Publications

A discrimination of the different aerosol types over the Arabian Sea (AS) during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-06) is made using values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm (AOD500) and Ångström exponent (α) in the spectral band 340-1020 nm (α340-1020). For this purpose, appropriate thresholds for AOD500 and α340-1020 are applied. It is shown that a single aerosol type in a given location over the AS can exist only under specific conditions while the presence of mixed aerosols is the usual situation. Analysis indicates that the dominant aerosol types change significantly in the different regions (coastal, middle, and far) of AS. Thus the urban/industrial aerosols are mainly observed in coastal AS, the desert dust particles occur in the middle and northern AS, while clear maritime conditions mainly occur in far AS. Spectral AOD and Ångström exponent data were analyzed to obtain information about the adequacy of the simple use of the Ångström exponent and spectral variation of a for characterizing the aerosols. Using the least squares method, α is calculated in the spectral interval 340-1020 nm along with the coefficients a1 and a2 of the second-order polynomial fit to the plotted logarithm of AOD versus the logarithm of wavelength. The results show that the spectral curvature can effectively be used as a tool for their discrimination, since the fine mode aerosols exhibit negative curvature, while the coarse mode particles exhibit positive curvature. The correlation between the coefficients a1 and a2 with the Ångström exponent, and the atmospheric turbidity, is further investigated. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

A discrimination of the different aerosol types over the Arabian Sea (AS) during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-06) is made using values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm (AOD500) and Ångström exponent (α) in the spectral band 340-1020 nm (α340-1020). For this purpose, appropriate thresholds for AOD500 and α340-1020 are applied. It is shown that a single aerosol type in a given location over the AS can exist only under specific conditions while the presence of mixed aerosols is the usual situation. Analysis indicates that the dominant aerosol types change significantly in the different regions (coastal, middle, and far) of AS. Thus the urban/industrial aerosols are mainly observed in coastal AS, the desert dust particles occur in the middle and northern AS, while clear maritime conditions mainly occur in far AS. Spectral AOD and Ångström exponent data were analyzed to obtain information about the adequacy of the simple use of the Ångström exponent and spectral variation of a for characterizing the aerosols. Using the least squares method, α is calculated in the spectral interval 340-1020 nm along with the coefficients a1 and a2 of the second-order polynomial fit to the plotted logarithm of AOD versus the logarithm of wavelength. The results show that the spectral curvature can effectively be used as a tool for their discrimination, since the fine mode aerosols exhibit negative curvature, while the coarse mode particles exhibit positive curvature. The correlation between the coefficients a1 and a2 with the Ångström exponent, and the atmospheric turbidity, is further investigated. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) seropositivity in sustained virological response (SVR) rates in treatment-naïve, chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with high pretreatment viral load (>800000 IU/mL). METHODS: 185 consecutive CHC patients (14.4% cirrhotics, 70.2% prior intravenous drug users) treated with pegylated interferon-a2b plus ribavirin, for 24 or 48 weeks based on viral genotype, were retrospectively analyzed. SVR was confirmed by undetectable serum HCV-RNA six months after the end of treatment schedule. RESULTS: Thirty percent of CHC/HBsAg-negative patients were anti-HBc-positive. Anti-HBc positivity was more prevalent in cirrhotic, compared to noncirrhotic patients (76.9% versus 19.5%, P < .05). Serum HBV-DNA was detected in the minority of anti-HBc-positive patients (1.97%). Overall, 62.1% of patients exhibited SVR, while 28.6% did not; 71.4% of non-SVRs were infected with genotype 1. In the univariate analysis, the anti-HBc positivity was negatively associated with treatment outcome (P = .065). In the multivariate model, only the advanced stage of liver disease (P = .015) and genotype-1 HCV infection (P = .003), but not anti-HBc-status (P = .726), proved to be independent predictors of non-SVR. CONCLUSION: Serum anti-HBc positivity does not affect the SVR rates in treatment-naïve CHC patients with high pretreatment viral load, receiving the currently approved combination treatment.

BACKGROUND: The effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease remains uncertain. Therefore, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine the influence of HIV-HBV coinfection on AIDS development and overall mortality. Moreover, our results were added to those of previous studies in a literature-based meta-analysis. METHODS: Serum samples obtained from HIV-seropositive patients from 1984 through 2003 were retrospectively tested for hepatitis B surface antigen. Multivariable analyses were performed using Poisson and logistic regression models. For meta-analytic purposes, eligible articles were identified and relevant data were abstracted. Pooled estimates of effect were calculated applying fixed and random effects models. RESULTS: The prevalence of chronic HBV infection (documented hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity for >6 months) among 1729 HIV-positive patients was approximately 6%. The multivariable analyses in our primary study revealed no significant impact of concomitant HIV-HBV infection on progression to AIDS and all-cause mortality. However, a meta-analysis performed on data from 12,382 patients enrolled in 11 studies revealed a significant effect of HIV-HBV coinfection on overall mortality (pooled effect estimate, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.64). The increased rate of death among coinfected individuals was observed in the meta-analyses of studies conducted both before (pooled effect estimate, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.39) and after (pooled effect estimate, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.60) commencement of highly active antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-HBV coinfection seems to affect all-cause mortality, and strategies to reduce liver damage in patients coinfected with HIV and HBV are justified.

OBJECTIVES: The evaluation of a service-oriented prototype implementation for healthcare interoperability. METHODS: A prototype framework was developed, aiming to exploit the use of service-oriented architecture (SOA) concepts for achieving healthcare interoperability and to move towards a virtual patient record (VPR) paradigm. The prototype implementation was evaluated for its hypothetical adoption. The evaluation strategy was based on the initial proposition of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems (IS) success [1], as modeled by Iivari [2]. A set of SOA and VPR characteristics were empirically encapsulated within the dimensions of IS success model, combined with measures from previous research works. The data gathered was analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). RESULTS: The results highlighted that system quality is a partial predictor of system use but not of user satisfaction. On the contrary, information quality proved to be a significant predictor of user satisfaction and partially a strong significant predictor of system use. Moreover, system use did not prove to be a significant predictor of individual impact whereas the bi-directional relation between use and user satisfaction did not confirm. Additionally, user satisfaction was found to be a strong significant predictor of individual impact. Finally, individual impact proved to be a strong significant predictor of organizational impact. CONCLUSIONS: The empirical study attempted to obtain hypothetical, but still useful beliefs and perceptions regarding the SOA prototype implementation. The deduced observations can form the basis for further investigation regarding the adaptability of SOA implementations with VPR characteristics in the healthcare domain.

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the eastern Mediterranean teleconnection pattern (EMP) on the present and future climate of the eastern Mediterranean during winter. For the present climate, daily precipitation and maximum and minimum surface temperature station data are employed for the period of 1958-2003. For the future climate, datasets of the same parameters are derived from the Hadley Centre Regional Climatic Model (HadRM3P) for the period of 2070-2100, using two Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission scenarios for the evolvement of the future atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. The investigation of the impact was based on the regularized canonical correlation analysis (RCCA), while qualitative estimations were performed for each phase of the pattern. It was found that the pattern indeed affects the mean winter patterns of temperature, precipitation, and their extreme events with inverse impacts between the two phases. More specifically, a positive phase of EMP is associated with a decrease in temperatures and an increase in precipitation, while the opposite occurs during the negative phase of EMP. In the future, the present impact according to each phase persists and intensifies in most of the cases. However, results are quite different between the two scenarios, because of the different estimated future shift of the EMP poles. © 2009 American Meteorological Society.

When the novel agents thalidomide, bortezomib and lenalidomide are administered to patients with myeloma in the context of clinical trials, they are associated with a significant improvement in response, progression-free survival and in some studies, overall survival (OS); however, their effect on the outcome of unselected myeloma patients has not been fully assessed. We compared the outcome of 1376 unselected patients with symptomatic myeloma, who started treatment before or after the introduction of thalidomide. The median OS in patients who started treatment after the introduction of novel agents increased by 12 months (48 vs 36 months, P<0.001). This improvement was more pronounced in patients ≤70 years (from 39 to 74 months, P<0.001), but less evident in patients >70 years (from 26 to 33 months, P=0.27). In patients treated after the introduction of novel agents, the international staging system (ISS) could discriminate three groups with significantly different outcomes (5-year survival for ISS stage I, II and III was 66, 45 and 18%, respectively, P<0.001). ISS was also valid in patients who actually received upfront treatment with novel drugs (4-year survival rate was 85, 61 and 26% for ISS stage I, II and III patients, P=0.001).

This articles presents a rare case of accidental insertion of an intravascular catheter into an artery by an experienced nurse (RN). Due to the patient's hypotension, this faulty positioning was misdiagnosed and a potential peripheral ischemic necrosis was, fortunately, avoided only because the anesthesia drug injection was performed through another vein. Clinical signs were also present but were also underestimated. After intra-arterial confirmation of the incorrect position, the catheter was subsequently removed. No further complications were observed.

Background: New cases of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) are diagnosed more frequently worldwide. We investigated trends and differences in clinical and histological characteristics of new DTC cases presenting in one large center. Methods: During the last 34 years 852 follicular cell-derived DTC cases (83% papillary [PTC], 17% follicular [FTC] carcinoma) presented in the Endocrine Unit of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics in Alexandra Hospital (18.8% men, mean age 42.4±14.5 years). Patients were classified in three period groups according to year of diagnosis: period 1, 1963-1982; period 2, 1983-1992; and period 3, 1993-2007. We recorded the histological type, age at diagnosis, and, in period 3, the type of pre-existing thyroid disease, the stage, and tumor size. Results: During periods 1, 2, and 3, the mean age at diagnosis was 37.7±12.3, 42.4±14.53, and 44.1±14.9 years (p=0.001), respectively, and the male to female ratio was similar. The prevalence of FTC was 22.7%, 28.1%, and 6.5%, respectively. In period 3, 51.6% of the PTCs were microcarcinomas (microPTC) ≤10mm; these patients tended to be older (p=0.09). Microcarcinomas were more frequent among patients operated for pre-existing multinodular goiter (MNG) or prominent hot nodule compared to pre-existing single cold nodule (p<0.001, Pearson χ2). In period 3, 88% of the microPTC diagnoses were incidental. Of the incidental microPTCs detected in MNG, 25% had capsular invasion, 4.5% had lymph node involvement, and 3.6% had soft tissue involvement. Conclusions: We hypothesize that the prevalence of FTC during the last decade in our center in Greece was very low due to correction of iodine deficiency and a relative increase in the prevalence of microPTC. More than 50% of PTC diagnosed during the last decade were microPTCs that were detected incidentally in older persons with preexisting MNG or a prominent hot nodule. This is one of the highest, if not the highest percentage of microPTCs that were incidentally detected. Despite many of these having features of invasiveness, most appear to remain clinically silent. Research is needed to identify factors predisposing microPTCs to evolve from a subclinical to a clinically apparent form. © 2009 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

In this study, an assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in the Athens Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) offices of Hellinicon building complex, which is mechanically ventilated, is presented. Measurements of PM 10, PM 2.5, TVOCs and CO 2 concentrations were performed during three experimental cycles, while the Thom Discomfort Index was calculated to describe the employees’ feeling of discomfort. The aim of the first cycle was to identify the IAQ status, the second to investigate the effectiveness of certain measures taken, and the third to continuously monitor and control IAQ. During the first two cycles, daily spot measurements of TVOCs and CO 2 were performed at various indoor locations and at the respective outdoor air intake positions, in addition with mean 24-h spot measurements of indoor PM 10 and PM 2.5. Results revealed that pollution levels vary according to the occupancy and the kind of activity. Following that, an automated system (IMAS) was designed and employed to continuously monitor indoor and outdoor CO 2, TVOCs, temperature and relative humidity. The ultimate scope was to control the IAQ and offer acceptable comfort conditions to the employees, whose work is of special nature and extremely demanding. Intervention scenarios were formulated and applied to the system to improve indoor conditions, when and where necessary. Regarding the third cycle, 1-year measurements collected from the system to examine its effectiveness. While it was shown that discomfort may be attributed to co-existence of unsatisfactory thermal comfort conditions and IAQ, usually the sole predominant factor of discomfort feeling is thermal comfort. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.

Primary penile tuberculosis associated with bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy is described in a previously healthy 10-month old infant, who had been circumcised in Pakistan 4 months earlier. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected by acid fast stain, PCR and culture in specimens obtained from the penile ulcer and the excised inguinal lymph nodes.

AIM: In order to assess the effect of osteoporosis on healing time, the files of 165 patients with femoral shaft fractures that were treated in our institution with locked-reamed intramedullary nailing were retrospectively reviewed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with open fractures, pathological fractures, revision surgery, severe brain injuries and prolonged ITU stay were excluded. In all patients the Singh-index score for osteoporosis and the canal bone ratio (CBR) were assigned. Sixty-six patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups; group A (29 patients) consisted of patients over 65 years old with radiological evidence of osteoporosis and group B (37 patients) of patients between 18 and 40 years old with no signs of osteoporosis. RESULTS: In all group A patients Singh score < or =4 and CBR>0.50 were assigned, suggesting the presence of osteoporosis, whereas all group B patients were assigned with Singh score > or =5 and CBR<0.48. Fractures of group A healed in 19.38+/-5.9 weeks (12-30) and in group B 16.19+/-5.07 weeks (10-28), P=0.02. CONCLUSIONS: Fracture healing of nailed femoral diaphyseal fractures is significantly delayed in older osteoporotic patients. Further studies are required to clarify the exact impact of osteoporosis in the whole healing process.

{cis-[Ru(bpy)2(Ln)]Cl2 (n = 1, L 1 = 4-carboxy-2-(2′-pyridyl)quinoline (2); n = 2

Objective: Modulating effects of genetic and environmental risk factors on severity of human abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) tissue inflammation remain unclear. We investigated the influence of total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) and traditional atherosclerotic risk factors (ARF) on degree of AAA tissue inflammation. Methods: Aneurysm specimens were obtained from 89 male patients aged 52 to 83 years, underwent asymptomatic not ruptured AAA (mean diameter 5.5 cm) open repair and graded for degree of histologic inflammation. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the association of tHcy and ARF, with degree of inflammation. Results: Current cigarette smoking, odds ratio (OR) 4.4, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 15.2, P =.01 and no other ARF, neither tHcy levels OR 0.9 (0.9-1.02), P =.2 were associated with high-grade tissue inflammation. Conclusion: These results provide evidence against a major effect of tHcy levels on AAA tissue inflammation, while current cigarette smoking is a significant modulating factor.

Several imaging technologies are used for the diagnosis and management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine imaging are all used in an attempt to better clarify the extent of bone disease and soft tissue disease in MM. This review summarizes all available data in the literature and provides recommendations for the use of each of the technologies. Conventional radiography still remains the 'gold standard' of the staging procedure of newly diagnosed and relapsed myeloma patients. MRI gives information complementary to skeletal survey and is recommended in MM patients with normal conventional radiography and in all patients with an apparently solitary plasmacytoma of bone. Urgent MRI or CT (if MRI is not available) is the diagnostic procedure of choice to assess suspected cord compression. Bone scintigraphy has no place in the routine staging of myeloma, whereas sequential dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans are not recommended. Positron emission tomography/CT or MIBI imaging are also not recommended for routine use in the management of myeloma patients, although both techniques may be useful in selected cases that warrant clarification of previous imaging findings, but such an approach should ideally be made within the context of a clinical trial. © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.

The serum immunoglobulin-free light chain (FLC) assay measures levels of free κ and λ immunoglobulin light chains. There are three major indications for the FLC assay in the evaluation and management of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders (PCD). In the context of screening, the serum FLC assay in combination with serum protein electrophoresis (PEL) and immunofixation yields high sensitivity, and negates the need for 24-h urine studies for diagnoses other than light chain amyloidosis (AL). Second, the baseline FLC measurement is of major prognostic value in virtually every PCD. Third, the FLC assay allows for quantitative monitoring of patients with oligosecretory PCD, including AL, oligosecretory myeloma and nearly two-thirds of patients who had previously been deemed to have non-secretory myeloma. In AL patients, serial FLC measurements outperform PEL and immunofixation. In oligosecretory myeloma patients, although not formally validated, serial FLC measurements reduce the need for frequent bone marrow biopsies. In contrast, there are no data to support using FLC assay in place of 24-h urine PEL for monitoring or for serial measurements in PCD with measurable disease by serum or urine PEL. This paper provides consensus guidelines for the use of this important assay, in the diagnosis and management of clonal PCD.

In 2005, the first guidelines were published on the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). An expert panel reviewed the currently available literature as the basis for a set of revised and updated consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with MM who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation. Here we present recommendations on the diagnosis, treatment of newly diagnosed non-transplant-eligible patients and the management of complications occurring during induction therapy among these patients. These guidelines will aid the physician in daily clinical practice and will ensure optimal care for patients with MM.

Multiple myeloma is the most common indication for high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support (ASCT) in North America today. Stem cell procurement for ASCT has most commonly been performed with stem cell mobilization using colony-stimulating factors with or without prior chemotherapy. The target CD34+ cell dose to be collected as well as the number of apheresis performed varies throughout the country, but a minimum of 2 million CD34+ cells/kg has been traditionally used for the support of one cycle of high-dose therapy. With the advent of plerixafor (AMD3100) (a novel stem cell mobilization agent), it is pertinent to review the current status of stem cell mobilization for myeloma as well as the role of autologous stem cell transplantation in this disease. On June 1, 2008, a panel of experts was convened by the International Myeloma Foundation to address issues regarding stem cell mobilization and autologous transplantation in myeloma in the context of new therapies. The panel was asked to discuss a variety of issues regarding stem cell collection and transplantation in myeloma especially with the arrival of plerixafor. Herein, is a summary of their deliberations and conclusions.

Recently, many new drugs have been developed for the treatment of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). To optimize the treatment according to the prognosis and to facilitate the comparison of trials, we developed an International Prognostic Scoring System for WM in a series of 587 patients with clearly defined criteria for diagnosis and for initiation of treatment. The median survival after treatment initiation was 87 months. Five adverse covariates were identified: advanced age (>65 years), hemoglobin less than or equal to 11.5 g/dL, platelet count less than or equal to 100 × 10 9/L, β2-microglobulin more than 3 mg/L, and serum monoclonal protein concentration more than 7.0 g/dL. Low-risk patients (27%) presented with no or 1 of the adverse characteristics and advanced age, intermediate-risk patients (38%) with 2 adverse characteristics or only advanced age, and high-risk patients (35%) with more than 2 adverse characteristics. Five-year survival rates were 87%, 68%, and 36%, respectively (P < .001). The ISSWM retained its prognostic significance in subgroups defined by age, treatment with alkylating agent, and purine analog. Thus, the ISSWM may provide a means to design risk-adapted studies. However, independent validation and new biologic markers may enhance its significance. © 2009 by The American Society of Hematology.

Resource availability, competition, and predation commonly drive body size evolution. We assess the impact of high food availability and the consequent increased intraspecific competition, as expressed by tail injuries and cannibalism, on body size in Skyros wall lizards ( Podarcis gaigeae ). Lizard populations on islets surrounding Skyros (Aegean Sea) all have fewer predators and competitors than on Skyros but differ in the numbers of nesting seabirds. We predicted the following: (1) the presence of breeding seabirds (providing nutrients) will increase lizard population densities; (2) dense lizard populations will experience stronger intraspecific competition; and (3) such aggression, will be associated with larger average body size. We found a positive correlation between seabird and lizard densities. Cannibalism and tail injuries were considerably higher in dense populations. Increases in cannibalism and tail loss were associated with large body sizes. Adult cannibalism on juveniles may select for rapid growth, fuelled by high food abundance, setting thus the stage for the evolution of gigantism.

Intestinal obstruction in neonatal period is an emergency caused by many surgical causes. An extremely rare surgical cause in this group of age is intussusception which can be easily confused with other surgical entities. In several reports, a significant number of the infants who were included in the study population were believed to have necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We present a rare cause of small intestine obstruction in a preterm female infant that can be easily misdiagnosed and confused preoperatively with other clinical entities particular for this period.

The paper describes a study of the contexts of six teams, expert in research and development of digital media for learning mathematics, who cross-experimented in classrooms with the use of each other’s artefacts. Contextual issues regarding the designed tasks and technologies, the socio-systemic milieu and the ways in which the researchers worked with the teachers were in focus. We analysed the ways in which a set of mutually constructed and negotiated questions aiming to illuminate otherwise tacit contextual issues operated as boundary objects amongst the teams. We discuss the need to develop special tools such as these boundary objects in order to elicit issues of context and the ways they may affect the production of theory.

We study theoretically the optical properties of embedded Ge and Si nanocrystals (NCs) in wide band-gap matrix and compared the obtained results for both NCs embedded in SiO2 matrix. We calculate the ground and excited electron and hole levels in both Ge and Si nanocrystals (quantum dots) in a multiband effective mass approximation. We use the envelope function approximation taking into account the elliptic symmetry of the bottom of the conduction band and the complex structure of the top of the valence band in both Si and Ge (NCs). The Auger recombination (AR) in both nanocrystals is thoroughly investigated. The excited electron (EE), excited hole (EH) and biexciton AR types are considered. The Auger recombination (AR) lifetime in both NCs has been estimated and compared. Crown Copyright © 2009.

This study was undertaken to assess the impact of a single excessive sludge application (300 Mg ha-1) on the soil surface of an olive orchard several years after the event. Selected soil properties were compared in two soil profiles, one in the sludge-amended field and another in an adjacent unamended field of naturally growing trees. Leaf analysis included macronutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)], trace elements [copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), boron (B)], and isotopic composition (δ 15N and δ 13C). Soil pH and other chemical properties were increased in the surface soil and the root zone of the sludge-treated profile in comparison to those of the untreated control. The multifold increase of Bray P and nitrates indicated a serious risk for dissolved phosphates in runoff and nitrate contamination of groundwater. Trace-element content also increased, but not greater than the critical soil concentration. Olive trees responded to excessive sludge application by increased N uptake as evidenced by increased leaf N content and elevated 15N signal. The increased leaf δ 13C signal of the leaves further indicated tree stress in the sludge-amended field during the summer growing season in comparison to the naturally growing control trees. Isotopic composition, leaf nutrient, and trace element concentration did not reveal the causes of leaf tip burning in half of the trees of the sludge-amended field. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia modified albumin (IMA), is a new biomarker of oxidative processes involved with coronary artery disease (CAD). We determined serum IMA, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and evaluated their correlation with severity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CA). Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), CK-MB mass, albumin and Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) were also evaluated. METHODS: The study included 114 patients (88 men and 30 women) aged 43-80 years with documented CAD without evidence of acute coronary syndrome undergoing CA and 163 controls (131 men and 32 women) similarly aged. RESULTS: IMA, hsCRP and NT-proBNP were higher (p<0.001 and p=0.008 for NT-proBNP) while TAS was lower (p<0.001) in patients than in controls. IMA and TAS were negatively correlated in all subjects (p<0.01). Among patients, there was no correlation between IMA and the number of diseased vessels. For CAD diagnosis the best cut-off point for IMA was 101.5 KU/L with a sensitivity and a specificity of 87.7% and a negative predictive value of 83.3%. IMA was associated with an increased risk for CAD (OR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.16-1.31; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IMA determination may provide earlier information of CAD presence before hsCRP or NT-proBNP elevation, contributing to early assessment of overall patient risk.

