaera taxonomy and adds evidence to the hypothesis of a distinctly complex Syracosphaera pulchra life cycle.
The steroid hormone-regulated gene KLK4 (kallikrein 4) is a new member of the human kallikrein-related peptidase gene family. Up to date, studies report that KLK4 is differentially expressed in many tumours. The purpose of this study was the expression analysis and study of KLK4 in benign and malignant breast tumours. Total RNA was isolated from 16 benign and 45 malignant breast tissue specimens. After testing RNA quality, cDNA was prepared by reverse transcription. Highly sensitive quantitative real-time PCR method for KLK4 mRNA quantification was developed using the SYBR Green chemistry. GAPDH served as a housekeeping gene. Relative quantification analysis was performed using the comparative C(T) method 2(-DeltaDeltaC)(T) KLK4 expression was found to vary in both patients' cohorts; however, a statistically significant elevation of the KLK4 mRNA levels was observed in malignant compared to benign tumour patients. Low KLK4 expression levels were found in well-differentiated tumours (p = 0.011) as well as in stage I (p = 0.024) patients. Moreover, a statistically significant (r(s) = -0.318, p = 0.035) negative correlation between the KLK4 expression and progesterone receptor staining was observed. ROC and logistic regression analysis recommended that KLK4 gene expression may be used as a new potential biomarker in breast cancer.
Different insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) isoforms, namely IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb and IGF-1Ec (MGF), have been proposed to have various functions in muscle repair and growth. To gain insight into the potentially differential actions of IGF-1 isoforms in the regulation of muscle regeneration, we assessed the time course of their expressions at both mRNA and protein levels after exercise-induced muscle damage in humans. In addition, we characterized mature IGF-1 and synthetic MGF E peptide signalling in C2C12 myoblast-like cells in vitro. Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to exercise-induced muscle damage and biopsy samples were taken from the exercised muscles before and 6 h, 2, 5 and 16 days post exercise. Muscle damage was documented by specific functional and biochemical responses post exercise. PCR-based analyses of muscle biopsy samples revealed a rapid and transient up-regulation of MGF mRNA expression which was followed by a prolonged increase of IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Eb mRNA expression (p<0.05). Patterns similar to those for mRNA expression were detected for MGF and IGF-1Ea expression at the protein level. The action of synthetic MGF E peptide differed from that of mature IGF-1 since its proliferative effect on C2C12 myoblast-like cells was not blocked by an anti-IGF-1 receptor neutralizing antibody and it did not phosphorylate Akt. Therefore, we conclude that the differential expression profile of IGF-1 isoforms in vivo and the possible IGF-1R - independent MGF E peptide signalling in skeletal muscle-like cells in vitro support the notion that tissue-specific mRNA expression of MGF isoform produces mature IGF-1 and MGF E peptides which possibly act as distinct mitogens in skeletal muscle regeneration.
Different insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) isoforms, namely IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb and IGF-1Ec (MGF), have been proposed to have various functions in muscle repair and growth. To gain insight into the potentially differential actions of IGF-1 isoforms in the regulation of muscle regeneration, we assessed the time course of their expressions at both mRNA and protein levels after exercise-induced muscle damage in humans. In addition, we characterized mature IGF-1 and synthetic MGF E peptide signalling in C2C12 myoblast-like cells in vitro. Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to exercise-induced muscle damage and biopsy samples were taken from the exercised muscles before and 6 h, 2, 5 and 16 days post exercise. Muscle damage was documented by specific functional and biochemical responses post exercise. PCR-based analyses of muscle biopsy samples revealed a rapid and transient up-regulation of MGF mRNA expression which was followed by a prolonged increase of IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Eb mRNA expression (p<0.05). Patterns similar to those for mRNA expression were detected for MGF and IGF-1Ea expression at the protein level. The action of synthetic MGF E peptide differed from that of mature IGF-1 since its proliferative effect on C2C12 myoblast-like cells was not blocked by an anti-IGF-1 receptor neutralizing antibody and it did not phosphorylate Akt. Therefore, we conclude that the differential expression profile of IGF-1 isoforms in vivo and the possible IGF-1R - independent MGF E peptide signalling in skeletal muscle-like cells in vitro support the notion that tissue-specific mRNA expression of MGF isoform produces mature IGF-1 and MGF E peptides which possibly act as distinct mitogens in skeletal muscle regeneration.
