Publications by Type: Journal Article

We report the discovery of a possible nova in M31 on an R filter CCD image (2006 September 17.03741, 17.1 mag) obtained at the 1.3m Ritchey Chretien f/7.5 Telescope at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece using the Roper CCD Camera (with a SITE 1k x 1k chip with 24um sq. pixels). The position obtained for the nova candidate is RA(2000) = 00h 42m 41.45s, Dec(2000) = +41° 14' 44.55" with an accuracy of 0.11".

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of action of the nitrogen mustard melphalan in patients treated for multiple myeloma, the in vivo induction and repair of melphalan-induced DNA damage was measured in genes with different transcriptional activity (b-actin > p53 > N-ras > d-globin) from leukocytes of 20 multiple myeloma patients following chemotherapeutic administration of high-dose melphalan (200 mg/m2) and autologous blood stem cell transplantation. Heterogeneous repair was found among the studied genes. The extent of repair was always in the order: b-actin > p53 > N-ras > d-globin, correlating with the gene transcriptional state. Similar findings were obtained using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy volunteers following in vitro treatment with melphalan, indicating that these results are not malignant disease-specific. Following in vitro treatment of PBMC from healthy volunteers with α-amanitin, an inhibitor of RNA polymerase II that can also induce condensation of chromatin structure, a significant inhibition of the removal of melphalan-induced damage in the three active genes but not in the silent d-globin gene was found, suggesting that transcription and/or chromatin structure may play important roles in the preferential DNA repair. When the in vivo DNA damage formation and repair in multiple myeloma patients following chemotherapeutic administration of melphalan was measured in the two strands of the active genes, no strand bias was found, indicating that the global genome repair subpathway of nucleotide excision repair may play a crucial role in the repair of these adducts. These results were also confirmed in PBMC from healthy volunteers following in vitro treatment with melphalan. Using micrococcal nuclease digestion of nuclei isolated from PBMC of multiple myeloma patients before the chemotherapeutic treatment, as well as from PBMC of healthy volunteers, we probed the chromatin structure in each gene and found that the "looseness" of the chromatin structure correlated with the levels of the gene-specific repair, being again in the order: b-actin > p53 > N-ras > d-globin. To conclude, the in vivo gene-specific repair of melphalan-induced damage in humans is greatly affected by the local chromatin structure. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in breast cancer tissues. DESIGN AND METHODS: Four different PCR methods for detection and verification of genital HPVs were applied in frozen breast cancer specimens. Tumors were also evaluated for various histopathological parameters. RESULTS: Seventeen samples out of 107 tested positive (15.9%). HPV RFLP typing identified a total of 21 high-risk viruses: fourteen HPV 16 (67% of all detected HPV types), three HPV 59, two HPV 58, one HPV 73 and one HPV 82 (one sample with double infection and two samples with triple infection). Breast cancer patients harboring high-risk HPV DNA sequences in their tumor were younger than the rest of the patients. Furthermore, they were less estrogen-receptor-positive and more proliferative as observed in the corresponding indices: Ki-67 staining, S-phase/proliferative fractions and percentage of cells with DNA content over 5C. CONCLUSION: The presence of high-risk HPV DNA sequences in the breast cancer tissues studied was verified, and a possible association with acceleration of malignancy was examined

The aim of this retrospective study was to illustrate the clinicopathologic data and the treatment results in patients with primary gastrointestinal tract non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (GI NHL). Among 810 patients with NHL, 128 cases (15.8%) were diagnosed as primary GI tract NHL. There were 79 males and 49 females with median age of 62 years. The most common primary site was the stomach (68%). Overall, 67.2% of the patients were in stages I-II, and 32.8% in stages III-IV. Simultaneous involvement of the GI tract and other extranodal sites was observed in 26 patients (20%). Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBL) (i.e., low-grade lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type) accounted for 48.4% of lymphomas. Aggressive lymphomas (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBL]) accounted for 44.5%. Eighty-three patients (67.5%) achieved complete response (CR), either by surgery (43/ 43 patients, 17 with DLBL and 25 with MZBL) or by primary chemotherapy (40/64 patients, 22 with DLBL and 17 with MZBL). Sixty-two patients remain in CR; 33/43 after surgical resection (13/17 with DLBL and 20/25 patients with MZBL), and 29/40 after only chemotherapy (18/22 with DLBL and 10/17 with MZBL). The major prognostic factor for outcome in the present study was the stage of the disease. Patients with localized lymphoma (stage I and II) had significantly longer DFS and OS (DFS and OS at 3-year: 83% and 87%, respectively) than patients with extended disease (stage III and IV) (DFS and OS at 3-year: 46% and 60%, respectively) (P < 0.0001). The International Prognostic Index (IPI) for patients with aggressive lymphomas was prognostic only for DFS (79% for low-risk patients [IPI score 0-1] vs 49% for higher risk groups [IPI score 0-1] at 3-year, P = 0.0131).