The Itea-Amfissa valley, separating Giona Mountain to the west from Parnassos Mountain to the east, is related to an extensional detachment observed along the eastern slopes of Giona. The detachment is traced for 30 km north of the Corinth Gulf and dips 25{degrees}-40{degrees} to the east, showing an east-west extension parallel to the Hellenic arc. The lower nappes of Pindos, Penteoria, Vardoussia and mainly the basal thrust of the Parnassos unit form part of the footwall, whereas the upper thrusts of the Parnassos unit and the Western Thessaly-Beotia nappe form part of the hanging wall. The eastern slopes of Giona are controlled by the detachment and several hundred metres of syn-tectonic breccia-conglomerates are observed at the top of the hanging wall rocks and are back-tilt towards the detachment plane. Two conglomeratic sequences are distinguished: the lower one consists of argillaceous matrix and abundant ophiolite detritus whereas the upper one bears carbonate matrix with carbonate detritus together with large olistholites of Mesozoic limestones. Based on calcareous nannofossils a middle Miocene age has been determined for the lower formation and a middle-upper Miocene age is probable for the upper. Planation surfaces cut on top of the sediments rise from south to north starting from sea level at Galaxidi to about 1400 m at Prosilio. The throw of the detachment is about 2.5-4.2 km measured mainly from the structural omission of the Alpine tectono-stratigraphic units. A contrast between the footwall and the hanging wall structure is described, with monoclinic sequence of the Parnassos nappe dipping to the west in the footwall but a complex synsedimentary horst and graben structure of sliding blocks of Alpine formations within the Miocene clastic sequences in the hanging wall. The detachment has been deformed by the east-west-trending steep normal faults that have created the Corinth rift during late Pliocene-Quaternary time showing a north-south extension. The Itea-Amfissa detachment forms the northern tip of the broader East Peloponnesus detachment, observed south of the Corinth rift structure from Feneos to Kyparissi. Similar geodynamic phenomena with large olistholites and breccia conglomerates are known from the Serravalian of Crete, related to the activity of the Cretan detachment.

Outflows in the form of jets is a widespread phenomenon in astrophysics. Their main driving mechanism is likely related to magnetic fields. These fields are able to tap the rotational energy of the central object and its surrounding disk, and accelerate and collimate matter ejecta. To zeroth order these outflows can be described within the theory of steady, axisymmetric, ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The analytical insight into the equations of the theory (mostly on the transfield component of the momentum equation) gives simple analytical scalings for the flow speed, density, and magnetic field. The analysis is focused on nonrelativistic YSO jets; similar works [1, 2] exist for relativistic AGN, and highly relativistic GRB jets.

Outflows in the form of jets is a widespread phenomenon in astrophysics. Their main driving mechanism is likely related to magnetic fields. These fields are able to tap the rotational energy of the central object and its surrounding disk, and accelerate and collimate matter ejecta. To zeroth order these outflows can be described within the theory of steady, axisymmetric, ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The analytical insight into the equations of the theory (mostly on the transfield component of the momentum equation) gives simple analytical scalings for the flow speed, density, and magnetic field. The analysis is focused on nonrelativistic YSO jets; similar works [1, 2] exist for relativistic AGN, and highly relativistic GRB jets.

We exploit the decoherence of electrons due to magnetic impurities, studied via weak localization, to resolve a long-standing question concerning the classic Kondo systems of Fe impurities in the noble metals gold and silver: which Kondo-type model yields a realistic description of the relevant multiple bands, spin, and orbital degrees of freedom? Previous studies suggest a fully screened spin S Kondo model, but the value of S remained ambiguous. We perform density functional theory calculations that suggest S = 3/2. We also compare previous and new measurements of both the resistivity and decoherence rate in quasi-one-dimensional wires to numerical renormalization group predictions for S = 1/2, 1, and 3/2, finding excellent agreement for S = 3/2.

À travers une approche comparative, la présente étude confronte les récits des voyageurs français du XVIIe siècle, qui ont parcouru l’Orient méditerranéen, au « livre des voyages » d’Evliya Çelebi. Après avoir abordé les relations diplomatiques franco-ottomanes, nous traitons de l’image de l’Empire ottoman communiquée dans les récits, les journaux et les traités des voyageurs français. Plus précisément, nous présentons les récits de Pierre Giles, Jean Thévenot, Joseph-Guillaume Grelot, La Croix et Antoine des Barrès, dont nous analysons les informations relatives à l’administration, la société, la religion et l’art ottomans. Contrairement à la structure déjà formée du récit viatique français, qui exprime l’approche ethnocentriste de ses auteurs, le « livre des voyages », qui dévoile la perception d’un Ottoman, ne suit pas de règles préétablies. Ainsi, à l’opposé des récits viatiques français, qui se réfèrent à la décadence de la force et du prestige du sultan, comme dans le cas des Mémoires de La Croix, le « livre des voyages » de Çelebi, qui comprend souvent des digressions sur la personnalité et les fonctions de Melek Ahmed Pacha, s’attarde sur la puissance du sultan ainsi que sur la structure et les caractéristiques de la hiérarchie de la société ottomane. Notons que la subjectivité des récits des voyageurs français du XVIIe et de Çelebi, malgré la richesse de leurs informations, nous oblige à les traiter avec précaution.

New micropaleontological, palynological, and geochemical results from a relatively shallow (∼500 m) sediment core (NS-14) in the south-eastern Aegean Sea provide a detailed picture of the regional expression of sapropel S1 formation in this sub-basin of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, freshwater input during ∼10.6–10.0 ka BP has preceded the deposition of S1. Further decrease in surface water salinity is evidenced between 10.0 and 8.5 ka BP at the lower part of S1a, which in respect to S1b, is featured by warmer (∼19.5 °C) and more productive surface waters associated with dysoxic bottom conditions. A series of coolings detected within the S1 depositional interval, may be linked to outbursts of cold northerly air masses and relevant pulses in the deep-intermediate water ventilation that caused the S1 interruption between 7.9 and 7.3 ka BP and culminated during the deposition of S1b, with the decline of deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) at ∼6.5 ka BP. The climate instability and the relevant absence of anoxia weakened the organic matter preservation in the shallow south-eastern Aegean margin during the S1 times. NS-14 record provides evidence for a distinct mid Holocene warm (up to ∼25 °C) and wet phase associated with the deposition of the sapropel-like layer SMH (Sapropel Mid Holocene), between 5.4 and 4.3 ka BP. The SMH layer could represent evidence of on-going, albeit weak, African monsoon forcing, only expressed at the south-eastern edge of the Aegean Sea. Its end is associated with the 4.2 ka BP Northern Hemisphere megadrought event and the termination of the African Humid Period at 3.8 ka BP.

Quantitative analyses of coccolithophores, planktonic foraminifers, dinoflagellate cysts and pollen assemblages were carried out on shallow (NS-14) and deeper (NS-40) sediment cores from the south-eastern Aegean Sea. Nine coccolithophore (ACE 1–9) and nine planktonic foraminifer (APFE 1–9) ecozones, correlated with dinoflagellate cyst evidence, have been defined for the last ~14.5 cal. ka. Additionally, eight pollen assemblage zones (PAZ 1–8) have been recognised and correlated with the plankton ecozones. Although generally consistent with existing schemes for the central and eastern Mediterranean, the established high resolution ecostratigraphy has led to an expanded palaeoecological reconstruction of the Late Glacial–Holocene archive in the south-eastern Aegean Sea, defining two warm and humid phases at 9.3–8.6 and 7.6–6.4 cal. ka B.P., associated with the deposition of the early Holocene sapropel S1, and a third one between 5.2 and 4.2 cal. ka B.P. The high sedimentation rates which characterise the study area enabled the detection of even minor and brief climatic events in the Aegean Sea during S1 deposition times. 

This subset analysis of data from two phase III studies in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) evaluated the benefit of initiating lenalidomide plus dexamethasone at first relapse. Multivariate analysis showed that fewer prior therapies, along with β2-microglobulin (≤2.5 mg/L), predicted a better time to progression (TTP; study end-point) with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone treatment. Patients with one prior therapy showed a significant improvement in benefit after first relapse compared with those who received two or more therapies. Patients with one prior therapy had significantly prolonged median TTP (17.1 vs. 10.6 months; P = 0.026) and progression-free survival (14.1 vs. 9.5 months, P = 0.047) compared with patients treated in later lines. Overall response rates were higher (66.9% vs. 56.8%, P = 0.06), and the complete response plus very good partial response rate was significantly higher in first relapse (39.8% vs. 27.7%, P = 0.025). Importantly, overall survival was significantly prolonged for patients treated with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone with one prior therapy, compared with patients treated later in salvage (median of 42.0 vs. 35.8 months, P = 0.041), with no differences in toxicity, dose reductions, or discontinuations despite longer treatment. Therefore, lenalidomide plus dexamethasone is both effective and tolerable for second-line MM therapy and the data suggest that the greatest benefit occurs with earlier use. © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard.

Recent studies have shown a clinical benefit of lenalidomide, an oral immunomodulatory drug, plus dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were cytopenias, fatigue, muscle cramps, rash, infection, insomnia, and venous thromboembolism. Lenalidomide in combination with dexamethasone has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of patients with MM who have received at least one prior therapy. An expert panel reviewed the efficacy and toxicity of lenalidomide plus dexamethasone, and provided recommendations on the management of patients receiving this treatment. Patient selection is straightforward, as prognostic factors do not appear to heavily influence efficacy. In addition, the panel agreed on strategies for the management of side effects. The recommendations presented here will aid the safe administration of lenalidomide, and avoid unnecessary dose reduction and discontinuation, thus assuring the best efficacy of treatment. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We present a pooled update of two large, multicenter MM-009 and MM-010 placebo-controlled randomized phase III trials that included 704 patients and assessed lenalidomide plus dexamethasone versus dexamethasone plus placebo in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Patients in both studies were randomized to receive 25mg daily oral lenalidomide or identical placebo, plus 40mg oral dexamethasone. In this pooled analysis, using data up to unblinding (June 2005 for MM-009 and August 2005 for MM-010), treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone significantly improved overall response (60.6 vs 21.9%, P<0.001), complete response rate (15.0 vs 2.0%, P<0.001), time to progression (median of 13.4 vs 4.6 months, P<0.001) and duration of response (median of 15.8 months vs 7 months, P<0.001) compared with dexamethasone-placebo. At a median follow-up of 48 months for surviving patients, using data up to July 2008, a significant benefit in overall survival (median of 38.0 vs 31.6 months, P=0.045) was retained despite 47.6% of patients who were randomized to dexamethasone-placebo receiving lenalidomide-based treatment after disease progression or study unblinding. Low β2- microglobulin and low bone marrow plasmacytosis were associated with longer survival. In conclusion, these data confirm the significant response and survival benefit with lenalidomide and dexamethasone.

Accumulating evidence supports a role for obesity in the etiology of multiple myeloma (MM). The distinct possibility exists that obesity may be linked to MM through altered adipokine secretion and circulating levels, one of which, adiponectin, has a protective role in several malignancies, including leukemia. In this case-control study, we investigated the role of serum adiponectin, resistin, and leptin levels in the etiopathogenesis of MM and we explored their association with several established prognostic factors. Seventy three patients with incident, histologically confirmed MM and 73 controls matched on gender and age were studied between 2001 and 2007, and blood samples were collected. Serum adiponectin, leptin, resistin, as well as MM prognostic parameters were determined. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Lower serum adiponectin and resistin levels were associated with higher risk of MM by bivariate analysis and after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and serum levels of leptin (p < 0.0001). Adiponectin may have a protective role in MM, whereas leptin was not associated with risk for MM at a comparable level of significance and resistin levels may be decreased via a compensatory mechanism. Further studies are needed to confirm these associations and to explore the mechanisms underlying adiponectin's role in MM and plasma cell dyscrasias.

Weather maps refer to meteorological data that characterize the atmospheric circulation in a region. The classification of weather maps into categories becomes an important task for understanding regional climate. Towards this goal, manual and semiautomatic techniques have been used, requiring manpower and supervision. In this paper, we propose a machine vision based method for the classification of weather maps into distinct classes. The chain code descriptor is applied to extract the feature of isobaric lines and we introduce the Double-Side Chain Code (DSCC) histogram for feature representation. Handling DSCC histograms as multidimensional vectors, the A:-nearest neighbors (k- NN) algorithm classifies the objects to an appropriate number of classes, based on closest training set in the feature space. This method provides an automated and more ’objective’ classification scheme, applying straightforward to the input weather map’s image. © 2009 IEEE.

We present numerical simulations of axisymmetric, magnetically driven outflows that reproduce the inferred properties of ultrarelativistic gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets. These results extend our previous simulations of outflows accelerated to moderately relativistic speeds, which are applicable to jets of active galactic nuclei. In contrast to several recent investigations, which have employed the magnetodynamics approximation, our numerical scheme solves the full set of equations of special relativistic, ideal magnetohydrodynamics, which enables us to explicitly calculate the jet velocity and magnetic-to-kinetic energy conversion efficiency - key parameters of interest for astrophysical applications. We confirm that the magnetic acceleration scheme remains robust into the ultrarelativistic regime, as previously indicated by semi-analytic self-similar solutions. We find that all current-carrying outflows exhibit self-collimation and consequent acceleration near the rotation axis, but that unconfined outflows lose causal connectivity across the jet and therefore do not collimate or accelerate efficiently in their outer regions. We show that magnetically accelerated jets confined by an external pressure that varies as z-α (0 < α <= 2) assume a paraboloidal shape z ~ ra (where r,z are cylindrical coordinates and a > 1), and we obtain analytic expressions for the one-to-one correspondence between the pressure distribution and the asymptotic jet shape. We demonstrate that the acceleration efficiency of jets with paraboloidal streamlines is >~50 per cent, with the numerical value being higher the lower the initial magnetization. We derive asymptotic analytic expressions for the acceleration of initially cold outflows along paraboloidal streamlines and verify that they provide good descriptions of the simulated flows. Our modelled jets (corresponding to 3/2 < a < 3) attain Lorentz factors Γ >~ 102 on scales ~ 1010-1012cm, consistent with the possibility that long/soft GRB jets are accelerated within envelopes of collapsing massive stars, and Γ >~ 30 on scales ~9 × 108-3 × 1010cm, consistent with the possibility that short/hard GRB jets are accelerated on scales where they can be confined by moderately relativistic winds from accretion discs. We also find that Γθv ~ 1 for outflows that undergo an efficient magnetic-to-kinetic energy conversion, where θv is the opening half-angle of the poloidal streamlines. This relation implies that the γ-ray emitting components of GRB outflows accelerated in this way are very narrow, with θv <~ 1° in regions where Γ >~ 100, and that the afterglow light curves of these components would either exhibit a very early jet break or show no jet break at all.

We present numerical simulations of axisymmetric, magnetically driven outflows that reproduce the inferred properties of ultrarelativistic gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets. These results extend our previous simulations of outflows accelerated to moderately relativistic speeds, which are applicable to jets of active galactic nuclei. In contrast to several recent investigations, which have employed the magnetodynamics approximation, our numerical scheme solves the full set of equations of special relativistic, ideal magnetohydrodynamics, which enables us to explicitly calculate the jet velocity and magnetic-to-kinetic energy conversion efficiency - key parameters of interest for astrophysical applications. We confirm that the magnetic acceleration scheme remains robust into the ultrarelativistic regime, as previously indicated by semi-analytic self-similar solutions. We find that all current-carrying outflows exhibit self-collimation and consequent acceleration near the rotation axis, but that unconfined outflows lose causal connectivity across the jet and therefore do not collimate or accelerate efficiently in their outer regions. We show that magnetically accelerated jets confined by an external pressure that varies as z-α (0 < α <= 2) assume a paraboloidal shape z ~ ra (where r,z are cylindrical coordinates and a > 1), and we obtain analytic expressions for the one-to-one correspondence between the pressure distribution and the asymptotic jet shape. We demonstrate that the acceleration efficiency of jets with paraboloidal streamlines is >~50 per cent, with the numerical value being higher the lower the initial magnetization. We derive asymptotic analytic expressions for the acceleration of initially cold outflows along paraboloidal streamlines and verify that they provide good descriptions of the simulated flows. Our modelled jets (corresponding to 3/2 < a < 3) attain Lorentz factors Γ >~ 102 on scales ~ 1010-1012cm, consistent with the possibility that long/soft GRB jets are accelerated within envelopes of collapsing massive stars, and Γ >~ 30 on scales ~9 × 108-3 × 1010cm, consistent with the possibility that short/hard GRB jets are accelerated on scales where they can be confined by moderately relativistic winds from accretion discs. We also find that Γθv ~ 1 for outflows that undergo an efficient magnetic-to-kinetic energy conversion, where θv is the opening half-angle of the poloidal streamlines. This relation implies that the γ-ray emitting components of GRB outflows accelerated in this way are very narrow, with θv <~ 1° in regions where Γ >~ 100, and that the afterglow light curves of these components would either exhibit a very early jet break or show no jet break at all.

By means of magnetic measurements we have studied the magnetic properties of the NdFeAsO0.82F0.18 superconductor. We estimated the upper critical field H-c2(ab) (T) from the temperature at which the inverse magnetization deviates from linear behavior. Low field magnetic measurements revealed that a external magnetic induction of B = 0.01 T destroys the superconducting path between grains (weak-link behavior). Nd ions behave as isolated paramagnetic centers. This is evident since for magnetic inductions larger than 0.5 T a paramagnetic moment arises from the Nd that overcomes the superconducting diamagnetic signal. Hysteresis loops at several temperatures revealed that the critical current falls rapidly with temperature. The temperature variation of the reversible magnetization shows a behavior that is reminiscent of high-T-c cuprates, indicating the important role of thermal fluctuations.

Uterine sarcomas constitute a rare group of neoplasms characterized by an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. It is this rarity that has resulted in clinical-trial reports and literature reviews including a broad range of histological subtypes of sarcoma. This has a detrimental effect on interpretation and application of the results; the pathological subtype demands a tailored approach. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment for non metastatic uterine sarcomas. Although adjuvant radiation therapy has reportedly been of little survival value, it appears to improve local control and may delay recurrence. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy has yet to be established; however, bearing in mind the limitations and assumptions in the pooling of data the therapeutic options should be based on the pathological subtype. Considering the poor overall survival in uterine sarcomas, the need for new therapeutic agents is critical. New drugs with possible activity in uterine sarcomas include trabectedin, temozolomide, liposomal doxorubicin and gemcitabine.

INTRODUCTION: Bile duct injury is a severe and potentially life-threatening complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Several series have described a 0.5% to 0.6% incidence of bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to analyze the presentation, characteristics, related investigation, and treatment results of major bile duct injuries after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A rare case of a 48-year-old Greek woman with a triple bile duct injury (right and left hepatic duct ligation and common bile duct cross-section) is presented. A Roux en Y hepaticojejunostomy was performed after repeated endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies, percutaneous transhepatic catheterization of the ducts and magnetic resonance cholangiographies to delineate the biliary anatomy and assess the level of injury. CONCLUSION: Early recognition and an adequate multidisciplinary approach are the cornerstones for the optimal final outcome. Suboptimal management of injuries often leads to more extensive damage to the biliary tree and its vasculature. Early referral to a tertiary care center with experienced hepatobiliary surgeons and skilled interventional radiologists would appear to be necessary to assure optimal results.

This paper reports on a case-study design experiment in the domain of fraction as number-measure. We designed and implemented a set of exploratory tasks concerning comparison and ordering of fractions as well as operations with fractions. Two groups of 12-year-old students worked collaboratively using paper and pencil as well as a specially designed microworld which combines graphical and symbolic notation of fractions represented as points on the number line. We used the students’ interactions with the available representations as a window into their conceptual understanding and struggles in making sense of fraction asnumber-measure. We report on the features of the available representations from an epistemological point of view, on the design of activities aiming at creating meaningful problem contexts for fractions as well as on the meanings generated by the students by some illustrative examples of their work indicating the potential of the activities and tools for expressing and reflecting on the mathematical nature of fraction as number-measure.

During the peak of an extensive heat wave episode on 23-25 July 2007, simultaneous thermophysiological measurements were made in two non-acclimated healthy adults of different sex in a suburban area of Greater Athens, Greece. Based on experimental measurements of mean skin temperature and metabolic heat production, heat fluxes to and from the human body were calculated, and the biometeorological index heat load (HL) produced was determined according to the heat balance equation. Comparing experimental values with those derived from theoretical estimates revealed a great heat stress for both individuals, especially the male, while theoretical values underestimated heat stress. The study also revealed that thermophysiological factors, such as mean skin temperature and metabolic heat production, play an important role in determining heat fluxes patterns in the heat balance equation. The theoretical values of mean skin temperature as derived from an empirical equation may not be appropriate to describe the changes that take place in a non-acclimated individual. Furthermore, the changes in metabolic heat production were significant even for standard activity. © 2008 ISB.

BACKGROUND: Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) may protect from Alzheimer disease (AD), but its association with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has not been explored. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the MeDi and MCI. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: In a multiethnic community study in New York, we used Cox proportional hazards to investigate the association between adherence to the MeDi (0-9 scale; higher scores indicate higher adherence) and (1) the incidence of MCI and (2) the progression from MCI to AD. All of the models were adjusted for cohort, age, sex, ethnicity, education, APOE genotype, caloric intake, body mass index, and duration between baseline dietary assessment and baseline diagnosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of MCI and progression from MCI to AD. RESULTS: There were 1393 cognitively normal participants, 275 of whom developed MCI during a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.5 (2.7) years (range, 0.9-16.4 years). Compared with subjects in the lowest MeDi adherence tertile, subjects in the middle tertile had 17% less risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-1.12; P = .24) of developing MCI and those in the highest tertile had 28% less risk (HR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-1.00; P = .05) of developing MCI (trend HR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.72-1.00; P for trend = .05). There were 482 subjects with MCI, 106 of whom developed AD during a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.3 (2.7) years (range, 1.0-13.8 years). Compared with subjects in the lowest MeDi adherence tertile, subjects in the middle tertile had 45% less risk (HR = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34-0.90; P = .01) of developing AD and those in the highest tertile had 48% less risk (HR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.30-0.91; P = .02) of developing AD (trend HR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.95; P for trend = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Higher adherence to the MeDi is associated with a trend for reduced risk of developing MCI and with reduced risk of MCI conversion to AD.

Abstract Pataky, K., Villanueva, G., Liani, A., Zgheib, O., Jenkins, N., Halazonetis, D. J., Halazonetis, T. D. and Brugger, J. Microcollimator for Micrometer-Wide Stripe Irradiation of Cells Using 20-30 keV X Rays. Radiat. Res. 172, 252-259 (2009). The exposure of subnuclear compartments of cells to ionizing radiation is currently not trivial. We describe here a collimator for micrometer-wide stripe irradiation designed to work with conventional high-voltage X-ray tubes and cells cultured on standard glass cover slips. The microcollimator was fabricated by high-precision silicon micromachining and consists of X-ray absorbing chips with grooves of highly controlled depths, between 0.5-10 microm, along their surfaces. These grooves form X-ray collimating slits when the chips are stacked against each other. The use of this device for radiation biology was examined by irradiating human cells with X rays having energies between 20-30 keV. After irradiation, p53 binding protein 1 (53BP1), a nuclear protein that is recruited at sites of DNA double-strand breaks, clustered in lines corresponding to the irradiated stripes.