Different insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) isoforms, namely IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb and IGF-1Ec (MGF), have been proposed to have various functions in muscle repair and growth. To gain insight into the potentially differential actions of IGF-1 isoforms in the regulation of muscle regeneration, we assessed the time course of their expressions at both mRNA and protein levels after exercise-induced muscle damage in humans. In addition, we characterized mature IGF-1 and synthetic MGF E peptide signalling in C2C12 myoblast-like cells in vitro. Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to exercise-induced muscle damage and biopsy samples were taken from the exercised muscles before and 6 h, 2, 5 and 16 days post exercise. Muscle damage was documented by specific functional and biochemical responses post exercise. PCR-based analyses of muscle biopsy samples revealed a rapid and transient up-regulation of MGF mRNA expression which was followed by a prolonged increase of IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Eb mRNA expression (p<0.05). Patterns similar to those for mRNA expression were detected for MGF and IGF-1Ea expression at the protein level. The action of synthetic MGF E peptide differed from that of mature IGF-1 since its proliferative effect on C2C12 myoblast-like cells was not blocked by an anti-IGF-1 receptor neutralizing antibody and it did not phosphorylate Akt. Therefore, we conclude that the differential expression profile of IGF-1 isoforms in vivo and the possible IGF-1R - independent MGF E peptide signalling in skeletal muscle-like cells in vitro support the notion that tissue-specific mRNA expression of MGF isoform produces mature IGF-1 and MGF E peptides which possibly act as distinct mitogens in skeletal muscle regeneration.
EXPRESSIONS OF SKILL EFFECTIVENESS THAT ARE MORE CONGRUENT WITH TEAM PERFORMANCE IN VOLLEYBALL.Kountouris. P., Laios. Y., Drikos. S., Laios. A.
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Athens
The identification and quantification of the most consequential factors in reflecting the overall team’s performance is of primary importance in every team sport. In Volleyball it is obvious that these factors should be sought within those skills that lead to either winning or losing the specific rally. The aim of the present study was to determine whether latent derivative parameters, computed from relative proportions of decisive actions that lead immediately to winning or losing the rally, can be better predictors of team’s performance in Volleyball. Data were collected over eight seasons (2000-2008) of the Greek Men’s Volleyball Championships. For each season the overall statistics for each of the twelve teams were calculated. The original independent variables were proportions of actions that immediately led to winning or losing the rally to the total number of these actions: serve aces, serve errors, kill attacks and attack errors. From these two new variables were derived: the serve efficiency ratio (SER), which is the ratio of serve errors to serve aces, and the attack efficiency ratio (AER) which is the difference between the proportion of kill attacks and attack errors. The primary dependent variable is the set ratio (SR), which is the number of sets won divided by the total number of set played by the team. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between the dependent and the independent variables. The teams were also divided into two groups: teams with SR≤0.5 and teams with SR>0.5 and the derived variables were tested with Student’s t-test. SR does not correlate with the proportion of lost serves (r=0.037), but correlates well with the proportion of serve aces (r=0.589) and even better with SER (r=-0.661). Also the correlation coefficient between the proportions of serves errors and serve aces is quite high (r=0.530). The mean value of SER for teams with SR>0.5 is 2.3±0.5, while for teams with SR≤0.5 it is 3.0±0.6 (t-test, p<0.01). SR has a significant negative correlation with the proportion of lost attacks (r=-0.694) and an even higher positive correlation coefficient with the proportion of attack kills (r=0.819). Again SR correlates best with AER (r=0.851). The mean value of AER for teams with SR≤0.5 is 29.4%±3.7%, while for teams with SR>0.5 it is 36.1%±4.6 (t-test, p<0.01). The fact that the proportion of serve errors correlates highly with the proportion of serve aces can be founded on the nearly universal trend in modern Volleyball towards jump serves. These serves certainly have higher prospects to win a serve ace, or at least to encumber the opposing team’s reception. At the same time they undoubtedly entail a higher risk of execution. Teams that did not perform well managed on the average only one serve ace per three serve errors and their AER was less than 30%, while the for the teams that performed better the SER was nearer to two and the AER was more than 35%. Therefore the overall team’s performance in Volleyball can be better predicted by quantifiable combinations of its actions with both positive and negative outcome.
The available analytical MHD models for jets, characterized by the symmetries of radial self-similarity (ADO, Analytical Disk Outflow solutions) in general have two geometrical shortcomings, a singularity at the jet axis and the non-existence of an intrinsic scale, i.e., the jets formally extend to radial infinity. The present study focuses on imposing an outer ejecting radius of the underlying accreting disk and thus providing a finite width disk-wind. The simulations are carried out using the PLUTO code. We study the time evolution of these modified analytical models and we investigate the rich parameter space and compare the results directly with observations.