Fifty patients with multiple myeloma ≥75 years of age received primary treatment with melphalan (M) 8 mg/m2 on days 1-4, dexamethasone (D) 12 mg/m2 on days 1-4 and 17-20 and thalidomide (T) 300 mg at bedtime on days 1-4 and 17-20. This regimen was repeated every 5 weeks for three courses. Patients without evidence of disease progression received nine additional courses of MDT, but without DT on days 17-20, every 5 weeks. Sixty-two percent of patients achieved a partial response and 10% a complete response. The median time to response was 2 months. The median time to progression for all patients was 21.2 months. Deep venous thrombosis and peripheral neuropathy each occurred in 9% of patients. ©2006 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

Thin films of Ag(111) with two-dimensional crystallinity of large lateral coherence grow on Ge(111), free of in-plane registry with the underlying substrate. Ag s-p electrons forming two-dimensional quantum well states scatter coherently at the buried interface potential, resulting in an unexpected set of new quasiparticle states, as observed by angle-resolved photoemission. These new features originate from interactions among Ag quantum well bands, gaining a momentum equivalent to a reciprocal vector of the substrate lattice.

Purpose: Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma characterized by a relatively indolent course with median survival ranging from 5 years to 10 years in different series. Several clinical and laboratory variables have been associated with inferior survival, such as advanced age, hyperviscosity, presence of cytopenia, and hypoalbuminemia. Recent data indicate that serum β2-microglobulin (β2M) might also be significant. The purpose of our study was to assess possible correlations of β2M with clinical and laboratory variables and to further evaluate its association with cause-specific and overall survival (OS) of patients with WM requiring treatment. Patients and Methods: We analyzed 124 patients with WM with an available pretreatment value of β2M. Median age was 70 years (range, 28-89 years), and median survival was 105 months. Multiple clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated for their possible correlation with OS. Results: Patients with older age, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, and higher creatinine levels had significantly greater serum β2M levels. This variable was associated with impaired cause-specific survival and OS in the whole group of patients and in patients aged ≤ 70 years. More specifically, OS for all patients according to serum β2M > 4 mg/dL versus ≤ 4 mg/dL was 79 months versus 115 months (P = 0.01). Conclusion: Our data provide further evidence that high β2M levels are an important parameter associated with inferior OS and cause-specific survival of patients with WM requiring treatment. This parameter may be used to stratify patients involved in prospective clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Although dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) may be one of most common forms of dementia, relatively little is known about its cognitive and functional course. OBJECTIVE: To compare change over time in general cognitive status, memory test performance, psychiatric symptoms, neurological signs, and functional abilities in patients with probable DLB and probable Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN: Twenty-eight patients who met diagnostic criteria for DLB were recruited into the study from 3 sites. Patients with AD (n = 55) were selected from a larger cohort and matched 2 to 1 to the patients with DLB on age and baseline global cognitive status. Patients were followed up at 6-month intervals for an average of 6.2 visits and assessed at each visit with tests of global cognitive functioning and verbal learning and memory and measures of psychiatric, neurological, and functional status. RESULTS: At the baseline evaluation, patients with DLB performed more poorly on a measure of constructional praxis and all measures of functional status. They also had more severe psychiatric symptoms and neurological signs than the AD group. Despite these initial differences, generalized estimating equations applied to regression analyses with repeated measures determined that the only difference between the 2 groups in change in cognitive test performance was on a measure of recognition memory; patients with AD declined, while patients with DLB remained relatively stable. Patients with DLB had relatively stable behavioral symptoms and visual illusions, whereas patients with AD had a significant increase in these symptoms over time. Neurological and functional changes over time were similar in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both baseline and longitudinal differences between patients with DLB and patients with AD were noted; these have implications for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

A new sample of contact systems, consisting of more than 100 stars, was created for binaries for which the physical parameters have been determined using both photometric light curves and radial velocity measurements of both components. Properties of components are discussed including their evolutionary status.