The benefits of a minimally invasive approach are now well documented in adult women, and thus surgeons have embraced the notion of expanding such expertise in adolescence with measured enthusiasm and a great sense of responsibility. Faster recovery is likely to have a positive impact on schooling, while less adhesion formation may reduce future fertility issues. Gynaecologists performing minimally invasive procedures in adolescents ought to be aware of the steep learning curve required for achieving proficiency with complex laparoscopic surgery. In the group of rare congenital anomalies and advanced endometriosis, the best surgical results can only be achieved after careful preoperative planning by a multidisciplinary team © 2008 The Authors.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a benign valvular abnormality. However, an increased prevalence of MVP is reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune thyroid disease. Our aim was to evaluate whether the presence of MVP in healthy individuals might indicate a premature index of subclinical autoimmune disorder. A total of 75 individuals with MVP and 44 individuals without MVP were identified by echocardiography. Serum samples were examined for various organ and non-organ specific autoantibodies. In all, 35 of the 75 individuals with MVP had at least one autoantibody. ANA were detected in 17/75 in MVP(+) versus 1/44 in the MVP(-), (P < 0.05), and anti-ENA in 6/75 in the MVP(+) versus 0/44 in the control group, P = ns. In the MVP(+) group, thyroid autoantibodies, IgA and IgG RF were found at a statistically significant higher incidence, 16/75, 11/75 and 10/75 versus 1/44, 0/44 and 0/44 in the MVP(-)group, respectively (P < 0.05). The levels of IgG anticardiolipin antibodies were significantly higher in the MVP(+) group, P < 0.05. The presence of organ and non-organ specific autoantibodies in young healthy MVP(+) individuals insinuate the presence of subclinical autoimmunity and might suggest that autoimmune mechanisms might be involved in its pathogenesis. A follow-up of these individuals might elucidate whether MVP constitutes an early index of autoimmunity. © 2009 SAGE Publications.

After a brief description of the multiple-scattering method for photonic crystals, we present some results obtained by this method, relating to various types of plasmonic nanostructures in one, two and three dimensions: cavity plasmon waveguides, systems of metallic particles, and arrays of metallic shells. We analyse the optical response of these structures and emphasise some interesting aspects of the underlying physics.

Using a fully self-consistent envelope function approach, we focus on wide conduction band NMS (non-magnetic semiconductor)/DMS (dilute magnetic semiconductor)/NMS quantum wells, under weak external parallel magnetic field, where many spin-subbands are usually present. We concentrate on small values of the magnetic field because we want to investigate the influence of the feedback mechanism due to the difference of the concentrations of spin-up and spin-down carriers which could induce spontaneous spin-polarization i.e. in the absence of a magnetic field. We study the spin-subband structure, the spin-subband populations and the spin-polarization as functions of the sheet carrier concentration, Ns, for different values of the magnitude of the exchange interaction, | J |, between the itinerant carriers and the magnetic impurities. Our calculations for 0.01 T show that at 20 K the values of | J | necessary to make this feedback mechanism sufficiently strong are too high compared to the | J | values of common Mn-doped systems in the conduction band. However, the feedback mechanism will be sufficiently strong at low enough temperatures below 20 K for realistic values of | J |. Moreover, we explain how increasing the sheet carrier concentration the heterostructure is transformed from an almost square quantum well to a system of two coupled heterojunctions with an intermediate soft barrier.

In this study, the distribution patterns of physical (sand%, loam%, clay%, pH and organic matter%o) and chemical (calcium carbonate (CaCO3), sodium (Na+), magnesium (Mg+2), phosphorus (P), boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn)) parameters of soil commonly assayed in analytical chemistry laboratories, are reported. Three representative areas (lowland (LL), semi-mountainous (SM), and coastal (C)) and 170 sample sites were selected, 510 soil samples were collected and analyzed for a 3-years period (2002-2004), in the prefecture of Larissa, Thessaly, central Greece. In each studied site, the kind of cultivation is also reported. Soils in LL area of the prefecture of Larissa were found to be rich in organic matter, Mg, B, but poor in Fe, Mn and Zn, when compared to the other two sites. The studied SM area of Larissa's prefecture constituted from clayey soils showed big concentrations of Mg, Zn, high value of clay and low value of sand, when compared to the other two studied areas. The studied C area is characterized by the sandy soils near the coastal areas of the prefecture of Larissa. In each studied area, the parameters are principally separated into two main clusters, each of them divided additionally into sub-clusters with slight differences. Six latent factors explain 78.1%, 74.3%, and 74.6% of the total variance of the LL-site, SM-site, and C-site, respectively, which is an indication for the factor analysis model adequacy.

Aims: Drawing an analogy with active galactic nuclei, we investigate the one-zone synchrotron self-compton (SSC) model of gamma ray bursts (GRB) afterglows in the presence of electron injection and cooling both by synchrotron and SSC losses. Methods: We solve the spatially averaged kinetic equations which describe the simultaneous evolution of particles and photons, obtaining the multi-wavelength spectrum as a function of time. We back up our numerical calculations with analytical solutions of the equations using various profiles of the magnetic field evolution under certain simplifying assumptions. Results: We apply the model to the afterglow evolution of GRBs in a uniform density environment and examine the impact various parameters have on the multiwavelength spectra. We find that in cases where the electron injection and/or the ambient density is high, the losses are dominated by SSC and the solutions depart significantly from the ones derived in the synchrotron standard cases.

Aims: Drawing an analogy with active galactic nuclei, we investigate the one-zone synchrotron self-compton (SSC) model of gamma ray bursts (GRB) afterglows in the presence of electron injection and cooling both by synchrotron and SSC losses. Methods: We solve the spatially averaged kinetic equations which describe the simultaneous evolution of particles and photons, obtaining the multi-wavelength spectrum as a function of time. We back up our numerical calculations with analytical solutions of the equations using various profiles of the magnetic field evolution under certain simplifying assumptions. Results: We apply the model to the afterglow evolution of GRBs in a uniform density environment and examine the impact various parameters have on the multiwavelength spectra. We find that in cases where the electron injection and/or the ambient density is high, the losses are dominated by SSC and the solutions depart significantly from the ones derived in the synchrotron standard cases.

The muscle LIM protein (MLP) and cofilin 2 (CFL2) are important regulators of striated myocyte function. Mutations in the corresponding genes have been directly associated with severe human cardiac and skeletal myopathies, and aberrant expression patterns have often been observed in affected muscles. Herein, we have investigated whether MLP and CFL2 are involved in common molecular mechanisms, which would promote our understanding of disease pathogenesis. We have shown for the first time, using a range of biochemical and immunohistochemical methods, that MLP binds directly to CFL2 in human cardiac and skeletal muscles. The interaction involves the inter-LIM domain, amino acids 94 to 105, of MLP and the amino-terminal domain, amino acids 1 to 105, of CFL2, which includes part of the actin depolymerization domain. The MLP/CFL2 complex is stronger in moderately acidic (pH 6.8) environments and upon CFL2 phosphorylation, while it is independent of Ca(2+) levels. This interaction has direct implications in actin cytoskeleton dynamics in regulating CFL2-dependent F-actin depolymerization, with maximal depolymerization enhancement at an MLP/CFL2 molecular ratio of 2:1. Deregulation of this interaction by intracellular pH variations, CFL2 phosphorylation, MLP or CFL2 gene mutations, or expression changes, as observed in a range of cardiac and skeletal myopathies, could impair F-actin depolymerization, leading to sarcomere dysfunction and disease.

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in shot put performance, muscular power, and neuromuscular activation of the lower extremities, between the preseason and the competition period, in skilled shot put athletes using the rotational technique. Shot put performance was assessed at the start of the pre-season period as well as after 12 weeks, at the competition period, in nine shot putters. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the right vastus lateralis muscle was recorded during all shot put trials. Maximum squat strength (1RM) and mechanical parameters during the countermovement jump (CMJ) on a force platform were also determined at pre-season and at competition period. Shot put performance increased 4.7% (p < 0.05), while 1RM squat increased 6.5% (p < 0.025). EMG activity during the delivery phase was increased significantly (p < 0.025) after the training period. Shot put performance was significantly related with muscular power and takeoff velocity during the CMJ, at competition period (r = 0.66, p < 0.05 and 0.70, p < 0.05), but not with maximum vertical force. One RM squat was not related significantly with shot put performance. These results suggest that muscular power of the lower extremities is a better predictor of rotational shot put performance than absolute muscular strength in skilled athletes, at least during the competition period.

A combined study of extant nannoflora (calcareous nannoplankton/coccolithophores) and microfauna (ostracods, benthic foraminifera) was conducted in summer period between 2001 and 2003 at Kastro and Korthi gulfs, Andros Island (central Aegean Sea). The results of our study showed that the studied three groups can provide evidence of stress on the natural assemblages and therefore can be used as proxies of declining coastal environments. In particular, the existence of coccolithophore communities with low species diversities, high dominance values and the predominance of Emiliania huxleyi with malformed coccoliths indicate unstable environmental conditions. The environmental stress in ostracod assemblages is mainly proved by the decreasing abundances of Xestoleberis spp. specimens. The response of benthic foraminifers was demonstrated by the increase of foraminiferal tests with morphological abnormalities and the replacement of Amphistegina lobifera – an environmental health proxy- by miliolids and small rotalliid forms.

Dialysis-related amyloidosis is related to the inefficient removal of beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)-m) that is mainly responsible for the formation of amyloid fibrils deposited on the joints and in the heart, blood vessels and digestive system. Magnetically assisted hemodialysis (MAHD) can be used for the prevention of dialysis-related amyloidosis. MAHD is based on ferromagnetic nanoparticle-targeted binding substance conjugates (FN-TBS Cs) that should be administered to the patient before the dialysis session. The TBS should have a high affinity for beta(2)-m so that the conjugates bind with the beta(2)-m in the bloodstream. The complex FN-TBS-beta(2)-m will be selectively removed during dialysis by means of a "magnetic dialyzer" that is installed at the dialysis machine in series to the conventional dialyzer. We have examined the in vitro applicability of MAHD by employing biocompatible Fe3O4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as constituents of the FN-TBS Cs. We evaluated the binding capacity of both bare Fe3O4 FNs and Fe3O4-BSA Cs for beta(2)-m concentrations ranging from mild to severe conditions. Finally, we conducted mock-dialysis experiments for the evaluation of several technical issues related to MAHD. beta(2)-m is adsorbed onto the Fe3O4-BSA Cs not only almost instantly, but also very efficiently. The employed Cs do not chemically interact with the materials used in standard dialyzers, as agglomerates were not observed in the capillaries of the conventional dialyzers. MAHD may become an efficient modality for the prevention of dialysis-related amyloidosis because beta(2)-m concentrations ranging from mild to severe conditions can be adequately handled.

We present a thorough theoretical study of the optical properties of periodic structures built of silver and silica nanodisks in a sandwich-like configuration, by means of full electrodynamic calculations using the extended layer-multiple-scattering method. The strong coupling of the metallic nanoparticles and the resulting plasmon hybridization lead to collective electric and magnetic resonant modes, which can be tuned by changing the structural parameters, such as nanoparticle size and lattice constant. We analyze the response of single- and multi-layer architectures of ordered arrays of such nanosandwiches on a dielectric substrate to externally incident light and evaluate the corresponding effective permittivity and permeability functions. Our results reveal the existence of optical magnetism, with a strong negative effective permeability over a tunable spectral range at near-infrared and visible frequencies. We introduce the complex photonic band structure as a tool in the study of three-dimensional metamaterials and establish additional criteria for the validity of their effective-medium description. Our work demonstrates the efficiency of the recently developed extended layer-multiple-scattering method in the study of metamaterials of composite metal-dielectric particles of arbitrary shape.

The reaction of Ir(COD)(Tai) [where Tai = {HB(7-azaindoyl) 3}-] with carbon monoxide results, via a sequence of hydride migration and insertion steps, in the formation of the first complexes to contain a metal-to-boron dative interaction supported by 7-azaindole units. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2009.

We report the discovery of a possible nova in M 31 on two 10x60s stacked unfiltered CCD images obtained a 40-cm Cassegrain telescope with a focal reducer (F/5.1) equipped with a 2184 x 1472 pixel ST-10XME CCD camera (pixel size 6.8 microns square) at the Athens University Observatory, Greece on 2009 June 30.045 UT and July 1.049 UT with magnitudes of 17.7 and 17.5, respectively. The position of the nova candidate is RA = 00h42m10.36s, Dec = +41o12'19.9" (J2000, accuracy 0.3"), which is 383" west and 229" south of the core of M 31.

In this issue of Blood, Bartel and colleagues report the independent predictive value of the PET/CT and of the FDG suppression before transplantation in newly diagnosed myeloma patients who were treated using the TT3 regimen.

Enlarging-shrinking geometrical figures by 13 year-olds is studied during the implementation of proportional geometric tasks in the classroom. Students worked in groups of two using ‘Turtleworlds’, a piece of geometrical construction software which combines symbolic notation, through a programming language, with dynamic manipulation of geometrical objects by dragging on sliders representing variable values. In this paper we study the students’ normalising activity, as they use this kind of dynamic manipulation to modify ‘buggy’ geometrical figures while developing meanings for ratio and proportion. We describe students’ normative actions in terms of four distinct Dynamic Manipulation Schemes (Reconnaissance, Correlation, Testing, Verification). We discuss the potential of dragging for mathematical insight in this particular computational environment, as well as the purposeful nature of the task which sets up possibilities for students to appreciate the utility of proportional relationships.

In this paper we introduce the incorporation of magneto-electric materials into antenna design and the potential of controlling the behavior of the antenna by means of an external magnetic field. After an intensive study of magneto-electric material properties, a ferrimagnetic compound called Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) was found to be the best candidate for the novel antenna design. We provide a metamaterial patch antenna design where a part of the substrate is replaced by the YIG compound. After several design modifications the final model includes a circular-shaped YIG substrate just under the metallic patch and offers sufficient performance in terms of resonance, bandwidth and radiation efficiency. Additionally, in the presence of an external magnetic field the polarization becomes elliptical and the sense of the polarization (left or right) can be controlled through the direction of the magnetic field. That latter characteristic confirms the metamaterial-nature of the antenna.

Relativistic electrons (with energies >150 keV) which originate in the outer radiation belt and detected by the Russian 'Meteor' series of satellites have been correlated with the atmospheric total ozone data compiled by almost 90 stations located around the world within the latitude zone 40°-70°N. In more than 60% of the stations examined we have detected a clear decrease of the ozone 3-5 days after the electron flux excess. A numerical model has been applied to approximate this effect based on relativistic electron initiated nitric oxides creation in the upper mesosphere with subsequent atmospheric transport (both vertical and horizontal) towards the upper stratosphere. A first attempt of local and temporal prediction of ozone depletion because of energetic electrons impact in the middle atmosphere has been illustrated. © 2008 COSPAR.

Recent observations by the H.E.S.S. collaboration of the Galactic Centre region have revealed what appears to be γ-ray emission from the decay of pions produced by interactions of recently accelerated cosmic rays with local molecular hydrogen clouds. Synthesizing a 3D hydrogen cloud map from the available data and assuming a diffusion coefficient of the form κ(E) = κ0(E/E0)δ, we performed Monte Carlo simulations of cosmic ray diffusion for various propagation times and values of κ0 and δ. By fitting the model γ-ray spectra to the observed one we were able to infer the value of the diffusion coefficient in that environment (κ = 3.0 ± 0.2 kpc2 Myr-1 for E = 1012.5 eV and for total propagation time 104 yr) as well as the source spectrum (2.1 ⩽ γ ⩽ 2.3). Also, we found that proton losses can be substantial, which justifies our approach to the problem.

We discuss the optical properties metal nanoforests - a composite metamaterial in which silver nanowires are aligned inside a finite-thickness dielectric host medium. Using finite-element modelling and a self-consistent extraction of effective-medium parameters, we find that this structure can enable an effective optical diamagnetic response that is orders of magnitude stronger compared to that of naturally occurring diamagnetic materials. Our analysis reveals that there is a frequency region where the nanoforest exhibits strong diamagnetic response while simultaneously allowing for high transmission of incident electromagnetic waves. Our analysis shows that the phenomena are robust to the presence of disorder, in the occurrence of which it can still facilitate high figure-of-merit diamagnetic responses. © 2009 SPIE.

We present a large sample (20 in total) of optical spectra of Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) High-Mass X-ray Binaries obtained with the 2dF spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope. All of these sources are found to be Be/X-ray binaries (Be-XRBs), while for five sources we present original classifications. Several statistical tests on this expanded sample support previous findings for similar spectral-type distributions of Be-XRBs and Be field stars in the SMC, and of Be-XRBs in the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way, although this could be the result of small samples. On the other hand, we find that Be-XRBs follow a different distribution than Be stars in the Galaxy, also in agreement with previous studies. In addition, we find similar Be spectral-type distributions between the Magellanic Clouds samples. These results reinforce the relation between the orbital period and the equivalent width of the Hα line that holds for Be-XRBs. SMC Be stars have larger Hα equivalent widths when compared to Be-XRBs, supporting the notion of circumstellar disk truncation by the compact object.

The Aegean Sea covers an area of some 160??103 km2 and receives the water/sediment fluxes from a mountainous drainage basin of >200??103 km2. On the basis of its morphodynamic characteristics, the Aegean Basin could be divided into: (1) the North Aegean Sea, an elongated region (trending between N50?? and N70??) including the extensive northern shelves and the Deep Aegean Trough; (2) the Central Aegean, which includes: the Cyclades Plateau, a relatively shallow (average depth <350 m) submerged platform, surrounded by small basins (up to 1000 m depth), including also the relatively extended eastern shelf of Asia Minor, and (3) the Southern Aegean Sea, located southwards of the Hellenic volcanic arc, which presents the characteristics of a true back-arc basin (the Cretan Sea). The surficial unconsolidated sediments of the north Aegean floor are dominated by the terrigenous component (from 50% up to >90%) due to the large terrigenous riverine fluxes. The South Aegean presents high percentages (>50%) of biogenic material, due to the small terrigenous inputs and despite the fact that it is more oligotrophic than the North Aegean. The Central Aegean presents a transitional character with the terrigenous influxes being imported along its eastern part and quantitatively being in between those of the North and South Aegean Sea sub-regions. The coarse-grained materials in shallow (shelf) areas are attributed to 'relict' deposits, while those in large water depths are almost exclusively biogenic products. The offshore distribution of the fine-grained terrigenous material is dominated by the overall circulation pattern, while meso-scale eddies may, locally, either enhance (anticyclones) or reduce (cyclones) settling rates. Moreover, the spatial distribution of the predominant clay minerals (illite and smectite) and of kaolinite and chlorite is governed by the lithology and proximity to land source areas, the water circulation and the processes of differential settling and flocculation. Overall, the North Aegean is characterised by sedimentation processes similar to those of a 'continental margin', primarily neritic and secondarily hemipelagic, the Central Aegean region mostly by hemipelagic and the South Aegean, behaving more like an 'oceanic margin', mostly by pelagic processes. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AIMS: To compare the treatment and outcomes of myocardial infarction patients in hospitals with and without catheterization laboratory. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Hellenic Infarction Observation Study was a countrywide registry of acute myocardial infarction, conducted during 2005-2006. The registry enrolled 1840 patients with myocardial infarction from 31 hospitals with a proportional representation of all types of hospitals and of all geographical areas. Out of these patients, 645 (35%) were admitted in 11 hospitals with and 1195 (65%) in 20 hospitals without catheterization laboratory. Patients admitted in hospitals with catheterization laboratory in comparison with patients admitted in hospitals without were younger (66+/-14 vs. 68+/-13, P<0.004) with less diabetes (27 vs. 33%, P<0.001), but without other baseline differences (female 27 vs. 25%, prior myocardial infarction 20 vs. 17%, Killip class>1 22 vs. 23%). Reperfusion rates for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were 67% (43% lytic, 24% primary percutaneous coronary interventions) versus 56% (55% lytic, 1% percutaneous coronary interventions; P<0.01). In-hospital outcomes in hospitals with versus in hospitals without laboratory were: mortality 6.5 versus 8.3% (NS), stroke 2.2 versus 1.1% (NS), major bleeding 1.1 versus 0.6% (NS), and heart failure 11 versus 16% (P<0.01). In multivariate regression analysis, being admitted in a hospital without catheterization laboratory was not an independent predictor of increased in-hospital mortality (odds ratio=1.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.72-1.93, P=0.505). CONCLUSION: Although the majority of acute myocardial infarction patients was admitted in hospitals without catheterization laboratory, these patients do not have a survival disadvantage, provided they are treated with lytic therapy, medical secondary prevention drugs, and eventual revascularization according to current guidelines.

This chapter examines overreaction hypothesis in four emerging Balkan stock markets (Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Turkey), using average returns of four developed markets (US, UK, Germany and Greece), during the period 2000-2007. The hypothesis tested is that developed market movements create overreaction to Balkan ones. We apply the Dimson’s (1979) aggregated coefficients method upon the conventional market model and an asymmetric non-linear smooth-transition generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ANST –GARCH) model. The findings provide evidence on accepting the overreaction hypothesis in Balkan markets and on excess volatility with asymmetric mean reversion patterns. The findings also support that a “momentum” portfolio strategy is the most appropriate for exceptional returns in emerging Balkan markets.

AIM: To describe overweight and obese adolescents and to determine any correlations between an adolescent's body mass index (BMI) with personal (age, gender), lifestyle (sedentary/sport activities, smoking status) and parental (smoking status, BMI, number of cars) characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on weight, height and various characteristics from 2008 Greek adolescents (12- to 17-year olds, 50.85% boys), measured in 2005-2007, were used. RESULTS: Almost 1 in 5 (19.2%) boys and 1 in 7 (13.2%) girls 12-17 years of age were overweight while 4.4% of the boys and 1.7% of the girls were obese. The adolescents' age, mother's smoking status, father's and mother's BMI predicted boys' and girls' BMI (b = 0.551, 0.203, 0.110, 0.495 for boys, b = 0.233, 0.187, 0.180, 0.531 for girls, respectively, p < or = 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that television watching/using personal computer/playing video games and playtime were not correlated with BMI, while an inverse association of exercising for > or = 5 h/week and BMI was found in both boys and girls (b =-1.098, -0.528, p = 0.005, 0.004 respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of our study underline the high prevalence of obesity during adolescence in Greece. Age and parental unhealthy behaviour (increased BMI and maternal smoking status) were positive predictors of increased BMI of adolescents in both genders.

Precipitating electrons from the radiation belts with energies greater than from 150 keV to 5 MeV have been correlated with ozone data of a large number of stations located within 40-70° N. Energetic electrons have been collected by the low altitude polar Russian satellite METEOR while ozone data have been compiled from almost ninety (90) stations located all over the world within the latitude zone 40-70° N. In more than 60% of the stations examined, we detect a clear decrease of the ozone variation during and after the occurrence of an electron flux excess, which recovers within 3-5 days. The more northern is a station located, the deeper is the ozone decrease. Moreover, clear evidence that the solar cycle affects ozone destruction through energetic electron events is presented. The preliminary results of the present work stimulate a future attempt for a simple ozone destruction mechanism formulation, which could describe atomic nitrogen ionization by energetic electrons, which in the following merge to atomic oxygen and produce nitrogen oxides. Finally, nitrogen oxides destruct ozone creating characteristic decreases on the normal ozone variation. © 2008 COSPAR.

Precipitating electrons from the radiation belts with energies greater than from 150 keV to 5 MeV have been correlated with ozone data of a large number of stations located within 40-70Β° N. Energetic electrons have been collected by the low altitude polar Russian satellite METEOR while ozone data have been compiled from almost ninety (90) stations located all over the world within the latitude zone 40-70Β° N. In more than 60% of the stations examined, we detect a clear decrease of the ozone variation during and after the occurrence of an electron flux excess, which recovers within 3-5 days. The more northern is a station located, the deeper is the ozone decrease. Moreover, clear evidence that the solar cycle affects ozone destruction through energetic electron events is presented. The preliminary results of the present work stimulate a future attempt for a simple ozone destruction mechanism formulation, which could describe atomic nitrogen ionization by energetic electrons, which in the following merge to atomic oxygen and produce nitrogen oxides. Finally, nitrogen oxides destruct ozone creating characteristic decreases on the normal ozone variation. Β© 2008 COSPAR.