The available analytical MHD models for jets, characterized by the symmetries of radial self-similarity (ADO, Analytical Disk Outflow solutions) in general have two geometrical shortcomings, a singularity at the jet axis and the non-existence of an intrinsic scale, i.e., the jets formally extend to radial infinity. The present study focuses on imposing an outer ejecting radius of the underlying accreting disk and thus providing a finite width disk-wind. The simulations are carried out using the PLUTO code. We study the time evolution of these modified analytical models and we investigate the rich parameter space and compare the results directly with observations.
BACKGROUND: Extrapyramidal signs (EPSs) are commonly accepted as a feature of Alzheimer disease (AD) and may influence both the profile of impairment and prognosis.
OBJECTIVE: To examine rates of occurrence and risk factors for all types of EPSs and to describe the impact of EPSs over time on the clinical course of AD.
DESIGN: Longitudinal study.
SETTING: The Washington Heights Hamilton Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Patients A total of 388 patients with incident AD (mean age, 79 years; 71.4% female).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Extrapyramidal signs rated by means of a standardized portion of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale; prevalence and incidence rates and cumulative risk for non-drug-induced EPSs; and rates of change in EPSs over time, taking into account potential covariates.
RESULTS: Extrapyramidal signs were detected in 12.3% of patients at first evaluation and 22.6% at last evaluation. In a multivariate-adjusted generalized estimating equation model of change, total EPS score increased at an annual rate of 1.3%. Women (relative risk [RR], 1.57; P = .03), older patients (RR, 1.03; P = .02), and those with EPSs at baseline (RR, 2.07; P = .001) had greater rates of cognitive decline.
CONCLUSIONS: Extrapyramidal signs occur frequently and progress significantly in AD. Patients with incident AD and concomitant EPSs have a greater rate of cognitive decline than do patients with incident AD but without EPSs.
We investigated whether patients who underwent internal fixation for an isolated acetabular fracture were able to return to their previous sporting activities. We studied 52 consecutive patients with an isolated acetabular fracture who were operated on between January 2001 and December 2002. Their demographic details, fracture type, rehabilitation regime, outcome and complications were documented prospectively as was their level and frequency of participation in sport both before and after surgery. Quality of life was measured using the EuroQol-5D health outcome tool (EQ-5D). There was a significant reduction in level of activity, frequency of participation in sport (both p < 0.001) and EQ-5D scores in patients of all age groups compared to a normal English population (p = 0.001). A total of 22 (42%) were able to return to their previous level of activities: 35 (67%) were able to take part in sport at some level. Of all the parameters analysed, the Matta radiological follow-up criteria were the single best predictor for resumption of sporting activity and frequency of participation.
Learning increases the survival of new cells that are generated in the hippocampal formation before the training experience, especially if the animal learns to associate stimuli across time [Gould E, Beylin A, Tanapat P, Reeves A, Shors TJ (1999) Nat Neurosci 2:260-265]. All relevant studies have been conducted on male rats, despite evidence for sex differences in this type of learning. In the present study, we asked whether sex differences in learning influence the survival of neurons generated in the adult hippocampus. Male and female adult rats were injected with one dose of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU; 200 mg/kg), to label one population of dividing cells. One week later, half of the animals were trained with a temporal learning task of trace eyeblink conditioning, while the other half were not trained. Animals were killed 1 day after training (12 days after the BrdU injection). Hippocampal tissue was stained for BrdU and a marker of immature neurons, doublecortin. Both sexes learned to emit the conditioned eyeblink response during the trace interval. As a consequence, more new neurons remained in their hippocampi than in sex-matched controls. In individual animals, the number of surviving cells correlated positively with asymptotic performance; those that expressed more learned responses retained more new neurons. However, animals that learned very well retained even more new cells if they required many trials to do so. Because females emitted more learned responses than males did, they retained nearly twice as many new cells per unit volume of tissue. This effect was most evident in the ventral region of the hippocampal formation. Thus, sex differences in learning alter the anatomical structure of the hippocampus. As a result, male and female brains continue to differentiate in adulthood.