The influence of the structural quality of a normal metal-superconductor interface on the strength of the proximity effect is studied for the cylindrical geometry of bulk Cu-Nb multifilamentary composite samples. In as-drawn Cu-Nb samples the superconducting properties induced to the Cu matrix due to its proximity with Nb filaments are manifested in the magnetization measurements through a pronounced peak positioned in the low-field regime. By systematic annealing in an extended temperature regime for various durations we changed the structural quality of the Cu-Nb interfaces and as a result their transparency to the superconducting carrier. The direct comparison of scanning electron microscopy images with magnetization data revealed that the distortion of the Cu-Nb interfaces is responsible for the suppression of the proximity effect. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: The pulmonary side-effects induced by novel antineoplastic agents have not been well characterized. Methods: To further investigate this topic, relevant English and non-English language studies were identified through Medline. For our search we used the generic names of novel cytotoxic or non-cytotoxic antineoplastic agents and the key phrases pulmonary/lung toxicity, dyspnea, pneumonitis, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome and alveolar damage. The references from the articles identified were reviewed for additional sources. Abstracts from International Meetings were also included. Furthermore, information was obtained from the Pneumotox® website, which provides updated knowledge on drug-induced respiratory disease as well as from pharmaceutical websites. Results: Most novel antineoplastic drugs may induce pulmonary toxicity, which involves mainly the parenchyma, and less frequently the airways, pleura or the pulmonary circulation. Furthermore, a subset of these agents impairs pulmonary function tests. The exact incidence of lung toxicity remains unclear. The most common patterns consist of dyspnea without further details and infiltrative lung disease (ILD), denoting changes in the interstitium or alveoli. The diagnosis is one of exclusion. ILD is usually benign and responds to appropriate treatment; however, fatalities have been reported. Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the potential of most novel antineoplastic agents to cause lung toxicity. A high index of suspicion is required if these are combined with other cytotoxic drugs or radiation. © 2005 European Society for Medical Oncology.

Background and Objectives. Pure infradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a rare disease. The prognostic impact of a purely infradiaphragmatic localization of this lymphoma is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the baseline clinicopathologic features, prognostic factors and outcome of a large series of consecutive patients with pure infradiaphragmatic HL. Design and Methods. We analyzed 131 patients with clinical stage I/II infradiaphragmatic HL treated with ABVD or equivalent regimens with or without radiotherapy, and compared 54 of them with 444 patients with pure supradiaphragmatic disease, who were treated at the same center. Results. Older age, clinical stage II (borderline), involvement of ≥3 sites, lymphocyte predominant histology, elevated serum β2-microglobulin and higher International Prognostic Score were more frequent in patients with infradiaphragmatic disease than in those with supradiaphragmatic disease, while nodular sclerosis was less frequent. The complete remission rate was 100%, 97% and 82% for stages I, IIA and IB, respectively. Only B-symptoms independently predicted for inferior failure-free survival, while inferior overall survival was independently associated with the involvement of ≥3 sites. At 10 years failure-free survival was 82±6% (vs. 85±2% for patients with supradiaphragmatic disease, p=0.45), overall survival was 74±8% (vs. 91±2%, p=0.0006), and disease-specific survival 87±5% (vs. 94±1%, p=0.04). In multivariate analysis the differences between infradiaphragmatic and supradiaphragmatic disease were obscured by older age and B-symptoms. Interpretation and Conclusions. Pure infradiaphragmatic HL presents with distinct clinicopathologic characteristics. The previously reported poorer outcome may be explained by the unfavorable profile of the patients rather than the infradiaphragmatic presentation per se. Patients with stage IIB disease should probably be classified as having advanced HL because of the unacceptable rate of primary refractory disease. ©2006 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

The aim of this study is to describe an alternative technique, using radio frequency energy to perform pericystectomy for hepatic echinococcosis. We present 3 patients with hepatic echinococcosis who were treated with radio frequency ablation (RFA)-assisted pericystectomy. A Radionics Cooltip Radio Frequency System (Tyco, Greece, Radionics) with a single shaft 15 cm long needle electrode and a 2 cm exposure tip, was used. The needle electrode was inserted in consecutive sites into the "healthy" hepatic parenchyma close to the cyst wall, so that a tissue zone around the cystic cavity was gradually ablated. The complete ablation of a site was followed by sharp division of the parenchyma. The operation completed successfully in all patients. Minor bleeding and/or bile leakage were successfully controlled with RFA coagulation. No other hemostatic method was used. The postoperative course was uneventful. No evidence of recurrent disease, or any other cause of morbidity, has been demonstrated at follow up (2 y). RFA-assisted pericystectomy for hepatic hydatid disease in experienced hands, might be useful to perform a "sterile" resection, eradicating single or multiple cysts and preventing local recurrence, with minimal morbidity.