Precipitating electrons from the radiation belts with energies greater than from 150 keV to 5 MeV have been correlated with ozone data of a large number of stations located within 40-70° N. Energetic electrons have been collected by the low altitude polar Russian satellite METEOR while ozone data have been compiled from almost ninety (90) stations located all over the world within the latitude zone 40-70° N. In more than 60% of the stations examined, we detect a clear decrease of the ozone variation during and after the occurrence of an electron flux excess, which recovers within 3-5 days. The more northern is a station located, the deeper is the ozone decrease. Moreover, clear evidence that the solar cycle affects ozone destruction through energetic electron events is presented. The preliminary results of the present work stimulate a future attempt for a simple ozone destruction mechanism formulation, which could describe atomic nitrogen ionization by energetic electrons, which in the following merge to atomic oxygen and produce nitrogen oxides. Finally, nitrogen oxides destruct ozone creating characteristic decreases on the normal ozone variation. © 2008 COSPAR.

«Ἡ πατερικὴ σκέψη στὸ ἔργο τοῦ Ἰουστίνου Πόποβιτς», Ἀναζητήσας Εὑρέ. Μελέτες Ἐκκλησιαστικῆς Γραμματείας, ἐκδ. Gutenberg, Ἀθήνα 2019, σελ. 248-256

The study area of St. Georgios coastal zone is located at the W coast of Naxos, the largest island of Cycladic plateau. The city of Naxos, located approximately 2.5 km from St. Georgios, is believed to be inhabitant since the early Cycladic period 5000 years ago. Archaeological evidence from Mycenaean times indicate the presence of a port whose remains along with a coastal road are found today underwater to a depth of about 2 m. In a distance of approximately 1.5 km from St. Georgios the archaeological site of the four temples of Yria, dedicated to god Dionysus, is situated. The first of the four temples is dating in the 8th century BC, while the last one in the 1st century AC. Moreover in Stelida area, adjacent to St. Georgios coastal zone, the existence of an ancient quarry is significant for the understanding of the palaeoenvironment of this area as well as the connection between these two archaeological sites. For the purposes of this study detailed geomorphological mapping, micropaleontological, sedimentological and dating analyses of the late Holocene coastal zone were conducted. The study of 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. To obtain information about the Holocene stratigraphy under the recent alluvial cover, four boreholes followed the detailed geomorphological mapping. The microfaunal (benthic foraminifera) analysis took place and ten 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. In this study the tracing of the palaeo-shorelines and sea level changes and their effect to the palaeo-environment in the western Naxos are attempted. Sea level rise along with sea-land interactions to the landscape evolution and the transgression of sea in 6144 BP have been verified.

The Cycladic islands are located in the central Aegean Sea (Greece) forming a partly submerged plateau separated into two parts: the eastern shallower one (Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros) which formed one big island (6.978 km2) at the end of the last glacial period; the western islands (Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos) which remained separated during the same period. The eastern islands constitute an erosional plateau which is the end product of a Neogene palaeosurface that was partially submerged due to thinning of the crust during the Quaternary. The presence of numerous Neolithic sites both on land and submerged indicates the existence of an advanced civilization in the area for thousands of years. The location of the lost Atlantis could be found in this area probably between Naxos, Paros and Antiparos.

Obesity and insulin resistance have been implicated in the etiology of pancreatic cancer (PC). Whether adiponectin and/or leptin, two adipocyte-secreted hormones important in metabolic regulation, are associated with PC pathogenesis and whether adiponectin receptors are expressed in PC remains unknown. In a hospital-based case-control study, we studied 81 cases with incident, histologically confirmed PC and 81 controls matched on gender and age between 2000 and 2007 to investigate the role of adiponectin and leptin adjusting for risk factors linked to PC. In a separate study, we also studied for the first time whether adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 are expressed in PC by studying 16 PC tumor tissue samples which were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. When subjects were divided into control-defined quartiles of adiponectin and leptin, lower leptin but higher adiponectin levels were associated with PC (p = 0.001 and p = 0.05 respectively) before and after controlling for age, gender, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption, history of diabetes, and family history of pancreatic cancer. Of the PC tumor tissue samples analyzed, 87.5% had positive or strong positive expression of AdipoR1 and 93.7% had positive or strong positive expression of AdipoR2. Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether the elevated adiponectin and low leptin levels reported in this study reflect compensatory changes during PC progression and thus can be used as markers for PC or whether they are causally implicated in PC.

Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) is a metabolic phenomenon that is mediated by the paraneoplastic secretion of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). Gynecologic malignant neoplasms complicated by HHM have been reported for organs such as the uterus, cervix, ovary, vulva and the vagina. The purpose of our study was to perform a review of the published cases in the literature and, further, to identify parameters with effect on outcome. Among 34 women with gynecologic neoplasms, 22 suffered from ovarian and 6 from uterine malignancies, while 3 had vulvar and another 3 cervical cancer. Furthermore, clear cell carcinoma was the predominant histology associated with PTH-rP expression. A significant correlation was found between serum calcium and PTH-rP levels. Treatment of hypercalcemia was successful in all cases; pamidronate was utilized in 8 patients. Ovarian cancer patients with severe hypercalcemia and high PTH-rP serum levels had shorter survival compared to their counterparts with mild hypercalcemia or moderately elevated PTH-rP serum levels, but the differences were not statistically significant. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Aegean wall lizard Podarcis erhardii, is widely distributed across the islands of the Aegean Sea (Greece). While there exists a relatively substantial body of knowledge on the ecology and life history of the species, the parasite communities of the taxon remain almost completely unknown. Quantifying the composition of these communities in P. erhardii is not only important for autoecological reasons, but also because inter-island comparisons of this lizard's parasite communities can shed light on the factors that structure parasite diversity in general. Here we investigate the gastrointestinal parasite communities of P. erhardii populations occurring on 16 landbridge islands of the Sporades group in the NW Aegean Sea by examining the gastrointestinal tracts of 113 lizards. In all, 8 species of helminths were found: 1 Trematode (Paradistomum mutabile), 1 Cestode (Oochoristica sp.) and 6 Nematodes (Parapharyngodon micipsae, Parapharyngodon bulbosus, Parapharyngodon echinatus, Spauligodon sp., Abbreviata sp., and Skrjabinelazia sp.). The prevalence, mean intensity, and mean abundance of infection were respectively 63.71%; 6.01 (±11.71; range 1-90); and 3.57 (±9.5; range 0-90). Brillouin's index of diversity for the Sporades was 0.048 (±0.13; range 0-0.142). These values were lower than for most other mainland and insular lacertid populations, and suggest that the investigated island populations harbor very depauperate helminth communities. The severe impoverishment of the parasite communities and the differential persistence of generalist parasite species with simple life cycles is most likely the result of a combination of insular environmental conditions (spatial and temporal isolation, arid climate, small host population sizes) and host life history characteristics (diet, simple gastrointestinal tract architecture). The paucity of parasites in these relictual island populations suggests that small reptile populations fragmented by anthropogenic activities may not be able to sustain their native parasite communities over the long term. © 2009 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden.

The present contribution deals with the natural environment of Paros island coastal zone. More than 75% of the coastal zone consists of high and lower cliffs, whilst the relatively flat coastal plains are rare. The island receives a substantial amount of wave energy flux. The largest rocky and of high slopes coastal part is situated at the northeast and northwest part of the island being developed on hard (resistant to weathering processes) metamorphic rocks. Coastal plains (slopes < 2.5%) have been formed on Quaternary clastic formations. Furthermore, sandy and/or pebbly beach zones have been formed by the deposition of terrigenous (mainly) and marine sediments, along relatively sheltered from the wave activity parts of the coastline, i.e. the bays of Drios, Kephalos, Plastiras, Piso Livadi and Alikes. Palaeogeographic reconstruction with respect to sea-level rise within Holocene reveals that Paros island, at 10.000 yr BP, was much larger (some 1.025 km2) combined with the islands of Antiparos, Naxos and several islets, while at 6.000 yr BP was only connected to Antiparos island covering 264.3 km2. Finally, the predicted ca. 0.5 m of sea level rise for the year 2100, due to climatic change, will definitely threaten the socio-economy of the island as all touristic beaches will be deteriorated as well as several  onstructions along its coastline.

Osteolytic bone disease is a frequent complication of multiple myeloma, resulting in skeletal complications that are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. It is the result of increased activity of osteoclasts that is not followed by reactive bone formation by osteoblasts. Recent studies have revealed novel molecules and pathways that are implicated in osteoclast activation and osteoblast inhibition, including the RANKL/osteoprotegerin pathway, macrophage inflammatory proteins and the wingless type signaling pathway. These molecules also appear to interfere with tumor growth and survival, providing possible targets for the development of novel drugs for the management of lytic disease in myeloma. Currently, bisphosphonates are the mainstay of treatment for myeloma bone disease, although several novel agents appear promising. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the biology of bone disease in multiple myeloma, diagnosis and recent progress in treatment options. © 2009 Expert Reviews Ltd.

Six contact binaries lacking a period analysis have been chosen to search for the presence of a third body. The O-C diagrams of these binaries were analyzed with the least-squares method by using all available times of minima. Ten new minima times, obtained from our observations, were included in the present research. The Light-Time Effect was adopted for the first time as the main cause for the detailed description of the long-term period changes. Third bodies were found with orbital periods from 49 up to 100 years, and eccentricities from 0.0 to 0.56 for the selected binaries. In one case (WZ And), a fourth-body LITE variation was also applied. The mass functions and the minimal masses of such bodies were also calculated and a possible angular separation and magnitude differences were discussed for a prospective interferometric discovery of these bodies.

Few patients with moderate or severe myasthenia gravis (MG) do not respond to immunosuppressive treatment. We present our experience with periodic therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), in 11 patients with MG resistant to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy, who had frequent relapses even whilst on high doses of immunosuppressive drugs, over a period of 8 years. All patients underwent TPE until control of their symptoms was achieved, and afterwards TPE sessions were continued periodically in an attempt to achieve remission of the disease, without immunosuppressant therapy. Two of the patients were progressively weaned off immunosuppressive agents, as well as TPE, and they are now symptom free. The other nine patients are still under a periodic TPE regime. Seven of them were weaned off all medications and required an average of 3.7 TPE sessions per year during the last 5 years. In the other two patients, those with the most severe form of the disease, the immunosuppressant dosage has been decreased and a TPE session every 2-3 weeks is required in order to control their symptoms. Through all these years TPE has been well tolerated and only minor side-effects were observed in two patients. Finally, during this 8 year follow-up period, nine of the patients treated with periodic TPE have been in good control of their symptoms over the last 5 years, and the other two patients live a normal life without any treatment in the last 3 years. Our results suggest that periodic TPE is safe and effective in the control of symptoms in patients with moderate to severe MG who do not respond to immunosuppressive therapies. © 2009 International Society for Apheresis.

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is ubiquitous and associated with serological evidence of exposure to periodontal organisms, systemic inflammation and vascular disease. Dementia is a major public health problem likely related to a complex interaction between genetics and diseases associated with systemic inflammation, including diabetes, smoking and stroke. METHODS: To assess relationships between systemic exposure to periodontal pathogens and cognitive test outcomes, data were analysed from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III), a nationally representative cross sectional observational study among older adults. We included 2355 participants >or=60 years who completed measures of cognition and Poryphyromonas gingivalis IgG. Using SUDAAN, logistic regression models examined the association of P gingivalis IgG with cognitive test performance. RESULTS: Poor immediate verbal memory (<5/9 points) was prevalent in 5.7% of patients, and 6.5% overall had impaired delayed recall (<4/9); 22.1% had difficulty with serial subtractions (<5/5 trials correct). Individuals with the highest P gingivalis IgG (>119 ELISA Units (EU)) were more likely to have poor delayed verbal recall (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.29) and impaired subtraction (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.11) than those with the lowest (

Phenoxodiol (PXD) is a synthetic analogue of the plant isoflavone genistein with improved anticancer efficacy. Various properties and mechanisms of action have been attributed to the drug, the most important being its ability to sensitize resistant tumour cells to chemotherapy, which led to its fast track FDA approval for phase II/III clinical trials. In this study, we examined the effects of PXD on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and its potential role in regulating immune responses. We show that PXD, at concentrations ≥1 μg/ml (4 μM), inhibited proliferation and reduced the viability of healthy donor-derived PBMC. In contrast, lower PXD concentrations (0.05-0.5 μg/ml) augmented, upon 3-day incubation, PBMC cytotoxicity. Experiments with purified CD56 + lymphocytes revealed that PXD enhanced the lytic function of natural killer (NK) cells by directly stimulating this lymphocytic subpopulation. Furthermore, in an in vivo colon cancer model, Balb/C mice administered low-dose PXD, exhibited significantly reduced tumour growth rates and prolonged survival (in 40% of the animals). Ex vivo results showed that PXD stimulated both NK and tumour-specific cell lytic activity. We conclude that PXD, when administered at low concentrations, can act as an immunomodulator, enhancing impaired immune responses, often seen in cancer-bearing individuals. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Self-organized TiO2 nanotubes with packed, vertically aligned morphology and different lateral characteristics were grown on Ti metal substrates by controlled electrochemical anodization in phosphate/HF and ethylene glycol/HF electrolytes. The wetting, photo-induced superhydrophilicity, and photocatalytic activity of the nanotubular materials were investigated under ultraviolet irradiation. The photoactivity of the TiO2 nanotube arrays was analysed in terms of their morphological characteristics that were determined by means of scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy in conjunction with geometrical modelling. The wetting and the UV-induced superhydrophilicity could be accordingly modelled by the Cassie-Baxter mode arising from the large scale roughness of the nanotubular arrays in combination with the Wenzel mode due to the small scale roughness induced by ridges at the outer tube surface. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 nanotube arrays was further found to correlate quantitatively with the variation of the geometric roughness factor, verifying the strong impact of morphology on the photo-induced properties of the vertically oriented TiO2 tubular architecture. © IOP Publishing Ltd.

One-electron oxidized guanine is an important reactive intermediate in the formation of oxidatively generated damage in DNA and a variety of methods have been utilized for the abstraction of a single electron from the guanine moiety. In this study, an alternative approach for the site specific, independent generation of the guanine radical, utilizing N-hydroxypyrid-2(1H)-one as a photolabile modifier of guanine, is proposed. Novel photolabile 6-[(1-oxido-2-pyridinyl)oxo]-6-deoxy- and 2′,6-dideoxy-guanosine derivatives capable of generating the neutral guanine radical (G(-H) •) upon photolysis were synthesized and characterized. The generation of G(-H) proceeds through homolysis of the N-O bond and was confirmed through continuous photolysis product analysis and trapping studies, as well as laser flash photolysis experiments. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2009.

CONTEXT: Both higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet and more physical activity have been independently associated with lower Alzheimer disease (AD) risk but their combined association has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the combined association of diet and physical activity with AD risk. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Prospective cohort study of 2 cohorts comprising 1880 community-dwelling elders without dementia living in New York, New York, with both diet and physical activity information available. Standardized neurological and neuropsychological measures were administered approximately every 1.5 years from 1992 through 2006. Adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (scale of 0-9; trichotomized into low, middle, or high; and dichotomized into low or high) and physical activity (sum of weekly participation in various physical activities, weighted by the type of physical activity [light, moderate, vigorous]; trichotomized into no physical activity, some, or much; and dichotomized into low or high), separately and combined, were the main predictors in Cox models. Models were adjusted for cohort, age, sex, ethnicity, education, apolipoprotein E genotype, caloric intake, body mass index, smoking status, depression, leisure activities, a comorbidity index, and baseline Clinical Dementia Rating score. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Time to incident AD. RESULTS: A total of 282 incident AD cases occurred during a mean (SD) of 5.4 (3.3) years of follow-up. When considered simultaneously, both Mediterranean-type diet adherence (compared with low diet score, hazard ratio [HR] for middle diet score was 0.98 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.72-1.33]; the HR for high diet score was 0.60 [95% CI, 0.42-0.87]; P = .008 for trend) and physical activity (compared with no physical activity, the HR for some physical activity was 0.75 [95% CI, 0.54-1.04]; the HR for much physical activity was 0.67 [95% CI, 0.47-0.95]; P = .03 for trend) were associated with lower AD risk. Compared with individuals neither adhering to the diet nor participating in physical activity (low diet score and no physical activity; absolute AD risk of 19%), those both adhering to the diet and participating in physical activity (high diet score and high physical activity) had a lower risk of AD (absolute risk, 12%; HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.44-0.96]; P = .03 for trend). CONCLUSION: In this study, both higher Mediterranean-type diet adherence and higher physical activity were independently associated with reduced risk for AD.

Physical parameters of contact binaries are studied through 2-D and 3-D correlations among them. It is shown that the physical parameters (i.e. mass, radius and luminosity) are closely correlated with the orbital period and mass ratio in the 3-D domain. These correlations can be used as a quality check for the parameters in every given solution of a contact binary. The empirical laws, extracted out of these correlations, are a useful tool for a quick estimate of physical parameters for the numerous contact binaries found in global sky surveys.

Therapeutic proteins are a diverse class of drugs consisting of naturally occurring or modified proteins, and due to their size and physico-chemical properties, they can pose challenges for the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) modelling has been effective for early in silico prediction of pharmacokinetic properties of new drugs. The aim of the present workshop was to discuss the feasibility of PBPK modelling of macromolecules. The classical PBPK approach was discussed with a presentation of the successful example of PBPK modelling of cyclosporine A. PBPK model was performed with transport of the cyclosporine across cell membranes, affinity to plasma proteins and active membrane transporters included to describe drug transport between physiological compartments. For macromolecules, complex PBPK modelling or permeability-limited and/or target-mediated distribution was discussed. It was generally agreed that PBPK modelling was feasible and desirable. The role of the lymphatic system should be considered when absorption after extravascular administration is modelled. Target-mediated drug disposition was regarded as an important feature for generation of PK models. Complex PK-models may not be necessary when a limited number of organs are affected. More mechanistic PK/PD models will be relevant when adverse events/toxicity are included in the PK/PD modelling.

Volos, a coastal medium-sized city in the region of Thessaly and extended along the northern part of the Pagassitikos Gulf at the eastern seaboard of Central Greece, is among the cities which suffer from the air pollution in Greece. The case of Volos is an interesting example, where in the last decades the urbanization and the increased industrialization have resulted in the degradation of the air quality in the area. Meteorological factors play an important role in the air pollution development, while the complex topography of Volos exacerbates air pollution episodes. In this study, the relationships between PM10 (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 ΞΌm) and meteorological parameters such as wind speed, relative humidity and air temperature have been analyzed from 2005 to 2007 on the basis of 24-hour continuous measurements. According to the results obtained from the multiple linear regression analysis, there is a strong relation between meteorological parameters and the particulate matter concentrations in Volos city. Moreover, the calculation of the 72-hour air mass back trajectories during (eight) Saharan dust events, took place within the examined period, was carried out by applying the HYSPLIT 4 model of Air Resources Laboratory of NOAA for three different levels: 500, 1500 and 4000 m (a.m.s.1.). It is worthy to remark the high PM 10 values observed, indicating the contribution of such natural events in exacerbating the air quality in the area of Volos. Β© 2009 American Institute of Physics.

PURPOSE: There is evidence to suggest that muscle damage caused by resistance exercise (RE) may increase postprandial lipemia (PPL). This study examined PPL for two consecutive days after a protocol of low-volume eccentric RE that caused muscle damage. METHODS: Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 ± 1.1 yr performed a session of eccentric RE consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. A high-fat meal (1.2 g fat, 1.2 g carbohydrate, 0.22 g protein, and 68.6 kJ•kg -1 body mass) was administered 16 h (day 1) and 40 h (day 2) after exercise as well as after an overnight fast with no prior exercise (control condition [C]). Venous blood samples were obtained before and hourly for 6 h after each meal. RESULTS: The duration of the exercise session (including rest intervals) was 25.6 ± 0.2 min, whereas net exercise time was 4.6 ± 0.2 min. Total energy expenditure was 0.64 ± 0.04 MJ. Serum creatine kinase and ratings of perceived muscle soreness were significantly elevated on day 1 and peaked on day 2. Triacylglycerol total area under the curve was 12.1% lower on day 1 compared with C (7.51 ± 0.99 vs. 8.54 ± 1.07 mmol•L -1•6 h -1, P < 0.02), whereas no difference existed between C and day 2. Serum insulin incremental area under the curve was significantly elevated on day 2 compared with C, indicating transient insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: These results show that low-volume eccentric RE is effective in reducing postprandial triacylglycerol concentration despite the low energy expenditure. Muscle damage does not have a detrimental effect on PPL. © 2009 by the American College of Sports Medicine.

PURPOSE: There is evidence to suggest that muscle damage caused by resistance exercise (RE) may increase postprandial lipemia (PPL). This study examined PPL for two consecutive days after a protocol of low-volume eccentric RE that caused muscle damage. METHODS: Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 ± 1.1 yr performed a session of eccentric RE consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. A high-fat meal (1.2 g fat, 1.2 g carbohydrate, 0.22 g protein, and 68.6 kJ•kg -1 body mass) was administered 16 h (day 1) and 40 h (day 2) after exercise as well as after an overnight fast with no prior exercise (control condition [C]). Venous blood samples were obtained before and hourly for 6 h after each meal. RESULTS: The duration of the exercise session (including rest intervals) was 25.6 ± 0.2 min, whereas net exercise time was 4.6 ± 0.2 min. Total energy expenditure was 0.64 ± 0.04 MJ. Serum creatine kinase and ratings of perceived muscle soreness were significantly elevated on day 1 and peaked on day 2. Triacylglycerol total area under the curve was 12.1% lower on day 1 compared with C (7.51 ± 0.99 vs. 8.54 ± 1.07 mmol•L -1•6 h -1, P < 0.02), whereas no difference existed between C and day 2. Serum insulin incremental area under the curve was significantly elevated on day 2 compared with C, indicating transient insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: These results show that low-volume eccentric RE is effective in reducing postprandial triacylglycerol concentration despite the low energy expenditure. Muscle damage does not have a detrimental effect on PPL. © 2009 by the American College of Sports Medicine.

PURPOSE: There is evidence to suggest that muscle damage caused by resistance exercise (RE) may increase postprandial lipemia (PPL). This study examined PPL for two consecutive days after a protocol of low-volume eccentric RE that caused muscle damage. METHODS: Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 ± 1.1 yr performed a session of eccentric RE consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. A high-fat meal (1.2 g fat, 1.2 g carbohydrate, 0.22 g protein, and 68.6 kJ•kg -1 body mass) was administered 16 h (day 1) and 40 h (day 2) after exercise as well as after an overnight fast with no prior exercise (control condition [C]). Venous blood samples were obtained before and hourly for 6 h after each meal. RESULTS: The duration of the exercise session (including rest intervals) was 25.6 ± 0.2 min, whereas net exercise time was 4.6 ± 0.2 min. Total energy expenditure was 0.64 ± 0.04 MJ. Serum creatine kinase and ratings of perceived muscle soreness were significantly elevated on day 1 and peaked on day 2. Triacylglycerol total area under the curve was 12.1% lower on day 1 compared with C (7.51 ± 0.99 vs. 8.54 ± 1.07 mmol•L -1•6 h -1, P < 0.02), whereas no difference existed between C and day 2. Serum insulin incremental area under the curve was significantly elevated on day 2 compared with C, indicating transient insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: These results show that low-volume eccentric RE is effective in reducing postprandial triacylglycerol concentration despite the low energy expenditure. Muscle damage does not have a detrimental effect on PPL. © 2009 by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Caudal autotomy, the self-induced tail shedding from the body, is a common defensive strategy in lizards. Tail loss is followed rapidly by regeneration, revealing the importance of a fully functional tail. Predation pressure has been traditionally correlated with autotomy performance. However there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact of predation regime on tail regeneration. Another important factor that has been neglected is the population density. Though it is well established that crowding alters various life-history traits, the impact of density on caudal regeneration remains understudied. In this paper we compared three island populations of the Aegean Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii) that have evolved under different levels of predation pressure: whereas the Naxos population is exposed to numerous predators the Kopries and Daskalio islet populations experience low predation pressure. To evaluate the effect of density-induced stress on caudal regeneration, lizards were treated under two conditions of housing, in single and crowded (six individuals) terraria. Tail sheding occurred prior to this treatment following a standardised method. The length of regenerated tail was recorded weekly. Regeneration rate was higher in single terraria when compared to crowded, reflecting the negative impact of crowding. However we failed to detect any statistically significant difference between single and crowded terraria in the case of Naxos. We believe that the underlying reason must be the heavy predation pressure under which rapid tail regeneration, even under unfavourable conditions, is crucial for survival. It seems that the imperious need for regeneration counteracts density-induced stress. © 2009 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden.