In order to single out dominant phenomena that account for carrier-controlled magnetism in p-Cd1-xMnxTe quantum wells we have carried out magneto-optical measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of time-dependent magnetization. The experimental results show that magnetization relaxation is faster than 20 ns in the paramagnetic state. Decreasing temperature below the Curie temperature TC results in an increase of the relaxation time but to less than 10 μs. This fast relaxation may explain why the spontaneous spin splitting of electronic states is not accompanied by the presence of nonzero macroscopic magnetization below TC. Our Monte Carlo results reproduce the relative change of the relaxation time on decreasing temperature. At the same time, the numerical calculations demonstrate that antiferromagnetic spin-spin interactions, which compete with the hole-mediated long-range ferromagnetic coupling, play an important role in magnetization relaxation of the system. We find, in particular, that magnetization dynamics is largely accelerated by the presence of antiferromagnetic couplings to the Mn spins located outside the region, where the holes reside. This suggests that macroscopic spontaneous magnetization should be observable if the thickness of the layer containing localized spins will be smaller than the extension of the hole wave function. Furthermore, we study how a spin-independent part of the Mn potential affects TC. Our findings show that the alloy disorder potential tends to reduce TC, the effect being particularly strong for the attractive potential that leads to hole localization.
The magnetic state of nitrogen-doped MgO, with N substituting O at concentrations between 1% and the concentrated limit, is calculated with density-functional methods. The N atoms are found to be spin polarized with a moment of 1 mu(B) per nitrogen atom and to interact ferromagnetically via the double-exchange mechanism in the full concentration range. The long-range magnetic order is established above a finite concentration of about 1.5% when the percolation threshold is reached. The disorder is described within the coherent-potential approximation, with the exchange interactions harvested by the method of infinitesimal rotations. The Curie temperature T-C, calculated within the random-phase approximation, increases linearly with the concentration, and is found to be about 30 K for 10% concentration. Besides the substitution of single nitrogen atoms, also interstitial nitrogen atoms, dimers and trimers, and their structural relaxations are discussed with respect to the magnetic state. Possible scenarios of engineering a higher Curie temperature are analyzed, with the conclusion that an increase in T-C is difficult to achieve, requiring a particular attention to the choice of chemistry.
This paper provides evidence of integration in European equity and bond markets over the period January 2, 1997 to October 1, 2006. Our focus is to examine time-varying correlation dynamics in Euro-area, Central European (CE) and Balkan financial markets, modifying the asymmetric generalized dynamic conditional correlation (AG-DCC) model developed by Cappiello, Engle and Sheppard (Journal of Financial Econometrics, 2006). Using structural breaks, we identify the optimal time decay where financial markets share highest comovement. The results show an increase in the level of dependence during the period of the internet bubble collapse (2000), the Balkan countries start formally discussions to join European Union (2000), the introduction of Euro banknotes and coins (2002) and the entry of CE countries in EU (2004). The CE European and Balkan countries become gradually more integrated with the EMU countries, which is consistent with the interpretation that these countries may be expected to join the Euro in the future.
We hypothesised that the use of bioabsorbable pins in Mitchell's osteotomy would improve the outcome of patients treated for hallux valgus deformity. A total of 68 patients underwent Mitchell's osteotomy to correct hallux valgus deformity: 33 patients (group A) underwent Mitchell's osteotomy augmented with bioabsorbable pins and 35 patients were treated with the classic operative procedure (group B). Hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal scale and the visual analogue score (VAS) for pain were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups as far as the improvement of the IMA, HVA and AOFAS scale were concerned. Patients of group A had significantly less postoperative pain and returned to their previous activities earlier than patients of group B. The use of the pins did not improve the final outcome of the osteotomy. However, it allowed for faster rehabilitation due to less postoperative pain.
Karlovassi basin area has been studied for long period by the team from University of Athens. This area suffers from frequent floods which frequency even raised after large area of forests in Kerketeas Mountain area was burned down in year 2000. In recent period the area has been studied from the point of view of flood risk. High volume of data was collected and processed as an input to the flood risk model. The model was built using Arc Hydro toolset in ArcGIS environment (Maidment, 2002). Based on this model a GIS based flood risk map was created. In order to get more detail description of rainfall-runoff process a decision has been made to apply hydrologic model which works with more detail description of runoff process. For these purposes fully HEC-1 model (Hydrologic Engineering Center, 1998) was chosen. HEC-1 describes runoff process with semi-distributed approach. Results for modeling of precipitation event from November 2001 are presented here.
OBJECTIVE: Fluctuating dental asymmetry is considered a sensitive indicator of environmental stress. We used fluctuating asymmetry of teeth in Greek children to assess the effect of the Chernobyl accident to the Greek population, which received relatively large radiation exposure compared to other European countries.