This paper we report on an interdisciplinary project for modelingGreek chant with real-time vocal synthesis. Building on previousresearch, we employ a hybrid musical instrument: Phonodeon(Georgaki et al. 2005), consisting of a MIDI-accordeon coupled toa real-time algorithmic interaction and vocal synthesis engine.The synthesis is based on data provided by the AOIDOS programdeveloped in the Department of the Computer science of theUniversity of Athens, investigating Greek liturgical chantcompared to bel canto singing. Phonodeon controls expressivevocal synthesis models based on formant synthesis andconcatenated filtered samples. Its bellows serve as hardwarecontrol device that is physically analogous to the human breathingmechanism [georgaki, 1998a], while the buttons of the right handcan serve multiple functions. This paper focuses on a particularaspect of control, namely that of playing in the traditional nontemperedand flexible interval structure of Greek modes (ήχοι:echoi) while using the 12-semitone piano-type keyboard of theleft hand. This enables the musical exploration of the relationshipbetween the spectral structure of the vocal timbre of Greek chantand characteristic intervals occuring in the modal structure of thechant. To implement that, we developed techniques forsuperimposing interval patterns of the modes on the keyboard ofthe phonodeon. The work is the first comprehensive interactivemodel of antique, medieval and modern near-eastern tunings. Thetechniques developed can be combined with techniques for othercontrol aspects, such as timbre and vocal expression control,phoneme or (expressive/ornamental/melodic pattern, inflection)sequence recall and combination, data record on/off, or others,which form part of the phonodeon project. This research can findapplications in many computer music fields such asalgorithmically controlled improvisation, microtonal music, musictheory and notation of (algorithmic/computerized) real-timeperformance, and computer modeling of experimental or nonwesternmusical styles.

This study examined the effect of recovery time on the maintenance of power output and the heart rate response during repeated maximal rowing exercise. Nine male, junior rowers (age: 16 ± 1 years; body mass: 74.0 ± 9.1 kg; height: 1.78 ± 0.03 m) performed two consecutive all-out 1000 m bouts on a rowing ergometer on three separate occasions. The rest interval between the two bouts was 1.5 (INT1.5), 3 (INT3) and 6 min (INT6), allocated in random order. Power output was averaged for each 1000 m bout and for the first and last 500 m of each bout. Heart rate kinetics were determined using a two-component exponential model. Performance time and mean power output for the first bout was 209 ± 3 s and 313 ± 10 W respectively. Recovery of mean power output was incomplete even after 6 min (78 ± 2, 81 ± 2 and 84 ± 2% for INT1.5, INT3 and INT6 respectively). Mean power output after INT6 was higher (p < 0.01) only compared with INT1.5. Power output during the first 500 m of bout 2 after INT6 was 10% higher compared with the second 500 m. During INT1.5 and INT3 power output during the first and the second 500 m of bout 2 was similar. Peak heart rate (∼197 b·min-1) and the HR time constant (∼13 s) were unaffected by prior exercise and recovery time. However, when the recovery was short (INT1.5), HR during the first 50 s of bout 2 was significantly higher compared with corresponding values during bout 1. The present study has shown that in order to maintain similar power outputs during repeated maximal rowing exercise, the recovery interval must be greater than 6 min. The influence of a longer recovery time (INT6) on maintenance of power output was only evident during the first half of the second 1000 m bout. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

This study examined the effect of recovery time on the maintenance of power output and the heart rate response during repeated maximal rowing exercise. Nine male, junior rowers (age: 16 ± 1 years; body mass: 74.0 ± 9.1 kg; height: 1.78 ± 0.03 m) performed two consecutive all-out 1000 m bouts on a rowing ergometer on three separate occasions. The rest interval between the two bouts was 1.5 (INT1.5), 3 (INT3) and 6 min (INT6), allocated in random order. Power output was averaged for each 1000 m bout and for the first and last 500 m of each bout. Heart rate kinetics were determined using a two-component exponential model. Performance time and mean power output for the first bout was 209 ± 3 s and 313 ± 10 W respectively. Recovery of mean power output was incomplete even after 6 min (78 ± 2, 81 ± 2 and 84 ± 2% for INT1.5, INT3 and INT6 respectively). Mean power output after INT6 was higher (p < 0.01) only compared with INT1.5. Power output during the first 500 m of bout 2 after INT6 was 10% higher compared with the second 500 m. During INT1.5 and INT3 power output during the first and the second 500 m of bout 2 was similar. Peak heart rate (∼197 b·min-1) and the HR time constant (∼13 s) were unaffected by prior exercise and recovery time. However, when the recovery was short (INT1.5), HR during the first 50 s of bout 2 was significantly higher compared with corresponding values during bout 1. The present study has shown that in order to maintain similar power outputs during repeated maximal rowing exercise, the recovery interval must be greater than 6 min. The influence of a longer recovery time (INT6) on maintenance of power output was only evident during the first half of the second 1000 m bout. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