The aim of a joint research activity in the FP6-ANNA project (http://www.i3-anna.org) is to develop and improve metrologies for the measurement of nanocrystal properties. Within the framework of this cooperation we optimized the sample preparation techniques to obtain a range of structures containing nanocrystals. Based on these samples we have optimized our characterization methods. In this work we focus on ellipsometry and X-ray diffraction measurements for the characterization of nanocrystal sizes in silicon rich oxide and porous silicon. We demonstrate the capabilities of dielectric function parametrizations in the ellipsometric evaluations, revealing the correlation between the broadening parameters of the critical point features and the nanocrystal size. ©The Electrochemical Society.

During the last decades, hundreds of species of Indo-Pacific origin from the Red Sea have traversed the Suez Canal and settled in the Eastern Mediterranean. Nowadays, Amphistegina lobifera Larsen, the most common epiphytic, symbiont- bearing large foraminifer, is known to be a successful immigrant that is widely distributed in the coastal ecosystems of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we provide additional sites of occurrences on distributional range and settlement of A. lobifera in the Greek coastal ecosystems. The high relative abundances recorded are the result of very successful inhabitation of thisspecies in the Aegean ecosystems and suggest that it has become significant part of the epiphytic foraminiferal fauna.

A review of prospectively collected data in our trauma unit for the years 1998-2003 was undertaken. Adult patients who suffered multiple trauma with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of >/=16, admitted to hospital for more than 72 hours and with sustained blunt chest injuries were included in the study. Demographic details including pre-hospital care, trauma history, admission vital signs, blood transfusions, details of injuries and their abbreviated injury scores (AIS), operations, length of intensive care unit and hospital stays, Injury Severity Score (ISS) and mortality were analysed. Fulfilling the inclusion criteria with at least one chest injury were 1,164 patients. The overall mortality reached 18.7%. As expected, patients in the higher AIS groups had both a higher overall ISS and mortality rate with one significant exception; patients with minor chest injuries (AIS(chest) = 1) were associated with mortality comparable to injuries involving an AIS(chest) = 3. Additionally, the vast majority of polytraumatised patients with an AIS(chest) = 1 died in ICU sooner than patients of groups 2-5.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of HPV in a gynecologic population attending outpatient clinics using two new molecular tests. The Amplicor HPV test and the Linear Array (LA) HPV Genotyping test were used for the detection of HPV DNA in 320 women. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors of HPV positivity. The agreement between the two methods in terms of their qualitative results was 89.3% (kappa: 0.63). Based on the LA results, the overall prevalence of HPV DNA was 49.1%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI: 43.5%, 54.7%). The prevalence of high-risk HPV types was 30.3%. The predominant types were HPV-6 (24.8%) and HPV-16 (20.4%). Among women with normal cytology, the prevalence of HPV was much higher in those presenting other findings, such as inflammation, than those without other abnormal findings (49.5% vs. 31.5%). On the basis of multivariate analysis, the risk of HPV infection was higher among women with multiple sexual partners [>3 vs. 1: OR = 3.1, 95% CI: (1.5, 7.2)], Pap smear findings [low/high-grade lesions vs. negative: OR = 2.8, 95% CI: (1.2, 6.5)], the presence of warts [yes vs. no: OR = 3.0, 95% CI: (1.5, 6.3)] and no history of child birth [no vs. yes: OR = 2.6, 95% CI: (1.0, 6.7)]. Younger age was an additional risk factor for HPV infection with carcinogenic genotypes [OR for 1 year increase = 0.93, 95% CI: (0.89, 0.98)].

We consider a Paris Metro Pricing (PMP) approach for providing service to two classes of customers differentiated by their delay sensitivity. We develop a leader-follower game, where the leader is the service provider who sets the price and the customers respond by deciding whether to join or balk. We derive the customer behaviour as the Nash equilibrium of a multi-person game and obtain the revenue maximising price pairs for all combinations of arrival rates from each class to each server. We finally derive the capacity threshold in such domain and its impact on customer accessibility to the product or service. Copyright © 2009, Inderscience Publishers.

An external magnetic field, H, applied parallel to a quasi-two-dimensional carrier system modifies quantitatively and qualitatively the density of states. We examine how this affects primary thermodynamic properties, namely, the entropy, S, the internal and free energy, U and F, the magnetization, M, and the magnetic susceptibility, χm, using a self-consistent numerical approach. Although M is mainly in the opposite direction to H, the system is not linear. Hence, surprisingly, δM/δH swings between negative and positive values, i.e. a diamagnetic to paramagnetic transition of entirely orbital origin is predicted. This phenomenon is important compared to the ideal de Haas–van Alphen effect, i.e. the corresponding phenomenon under perpendicular magnetic field. By augmenting temperature, the diamagnetic to paramagnetic transition fades away. The overall behaviour of entropy is also foreseen and consistently interpreted. While the entropy contribution to the free energy is very small at low temperatures, entropy shows a clear dependence on the external magnetic field.

We analyzed 232 patients with previously untreated, symptomatic WM, of whom 10% were 50 years of age and 21% were > 75 years of age. Disease features and response to treatment were similar among age groups. Patients > 75 years of age had significantly shorter survival (OS; 53 months vs. 113 months for those > 50-75 years vs. not reached for patients 50 years of age; P < .001). Despite the fact that 33% of elderly patients died of causes unrelated to WM, disease-specific survival (DSS) was 72 months for patients > 75 years, 120 months for those > 50-75 years and not reached for patients 50 years (P = .001). International Prognostic Scoring System for WM (IPSSWM) could discriminate 3 risk groups with significantly different OS or DSS. The addition of elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase in the IPSS improved the ability of IPSS to identify a group of patients with a significantly worse outcome (median survival, 55 months).

Hyperprolactinemia has been associated with endothelial dysfunction and an adverse cardiovascular risk profile, possibly as a result of the vasoconstrictive properties of prolactin. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the hypothesis that prolactin contributes to the increased cardiovascular risk occurring in early menopause by studying apparently healthy women without hyperprolactinemia. Prolactin serum levels were measured by immunoassay in 76 women aged 54.4±4.9 years in menopause for 4.9±2.8 years, and possible correlations with traditional cardiovascular risk factors and surrogate markers of preclinical atherosclerosis, arterial stiffening, and endothelial and microcirculatory function were examined. Positive correlations between prolactin serum levels and arterial blood pressure, but no other traditional risk factors, were found. Prolactin also correlated with central aortic systolic (r=0.337; P=0.002) and diastolic (r=0.272; P=0.012) blood pressures and pulse wave velocity (r=0.264; P=0.02), a marker of aortic stiffness, but not with endothelial or microcirculatory function or carotid intima-media thickness. By multivariate regression analysis, prolactin levels determined, independent of traditional risk factors, both blood pressures and aortic stiffness. Notably, prolactin correlated with European Society of Cardiology HeartScore (r=0.364; P=0.002), a composite index that predicts 10-year cardiovascular mortality. Prolactin levels >8.0 ng/mL had 100% sensitivity to predict a high peripheral blood pressure. Prolactin may play a role in accelerated arteriosclerosis in early menopause by affecting central/peripheral blood pressure and arterial stiffness. In contrast, no correlation was observed with other risk factors or surrogate markers of atherosclerosis. Prospective studies to assess whether prolactin is an additional hormone increasing cardiovascular risk are warranted. © 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Micro-Raman spectroscopy is applied to investigate the long-term stability of industrial dye-sensitized solar cells under prolonged light soaking and thermal stress following continuous illumination over 6450 h at 55-60 °C. The Raman spectral characteristics of the individual cell components have been investigated using two excitation wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared range allowing us to assess the microstructure of the TiO2/conducting glass photoelectrode, the chemical bonding of the hydrophobic Ru(II)-polypyridyl dye complex on the mesoporous TiO2 film, and the electrolyte composition. Comparative ex situ resonance Raman measurements on fresh and aged cells indicate minor differences in the vibrational characteristics of the triiodide, dye molecules, and the triiodide/dye charge transfer adduct at the electrode/electrolyte interface upon aging, confirming the absence of any distinct chemical modification that could create instability. In situ Raman experiments implemented via the application of a polarization bias reveal a less pronounced potential dependence of both the electrolyte and the dye Raman response for the aged cells. These features together with the intensity reduction and broadening of the anatase Raman modes imply that the chemical stability of the cell interfaces is accompanied by a modification of the interfacial electric field on the TiO2/dye/electrolyte junction after long-term light and thermal stress.© 2009 American Chemical Society.

According to a common definition, interprofessional education (IPE) is described as "occasions when two or more professions learn from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care". The Leonardo project under the name European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN) in health and social care, has been dealing with the challenges of interprofessional education. The EIPEN project tries to develop a transnational network of universities and employers in the six participating countries and at the same time to promote good practices in interprofessional learning and teaching in health and social care. IPE provides opportunities for students and practitioners to learn with, from and about each other during qualifying and post-qualifying training and in their practice. IPE in health and social care includes the education and training of practitioners in human and animal medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and all other health professions including public and environmental health and health promotion, and social work. The outcomes of the EIPEN Project will provide means, material and guidelines for the enhancement of professional education in the multi-disciplinary field of Health Informatics. The methodology on the development of the Greek Interprofessional Network was based on a series of workshops aiming to document the educational process in healthcare institutes and universities followed by the assessment of the needs for the development of an interprofessional environment. The outcomes will provide means, material and guidelines for the enhancement of professional education in the multi-disciplinary field of Health Informatics.

Background: The most common sites of metastasis in prostate cancer include bone and regional lymph nodes followed by lung, liver, and brain. Peritoneal metastasis without skeletal involvement is extremely rare. Case Report: We present herein a patient with hormone refractory prostate cancer with peritoneal metastasis accompanied by ascites but without bone metastasis. The patient initially experienced an excellent response to docetaxelbased chemotherapy. Conclusions: Prostate cancer can present with distant metastasis in unexpected sites. The lack of skeletal involvement does not exclude the possibility of distant metastases. The presence of ascites may indicate peritoneal disease which could be responsive to current standard chemotherapy. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG.

Tibial stress fractures are not rare--they have been extensively studied in young athletes and soldiers and in elderly people with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, Paget's disease, pyrophosphate arthropathy, and hyperparathyroidism--but they seldom occur in patients with severe primary degenerative knee osteoarthritis. The etiology, diagnosis, and optimal treatment of these fractures remain a challenge. In this article, we review the English-language literature on the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and final outcomes of these fractures, and we report 2 new cases of proximal tibial stress fractures in elderly women with severe primary degenerative knee osteoarthritis.

A cross-sectional telephone survey on a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Greek households was performed to assess the acceptability of the pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v vaccine, factors associated with intention to decline and stated reasons for declining vaccination. The survey was initiated the last week of August 2009 (week 35) and is still ongoing (analysis up to week 44). The percentage of participants answering they would probably not/definitely not accept the vaccine increased from 47.1% in week 35 to 63.1% in week 44 (test for trend: p<0.001). More than half of the people which chronic illnesses (53.3%) indicated probably not/definitely not. Factors associated with intention to decline vaccination were female sex, age between 30-64 years, perception of low likelihood of getting infected or of low risk associated with influenza, and absence of household members suffering from chronic illnesses. For the majority of the respondents (59.8%), the main reason for intending to decline vaccination was the belief that the vaccine might not be safe. Promotion of vaccination programmes should be designed taking into account the attitudinal barriers to the pandemic vaccine.

Πρόκειται για τον πρώτο τόμο της Σειράς CESE Papers and Reports, η οποία θα περιλαμβάνει επιλεγμένες εργασίες από τα Παγκόσμια Συνέδρια της Ευρωπαϊκής Εταιρείας Συγκριτικής Εκπαίδευσης και επιστημονικές εργασίες των μελών της Εταιρείας μετά από κρίση του εκάστοτε επιμελητή. Η έκδοση φιλοδοξεί να δώσει βήμα σε πανεπιστημιακούς δασκάλους και ερευνητές από διάφορα μέρη του κόσμου να παρουσιάσουν το σύγχρονο δημόσιο λόγο και τις εκπαιδευτικές εξελίξεις στο τοπικό τους συγκείμενο. Ο πρώτος τόμος περιλαμβάνει πέραν του εισαγωγικού κεφαλαίου των επιμελητών, εννέα επιλεγμένες εργασίες, οι οποίες αντλούν τα θέματά τους από τις μεγάλες αλλαγές των τελευταίων δεκαετιών στις εκπαιδευτικές πολιτικές και πρακτικές σε διάφορα εκπαιδευτικά συστήματα. Οι συγγραφείς τους επιχειρούν να αποσαφηνίσουν τα νέα κοινωνικά και εκπαιδευτικά δεδομένα τα οποία επηρεάζουν τη σχολική εκπαίδευση, τα πανεπιστήμια και τα ερευνητικά ιδρύματα

Mutations in the highly conserved tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate (YMDD) motif are frequently associated with resistance to antivirals and represent a major concern in the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Conventional methods fail to detect minority populations of drug-resistant viral quasispecies if they represent less than 25% of the total sample virus population. The amplification refractory mutation system real-time PCR (ARMS RT-PCR) was combined with molecular beacon technology using the LightCycler system. The samples from HBV patients selected for assay evaluation included (i) 57 samples from treatment-naive patients for biological discriminatory ability (cutoff) estimation, (ii) 12 samples from patients with treatment failure that were M204V positive by sequencing, and (iii) 13 samples from patients with treatment failure that were negative for mutation at codon 204 by sequencing. The discriminatory ability of the assay was 0.25% when tested with laboratory-synthesized DNA target sequences. The median mutant-to-wild-type ratio for samples from naive patients tested positive for the wild type and for mutant variants was 0.01% (5th and 95th percentiles = 0.0001 and 0.04%, respectively). A value of 0.04% was selected as the biological cutoff of the assay of clinical samples. In all samples M204V positive by sequencing (12/12), the mutant variant was detected as the predominant population (range, 82.76 to 99.43%). Interestingly, in 5 (38%) of 13 samples negative by sequencing, the M204V variant was detected at a ratio above the biological cutoff (0.05 to 28%). The assay represents an efficient technique for the early detection and quantification of M204V variants before mutant strains emerge to dominate the population.

The elegant concept of Landau levels must be abandoned, whenever a quantum well (QW) is subjected to an in-plane or tilted magnetic field, because carriers move under the competing influence of the Lorentz force and the force due to the QW confining potential. The equal-energy surfaces [1, 2] or equivalently the density of states (DOS) [3, 4] are qualitatively and quantitatively modified because the spatial and the magnetic confinement compete. In the general case, handling of such problems involves self-consistent computations [2, 4, 5] of the energy dispersion, Ei,σ(kx), where i is the subband index, σ denotes the spin and kx is the in-plane wave vector perpendicular to the external in-plane magnetic field (applied along y), H. The envelope functions along the "growth" z-axis depend on kx, i.e., ψi,σ,kx,ky (r) κ ζi,σ,kx (z)eikxxeikyy. The impact on the physical properties was initially realized in transport experiments [6, 7, 8, 9]. The character of plasmons in single [10] and double [11] QWs is also affected. The N-type kink was theoretically predicted [12] and recently verified in photoluminescence experiments [13]. In this chapter, employing a self-consistent envelope function approach: (a) I summarize fundamental quantum mechanical relations pertinent to QWs under in-plane magnetic field, and I stage a compact DOS formula which holds for any type of interplay between spatial and magnetic confinement [4, 5]. (b) I describe the influence of an in-plane magnetic field on fundamental thermodynamic properties of dilutemagnetic- semiconductor narrow to wide single QWs. I discuss the entropy, S, the internal energy, U, the free energy, F, and the magnetization, M. (c) I examine the spin-subband populations and the spin-polarization of dilute-magnetic-semiconductor narrow to wide single QWs [5, 14].

Spain has become the first country in the world to officially recognize and promote Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. In light of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation’s recent initiative (Feb. 2009) this paper examines corporeality and sport identity in ways that reflect processes of change, in exploring the interrelation of social theories, international dialogue and anachronistic gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes in competitive sports. Subsequently, this paper presents a case study and discusses the official recognition of men’s rhythmic gymnastics (RG) by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG). Despite gender stereotypes that depict this Olympic sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, the male body aesthetic, including masculine gender role identity, the rising involvement of boys and men in this sport throughout the globe can no longer be ignored. Incontestably rhythmic gymnastics for men and boys is growing and how far it will go remains to be seen. The socially constructed and historically specific nature of physicality, corporeality and sport identity need to be renegotiated since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. (Olympic Charter, rule2 par. 5, 7/7/2007) Keywords: gender-inclusive, gender fluidity, gender identity, corporeality, genetic personification, men’s rhythmic gymnastics

Spain has become the first country in the world to officially recognize and promote Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. In light of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation’s recent initiative (Feb. 2009) this paper examines corporeality and sport identity in ways that reflect processes of change, in exploring the interrelation of social theories, international dialogue and anachronistic gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes in competitive sports. Subsequently, this paper presents a case study and discusses the official recognition of men’s rhythmic gymnastics (RG) by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG). Despite gender stereotypes that depict this Olympic sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, the male body aesthetic, including masculine gender role identity, the rising involvement of boys and men in this sport throughout the globe can no longer be ignored. Incontestably rhythmic gymnastics for men and boys is growing and how far it will go remains to be seen. The socially constructed and historically specific nature of physicality, corporeality and sport identity need to be renegotiated since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. (Olympic Charter, rule2 par. 5, 7/7/2007) Keywords: gender-inclusive, gender fluidity, gender identity, corporeality, genetic personification, men’s rhythmic gymnastics..

Spain has become the first country in the world to officially recognize and promote Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. In light of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation’s recent initiative (Feb. 2009) this paper examines corporeality and sport identity in ways that reflect processes of change, in exploring the interrelation of social theories, international dialogue and anachronistic gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes in competitive sports. Subsequently, this paper presents a case study and discusses the official recognition of men’s rhythmic gymnastics (RG) by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG). Despite gender stereotypes that depict this Olympic sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, the male body aesthetic, including masculine gender role identity, the rising involvement of boys and men in this sport throughout the globe can no longer be ignored. Incontestably rhythmic gymnastics for men and boys is growing and how far it will go remains to be seen. The socially constructed and historically specific nature of physicality, corporeality and sport identity need to be renegotiated since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. (Olympic Charter, rule2 par. 5, 7/7/2007) Keywords: gender-inclusive, gender fluidity, gender identity, corporeality, genetic personification, men’s rhythmic gymnastics......................................................................

1. Kamberidou, Irene; Tsopani, Despina; Dallas, George and Patsantaras, Nikolaos (2009). A Question of Identity and Equality in Sports: Men's Participation in Men's Rythmic Gymnastics. NEBULA 6.4, a Journal of Multidisciplinary Scholarship Australia ISSN-1449 7751, 6(4), 220-237. Publisher's Version mens_rythmic_gymnastics.pdf  H.6 in Apella

    *** Republished – redistributed as: Kamberidou, I., Tsopani, D., Dallas, G., & Patsantaras, N. (2009). A Question of Identity and Equality in Sports: Men’s Participation in Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. The Routledge Falmer Reader in Gender and Education, 220–237.  H.6 in Apella

The RACE-OC project, standing for Rotation and Activity Evolution in Open Clusters, is a long-term project aimed at studying the evolution of rotation and magnetic activity of late-type members of stellar open clusters. Magnetic fields play a fundamental role in altering the rotational properties of late-type stars. They are responsible, e.g., for angular momentum loss in the wind or its redistribution in the stellar interior. Magnetic fields in late-type stars and their related phenomena, such as photospheric cool spots and bright faculae, chromospheric plages, and X-ray emission, in turn depend on the stellar rotation which controls the efficiency of the hydromagnetic dynamo. Thus, the evolution of angular momentum and magnetic activity offer complementary approaches to understanding the mechanisms by which rotation and magnetic fields influence each other in late-type stars.

Background: We undertook a randomized phase II trial to test whether the addition of paclitaxel (Taxol) to the cisplatin and ifosfamide (IP) combination could improve objective response (OR) rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with recurrent or metastatic cancer of the uterine cervix. Patients and methods: One hundred and fifty-three patients were randomly allocated to receive either the IP regimen (ifosfamide 1.5 g/m2, daily, on days 1-3 and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 2) or the same combination with the addition of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 on day 1 [ifosfamide, paclitaxel and cisplatinum (ITP) regimen]. Cycles were administered every 4 weeks on an outpatient basis. Results: A modest increase in neurotoxicity was observed with the triplet combination. OR rate was significantly higher in the ITP group (59% versus 33%, P = 0.002). Median PFS was 7.9 and 6.3 months for patients in the ITP and IP arms, respectively (P = 0.023). Median OS was 15.4 months and 13.2 months in the ITP and IP arms, respectively (P = 0.048). In multivariate analysis, the triplet yielded a hazard ratio of 0.70 for relapse or progression (P = 0.046) and 0.75 for death (P = 0.124) compared with the doublet. Conclusion: The ITP combination merits further investigation in randomized phase III studies. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Background Effective anthracycline-free combinations need to be evaluated in metastatic breast cancer (MBC), due to the increased number of patients treated with anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and methods Patients with MBC were randomized to paclitaxel and carboplatin (PCb) every 3 weeks or docetaxel and gemcitabine (GDoc) every 3 weeks or weekly paclitaxel (Pw). Trastuzumab was given to patients with HER-2 over-expressing tumors. The primary endpoint of the study was survival. Quality of life (QoL) and cost were assessed. Results Totally, 416 eligible patients entered the study. Median survival times were 29.9 months for PCb, 26.9 for GDoc and 41.0 for Pw (P = 0.037). According to multivariate analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy, >1 metastatic sites, lack of maintenance hormonal therapy, and worse performance status (PS) were significant adverse prognostic factors for survival, while Pw when compared to GDoc improved survival (P = 0.03), as well as when compared to PCb in the subgroup of patients with PS = 1 (P = 0.01, treatment by PS interaction P = 0.03). No significant differences in terms of time to progression were found. Severe myelotoxicity and mucositis were more frequent with GDoc, while severe neuropathy with PCb and Pw. QoL changes did not differ significantly between treatment groups, while cost analysis favored Pw. Conclusions Pw appears to be the most preferable choice among the 3 anthracycline-free taxanes-based regimens tested in the present study. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Background: Cytokines are significant mediators of the immune response to surgery and also play a role in parturition. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of the anesthetic technique for cesarean section on plasma levels of cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. Methods: Thirty-five parturients scheduled for elective cesarean section were randomly assigned to general (n = 18) or neuraxial (n = 17) anesthesia. The general anesthesia group received thiopental 4 mg/kg, succinylcholine 1-1.5 mg/kg and 1% end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane in nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen. The neuraxial anesthesia group received intrathecal 0.5% levobupivacaine 1.8-2.2 mL and epidural fentanyl 1 μg/kg. Blood samples were taken for IL-6 and TNF-α immediately after positioning the parturient on the operating table, after uterine incision and before the umbilical cord clamping and 24 h after surgery (T1, T2 and T3 respectively). Results: The two groups did not differ in IL-6 (P = 0.15) or TNF-α (P = 0.73) serum concentrations at any time point. In the general and neuraxial anesthesia groups, IL-6 serum concentrations were significantly higher in the third blood sample, T3 (12.2 ± 5.0 and 15.2 ± 4.3 pg/mL), than in T1 (0.41 ± 0.38 and 0.29 ± 0.10 pg/mL) and T2 (0.37 ± 0.47 and 0.24 ± 0.05) respectively (P < 0.001). Within each group, serum TNF-α concentrations did not differ significantly over time (P = 0.44). Conclusions: Under the present study design anesthetic technique did not affect IL-6 or TNF-α concentrations in parturients undergoing elective cesarean section. Serum IL-6 levels increased 24 h postoperatively independently of anesthetic technique. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: Receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) binds to RANK on the surface of osteoclast precursors and enhances their differentiation, survival and fusion, activates mature osteoclasts and inhibits their apoptosis. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is the decoy receptor of RANKL. Disruption of the RANK/RANKL/OPG axis is implicated in bone metastases. Objective/ methods: A review of the role of RANKL signaling in bone development and the rationale for targeting RANKL in treatment of bone metastases and myeloma bone disease. Results/conclusions: In preclinical models of solid tumors and myeloma, RANKL inhibition reduced osteoclast numbers and subsequent bone resorption, prevented development of osteolytic lesions and decreased tumor burden. Preliminary clinical studies with denosumab, an anti-RANKL fully human monoclonal antibody, in patients with solid tumors with bone metastases and myeloma showed that targeting RANKL reduces osteoclastogenesis, bone resorption markers and skeletal-related events, supporting further study of this molecule and others with anti-RANKL activity. © 2009 Informa UK Ltd. All rights reserved.