DESIGN: Sixty dental casts were divided into two groups according to date of birth prior to or after the Chernobyl accident. The intercuspal distances of the mandibular first permanent molars were measured with digital calipers. We followed the data analysis procedure proposed by Palmer and Strobeck (2003).
RESULTS: Fluctuating asymmetry was found at levels above measurement error in all traits except for the buccal measurement. Overall, there were no significant differences in the fluctuating asymmetry between the two groups, after removal of outliers.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that environmental radioactivity from the Chernobyl incident did not significantly affect the symmetry of lower permanent molar intercuspal distances in the specific population, even though increased levels of radionuclides have been reported in teeth and other tissues.
Georgiafentis M. Focusing devices in English and Greek. Selected Papers from the 18th International Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. 2009:145-155.
The elaboration of analytical microzoning studies involves a multidisciplinary approach comprising geological, geotechnical, seismological, geophysical and dynamic soil analysis data. In an attempt to incorporate the maximum available amount of information and in the view of the continuously expanding use of GIS, as a tool for analyzing and integrating data, a new software environment called AUTO-SEISMO-GEOTECH has been developed for handling these multi-parameter data. This user friendly package is presently implemented for the cities of Heraklion (Crete island- province of Heraklion) and Thiva (province of Viotia) in Greece. The pilot methodologies applied in these urban areas, aimed also at determining a minimum package of tasks/methods needed for the elaboration of a microzoning study, are described and evaluated here. Next, a database with appropriate architecture was formed in order to handle all available geo-information for each city separately and produce thematic maps, such as geological, tectonic, hydrogeological, seismic hazard and microzonation ones. These maps can be easily reproduced, integrated and used for building safer constructions contributing so to mitigation of earthquake consequences. Geo-information obtained by a) existing regional seismicity maps and installation of local portable seismographic networks around both cities, to monitor the microseismic activity and define possible active fault zones, b) geological mapping of the broader urban area in scale 1:5000, c) evaluation of existing geotechnical data as well as new data coming from boreholes, d) geophysical data resulting from surface and borehole techniques, for Vp, Vs and dynamic elastic parameters estimation and e) consideration of historical seismological data for seismic hazard estimation, have been incorporated in this GIS based platform, to be easily handled for further use. The output of this information combined with the dynamic soil analysis produces detailed microzonation maps. Such maps are valuable for city planners and urban designers.
We explore the use of fractional order differential equations for the analysis of datasets of various drug processes that present anomalous kinetics, i.e. kinetics that are non-exponential and are typically described by power-laws. A fractional differential equation corresponds to a differential equation with a derivative of fractional order. The fractional equivalents of the ``zero-{''} and ``first-order{''} processes are derived. The fractional zero-order process is a power-law while the fractional first-order process is a Mittag-Leffler function. The latter behaves as a stretched exponential for early times and as a power-law for later times. Applications of these two basic results for drug dissolution/release and drug disposition are presented. The fractional model of dissolution is fitted successfully to datasets taken from literature of in vivo dissolution curves. Also, the proposed pharmacokinetic model is fitted to a dataset which exhibits power-law terminal phase. The Mittag-Leffler function describes well the data for small and large time scales and presents an advantage over empirical power-laws which go to infinity as time approaches zero. The proposed approach is compared conceptually with fractal kinetics, an alternative approach to describe datasets with non exponential kinetics. Fractional kinetics offers an elegant description of anomalous kinetics, with a valid scientific basis, since it has already been applied in problems of diffusion in other fields, and describes well the data.
(2009). Goggaki, Konstantina. Assistant Professor in Philosophy of Sport, University of Athens, Greece.The fragmented nature of physical education and sport in European schools is a cause in the decline in interest of youth sport.XIII OLYMPIC CONGRESS, Contributions, International Olympic Committee, Copenhagen, pp. 634-635.Sport is not an integral part of mainstream education in mostEuropean schools and as a result is inadequate as an education tool. Gymnastics for example, is an activity that is practically devoid of pedagogical content and is reduced to being a secondary activity that is not connected to the overall educational process. The modern school system does not have real substance and absorbs the students’ leisure time through the implementation of a static curriculum. How can this situation be changed? In what way can the Olympic family intervene in a case which seems to be the sole responsibility of governments? And how can this intervention be effective? There is much more that needs to be done in this area.