This study examined the effect of recovery time on the maintenance of power output and the heart rate response during repeated maximal rowing exercise. Nine male, junior rowers (age: 16 ± 1 years; body mass: 74.0 ± 9.1 kg; height: 1.78 ± 0.03 m) performed two consecutive all-out 1000 m bouts on a rowing ergometer on three separate occasions. The rest interval between the two bouts was 1.5 (INT1.5), 3 (INT3) and 6 min (INT6), allocated in random order. Power output was averaged for each 1000 m bout and for the first and last 500 m of each bout. Heart rate kinetics were determined using a two-component exponential model. Performance time and mean power output for the first bout was 209 ± 3 s and 313 ± 10 W respectively. Recovery of mean power output was incomplete even after 6 min (78 ± 2, 81 ± 2 and 84 ± 2% for INT1.5, INT3 and INT6 respectively). Mean power output after INT6 was higher (p < 0.01) only compared with INT1.5. Power output during the first 500 m of bout 2 after INT6 was 10% higher compared with the second 500 m. During INT1.5 and INT3 power output during the first and the second 500 m of bout 2 was similar. Peak heart rate (∼197 b·min-1) and the HR time constant (∼13 s) were unaffected by prior exercise and recovery time. However, when the recovery was short (INT1.5), HR during the first 50 s of bout 2 was significantly higher compared with corresponding values during bout 1. The present study has shown that in order to maintain similar power outputs during repeated maximal rowing exercise, the recovery interval must be greater than 6 min. The influence of a longer recovery time (INT6) on maintenance of power output was only evident during the first half of the second 1000 m bout. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

Background. Lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), has been recognized as an atherogenic and thrombogenic lipoprotein in the general population and in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In addition, fibrinogen and fibronectin may promote atherothrombosis. The aim of this study was to investigate any possible relationship between Lp(a) and thrombogenic coagulation proteins in non-diabetic HD patients. Patients and Methods. Serum Lp(a) and plasma fibrinogen, plasminogen, and fibronectin levels were measured pre-HD in 60 uremic patients (30 male, 30 female) aged 58.6 ± 8.0 years who had been receiving HD treatment for 61.3 ± 50.7 months. The control group comprised 20 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. All patients were receiving erythropoietin treatment. Results. The mean serum Lp(a) (33.88 ± 34.12 mg/dL) and plasma fibrinogen (329.45 ± 80.62 mg/dL) levels were significantly higher in the HD patients compared with those in the controls (16.70 ± 10.36 and 254.00 ± 43.34 mg/dL, respectively; p < .05 and p < .001, respectively). Plasminogen levels did not differ between the HD patients (11.64 ± 3.22 mg/dL) and the control group (10.67 ± 1.41 mg/dL, p>.05). Fibronectin levels were slightly increased in the HD patients (33.96 ± 5.49 mg/dL) versus in the control group (30.9 ± 5.80 mg/dL, p < .05). There was a significant positive correlation between Lp(a) and fibrinogen levels (r = 0.305, p < .02), as well as between Lp(a) and fibronectin levels (r = 0.360, p < .01). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between fibrinogen and fibronectin levels (r = 0.587, p < .0001). Conclusions. According to our results, in non-diabetic HD patients, abnormal serum Lp(a) levels significantly correlated with abnormal levels of fibrinogen and fibronectin. There is a concern that the relationship between these atherogenic and thrombogenic acute-phase proteins may contribute to the increased incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in this patient population.

Jets in active galactic nuclei are collimated, relativistic flows that emanate from accretion disks around supermassive black holes. Electromagnetic stress- es are the most plausible candidate for extracting energy from the source and converting it into outflow kinetic energy. Questions that need to be answered in order for these processes to be well understood are: Can we explain parsec-scale accelerations that the observations infer? How the conditions near the disk are related to the terminal Lorentz factor of the jet and what is the asymptotic value of the Poynting-to-matter energy flux ratio? Can we model the apparent kinematics of the observed jet components? I present solutions of the ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations that help to shed light on these questions.

We present the results of extensive time-series photometry of the pulsating subdwarf B star KPD 2109 + 4401. Our data set consists of 29 data runs with a total length of 182.6h over 31d, collected at five observatories in 2004. These data comprised high signal-to-noise ratio observations acquired with larger telescopes and wider time-coverage observations obtained with smaller telescopes. They are sufficient to resolve the pulsation structure to 0.4 μHz and are the most extensive data set for this star to date. With these data, we identify eight pulsation frequencies extending from 4701 to 5481μHz, corresponding to periods of 182-213s. The pulsation frequencies and their amplitudes are examined over several time-scales with some frequencies showing amplitude variability.

Monoclonal IgM-related neuropathies constitute a heterogeneous group of disorders, which are generally poorly responsive to treatment. Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the CD20 molecule, has been used with success in patients with neuropathy and monoclonal IgM with anti-MAG or anti-GM1 ganglioside activity. Based on this observation, four patients were treated with IgM-related neuropathy with rituximab. Between January 1999 - December 2000, four patients with IgM-related neuropathy (one with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and three with sensorimotor demyelinating neuropathy) were treated with rituximab. Rituximab was administered at a standard dose of 375 mg m-2 iv weekly for a consecutive 4 weeks; 3 months later, four additional weekly courses were administered to patients who did not experience deterioration of their neuropathy symptoms. Neurological evaluation was performed before each rituximab infusion and at 1 week and 2 months after last infusion and every 6 months the following years; including motor (MRC in six muscle groups, 9-hole peg test, 10m walk, hand grip strength), sensory neuropathy (vibration threshold and sensory subjective score) assessment. Neurophysiological parameters were also assessed (MNCV, SNCV, CMAP, SNAP). Strength improved in three of four patients; including the patient with CIDP. This patient developed a significant worsening of her weakness 3 weeks after the initiation of rituximab. This phenomenon coincided with a serum monoclonal IgM flare and resolved spontaneously 1 week later. Her improvement is ongoing for more than 5 years. Considering neurophysiological parameters, two patients showed a slight improved regarding conduction velocities and CMAP (10%) and the patient with IgM flare had a transient worsening of conduction velocities followed by improvement. In conclusion, rituximab is a safe and well-tolerated treatment which may be effective in some patients with IgM-related neuropathy. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.