We provide an overview of 'trapped rainbow' techniques for stopping light. We show that guided modes with real propagation consrtant and complex frequency can be 'trapped rainbow'-stopped even in the presence of waveguide losses. © 2009 Optical Society of America.

Create a hub for sharing knowledge (with regard to the “Development of MSc Programs) facilitating communication and coordination with students: Goal #1: Increase visibility and fostering/retaining partnerships.  Goal #2: Contribute to improving gender inclusive practices.  Goal #3: Encourage dialogue and partnerships and facilitate strategic alliance. Namely, a websites (safe and free of charge) that will help transform ‘classrooms’ into more collaborative and dynamic learning environments, allowing students to communicate with other students and teachers around the world. Additionally,  Proposed courses/or Directed Study: “Gender issues in sports” (offered by ESTIAEARTH partner, scient. responsible: Irene Kamberidou);  Proposed course/ or Directed Study: “Research Methods” (offered by ESTIAEARTH partner, Kostas Karteroliotis);   Directed Study: “Gender and technology (the anachronistic gender-science imbalance) from a sociological perspective.” (offered by ESTIA-EARTH partner, Irene Kamberidou); Proposed course or directed study: “Sport Sociology” offered by ESTIA-EARTH partner Nikolaos Patsantaras. FUTURE GOALS: Training the trainers/educating the educators** (see attached recommendations).   

The incidence of cutaneous adverse reactions to quinolones is low; moreover their development in patients with concomitant alcohol consumption is a phenomenon that has been scarcely reported. We present a case of 46-year-old male who developed erythema multiforme after ingestion of alcohol, while being treated with ciprofloxacin. The lesion was self-limiting and abstinence from alcohol permitted the completion of the course of therapy without any other adverse reaction.

We present a case of a 53-year-old woman with recurrent intra-articular osteoid osteoma of the hip 6 months after initial treatment with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. En bloc surgical excision of the osteoid osteoma and prophylactic internal fixation for impending stress fracture was performed. The patient is pain free, has returned to normal function and there is no sign of recurrence at the one-year follow-up. Intraarticular osteoid osteoma, present a diagnostic challenge and often they are misdiagnosed. Minimally invasive ablation techniques can fail in significant percentage and then surgical excision with histological confirmation remains the definitive treatment of choice.

Background: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a well-described complication of bisphosphonates use in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We investigated whether the occurrence of ONJ decreased after the implementation of preventive measures in 128 patients with MM who received zoledronic acid. Patients and methods: Patients with MM who received zoledronic acid were included in this analysis. Patients with a previous use of other bisphosphonates were excluded; patients were stratified into group A (n = 38) and group B (n = 90) if treatment was started before or after the implementation of preventive measures. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight patients were included in this analysis. Sixteen patients (12.5%) developed ONJ - group A: 8 (26.3%), group B: 2 (6.7%) (P = 0.002). The incidence rate (IR) was 0.671/100 person-months for group A and 0.230/100 person-months for group B [IR ratio 2.92, P = 0.029, 95% confidence interval 1.06-8.03]. No patient in group B developed stage III ONJ. Conclusion: In conclusion, the risk of developing ONJ after treatment of zoledronic acid is reduced (but not deleted) by the implementation of preventive measures. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Postoperative pain, however, can prolong hospital stay and lead to increased morbidity. In the context of a multimodal approach to analgesia, intraperitoneal local anesthetic administration optimizes analgesia and facilitates early postoperative recovery, and it may be associated with a decreased risk of side effects. METHODS: A total of 71 patients was randomized to receive either intraperitoneal analgesic (IPA group) or not (controls). At the completion of cholecystectomy, 10 mL of levobupivacaine 0.5% were infused intraperitoneally in the IPA group and 8 h postoperatively, whereas in the controls, 10 mL of 0.9% NaCl were administered in the corresponding points of time. Differences in pain scores between groups were the primary endpoints. Opioid consumption and adverse effects were the secondary endpoints. RESULTS: The 2 groups were homogenous in respect to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and duration of operation. No conversion, complication, or mortality was recorded. The IPA group had a lesser visual analog scale score at rest and at movement compared with controls at all points of time measured. Moreover, fentanyl consumption in the recovery room was significantly greater in the control group, and the consumption of meperidine and the percentage of the patients that requested rescue analgesia in the ward was significantly greater in the control group. Local analgesic intraperitoneal injection as well as parecoxib for postoperative analgesia had no significant adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that 2 separate doses of intraperitoneally administered levobupivacaine significantly decreased postoperative pain and the need for opioids compared with placebo. This technique is simple, safe, and without adverse effects.

Axisymmetric resistive MHD simulations for radially self-similar initial conditions are performed, using the NIRVANA code. The magnetic diffusivity could occur in outflows above an accretion disk, being transferred from the underlying disk into the disk corona by MHD turbulence (anomalous turbulent diffusivity), or as a result of ambipolar diffusion in partially ionized flows. We introduce, in addition to the classical magnetic Reynolds number Rm, which measures the importance of resistive effects in the induction equation, a new number Rb, which measures the importance of the resistive effects in the energy equation. We find two distinct regimes of solutions in our simulations. One is the low-resistivity regime, in which results do not differ much from ideal-MHD solutions. In the high-resistivity regime, results seem to show some periodicity in time-evolution, and depart significantly from the ideal-MHD case. Whether this departure is caused by numerical or physical reasons is of considerable interest for numerical simulations and theory of astrophysical outflows and is currently investigated.

Axisymmetric resistive MHD simulations for radially self-similar initial conditions are performed, using the NIRVANA code. The magnetic diffusivity could occur in outflows above an accretion disk, being transferred from the underlying disk into the disk corona by MHD turbulence (anomalous turbulent diffusivity), or as a result of ambipolar diffusion in partially ionized flows. We introduce, in addition to the classical magnetic Reynolds number Rm, which measures the importance of resistive effects in the induction equation, a new number Rb, which measures the importance of the resistive effects in the energy equation. We find two distinct regimes of solutions in our simulations. One is the low-resistivity regime, in which results do not differ much from ideal-MHD solutions. In the high-resistivity regime, results seem to show some periodicity in time-evolution, and depart significantly from the ideal-MHD case. Whether this departure is caused by numerical or physical reasons is of considerable interest for numerical simulations and theory of astrophysical outflows and is currently investigated.

PURPOSE: Renal impairment is a frequent complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and is associated with significant morbidity and increased early death rate. Bortezomib is active and well tolerated in patients with MM who present or develop renal impairment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed 46 consecutive patients who presented with renal impairment in order to evaluate the impact of bortezomib on the improvement of renal function and to identify predictive factors associated with renal response. All patients received bortezomib with dexamethasone with or without other agents. RESULTS: Renal response was documented in 59% of patients within a median of 11 days (range, 8-41 days). Two of 9 patients who required dialysis became dialysis independent. A complete renal response (CRrenal) was documented in 30% of patients. Toxicities were similar to those seen in myeloma patients without renal failure who were treated with bortezomib-based regimens. Patients with light chain-only myeloma had a higher probability of achieving a renal response, and previously untreated patients had a higher probability for complete resolution of renal impairment, while light chain-only myeloma was independently associated with a shorter time to renal response. The degree of renal impairment was not predictive of the probability for renal response or CRrenal; however, in a subset of patients for whom cystatin C was available, a baseline cystatin C > 2 mg/L or cystatin C calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min were associated with a lower probability of CRrenal. CONCLUSION: We conclude that bortezomib-based regimens may improve renal function in the majority of myeloma patients with renal impairment.

The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab has shown activity in approximately one third of patients with Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (WM). Because this agents is nonmyelosuppressive, several studies have assessed its combination with chemotherapeutic agents such as fludarabine, cladribine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin. These regimens induce at least partial response in > 70% of previously untreated patients. Recent data suggest that prolonged exposure to nucleoside-containing regimens should be avoided because of concerns of myelodysplasia and disease transformation. Rituximab has also been combined with thalidomide, which is an active and nonmyelosuppressive regimen. The rituximab-based combination represents today the most commonly used primary treatment for WM.

The coastline of Attica incorporates a great number of pocket beaches, which are characterised further by the presence of extensive beachrock formations. The present study concerns the evolution (past, present and future) of the Kalyvia beach zone, located at the western coast of Attica and at a distance of 42 km from the city of Athens. The subaerial part of the beach zone consists of mixed materials (mainly sand, granules and gravel), while extensive beachrock formations exist on its shoreface. The beach is exposed primarily to southern wind-induced waves, the largest of which (offshore wave height up to 6m and period >11sec) begin to break at about 8 m of water depth and have a run-up capability of approximately 1.5 m. Most of the subaqueous part of the Kalyvia beach zone is lithified, as the beachrocks extend from the shoreline down to >8 m of water depth. This part of the beach zone may be subdivided further into three units: the deeper one (water depths >7m), the middle (depths 5-6.5 m) and the upper unit (from 4 m depth up to the shoreline). This almost continuous presence is related to the gradual sea level rise during the upper Holocene (past 6.000 years), indicating also a relative climatic stability and/or homogeneity during this period, although some morphological and structural differences in the beachrock indicate changes either in the rate of sea level rise or in the prevailing climatic conditions. Over the last decades, human activities and constructions have deprived the beach of hinterland sediment supply, changing, therefore, its sedimentological character. During this period, beachrocks have played a ‘protective role’ stabilizing and reducing substantially the retreat of the beach zone, which on the basis of the landward boundary displacement of the beachrocks has been estimated to be in the order of 30cm per year from 1969 to 2005. This retreat is attributed to the marine erosion of the sediment that used to cover the upper beachrock formations, in combination to the sea-level rise (approx. 18 cm over the past century) and the lack of sediment supply. Moreover, this degradation of the Kalyvia beach zone is expected to be intensified by the potential future sea level rise (approximately 38 cm for the year 2100).

Intracellular calcium is a major coordinator of numerous aspects of cellular physiology, including muscle contractility and cell survival. In cardiac muscle, aberrant Ca(2+) cycling has been implicated in a range of pathological conditions including cardiomyopathies and heart failure. The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+) transport adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA2a) and its regulator phospholamban (PLN) have a central role in modulating Ca(2+) homeostasis and, therefore, cardiac function. Herein, we discuss the mechanisms through which SERCA2a and PLN control cardiomyocyte function in health and disease. Emphasis is placed on our newly identified PLN-binding partner HS-1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1), which has an anti-apoptotic function and presents with numerous similarities to Bcl-2. Recent evidence indicates that proteins of the Bcl-2 family can influence ER Ca(2+) content, a critical determinant of cellular sensitivity to apoptosis. The discovery of the PLN/HAX-1 interaction therefore unveils an important new link between Ca(2+) homeostasis and cell survival, with significant therapeutic potential.

Mathematical modeling was employed on recent epidemiological data from Mexico in order to assess the impact of intervention strategies on the spread of influenza A(H1N1)v in the setting of the European region. Active surveillance that will ensure timely treatment and home isolation of symptomatic cases in combination with school closure seem to form an efficient strategy to control the spread of influenza A(H1N1)v.

BACKGROUND: Transient symptoms in Alzheimer disease (AD) are frequent and include seizures, syncope, and episodes of inattention or confusion. The incidence of seizures in AD and predictors of which patients with AD might be more predisposed to them is based primarily on retrospective studies and is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and predictors of new-onset unprovoked seizures. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Three academic centers. Patients Four hundred fifty-three patients with probable AD observed prospectively from mild disease stages since 1992. Main Outcome Measure Informant interviews every 6 months included questions about whether the patient had a seizure (convulsion, fainting, or "funny" spell) and whether diagnosis or treatment for epilepsy or seizure was made. Two epileptologists independently retrospectively reviewed all available medical records for 52 patients with positive responses to either of these questions, and using a specific checklist form, events were diagnosed as to whether they were unprovoked seizures (intrarater concordance, kappa = 0.67). Diagnosis of unprovoked seizures constituted the event in survival analyses. Potential predictors included sex, age, race/ethnicity, educational achievement, duration of illness, baseline cognition and function, depression, medical comorbidities, and time-dependent use of cholinesterase inhibitors and neuroleptic agents, apolipoprotein E genotype, and previous electroencephalographic findings. RESULTS: Over the course of 3518 visit-assessments (per patient: mean, 7.8; maximum, 27), 7 patients (1.5%) developed seizures. Younger age was associated with higher risk (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.41; P = .003 for each additional year of age) of seizure incidence. No other predictor was significant. The overall incidence of seizures was low (418 per 100 000 person-years of observation) although significantly higher than expected for idiopathic unprovoked seizures in similar age ranges of the general population (hazard ratio, 8.06; 95% confidence interval, 3.23-16.61). CONCLUSIONS: Unprovoked seizures are uncommon in AD, but they do occur more frequently than in the general population. Younger age is a risk factor for seizures in AD.

Surface functionalization of self-organized Ti02 nanotube (NT) arrays produced by electrochemical anodization is implemented by dextrin-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles leading to a composite semiconductor nanostructure. The morphological and structural properties are studied by electron and atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron, and resonance micro-Raman spectroscopies revealing successful deposition of maghemite (γ-Fe2o3) nanoparticles on the nanotube walls. The nanocomposite surface simultaneously exhibits high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of model pollutants under UV irradiation at relatively low loading levels of the γ-Fe2o3 nanoparticles and light-independent wetting properties, as the initially superhydrophilic surface is converted to a moderately hydrophilic substrate, while obtaining an additional functionality through the magnetic field response of the iron-oxide component that shows appreciable magnetization anisotropy. Electrochemical impedance investigation including Mott-Schottky analysis attests to a significant improvement of the interfacial electron-transfer kinetics together with a modification of the surface chemistry for the functionalized Ti0 2 nanotubes, promoting electron-hole separation through the polyhydroxyl dextrin shell that mediates charge transfer between the constituent semiconductor oxides and validating their improved photocatalytic performance. These composite nanotubular materials offer the opportunity of advanced applications, where the unique photoinduced reactivity, the controlled wetting behavior, and the magnetic field response can be effectively combined. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Males and females learn and remember differently at different times in their lives. These differences occur in most species, from invertebrates to humans. We review here sex differences as they occur in laboratory rodent species. We focus on classical and operant conditioning paradigms, including classical eyeblink conditioning, fear-conditioning, active avoidance and conditioned taste aversion. Sex differences have been reported during acquisition, retention and extinction in most of these paradigms. In general, females perform better than males in the classical eyeblink conditioning, in fear-potentiated startle and in most operant conditioning tasks, such as the active avoidance test. However, in the classical fear-conditioning paradigm, in certain lever-pressing paradigms and in the conditioned taste aversion, males outperform females or are more resistant to extinction. Most sex differences in conditioning are dependent on organizational effects of gonadal hormones during early development of the brain, in addition to modulation by activational effects during puberty and adulthood. Critically, sex differences in performance account for some of the reported effects on learning and these are discussed throughout the review. Because so many mental disorders are more prevalent in one sex than the other, it is important to consider sex differences in learning when applying animal models of learning for these disorders. Finally, we discuss how sex differences in learning continue to alter the brain throughout the lifespan. Thus, sex differences in learning are not only mediated by sex differences in the brain, but also contribute to them.

The deterioration of homeostasis between oxidant/antioxidant species may represent an important mechanism linking psychological stress to cardiovascular risk despite the many sex differences in stress responsiveness. The goal of the present study was to investigate the influence of chronic mild stress (CMS), a widely accepted animal model of depression, on oxidative homeostasis-allostasis markers and sICAM-1, a marker of endothelial injury, in the serum of Wistar rats, by taking into account the effect of sex. After six weeks of exposure to mild unpredictable environmental stressors, both male and female rat groups displayed typical changes in hedonic status (anhedonia), which is a core symptom of human depression. Control female rats had higher (nitrite and nitrate) NOx, lower malondealdehyde (MDA) levels with lower activity of antioxidant enzymes and sICAM-1 levels than did control males. CMS induced oxidant/antioxidant responses in both sexes. Females tended to increase their nitric oxide (NO) levels further, while MDA levels did not reach those of males, thus retaining significantly higher NO bioavailability than in males. Concerning the antioxidant enzymes, CMS-females exhibited significantly higher glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and lower glutathione reductase (GR) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity compared to CMS-males. The CMS response in females was accompanied by lower sICAM-1 levels than in males, suggesting lower endothelial injury. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that CMS induces different oxidative stress and compensatory responses in both sexes probably due to differences in the mechanisms regulating oxidant/antioxidant pathways.

Cette étude fut élaborée dans le cadre d’une bourse de recherche du gouvernement canadien (Canadian Studies Faculty Enrichment Award) et s’appuie sur un matériel récolté dans divers centres de recherche (Bibliothèque nationale du Québec à Montréal, Bibliothèque des sciences humaines et sociales de l’université Laval, Centre de documentation de la Centrale de l’enseignement du Québec) et organismes québécois (Centre de documentation et Coordination à la condition féminine au ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport). La recherche ambitionne de combler un vide historiographique : au Québec, une des régions les plus progressistes de la francophonie en matière d’égalité des sexes et de parité, le champ d’investigation des représentations des sexes et du genre dans les manuels scolaires du secondaire est encore inexploré.L’étude porte plus précisément sur les manuels d’histoire des deux dernières classes de l’enseignement secondaire en usage entre 1980 et 2004. Pourquoi des manuels du second cycle du secondaire ? Dépourvus des stéréotypes trop voyants rencontrés parfois dans les manuels de l’école primaire, ils se prêtent plus facilement à l’analyse. Pourquoi des manuels si récents ? Compte tenu de la mission civique dont ils sont investis, l’examen de ces ouvrages permet d’interroger un avenir en train de s’inventer. La démarche méthodologique adoptée est à la fois quantitative et qualitative : constituer un corpus de notations sexuées afin d’examiner la place de chaque sexe dans l’histoire scolaire québécoise ; comparative également : il s’agit de mettre en évidence tant les évolutions advenues au cours de vingt-cinq ans que les lignes de force communes et les disparités entre manuels.Deux axes se profilent : l’examen des sources imprimées (programmes d’études, manuels) qui révèle un certain progrès de la place accordée au sexe féminin dans l’espace historique ; la proposition d’une relecture de deux périodes historiques fondée sur les apports des spécialistes de l’histoire des femmes et du genre, afin de repérer les vides laissés dans le récit historique : il s’agit des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles (étude de l’histoire de la colonie française de la Nouvelle-France) d’une part, de la période de l’entre-deux-guerres (étude de l’histoire de France), d’autre part. L’étude des chapitres correspondants des manuels québécois révèle que l’action des individus est largement mesurée à l’aune des structures du pouvoir interprétées au masculin ; les femmes, n’étant pas toujours concernées par cet aspect de l’histoire, restent souvent invisibles.

Research in affective disorders is often performed without considering sex differences, although women are predominantly affected. Consequently, the potential sex-dependent action of antidepressants remains elusive. We investigated whether Flinders sensitive line (FSL) of rats, a model of depression, would present sex-differentiated responses to antidepressant treatment. FSL and Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with clomipramine 10 mg/kg/day for 14 days. Subsequently, they were subjected to either a single session of the forced swim test or an estimation of serotonergic function in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. Male FSL displayed increased immobility duration, decreased active behaviours, increased serotonin tissue levels and a reduced serotonin turnover rate in most brain areas studied. Female FSL showed a distinct profile, consisting of decreased immobility latency, increased climbing duration, limited serotonergic deviations and no difference in the serotonin turnover rate in comparison with controls. Interestingly, despite baseline differences, clomipramine treatment reversed all relevant behavioural responses and increased the serotonin turnover rate in both sexes. However, the latter effect was remarkably more pronounced in females. It is concluded that, in this animal model of depression, chronic clomipramine treatment attenuated baseline sex differences in the phenotype while maintaining or intensifying the sex differentiation in the serotonergic endophenotype.

Research in affective disorders is often performed without considering sex differences, although women are predominantly affected. Consequently, the potential sex-dependent action of antidepressants remains elusive. We investigated whether Flinders sensitive line (FSL) of rats, a model of depression, would present sex-differentiated responses to antidepressant treatment. FSL and Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with clomipramine 10 mg/kg/day for 14 days. Subsequently, they were subjected to either a single session of the forced swim test or an estimation of serotonergic function in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. Male FSL displayed increased immobility duration, decreased active behaviours, increased serotonin tissue levels and a reduced serotonin turnover rate in most brain areas studied. Female FSL showed a distinct profile, consisting of decreased immobility latency, increased climbing duration, limited serotonergic deviations and no difference in the serotonin turnover rate in comparison with controls. Interestingly, despite baseline differences, clomipramine treatment reversed all relevant behavioural responses and increased the serotonin turnover rate in both sexes. However, the latter effect was remarkably more pronounced in females. It is concluded that, in this animal model of depression, chronic clomipramine treatment attenuated baseline sex differences in the phenotype while maintaining or intensifying the sex differentiation in the serotonergic endophenotype.

Mn5Ge3Cx films with x >= 0.5 were experimentally shown to exhibit a strongly enhanced Curie temperature T-C compared to Mn5Ge3. In this letter we present the results of our first principles calculations within Green's function approach, focusing on the effect of carbon doping on the electronic and magnetic properties of the Mn5Ge3. The calculated exchange coupling constants revealed an enhancement of the ferromagnetic Mn-Mn interactions mediated by carbon. The essentially increased T-C in Mn5Ge3C is well reproduced in our Monte Carlo simulations and together with the decrease of the total magnetization is found to be predominantly of an electronic nature.