Skin prick testing is the standard for diagnosing IgE-mediated allergies. However, different allergen extracts and different testing procedures have been applied by European allergy centres. Thus, it has been difficult to compare results from different centres or studies across Europe. It was, therefore, crucial to standardize and harmonize procedures in allergy diagnosis and treatment within Europe.|The Global Asthma and Allergy European Network (GA(2)LEN), with partners and collaborating centres across Europe, was in a unique position to take on this task. The current study is the first approach to implement a standardized procedure for skin prick testing in allergies against inhalant allergens with a standardized pan-European allergen panel.|The study population consisted of patients who were referred to one of the 17 participating centres in 14 European countries (n = 3034, median age = 33 years). Skin prick testing and evaluation was performed with the same 18 allergens in a standardized procedure across all centres.|The study clearly shows that many allergens previously regarded as untypical for some regions in Europe have been underestimated. This could partly be related to changes in mobility of patients, vegetation or climate in Europe.|The results of this large pan-European study demonstrate for the first time sensitization patterns for different inhalant allergens in patients across Europe. The standardized skin prick test with the standardized allergen battery should be recommended for clinical use and research. Further EU-wide monitoring of sensitization patterns is urgently needed.
Skin prick testing is the standard for diagnosing IgE-mediated allergies. A positive skin prick reaction, however, does not always correlate with clinical symptoms. A large database from a Global Asthma and Allergy European Network (GA(2)LEN) study with data on clinical relevance was used to determine the clinical relevance of sensitizations against the 18 most frequent inhalant allergens in Europe. The study population consisted of patients referred to one of the 17 allergy centres in 14 European countries (n = 3034, median age = 33 years). The aim of the study was to assess the clinical relevance of positive skin prick test reactions against inhalant allergens considering the predominating type of symptoms in a pan-European population of patients presenting with suspected allergic disease.|Clinical relevance of skin prick tests was recorded with regard to patient history and optional additional tests. A putative correlation between sensitization and allergic disease was assessed using logistic regression analysis.|While an overall rate of >or=60% clinically relevant sensitizations was observed in all countries, a differential distribution of clinically relevant sensitizations was demonstrated depending on type of allergen and country where the prick test was performed. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the presence of allergic disease and the number of sensitizations was demonstrated.|This study strongly emphasizes the importance of evaluating the clinical relevance of positive skin prick tests and calls for further studies, which may, ultimately, help increase the positive predictive value of allergy testing.
The number of allergens to be tested in order to identify sensitized patients is important in order to have the most cost-effective approach in epidemiological studies.|To define the minimal number and the type of skin prick test (SPT) allergens required to identify a patient as sensitized using results of the new Pan-European GA(2)LEN skin prick test study.|In a large Pan-European multicenter (17 centers in 14 countries) patient based study, a standardized panel of 18 allergens has been prick tested using a standardized procedure. Conditional approach allowed to determine the allergens selection.|Among the 3034 patients involved, 1996 (68.2%) were sensitized to at least one allergen. Overall, eight allergens (grass pollen, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, birch pollen, cat dander, Artemisia, olive pollen, Blatella and Alternaria) allowed to identified more than 95% of sensitized subjects. However, differences were observed between countries, two allergens being sufficient for Switzerland (grass pollen and cat dander) as opposed to nine for France (grass pollen, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, olive pollen, cat dander, Blatella, cypress, dog dander, alder and [Artemisia or Alternaria]). According to country, up to 13 allergens were needed to identify all sensitized subjects.|Eight to ten allergens allowed the identification of the majority of sensitized subjects. For clinical care of individual patients, the whole battery of 18 allergens is needed to appropriately assess sensitization across Europe.
The upper Miocene of Karlovassi Basin, Samos Island, Greece, contain continental evaporites such as colemanite, ulexite, celestite, gypsum and thenardite. These evaporites are related with volcanic tuffs, diagenetically altered in a saline-alkaline lake environment. The aim of the present paper is to: a) define the impact of the already known and possible buried borates and other evaporites to the geochemistry of the hydrogeological system of Karlovassi Basin, and; b) to assess the correlation between surface and underground evaporite deposits considering the spatial changes in the concentrations of the examined physicochemical parameters. Fieldwork, laboratory measurements and literature data revealed elevated boron values (2136–33012 ⧎/L) in the central part of Karlovassi Basin. In the same area, high amounts of strontium, sodium, lithium and sulfates also occur. It is proposed that these ions originate from the leaching of evaporites and authigenic minerals such as the Sr-rich clinoptilolite and the boron-bearing potassium feldspar. Boron values are abnormally high for freshwater aquifers, and are indicative of the presence of buried evaporites in the basin with unknown significance.