The role of respiratory viral infection in the development of asthma remains unclear. A number of factors play crucial roles, including the type of virus, the severity of the disease, the time of the infection, and, most important, the host predisposition. On the other hand, there is little doubt that a strong association exists between viral respiratory infections and induction of wheezing illnesses and asthma exacerbations. The underlying mechanisms, although not fully clarified, are likely to be multifactorial, involving inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, which interacts under certain circumstances with allergic inflammation. In addition, repetitive infections play an important role in perpetuating inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness, especially in the presence of atopy, leading from childhood asthma to a more persistent asthma phenotype.

In this paper, an attempt is made to investigate the synoptic-scale atmospheric conditions and dynamic processes leading to the rejuvenation of depressions or cyclogenesis over the Eastern Mediterranean during the cold period of the year. A case study analysis is carried out when the Polar Front Jet (PFJ) is positioned to the south of its normal seasonal position and interacts with the Subtropical Jet Stream (SJS), which is positioned to the north of its normal seasonal position. It was found that the vigorous rejuvenation of a northeastwards moving Atlas mountains depression on 15 March 1998 over Cyprus region is associated with an increase of the hydrodynamic instability due to the juxtaposition of a polar front jet streak to the subtropical jet stream. Furthermore, the rejuvenation is related to the combined effect of the direct and indirect cross vertical circulations appearing on the right side of the entrance of a polar jet streak and the left side of a subtropical jet streak exit, respectively. © Springer-Verlag 2005.

We present a first-principles Study of the unreconstructed (001) surfaces of the half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb. Both terminations (MnSb and Ni) are considered. We find that half-metallicity is lost at the surfaces. After a discussion of the geometric relaxations and the spin-polarized surface band structure, we focus on topography images which are expected to be found with spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy. For the MnSb-terrninated surface we find that only the Sb atoms are visible, reflecting a geometric buckling caused by relaxations. For the Ni-terminated surface we find a strong contrast between the images of forward and reverse tip-sample-bias of 0.5 eV, as well as a stripe-like image for reverse bias. We interpret these findings in terms of highly directional Surface states which are formed in the spin-down gap region.

99mTc-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) scintigraphy has been suggested in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. According to the International Staging System (ISS), serum b2-microglobulin (Sβ2M) and serum albumin (SA) are dominant predictive factors and different cut-off values of these factors can separate patients into various stages of the disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between ISS staging, by Sβ2M and SA, and the 99mTc-MIBI scan findings. Twenty-five MM patients have been studied. Eighteen patients were at stage I, three at stage II and four at stage III of MM. 99mTc-MIBI scans were obtained and scored according to intensity (I) and extent (E) of the radiotracer uptake. A summed score (S) for the 99mTc-MIBI scan was calculated for each patient. A statistically significant negative correlation between E, I and S uptake scores versus the SA levels (P=0.004, 0.049 and 0.018 respectively), as well as a statistically significant positive correlation between E and S scores and the Sβ2M levels (P=0.012 and 0.032) were detected. A statistically significant difference between the E and S uptake scores among the MM patients examined for every stage separately was also found (P=0.007 and 0.024 respectively). The gradual increase of the E and S scores across the three stages of MM was also significant (P=0.003 and 0.021 respectively), despite the relatively small number of patients in stages II and III. In seven patients who died at the end of the follow-up period all three scores were significantly increased as compared to the scores of the patients who remained alive at that time. In conclusion, this study provides additional evidence that 99mTc-MIBI scan not only reflects myeloma disease activity in bone marrow but it is also well correlated with the Sβ2M and SA levels according to ISS.

We report a case of septic arthritis due to Roseomonas mucosa in a rheumatoid arthritis patient receiving infliximab therapy. This is the first report of septic arthritis due to R. mucosa, and infliximab therapy might be a predisposing factor because this infection was never reported in the pre-anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy period.

Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) protein, a soluble inhibitor of Wnt signalling, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myeloma bone disease through the suppression of osteoblast differentiation. In this study, serum concentrations of DKK-1 were measured in 50 myeloma patients (32 at diagnosis and 18 before and after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), 18 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and 22 healthy controls. Serum DKK-1 levels were increased in MM at diagnosis compared with MGUS (mean ± SD: 67 ± 54 ng/mL vs. 38 ± 13 ng/mL; p = 0.006) and controls (31 ± 11 ng/mL; p = 0.02), while there was no difference between MGUS patients and controls. Although patients with stage 2 and 3 myeloma had higher DKK-1 values than stage 1 patients (79 ± 63 vs. 40 ± 13; p = 0.005), no significant correlation between serum DKK-1 and myeloma bone disease was observed. Myeloma patients before ASCT also had increased levels of DKK-1 (63 ± 77 ng/mL; p = 0.03) compared with controls, supporting the notion that DKK-1 may be responsible for the suppressed osteoblast activity even in patients with low tumor burden. After ASCT, there was a sustained decrease in DKK-1 levels over time, while bone formation markers elevated, suggesting that the reduction of DKK-1 levels after ASCT may correlate with the normalization of osteoblast function. These results could provide the basis for developing agents that block DKK-1, thus restoring osteoblast function and counteracting the increased osteoclastogenesis observed in myeloma. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the alterations of serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C during pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFNa) plus ribavirin (RIB) treatment and to correlate them with clinical and virological outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-two consecutive patients (29 males, age=41.2+/-14.7 years) with chronic HCV-related liver disease (six cirrhotics) were evaluated for PCT levels at baseline and during the treatment course (at week 12, 24, 48 and 72) with PEG-IFNa plus RIB. Sustained virological response (SVR) was confirmed by undetectable serum HCV-RNA at the end of treatment and again 6 months after completion of treatment. RESULTS: Two patients exhibited culture-proved bacterial infections during the treatment course. Thirty-six patients (69.2%) exhibit SVR and 16 (30.8%) were non-responders. Serum PCT levels remained within normal limits (0.1-0.5 ng/mL) in all treated patients throughout the follow-up period except those two who exhibited bacterial infections during the treatment course. Virological responders exhibited significant decline of serum PCT levels over time compared to non-responders (p<0.001), even when adjusted for multiple baseline parameters (p=0.037). CONCLUSION: Serum PCT levels decline in chronic hepatitis C patients during PEG-IFNa plus RIB treatment, especially in the sustained virological responder group, while they elevate only when bacterial infections complicate the treatment course.

We tested the hypothesis that age-related time production deficits are dopamine-mediated. The experiment was conducted double-blind, and with random assignment of 32 healthy aged and 32 healthy young participants to either inert placebo or levodopa (200 mg) groups. The procedure included training participants to produce two target time intervals (6 and 17 sec) in separate blocks, drug/placebo administration, a 1-hr delay, and then delayed free-recall time production retesting without feedback. Participants also performed a speeded choice reaction time (RT) task, as a control for potential dopaminergic and aging effects on attention and psychomotor speed. Results indicate that during retesting, aged participants show duration-dependent timing errors that are larger than those shown by the young participants. Levodopa administration yielded lengthened time production of both target intervals. The aging and levodopa effects did not interact. Also, aging slowed RT and increased RT variability, but levodopa had no effect on the RT. These results suggest that at this dosage and under these specific conditions, timing is dopamine-mediated but the effect of aging on time production is not. Moreover, the levodopa timing effect cannot be attributed to the effects of dopaminergic function on psychomotor speed.

The authors present an exact, analytic study of oscillatory modes guided by generalized asymmetric two-dimensional planar heterostructures with negative refractive index in either the core or the cladding. It is shown that, in sharp contrast to normal dielectric configurations, these waveguides always possess a frequency region where the second-order oscillatory mode may exist alone and allow for attaining zero group velocity under weak guidance conditions. In addition the mode has a field distribution that renders it excitable with an end-fire approach, making such structures attractive for applications requiring slow light. Advantages compared to previous methods of slowing or stopping light are discussed. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.

The occupational health and safety management constitutes a field of increasing interest. Institutions in cooperation with enterprises make synchronized efforts to initiate quality management systems to this field. Computer networks can offer such services via TCP/IP which is a reliable protocol for workflow management between enterprises and institutions. A design of such network is based on several factors in order to achieve defined criteria and connectivity with other networks. The network will be consisted of certain nodes responsible to inform executive persons on Occupational Health and Safety. A web database has been planned for inserting and searching documents, for answering and processing questionnaires. The submission of files to a server and the answers to questionnaires through the web help the experts to make corrections and improvements on their activities. Based on the requirements of enterprises we have constructed a web file server. We submit files in purpose users could retrieve the files which need. The access is limited to authorized users and digital watermarks authenticate and protect digital objects. The Health and Safety Management System follows ISO 18001. The implementation of it, through the web site is an aim. The all application is developed and implemented on a pilot basis for the health services sector. It is all ready installed within a hospital, supporting health and safety management among different departments of the hospital and allowing communication through WEB with other hospitals.