The authors investigated the relation between social achievement goals (A. M. Ryan & S. S. Shim, 2006) and aspects of students' socio-emotional adjustment in a sample of elementary school students. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that after controlling for levels of prosocial skills, a social development goal was positively related to perceived belongingness and negatively related to perceptions of loneliness at school. In contrast, a social demonstration-avoid goal was positively associated with perceptions of loneliness, whereas a social demonstration-approach goal was negatively associated with peer acceptance. Last, prosocial skills were positively related to students' peer acceptance, which was negatively associated with feelings of loneliness. The results and their implications on students' school adjustment are discussed within the social achievement goal framework.

Thyroid carcinoma usually presents as asymptomatic thyroid nodule. Thyroid cancer may show microscopic vascular invasion; however, internal jugular vein (IJV) invasion is a rare complication of thyroid cancer. We present a case of unilateral invasion of IJV caused by local nodal recurrence of the primary thyroid carcinoma. The patient had undergone a near total thyroidectomy, followed by modified left lymph node resection with left IJV resection. In this case, the infiltrated part of the right IJV was resected, and the vessel was reconstructed using saphenous vein autograft. In locally advanced, well-differentiated thyroid cancers, only the radical resection relieves symptoms and increases survival.

Wnt pathway signaling is crucial in many cancers and data indicate crosstalk with other key cancer pathways, however in urothelial carcinogenesis it has not been extensively studied. We searched for mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a key regulator of the pathway, and studied b-catenin expression and interactions with the expression of other markers of apoptosis, angiogenesis, and proliferation in patients with invasive urothelial cancer. The mutation cluster region of APC was directly sequenced in 70 patients with muscle invasive disease who were treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. COX-2, p53, Ki67, and b-catenin were studied immunohistochemically and micro vessel density was quantified by CD105 expression. Single somatic amino-acid substitutions (missense) were found in 9 (13%) and frameshift deletions in 2 (3%) tumors, all located in regions adjacent to b-catenin binding sites. Patients having either APC missense mutations or b-catenin nuclear accumulation had less frequent COX-2 overexpression (24% vs. 76%, p = 0.043) and more frequent lymph node involvement (75% vs. 38%, p = 0.023). Patients with either APC mutations or b-catenin accumulation had shorter disease-free interval (13.4 vs. 28 months, p = 0.07), whereas in multivariate analysis they had shorter disease- specific survival (60.5 vs. 20.6 months, p = 0.048). Somatic APC missense mutations are not rare in advanced urothelial neoplasms. Either APC mutations and/or aberrant expression of b-catenin are associated with worse outcome. Further study of the role of the Wnt pathway, potential crosstalk with other pathways and potential candidate therapeutic targets in urothelial cancer is needed. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The paper presents a notional account of the challenges facing the introduction of English as an international lingua franca (ELF) curriculum in the state schools of the expanding circle, taking Greece as a case in point. It broadly delineates an ELF curriculum as one focusing on the skills necessary for carrying out successful communication involving non-native speakers and then highlights a set of challenges linked to both teaching context and teachers’ perceptions of professional identity. It focuses on challenges related to three facets of the professional identity of academically trained Greek state school EFL teachers, namely, their roles as users, specialists, and, ultimately, custodians of English for their learners and wider community. These facets are discussed with reference to a description of the country's current sociolinguistic and educational profile. The paper concludes with an overview of the strengths of an ELF curriculum for Greek state schools and discusses implications for ELF teacher education.

Από τα μέσα της δεκαετίας του 20΄ όλοι οι γηγενείς ελληνικοί θίασοι της Αμερικής συμπεριλαμβάνουν στο δραματολόγιο τους οπερέτες, κωμικές ή δραματικές. Την ίδια περίοδο στις αθηναϊκές σκηνές το ελαφρό θέατρο εκπροσωπείται από δεκάδες θιάσους και παράλληλα διώκεται από τους εκπροσώπους του «σοβαρού» θεάτρου. Αντίθετα στην Αμερική δεν προκύπτει διαμάχη και μάλιστα ακόμα και οι σοσιαλιστικοί θίασοι εντάσσουν στο ρεπερτόριο τους την οπερέτα. Οι θίασοι εμφανίζονται ευέλικτοι και εύκολα μεταπηδούν από το «ελαφρό» στο «σοβαρό» θέατρο, προσπαθώντας να ικανοποιήσουν το ευρύτερο κοινό. Τα έργα κοινωνικοπολιτικού προβληματισμού και «θεάτρου των ιδεών» δεν έβρισκαν απήχηση στην ομογένεια του χαμηλού μορφωτικού επιπέδου, κυρίως την δεκαετία του 1930. Επίσης τα περισσότερα δράματα των Ελλήνων δραματουργών πρόβαλαν διαρκώς το μοντέλο της συμβατικής αστικής οικογένειας προκαλώντας δυσαρέσκεια. Παράλληλα, η οικονομική ανέλιξη των μεταναστών απομάκρυνε το κοινό από τα «σοβαρά» έργα και απαιτούσε το νέο θεατρικό είδος να μην έχει διδακτικό χαρακτήρα και να αποσκοπά στην αβίαστη τέρψη του κοινού μέσω της μουσικής. Τα έργα των Νικόλαου Χατζηαποστόλου και Θεόφραστου Σακελλαρίδη γνώρισαν θριαμβευτική επιτυχία και κυριάρχησαν στις ελληνοαμερικανικές σκηνές. Ωστόσο η παραστατική παραγωγή των Ελλήνων καλλιτεχνών δεν ήταν δυνατόν να καλύψει τις ανάγκες των θιάσων και γι’ αυτό επιστρατεύτηκαν οι ξένες οπερέτες, κυρίως οι γαλλικές, βιεννέζικες και γερμανικές. Η μόδα της ελληνικής οπερέτας θα κρατήσει στην Αμερική έως τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1930.

The aim of the lab was to combine the theory of orthophony science with the empirical art of theatre education, just as it should be taught in primary education. Blending the science of phonetics and theatrical art constitutes an attractive methodology for the group to which it is addressed (age of reference 8-12 years old). The lab particularly focused on the practice –by means of theatrical games- of the theoretical base of Orthophony. Breathing: Benefits and ways of achieving breathing through the diaphragm. Vocalization: Structure and practice of phonetic organs, which are the organs that produce the sound. Articulation: Proper formation of phonemes and their practice. Those participating in the lab had the opportunity to learn the principles of Orthophony first on a theoretical level and then, on an empirical one; the final stage aimed at creating collective exercises, and its ulterior purpose was to apply them at school.

The highest deformation rate along the Africa/Eurasia convergence zone is welldocumented in the Aegean area, being >4 cm/yr. However, it is still under question whethercontinental deformation is distributed along major faults which extend through the wholelithosphere or over large areas. Furthermore, our knowledge concerning the implication oflithosphere-asthenosphere coupling in lithospheric plates driving forces is poor. Thesequestions can not easily be answered as most of the available information is mainly located ator close to the surface (geodesy, tectonics, seismicity). The high rates and type of surfacecontinental deformation within the Aegean constitute this region particularly interesting in thisperspective.This work is towards contributing to the better knowledge of the physical properties ofthe Aegean lithosphere by introducing experimental elastic and anelastic parameters inferredfrom long period Rayleigh wave. For this scope path-average phase velocities and attenuationcoefficients of fundamental Rayleigh wave crossing the Aegean were extracted over theperiod range 10-100 s. The wavetrains were recorded at the temporary broadband stationsinstalled some years ago in the Aegean region within the framework of a large scaleexperiment (SEISFAULTGREECE project).

The 2nd Canon of the 1st Ecumenical Synod, reads he 1 Tim 3:6 with the word "trap"῾ before the phrase "of the devil". An hermeneutical "deadlock" is now solved.The Canon is a credible "external witness" of the authentic biblical text. In the critical restoration of the holy text we follow the holisitc-rational approach. The real meaning of the particular verse, which is an excerpt of the Holy Scripture is revealed by an equally ῾holy῾ text, the second canon of the First Ecumenical Synod. Apart from the critical restoration, it is noted that the canon "repeats" 1 Tim 3:6 in order to introduce to the canonical corpus of the Church the prohibition of ordination of the recently baptised. We watch the canonical evolution of this prohibition, comparing this first canon with later canonical regulations, as well as, the semantic evolution of the word "neophytus" (=recently baptised). The word is recognized as terminus technicus in canon law, which includes every person who has recently abandoned secular life wishing to be ordained, or a recently ordained clergyman, which is not mature enough to ascend the hierarchy. We observe, that through time penal provisions become more lenient, however the categories of the subjects which are included in the ban expands.

The objective of this study is to find out the spatial and temporal variability of the dry and wet spells in Greece, during the period 1958-2007. The meteorological data with respect to daily precipitation totals were acquired from 27 meteorological stations of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, which are uniformly distributed over the country. The dry spells concern consecutive dry days (CDD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount less than 1 mm, within a year. The wet spells concern consecutive wet days (CWD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount more than or equal to 1 mm, within a year, as defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), jointly sponsored by the Commission for Climatology (CCl) of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Climate Data and Monitoring Programme (WCDMP), the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Programme of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM). As results from the analysis, the spatial distributions of the mean annual CDD and the mean annual CWD along with their trends, within the examined period, are presented. The findings indicate that CDD obtain maxima in the Cyclades Islands and the southeastern Aegean Sea, while minima are found in the northwestern Greece. On the contrary, the longest CWD are observed in western Greece and western part of Crete Island and the shortest in the eastern continental Greece and in the majority of the Aegean Sea. On an annual basis, the temporal variability of CWD shows statistically significant (confidence level of 95%) negative trends, mainly in the western region of Greece, while insignificant positive trends for CDD appear almost all over the country with emphasis in the southeastern region. Finally, in order to interpret the drier and wetter periods within the examined period, the 850 hPa and the 500 hPa geopotential height (m) composites of the anomalies from 1958-1996 climatological normal (clino), are analysed using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The objective of this study is to find out the spatial and temporal variability of the dry and wet spells in Greece, during the period 1958-2007. The meteorological data with respect to daily precipitation totals were acquired from 27 meteorological stations of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, which are uniformly distributed over the country. The dry spells concern consecutive dry days (CDD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount less than 1 mm, within a year. The wet spells concern consecutive wet days (CWD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount more than or equal to 1 mm, within a year, as defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), jointly sponsored by the Commission for Climatology (CCl) of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Climate Data and Monitoring Programme (WCDMP), the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Programme of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM). As results from the analysis, the spatial distributions of the mean annual CDD and the mean annual CWD along with their trends, within the examined period, are presented. The findings indicate that CDD obtain maxima in the Cyclades Islands and the southeastern Aegean Sea, while minima are found in the northwestern Greece. On the contrary, the longest CWD are observed in western Greece and western part of Crete Island and the shortest in the eastern continental Greece and in the majority of the Aegean Sea. On an annual basis, the temporal variability of CWD shows statistically significant (confidence level of 95%) negative trends, mainly in the western region of Greece, while insignificant positive trends for CDD appear almost all over the country with emphasis in the southeastern region. Finally, in order to interpret the drier and wetter periods within the examined period, the 850 hPa and the 500 hPa geopotential height (m) composites of the anomalies from 1958-1996 climatological normal (clino), are analysed using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This study explores the influence of air gaseous pollutants-aerosols and solar zenith angle (SZA) on the spectral diffuse-to-direct beam Edλ/Ebλ irradiances ratio. It does so using ground-based spectroradiometric measurements taken over the Athens atmosphere during May 1995. It was found that the spectral Edλ/Ebλ ratio decreases rapidly with increasing wavelength and regression curves of the form EEdλ/Ebλ = aλ-b fitted the experimental data. These curves are strongly modified by aerosols-air pollutants, aerosol optical properties, and SZA. The log-log plot of Edλ/Ebλ versus λ reveals a significant departure from linearity, which is likely to be associated with aerosol physical properties and SZA effects. The effect of atmospheric turbidity, as expressed through the aerosol optical at 500 nm and SZA on the spectral Edλ/ Ebλ ratio, is investigated in detail for two discernible atmospheric conditions observed in the urban Athens atmosphere. The first case includes different atmospheric turbidity levels under the same SZA, while the second corresponds to different SZA values under the same turbidity levels. It was found that the correlation between Edλ/Ebλ and spectral aerosol optical depth can be a useful tool in determining the aerosol optical properties and aerosol types composition. © Springer-Verlag 2009.

Context: A recent survey of the Local Group spiral galaxy M 31 with XMM-Newton yielded a large number of X-ray sources. Aims: This is the second in a series of papers with the aim of identifying the optical counterparts of these X-ray sources. Methods: We have obtained optical spectra for 21 bright optical counterparts of 20 X-ray sources in the direction of M 31, using the 1.3-m Skinakas telescope in Crete, Greece. Results: For 17 of the 20 X-ray sources, we have identified the optical counterpart as a normal late type star (of type F or later) in the foreground (i.e. in the Milky Way). For two more sources, there were two possible optical counterparts, in each case, while two more objects have X-ray properties that are not compatible with the spectral characteristics of late type non-flaring stars.

Using Chandra, XMM-Newton and optical photometric and spectroscopic catalogs we study the young (<100 Myr) X-ray binary populations of the Small Magellanic Cloud, which at ˜60 kpc is our second nearest star-forming galaxy. In particular, we investigate the importance of Be/X-ray binaries as a dominant component of young X-ray binary populations, based on a study of the connection between X-ray source populations and their parent stellar populations. We find that a significant number of Be/X-ray binaries and/or pulsars are connected with a burst of star formation ˜25-60 Myr ago, while regions with weak star-formation rate at ˜42 Myr, such as the SMC Wing, are deficient in Be/X-ray binaries. We argue that the very strong similarity between the age of maximum occurence of Be stars and the age of the parent populations of X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud indicates that the Be phenomenon plays a significant role in the number of X-ray binary populations in this age range. Finally, based on the spatial correlation between the star-formation activity and the X-ray binaries, we set a limit on their kick velocity of ˜15-20 km/s, while there is strong indication for velocities of even a factor of two lower, and we estimate a Be/X-ray binary production rate of ˜1 system per 10^{-6} M_{⊙}/yr.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma is associated with a wide spectrum of para-neoplastic syndromes, which may be precursors of primary or recurrent disease. Non-metastatic hepatic dysfunction in patients suffering from renal cell carcinoma is known as Stauffer's syndrome. It is associated with the production of cytokines by the tumour, and several biochemical abnormalities, including elevated serum alkaline phosphatase. Case presentation: We describe a 36-year-old woman presenting with various non-specific, systemic disease manifestations, and elevated liver enzymes due to cholestasis as the main laboratory abnormality. Imaging studies showed a solid mass in the left kidney, which, after surgical excision, was identified as renal cell carcinoma. No metastasis was found. Conclusion: Stauffer syndrome may precede other manifestations of renal cell carcinoma. In case of unexplained abnormal liver function, particularly in presence of systemic symptoms, underlying renal cell carcinoma should be excluded by focused investigations. © 2009 Kranidiotis et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Stress increases associative learning and the density of dendritic spines in the hippocampus of male rats. In contrast, exposure to the same stressor impairs associative learning and reduces spine density in females. These effects in females are most evident when they are in the proestrus phase of the estrous cycle. An injection of testosterone at the time of birth masculinizes the female brain. In adulthood, masculinized females respond like males do to stress, i.e. they learn better. Here, we hypothesized that stress would increase spine densities on pyramidal neurons in area CA1 of the hippocampus of masculinized females, because stress enhances learning ability in both males and masculinized females. To test this, we used Golgi impregnation to stain tissue from masculinized and cycling females that were exposed to an acute stressor and sacrificed 1 day later. There was a significant interaction between stressor exposure and testosterone treatment at birth (p<0.001). In general, cycling females that were stressed tended to possess fewer spines on apical and basal dendrites in the CA1 area of the hippocampus, whereas the masculinized females possessed significantly more spines after the stressor. These findings underscore the plastic nature of dendritic spines. They suggest that their response to stress in adulthood is organized by the presence of testosterone during very early development. Such a process may represent a mechanism for altering learning abilities after an acute traumatic experience.

Light and scanning electron microscopy as well as histochemical reactions were employed to investigate the leaf structure and secretory activity of an adventive perennial pest that is rapidly dispersing in the Mediterranean region. Interesting structural characteristics, not common among the well-adapted native Mediterranean phanerophytes, were observed. Although 'unconventional', these structural characteristics produce an ecologically equivalent, xeromorphic leaf on a plant that proves to be competitive and very efficient under the Mediterranean climatic conditions. © CSIRO 2009.

This chapter describes the study of the structural control of the Meganissi island coastal zone and its geomorphological evolution; based on these, it presents a coastal hazard risk map. The coastal geomorphology is affected by the lithological configuration, the tectonism, the wider seismotectonic status and the sea activity. For this study, a database has been created in GIS. using all data deriving from the above characteristics as well as from detailed fieldwork, aerial photos, satellite images and pre-existing maps. Data were analysed and processed in order to understand the geomorphological evolution of this island and its close connection with the structural evolution. Finally, we proceeded to develop a coastal hazard risk map using the slope gradient, the wave energy and the structural characteristics of this island as input variables. This has been achieved via a fuzzy inferences model using a loosen coupling between the Mat lab software package and the MapInfo GIS.

The SLC24A5 gene, the human orthologue of the zebrafish golden gene, has been shown to play a key role in human pigmentation. In this study, we investigate the prevalence of the variant allele rs1426654 in a selected sample of Greek subjects. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction was performed in peripheral blood samples from 158 attendants of a dermatology outpatient service. The results were correlated with pigmentary traits and MC1R genotype. The vast majority of subjects (99%) were homozygous for the Thr(111) allele. Only two subjects from the control group (1.26%) were heterozygous for the alanine and threonine allele. Both of these Thr(111)/Ala(111) heterozygotes carried a single polymorphism of MC1R (one with the V92M variant and another with the V60L variant). Following reports of the rs1426654 polymorphism reaching fixation in the European population, our study of Greek subjects showed a prevalence of the Thr(111) allele, even among subjects with darker skin pigmentation or phototype.

The main objectives of this study are to identify, classify and map the badlands area, as well as to identify the underlain soil types and determine the connection between badlands and climatic changes during Quaternary. The area along the southern coast of the Central Corinth graben, near the town of Derveni (North Peloponese) was chosen as a case study, since extended erosion landforms display geomorphological characteristics, typical of badlands. The area is built up by Plio-Quaternary lacustrine clays with intercalations of distal parts of the fan deltas deposits and records an intensive structural elevation from Pliocene until today. The study focuses on the main factors that contributed in the formation and evolution of badlands in the area, with strong emphasis on geological structure, climatic and sea-level changes and human activity, as well as on the interaction of these factors. It concludes in a geomorphological map with the badlands distribution and discusses the impacts on land degradation and the possible actions against further expansion

This chapter studies the counteractive dynamic marine and river environments responsible for a river mouth’s and a delta’s modulation. The Acheloos River (West Greece) was chosen as the case study due to the recent changes taken place in its Delta area; the geotechnical constructions and the agricultural planning have altered the basin’s conditions. The aim of this study is to analyze the present dominant environment and the impact of human activity on this balance with the application of modern technological tools; emphasis is placed on the geomorphological along with the land use changes taking place in the three district parts of the Acheloos’ delta within a period of four decades (1960–2000): delta plain, delta front, pro delta. Bibliographic references, geographical and geological maps, aerial and satellite imagery of different seasons and dates, were utilized in addition to extensive fieldwork measurements and mapping. A geographic database was developed and it is continuously updated.

Measurements of positive and negative small atmospheric ion concentrations have been made regularly since 1968 at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). In this paper the 17-year period 1968-1984 is summarized. The diurnal and annual variations are examined, and Fourier analysis is also used for the study of the diurnal variation. The concentrations of small ions follow a double diurnal course. The maxima occur near 3-5 h and 13-16 h local time (LT = GMT + 2 h). The minima are observed at 6-8 h and 21-23 h. The annual course of small ions presents maximum concentration values around the summer season. The mean of the small ion concentration (SIC) for the 17-year period (1968-1984) is n+ = 188.8 ions/cm3 for positive ions and n- = 151.1 ions/cm3 for negative ions. Their ratio is equal to 1.25. The year-to-year variation of SIC for the examined period shows a negative trend. The results from multiple regression analysis show that wind speed and SIC are positively correlated, while relative humidity, smoke and sulphur dioxide are negatively correlated. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurements of positive and negative small atmospheric ion concentrations have been made regularly since 1968 at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). In this paper the 17-year period 1968-1984 is summarized. The diurnal and annual variations are examined, and Fourier analysis is also used for the study of the diurnal variation. The concentrations of small ions follow a double diurnal course. The maxima occur near 3-5 h and 13-16 h local time (LT = GMT + 2 h). The minima are observed at 6-8 h and 21-23 h. The annual course of small ions presents maximum concentration values around the summer season. The mean of the small ion concentration (SIC) for the 17-year period (1968-1984) is n+ = 188.8 ions/cm3 for positive ions and n- = 151.1 ions/cm3 for negative ions. Their ratio is equal to 1.25. The year-to-year variation of SIC for the examined period shows a negative trend. The results from multiple regression analysis show that wind speed and SIC are positively correlated, while relative humidity, smoke and sulphur dioxide are negatively correlated. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The presence of CD3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has been found to correlate with improved survival in epithelial ovarian cancer, but the association of TIL subpopulations with clinical outcome remains controversial. We performed a prospective analysis of TIL subpopulations from patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and their activation status and studied their association with prognosis. Methods: Flow cytometric analysis was performed on TIL subpopulations isolated from 45 fresh ovarian tumor specimens, obtained during surgery, after mechanical dissociation and enzymatic degradation. Vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor α levels in ascites and serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Significantly increased numbers of CD56+ cells (natural killer and natural killerYlike T cells; P = 0.045), activated CD4 +HLA-DR+ cells (P = 0.046), and activated CD8 +CD25+ cells (P = 0.028) were found in serous and endometrioid carcinomas compared with mucinous and clear cell carcinomas. A high percentage of CD4+CD25hi cells (regulatory T cells) and activated CD4+HLA-DR+ cells significantly associated with improved median overall survival (not reached vs 35 months [P = 0.0241] and not reached vs 35 months [P = 0.0144], respectively) and median progression-free survival (30 months vs 14 months [P = 0.0819] and 30 months vs 13 months [P = 0.0479], respectively). Vascular endothelial growth factor ascites levels were inversely correlated with CD14+ (ρ = -0.529, P = 0.001), whereas HLA-DR8+CD8 lymphocytes were inversely correlated with both ascites and serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels (ρ = -0.494, P = 0.006, and ρ = -0.586, P = 0.037, respectively). Conclusions: The presence of regulatory T cells and activated CD4+ cells within the tumor microenvironment is associated with improved overall and progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer. Coyright © 2009 by IGCS and ESGO.

The present contribution examines the various geomorphological, sedimentological and coastal hydrodymamic conditions that are related to the present erosive situation along the broader coastal area of the N/NW coast of Samos Island. The extended erosion, particularly evident during the past 2-3 decades, is attributed to the rise of sea level (>10 cm over the past 100 years according to IPCC report of 2007) in conjunction with the incoming relatively high wave energy, which favouring the offshore transfer of fine-grained beach material. In addition, the various man-made constructions either inhibit the terrigenous sediment fluxes to reach the coast and/or by altering coastal hydrodynamics contribute to erosion. Finally, the existed defence constructions seem to have served only to the stabilisation of the coastline and not to its natural recovery.