INTRODUCTION: Cervical vertebrae shape has been proposed as a diagnostic factor for assessing skeletal maturation in orthodontic patients. However, evaluation of vertebral shape is mainly based on qualitative criteria. Comprehensive quantitative measurements of shape and assessments of its predictive power have not been reported. Our aims were to measure vertebral shape by using the tools of geometric morphometrics and to evaluate the correlation and predictive power of vertebral shape on skeletal maturation.
METHODS: Pretreatment lateral cephalograms and corresponding hand-wrist radiographs of 98 patients (40 boys, 58 girls; ages, 8.1-17.7 years) were used. Skeletal age was estimated from the hand-wrist radiographs. The first 4 vertebrae were traced, and 187 landmarks (34 fixed and 153 sliding semilandmarks) were used. Sliding semilandmarks were adjusted to minimize bending energy against the average of the sample. Principal components analysis in shape and form spaces was used for evaluating shape patterns. Shape measures, alone and combined with centroid size and age, were assessed as predictors of skeletal maturation.
RESULTS: Shape alone could not predict skeletal maturation better than chronologic age. The best prediction was achieved with the combination of form space principal components and age, giving 90% prediction intervals of approximately 200 maturation units in the girls and 300 units in the boys. Similar predictive power could be obtained by using centroid size and age. Vertebrae C2, C3, and C4 gave similar results when examined individually or combined. C1 showed lower correlations, signifying lower integration with hand-wrist maturation.
CONCLUSIONS: Vertebral shape is strongly correlated to skeletal age but does not offer better predictive value than chronologic age.
Vassilopoulos A, Evelpidou N, Chartidou K, de Figueiredo T, Mauro F, Tecim V, Vassilopoulos A. Geomorphological evolution of Santorini. In: Evelpidou N EU Natural Heritage from East to West . Springer; 2009. pp. 1-14.Abstract
Santorini is an island of the Aegean Sea that belongs to the Prefecture of Cyclades. It is located southern of Ios Island and, along with Anafi, these are the southernmost islands of the Cyclades. Santorini is composed of Thera, with a crescent shape, and the islands of Therassia and Aspro (Aspronisi) in a circle. In the centre of the circle lies the caldera, which was formed by a volcanic eruption (or eruptions) and the simultaneous collapse of a part of the island. Santorini caldera is one biggest of the world, covering an area of approx. 83 km2, with a length of 11 km (N–S) and a width of 7.5 km (E–W). The volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palaia Kameni have formed within the caldera. Nowadays Santorini is a volcanic island that belongs to the Aegean volcanic arc and, with its fumaroles, gases and a high temperature, is the only active volcano in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Με αφορμή την επέτειο των 120 χρόνων από τη γέννηση του αυστριακού ποιητή Georg Trakl το Τμήμα Γερμανικής Γλώσσας και Φιλολογίας του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών, σε συνεργασία με την αυστριακή πρεσβεία στην Αθήνα, διοργάνωσε ημερίδα για τον ποιητή (24 Νοεμβρίου 2007), με τη συμμετοχή του διευθυντή του Κέντρου Ερευνών Georg Trakl (Trakl Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte) κ. Hans Weichselbaum. Η εκδήλωση εντάχθηκε στους εορτασμούς για τα 170 χρόνια από την ίδρυση του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών. Από πλευράς του Τμήματος Γερμανικής Γλώσσας και Φιλολογίας την επιστημονική-οργανωτική επιτροπή αποτέλεσαν η Κατερίνα Μητραλέξη και η Εύη Πετροπούλου, οι οποίες επιμελήθηκαν στη συνέχεια την έκδοση των πρακτικών του συνεδρίου.