In this paper, we challenge the left-dislocation analysis of preverbal subjects in Greek on the basis of interpretative, syntactic and prosodic evidence. We propose that the derivation of subjects in Greek involves a movement operation which targets an EPP Spec,TP position. This movement operation creates a sequence of copies, the pronunciation and interpretation of which hinges on certain PF and LF requirements. Crucially, the linearization of this sequence of copies on the basis of independently existent PF principles derives the surface distribution of Greek subjects and accounts for its possible patterns of variation.

OBJECTIVE: Skin cancer campaigns have only recently been implemented in a wide scale in Greece. In order to better target those individuals at risk, we aimed to explore sun exposure behaviors in a sample of the Greek population. METHODS: A total of 802 subjects, randomly selected among the residents of the two largest Greek cities, underwent a questionnaire-based telephone interview, assessing the degree of sun exposure patterns and knowledge of skin cancer risk factors. RESULTS: Females more commonly (90%) used sunscreens compared with males (67.5%), and among sunscreen users, only 8% used products with SPF <10. Almost half of the participants (48%) preferred going to the beach during the midday hours. Over exposure to the sun was mostly reported by individuals with phototypes III/IV and of younger age (18-35 years). Most participants were aware of sun exposure as a cause of skin cancer, but among those who did not, 41% were younger than 34 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: In our survey, significant differences in age, sex and phototypes were observed with regard to sun exposure patterns and sunscreen use. Educational campaigns should focus more on younger age groups, encouraging a more complete set of photoprotective measures. However, potential trial limitations inherent in self-reported measures should be taken into account.

Sunitinib is approved for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). No data are available on sunitinib use specifically in patients with significantly impaired renal function. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of sunitinib in patients with advanced RCC and Grade 4 renal function impairment. Four patients had a calculated creatinine clearance of 15 - 29 ml/min/1.73 m2 prior to initiation of sunitinib. Three patients tolerated treatment well with no renal toxicity: 2 received 17 and 5 cycles of sunitinib at full dose, while 1 received 5 cycles with a dose reduction due to myelotoxicity. We observed one partial response and two patients had stable disease for 24 and 4 months, respectively. The 4th patient had a creatinine clearance of 18 ml/min/1.73 m2 and had treatment discontinued during the first cycle due to poorly controlled hypertension and deterioration of his renal function. We conclude that sunitinib can be administered to the majority of patients with RCC and significant renal function impairment. © 2009 Dustri-Verlag Dr. K. Feistle.

The "Supercritical Pile" is a very economical gamma-ray burst (GRB) model that provides for the efficient conversion of the energy stored in the protons of a relativistic blast wave (RBW) into radiation and at the same time produces—in the prompt GRB phase, even in the absence of any particle acceleration—a spectral peak at energy ~1MeV. We extend this model to include the evolution of the RBW Lorentz factor Γ and thus follow its spectral and temporal features into the early GRB afterglow stage. One of the novel features of the present treatment is the inclusion of the feedback of the GRB produced radiation on the evolution of Γ with radius. This feedback and the presence of kinematic and dynamic thresholds in the model are sources of potentially very rich time evolution which we have began to explore. In particular, one can this way obtain afterglow light curves with steep decays followed by the more conventional flatter afterglow slopes, while at the same time preserving the desirable features of the model, i.e., the well-defined relativistic electron source and radiative processes that produce the proper peak in the νF ν spectra. In this Letter, we present the results of a specific set of parameters of this model with emphasis on the multiwavelength prompt emission and transition to the early afterglow.

We systematically surveyed period variations of superhumps in SU UMa-type dwarf novae based on newly obtained data and past publications. In many systems, the evolution of the superhump period is found to be composed of three distinct stages: an early evolutionary stage with a longer superhump period, a middle stage with systematically varying periods, and a final stage with a shorter, stable superhump period. During the middle stage, many systems with superhump periods of less than 0.08 d show positive period derivatives. We present observational characteristics of these stages and give greatly improved statistics. Contrary to an earlier claim, we found no clear evidence for a variation of period derivatives among different superoutbursts of the same object. We present an interpretation that the lengthening of the superhump period is a result of the outward propagation of an eccentricity wave, which is limited by the radius near the tidal truncation. We interpret that late-stage superhumps are rejuvenated excitation of a 3:1 resonance when superhumps in the outer disk are effectively quenched. The general behavior of the period variation, particularly in systems with short orbital periods, appears to follow a scenario proposed in Kato, Maehara, and Monard (2008, PASJ, 60, L23). We also present an observational summary of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. Many of them have shown long-enduring superhumps during a post-superoutburst stage having longer periods than those during the main superoutburst. The period derivatives in WZ Sge-type dwarf novae are found to be strongly correlated with the fractional superhump excess, or consequently with the mass ratio. WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with a long-lasting rebrightening or with multiple rebrightenings tend to have smaller period derivatives, and are excellent candidates for those systems around or after the period minimum of evolution of cataclysmic variables.

Background/Aims: Cell membranes facilitate the transport of water, ions, and necessary nutrients by hosting a great variety of transport channels that have either a 'simple' pore-like structure or more complex architecture that is based on the utilization of specific receptors. The present study reveals the impact of AgNO3, a well-known inhibitor of water channel activity, on transport channels that emerge at the membrane of intact red blood cells (iRBCs). Methods: Atomic force microscopy is employed to survey the morphological modification of all transport channels by directly comparing the respective images obtained on the exact same iRBCs prior to and after spraying the AgNO3 solution. Results: Small pores of mean size 50 nm that were assigned to water channels, and extended orifices of mean size 300 nm that exhibit a neck-like extracellular segment were observed at the iRBC membrane. Conclusion: Our results reveal that AgNO3 exerts noticeable influence on all transport channels so that its selective water channel inhibitory action should be reconsidered. For low AgNO3 concentrations extended recovery of the small pore network was observed upon waiting, giving strong evidence that iRBCs have a recovery potential upon simply removing the inhibition cause without the need for specific reducing agents. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

Air pollution episodes in urban coastal areas follow certain pre-determined patterns, being associated with certain local meteorological conditions and emission of primary pollutants. In this study, the synoptic and local scale atmospheric circulation that prevails during air pollution episodes in a coastal major city in Greece, Thessaloniki, is examined for a period of 15 years (1989-2004). The study signifies the importance of studying air pollution meteorological patterns between coastal areas with different terrain characteristics. For Thessaloniki, it was found that the episodes occur mainly during the cold period of the year, while four types of synoptic scale circulation were recognized (I, II, III, IV) and five patterns of the local scale circulation (A1, A2, B1, B2 and B3). The highest percentage of episodes is associated with the presence of an anticyclone over the northern Greece (types I and IV), being characterized by weak or very weak surface pressure gradient intensity, according to the position and extension of the anticyclone. Moreover, a temperature increase of at least 1°C during the previous 3 days is required in the lower troposphere. Consistent with the synoptic conditions, the development of the sea breeze plays a crucial role in the occurrence of the episodes, even in the cold period of the year, when the sea breeze can still develop with smaller frequency and intensity. Finally, it was found that a small number of episodes is related with the advection of polluted air masses from the industrial area in the northwest of the city and from the Eordaia area in the west, which is the largest lignite producing area of Balkans. © Springer-Verlag 2008.

The reaction of RhCl3·3H2O with the ligand L = 2-(2′-pyridyl)quinoxaline (pqo) in a 1:2 molar ratio formed the mononuclear complex cis-[RhL2Cl2]Cl (1), which has been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, FT-Raman, 1H, 13C NMR, electronic absorption spectroscopy and by electrospray mass spectrometry. The molecular structure of 1 (needle like and prismatic polymorphs) in the crystal has been elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing a bidentate behavior of L, while the geometry around the Rh(III) atom is that of a distorted octahedron.. Preliminary biological tests revealed that this compound inhibited PAF-induced rabbit platelet aggregation. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A range of complexes of the binucleating tetrathio- and tetraseleno-ether ligands, 1,2,4,5-C6H2(CH2EMe)4 (E = S, L3 or Se, L4) or C(CH2EMe)4 (E = S, L5 or Se, L6) and of bidentate analogues 1,2-C6H2(CH2EMe)2 (E = S, L1 or Se = L2) with molybdenum and tungsten carbonyls and manganese carbonyl chloride have been prepared, and characterised by IR and multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C{1H}, 77Se, 55Mn, 95Mo) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Crystal structures are reported for [Mo(CO)4(L2)], [Mo(CO)4(L3)], [Mo(CO)4(μ-L3)Mo(CO)4], [Mo(CO)4(L4)], [Mn(CO)3Cl(μ-L3)Mn(CO)3Cl], [Mo(CO)4(μ-L5)Mo(CO)4], [Mn(CO)3Cl(L5)] and two forms (containing meso and DL diastereoisomers) of [W(CO)4(L5)]. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We present self-consistent global steady state MHD models and synthetic optically thin synchrotron emission maps for the jet of M87. The model consists of two distinct zones: an inner relativistic outflow, which we identify with the observed jet, and an outer cold disk wind. While the former does not self-collimate efficiently due to its high effective inertia, the latter fulfills all the conditions for efficient collimation by the magnetocentrifugal mechanism. Given the right balance between the effective inertia of the inner flow and the collimation efficiency of the outer disk wind, the relativistic flow is magnetically confined into a well-collimated beam and matches the measurements of the opening angle of M87 over several orders of magnitudes in spatial extent. The synthetic synchrotron maps reproduce the morphological structure of the jet of M87, i.e., center bright profiles near the core and limb bright profiles away from the core. At the same time, they also show a local increase of brightness at some distance along the axis associated with a recollimation shock in the MHD model. Its location coincides with the position of the optical knot HST-1. In addition, our best fitting model is consistent with a number of observational constraints such as the magnetic field in the knot HST-1 and the jet-to-counterjet brightness ratio.

We present self-consistent global steady state MHD models and synthetic optically thin synchrotron emission maps for the jet of M87. The model consists of two distinct zones: an inner relativistic outflow, which we identify with the observed jet, and an outer cold disk wind. While the former does not self-collimate efficiently due to its high effective inertia, the latter fulfills all the conditions for efficient collimation by the magnetocentrifugal mechanism. Given the right balance between the effective inertia of the inner flow and the collimation efficiency of the outer disk wind, the relativistic flow is magnetically confined into a well-collimated beam and matches the measurements of the opening angle of M87 over several orders of magnitudes in spatial extent. The synthetic synchrotron maps reproduce the morphological structure of the jet of M87, i.e., center bright profiles near the core and limb bright profiles away from the core. At the same time, they also show a local increase of brightness at some distance along the axis associated with a recollimation shock in the MHD model. Its location coincides with the position of the optical knot HST-1. In addition, our best fitting model is consistent with a number of observational constraints such as the magnetic field in the knot HST-1 and the jet-to-counterjet brightness ratio.

Background: Muscle adaptation which occurs following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been associated with an acute inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor kB ligand (OPG/RANKL) concentrations following muscle damage. We measured changes for several days following muscle damage. Methods: Ten healthy young males performed an eccentric exercise protocol using their quadriceps. Blood samples were withdrawn before and at 6 h, 2 days, 5 days and 16 days post-exercise. Functional and clinical measurements were performed before, and on days 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 post-exercise. Results: The exercise protocol resulted in muscle damage, indicated by changes in biochemical markers. An increase in IL-6 and OPG, and a decrease in RANKL concentrations were seen at 6 h and on day 2 post-exercise; the OPG:RANKL ratio was increased at 6 h post-exercise (p<0.05). Conclusions: Changes in IL-6 and OPG/RANKL system may represent systemic responses in muscle inflammation and repair processes. However, further studies are needed to elucidate a potential systemic and/or local role of the OPG/RANKL system in skeletal muscle repair. © 2009 by Walter de Gruyter.

Background: Muscle adaptation which occurs following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been associated with an acute inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor kB ligand (OPG/RANKL) concentrations following muscle damage. We measured changes for several days following muscle damage. Methods: Ten healthy young males performed an eccentric exercise protocol using their quadriceps. Blood samples were withdrawn before and at 6 h, 2 days, 5 days and 16 days post-exercise. Functional and clinical measurements were performed before, and on days 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 post-exercise. Results: The exercise protocol resulted in muscle damage, indicated by changes in biochemical markers. An increase in IL-6 and OPG, and a decrease in RANKL concentrations were seen at 6 h and on day 2 post-exercise; the OPG:RANKL ratio was increased at 6 h post-exercise (p<0.05). Conclusions: Changes in IL-6 and OPG/RANKL system may represent systemic responses in muscle inflammation and repair processes. However, further studies are needed to elucidate a potential systemic and/or local role of the OPG/RANKL system in skeletal muscle repair. © 2009 by Walter de Gruyter.

Background: Muscle adaptation which occurs following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been associated with an acute inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor kB ligand (OPG/RANKL) concentrations following muscle damage. We measured changes for several days following muscle damage. Methods: Ten healthy young males performed an eccentric exercise protocol using their quadriceps. Blood samples were withdrawn before and at 6 h, 2 days, 5 days and 16 days post-exercise. Functional and clinical measurements were performed before, and on days 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 post-exercise. Results: The exercise protocol resulted in muscle damage, indicated by changes in biochemical markers. An increase in IL-6 and OPG, and a decrease in RANKL concentrations were seen at 6 h and on day 2 post-exercise; the OPG:RANKL ratio was increased at 6 h post-exercise (p<0.05). Conclusions: Changes in IL-6 and OPG/RANKL system may represent systemic responses in muscle inflammation and repair processes. However, further studies are needed to elucidate a potential systemic and/or local role of the OPG/RANKL system in skeletal muscle repair. © 2009 by Walter de Gruyter.

Weathering formations resembling small caves, known by the name of Tafoni, are a characteristic, but not exclusive, feature of the Mediterranean area. Examples of such geomorphological formations have been recorded in Sardinia and Corsica (Klaer, 1956; Frenzel, 1965), in Tuscany (Martini, 1978), in S. Spain (Mellor et al., 1997) and in the Aegean Sea area (Greece) (Riedl, 1991; Hejl, 2005).

We report a thorough theoretical study of the optical response of two- and three-dimensional periodic assemblies of metallic nanorods by means of full-electrodynamic calculations using the extended layer-multiple-scattering method. We show that these systems support various types of resonant- and bound-collective plasmon modes, which are tunable over a broad spectral range, and provide a consistent interpretation of the underlying physics. In particular, we reveal the existence of slab plasmon modes with zero group velocity, which can cause evanescent-wave enhancement and enable subwavelength imaging. We discuss extinction spectra of single-layer and multilayer slabs of nanorods in conjunction with relevant complex band-structure diagrams and present a rigorous analysis of the results using group theory. Moreover, we explain some peculiar spectral features which are due to the existence of surface resonances. These can modify the optical response of the system in a controllable manner by using a supporting substrate.

Increasing knowledge of the biology of multiple myeloma led the way for the development of novel drugs that have changed the management of the disease. New treatments target not only to the malignant plasma cell but also target the interactions of myeloma cells with their microenvironment. Several preclinical studies have identified potential targets and drugs are developed that act on pathways crucial for myeloma cell survival, proliferation, migration and drug resistance. The identification of active agents in the laboratory is followed by rationally designed clinical studies that validate these drugs, either as single agents or in combinations with other active drugs. These novel agents may be either small molecules or monoclonal antibodies targeting receptors, kinase activity of receptors or key molecules within critical pathways, intracellular maintenance mechanisms and immune modulation. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

The contraction-relaxation cycle of muscle cells translates into large movements of several filament systems in sarcomeres, requiring special molecular mechanisms to maintain their structural integrity. Recent structural and functional data from three filaments harboring extensive arrays of immunoglobulin-like domains - titin, filamin and myomesin--have, for the first time, unraveled a common function of their terminal domains: assembly and anchoring of the respective filaments. In each case, the protein-protein interactions are mediated by antiparallel dimerization modules via intermolecular beta-sheets. These observations on terminal filament assembly indicate an attractive model for several other filament proteins that require structural characterization.

The blazar OJ 287 has produced two major optical outburst events during the years 2005-2008. These are the latest in a series of outbursts that have occurred repeatedly at 12 year intervals since early 1900s. It has been possible to explain the historical light curve fairly well by using a binary black hole model where the secondary black hole impacts the accretion disk of the primary twice during the 12 year orbital cycle. We will ask here how well does the latest light-curve fit with this model. We use a 10 million particle disk to model the accretion disk of the primary black hole. The rate of transfer of particles through the 10 Schwarzschild radius cylinder around the primary is followed. The secondary induces an inward flow through this surface. The inward flow rate is compared with the historical light curve as well as with the most recent observations reported in this paper. The observations have been carried out by using a number of small and medium size telescopes in different locations in order to ensure a dense light-curve coverage. The "inflow light curve" and the optical light curve of OJ 287 have a close resemblance to each other. It suggests that the tidally induced accretion flow is responsible for the main features of the optical light curve, with the exception of the quasi-periodic double peaks. It implies a close connection between the accretion disk and the jet where the optical synchrotron emission is presumably generated.

The timing of tectonic emplacement of the ophiolites is analyzed in the four oceanic terranes of the Hellenides (H2, H4, H6, H8). The criteria for this analysis are based on: a) the post-emplacement sedimentary cover or intrusive rocks, b) the syn-emplacement tectonostratigraphic formations and c) the youngest rocks involved in the structure of the autochthon and the allochthon unit in each case. The timing becomes younger towards the more external tectonic units of the Hellenides with: (i) Late Eocene-Oligocene age in the external ophiolite belt of the Pindos-Cyclades oceanic terrane H2, (ii) Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous age in the internal ophiolite belt of the Vardar/Axios oceanic terrane H4 , (iii) Post-Liassic-pre-Late Jurassic age in the ophiolites of Lesvos-Circum Rhodope oceanic terrane H6 and (iv) Pre-Late Jurassic age in the ophiolites of Volvi-Eastern Rhodope terrane H8. An ophiolite obduction model can be applied, with the ophiolitic nappes always emplaced on top of pre-Alpine continental terranes with Mesozoic shallow-water carbonate platforms. The geometry of the continental terranes drifting during the Mesozoic within the Tethys Ocean controls the number and dimensions of the Tethyan oceanic basins. Where a continental terrane dies out, the two adjacent oceanic basins merge into one larger basin. This seems to be the case of the Pelagonian terrane (H3), which is terminated north of Skopje, where the Pindos oceanic basin (H2) merges with the Vardar/Axios oceanic basin (H4).

Abstract  Fusion cross sections are extracted for the $^7$Li + $^{28}$Si system, via reaction cross section and transfer measurements at sub- and near-barrier energies ( E$_{lab}$ = 5.7 to 14 MeV). The energy evolution of transfer to reaction cross section ratios is determined with the aid of CDCC calculations, which subsequently allows the deduction of fusion cross sections at sub- and near-barrier energies. It is shown that fusion can be well represented in a BPM context. Fusion cross sections are compared for the systems $^7$Li + $^{28}$Si and $^6$Li + $^{28}$Si, the latter studied previously, and are found to exhibit different strengths. Last, the direct channels determined at 13 MeV, are found to be dominated by a 2n-transfer mechanism.

Recently there has been increasing interest of scientists forthe performance of singing or reciting voices of the past inutilising analysis-synthesis methods. In the domain ofAncient Greek musicology indeed, where we find theroots of the occidental music, the main research has beendone mostly by scholars of classical Greek literature.However there is still is a vast territory for research inaudio performances to be carried out with the help of newdigital technologies.In this paper, we will present an attempt to decode arecited text of Ancient Greek tragedy and render it intosound. At the first paragraph of this article we underlinethe origin of music arising from the melodicity of speechin Ancient Greek tragedy. In the second paragraph, wedescribe the methodology we have used in order toanalyse the voice of S. Psaroudak&s, himself professor ofAncient Greek music, by an open source prosodic featureextraction tool based on Praat. We give a description ofthe prosodic analysis, implementation details and discussits feature extension capabilities as well. Last, we refer tothe difference between the Ancient and Modern Greekphonological system, the application of this research inmusic and further development.

We review recent progress in the realm of ultra-slow and stored light inside metamaterial waveguides. We elucidate a number of critical issues pertaining to the study of light propagation in various slow-light metamaterial structures. ©2008 Optical Society of America.

We review recent progress in the realm of ultra-slow and stored light inside metamaterial waveguides. We elucidate a number of critical issues pertaining to the study of light propagation in various slowlight metamaterial structures. © 2008 Optical Society of America.

We review recent progress in the realm of ultra-slow and stored light inside metamaterial waveguides. We elucidate a number of critical issues pertaining to the study of light propagation in various slowlight metamaterial structures. © 2008 Optical Society of America.

UNLABELLED: Although acute management of pelvic fractures and their long-term functional outcome have been widely documented, important information regarding malunion and nonunion of these fractures is sparse. Despite their relative rarity, malunions and nonunions cause disabling symptoms and have major socioeconomic implications. We analyzed the factors predisposing a pelvic injury to develop malunion/nonunion, the clinical presentation of these complications, and the efficacy of the reported operative protocols in 437 malunions/nonunions of 25 clinical studies. Treatment of these demanding complications appeared effective in the majority of the cases: overall union rates averaged 86.1%, pain relief as much as 93%, patient satisfaction 79%, and return to a preinjury level of activities 50%. Nevertheless, the patient should be informed about the incidence of perioperative complications, including neurologic injury (5.3%), symptomatic vein thrombosis (5.0%), pulmonary embolism (1.9%), and deep wound infection (1.6%). For a successful outcome, a thorough preoperative plan and methodical operative intervention are essential. In establishing effective evidence-based future clinical practice, the introduction of multicenter networks of pelvic trauma management appears a necessity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Uterine sarcomas are a rare group of neoplasms with aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. They are classified into four main histological subtypes in order of decreasing incidence: carcinosarcomas, leiomyosarcomas, endometrial stromal sarcomas and "other" sarcomas. The pathological subtype demands a tailored approach. Surgical resection is regarded as the mainstay of treatment. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy represents the standard treatment of uterine sarcomas. Pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection in carcinosarcomas is recommended, given their high incidence of lymph node metastases, and may have a role in endometrial stromal sarcomas. Adjuvant radiation therapy has historically been of little survival value, but it appears to improve local control and may delay recurrence. Regarding adjuvant chemotherapy, there is little evidence in the literature supporting its use except for carcinosarcomas. However, more trials are needed to address these issues, especially, their sequential application. Patients with uterine sarcomas should be referred to large academic centers for participation in clinical trials. © 2009 Zagouri et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

The introduction of several novel and active treatments and improvements in supportive care of myeloma patients has resulted in a prolongation of the survival of these patients. However, myeloma remains an incurable disease and almost all patients will relapse. Effective management of the relapsing/refractory disease incorporates several different strategies, depending on prior treatments, responses, and duration of responses, as well as residual toxicity, age, and physical condition. High-dose dexamethasone still has a role in the management of disease complications such as cytopenias, renal impairment, or spinal cord compression until another agent is added. High-dose therapy may be considered for selected patients who have a long-term treatment-free interval after their first transplantation. Allogeneic transplantation is limited to selected young patients, preferably with an HLA-matched donor. However, the backbone of current strategies for the management of relapsed/refractory myeloma includes the novel agents thalidomide, bortezomib, and lenalidomide. These agents, either with dexamethasone or in combination with chemotherapy, have shown significant activity both in relapsed and in refractory patients. Based on the results of phase III trials, lenalidomide and bortezomib have increased the post-relapse survival and are active in patients who have received prior novel agents; lenalidomide is active in thalidomide-pretreated or bortezomib-pretreated patients and bortezomib alone or in combination with chemotherapy is active in thalidomide/lenalidomide-pretreated patients. Combinations of novel agents show synergistic activity and may overcome drug resistance. Finally, special consideration is needed for the management of patients with renal impairment or other poor prognostic features. © 2009.