Οι εισηγήσεις ανέδειξαν σημαντικές πτυχές του ποιητικού έργου του Georg Trakl, εισηγητή του εξπρεσιονισμού στην αυστριακή λογοτεχνία, ο οποίος συγκαταλέγεται ανάμεσα στις εμβληματικές μορφές της ευρωπαϊκής νεωτερικότητας. Ο τόμος συμπεριλαμβάνει τις έντεκα εισηγήσεις, οι οποίες ανίχνευσαν: τις καταβολές του ποιητή που εντοπίζονται στη Βιεννέζικη Πρωτοπορία (1910) και την πορεία του προς τον λογοτεχνικό μοντερνισμό (Hans Weischelbaum)· τους συσχετισμούς ανάμεσα στη λογοτεχνία και τη ζωγραφική στο πλαίσιο του καλλιτεχνικού ρεύματος του εξπρεσιονισμού (Willi Benning)· τις εικόνες εκείνες στο ποιητικό του έργο που χαρακτηρίζονται από τη διαλεκτική μιας επίκλησης του θείου μέσω της άρνησής του και ως εκ τούτου μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν αντιπροσωπευτικά για τον λανθάνοντα μυστικισμό της λογοτεχνίας της νεωτερικότητας (Stefan Lindinger)· τη σημασιολογία της μικρής, αόριστης αλλά πολυσήμαντης λέξης «ίσως» στο ποιητικό έργο διαπιστώνοντας ότι αναδεικνύεται σε μείζονα ποιητικό όρο για το λυρικό σύμπαν του ποιητή (Joachim Theisen)· την έντονη διακειμενικότητα που εμφανίζεται στο έργο του ποιητή (Εύη Πετροπούλου)· την ποιητική του Georg Trakl ως όρο για τη μετάφραση του έργου του, καταλήγοντας στη διαπίστωση ότι αναγκαία προϋπόθεση για την απόδοση του έργου είναι μια μεταφραστική εργασία ανοιχτή προς το αινιγματικό (Έλενα Νούσια)· το ρόλο του αστικού τοπίου και της υπαίθρου στην ιδιότυπα εξπρεσιονιστική ποίηση του Trakl (Γιώργος Κεντρωτής)· την αναφορά στο μύθο του Ορφέα ως ψηλάφηση των ορίων της γλώσσας και της σχέσης της με τον χρόνο και τη μνήμη, με την ταυτότητα και τον έρωτα, την παρακμή και τον θάνατο, και τις εκφάνσεις του στην ποίηση του εξπρεσιονισμού και εμφατικά στην ποίηση του Trakl (Κατερίνα Καρακάση)· τις ελληνικές μεταφράσεις της ποίησης του Trakl αντιπαραβάλλοντας τις μεταφραστικές εκδοχές τεσσάρων μεταφραστών, του Δημήτρη Δήμου, 1983, του Ανδρέα Αγγελάκη, 1984, της Έλενας Νούσια, 1990, και του Μιχάλη Παπαντωνόπουλου, 2005 (Αναστασία Δασκαρόλη)· την πρόσληψη του έργου του Georg Trakl στην Ελλάδα στο πλαίσιο της πρόσληψης του γερμανικού εξπρεσιονισμού και τις επιδράσεις στην ποίηση του Νίκου Εγγονόπουλου, του Μίλτου Σαχτούρη και της Έλενας Νούσια (Κατερίνα Μητραλέξη)· τη σχέση της ποίησης του Trakl με τη ζωγραφική του Egon Schiele με απώτερο στόχο την ανάδειξη των σημαντικότερων όψεων του αυστριακού εξπρεσιονισμού (Αναστασία Αντωνοπούλου).
We construct the holonomy groupoid of any singular foliation. In the regular case this groupoid coincides with the usual holonomy groupoid of Winkelnkemper ([H. E. Winkelnkemper, The graph of a foliation, Ann. Glob. Anal. Geom. 1 (3) (1983), 51–75.]); the same holds in the singular cases of [J. Pradines, How to define the differentiable graph of a singular foliation, C. Top. Geom. Diff. Cat. XXVI(4) (1985), 339–381.], [B. Bigonnet, J. Pradines, Graphe d'un feuilletage singulier, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 300 (13) (1985), 439–442.], [C. Debord, Local integration of Lie algebroids, Banach Center Publ. 54 (2001), 21–33.], [C. Debord, Holonomy groupoids of singular foliations, J. Diff. Geom. 58 (2001), 467–500.], which from our point of view can be thought of as being “almost regular”. In the general case, the holonomy groupoid can be quite an ill behaved geometric object. On the other hand it often has a nice longitudinal smooth structure. Nonetheless, we use this groupoid to generalize to the singular case Connes' construction of the C*-algebra of the foliation. We also outline the construction of a longitudinal pseudo-differential calculus; the analytic index of a longitudinally elliptic operator takes place in the K-theory of our C*-algebra.
In our construction, the key notion is that of a bi-submersion which plays the role of a local Lie groupoid defining the foliation. Our groupoid is the quotient of germs of these bi-submersions with respect to an appropriate equivalence relation.
This case report describes the treatment of a patient whose maxillary left first premolar was impacted horizontally, and both maxillary canines were transposed relative to the first premolars. The patient was treated without extractions, and both canines were brought to their correct positions in the maxillary arch. Treatment mechanics during the various stages are discussed.