We report on the influence of the microstructure on the AC and DC magnetic properties of Cu-3.5% Nb nanofilamentary wires. Samples obtained from a single Cu-3.5% Nb wire were subsequently submitted to different plastic strain levels via drawing so that their microstructure was altered. Noticeable differences are observed in their isothermal DC magnetization curves that present a double-peak structure. The first peak, which occurs at low magnetic fields, is attributed to superconductivity induced in the Cu matrix due to the proximity effect. It is argued that the second peak is related exclusively to niobium. The dependence of these two distinct peaks on the characteristic nanometre length scales of the samples, i.e. dimension of the Nb filaments and interfilamentary spacing, are discussed.

Nemaline myopathy (NM), the most common non-dystrophic congenital myopathy, is a variably severe neuromuscular disorder for which no effective treatment is available. Although a number of genes have been identified in which mutations can cause NM, the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the phenotypes are poorly understood. To address this question, we examined gene expression patterns in an NM mouse model carrying the human Met9Arg mutation of alpha-tropomyosin slow (Tpm3). We assessed five different skeletal muscles from affected mice, which are representative of muscles with differing fiber-type compositions, different physiological specializations and variable degrees of pathology. Although these same muscles in non-affected mice showed marked variation in patterns of gene expression, with diaphragm being the most dissimilar, the presence of the mutant protein in nemaline muscles resulted in a more similar pattern of gene expression among the muscles. This result suggests a common process or mechanism operating in nemaline muscles independent of the variable degrees of pathology. Transcriptional and protein expression data indicate the presence of a repair process and possibly delayed maturation in nemaline muscles. Markers indicative of satellite cell number, activated satellite cells and immature fibers including M-Cadherin, MyoD, desmin, Pax7 and Myf6 were elevated by western-blot analysis or immunohistochemistry. Evidence suggesting elevated focal repair was observed in nemaline muscle in electron micrographs. This analysis reveals that NM is characterized by a novel repair feature operating in multiple different muscles.

We discuss a small polaron hopping model, in order to explain the intense temperature (T) dependence of the electrical conductivity (σ) observed at high temperatures along the DNA molecules. The model takes into account the one-dimensional character of the system as well as the presence of disorder in the DNA double helix. Theoretical considerations based on percolation lead to analytical expressions for the high temperature multiphonon-assisted small polaron hopping conductivity, the maximum hopping distance and their temperature dependence. For example, experimental data for the lambda-phage DNA, the poly(dA)-poly(dT) DNA, and the native wet-spun calf thymus Li-DNA, follow nicely the theoretically predicted behavior, EQUATION, over wide high-T ranges. In contrast to some previously presented theoretical suggestions, our model leads to realistic values for the maximum hopping distances, supporting the idea of multiphonon-assisted hopping of small polarons between next nearest neighbors of the DNA molecular “wire”. We also examine the low temperature case.

In the present work a detailed seismotectonic study of the broader area of the Mygdonia basin (N. Greece) is performed. Digital data for earthquakes which occurred in the broader Mygdonia basin and were recorded by the permanent telemetric network of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki during the period 1989-1999 were collected and fault plane solutions for 50 earthquakes which occurred in the study area were calculated with a modified first motions approach which incorporates amplitude and radiation pattern information. Fault plane solutions for the 3 main shocks of Volvi (23/05/78, MW = 5.8 and 20/06/78, MW = 6.5) and Arnaia (04/05/95, MW = 5.8) events and the 1978 aftershock sequence were additionally used. Moreover, data from two local networks established in the Mygdonia basin were also incorporated in the final dataset. Determination of the stress field was realized by the use of the method of Gephart and Forsyth [Gephart, J.W., Forsyth, D.W., 1984. An improved method for determining the regional stress tensor using earthquake focal mechanism data: application to the San Fernando earthquake sequence: Jour. Geophys. Res., v.89, no. B11, p. 9305-9320] for the stress tensor inversion and the results were compared with independent estimates based on the calculation of the average moment tensor [Papazachos, C.B.,Kiratzi, A.A., 1992. A formulation for reliable estimation of active crustal deformation and its application to central Greece. Geophys. J. Int. 111, 424-432]. The obtained stress results show a relatively good agreement between the two approaches, with differences in the azimuth of the dominant extension axis of the order of 10°. Furthermore, comparison with independent information for the mean stress axes provided by the study of kinematics on neotectonic faults [Mountrakis, D., Kilias, A., Tranos, M., Thomaidou, E., Papazachos, C., Karakaisis, G., Scordilis, E., Chatzidimitriou, P., Papadimitriou, E., Vargemezis, G., Aidona, E., Karagianni, E., Vamvakaris, D. Skarlatoudis, A. 2003. Determination of the settings and the seismotectonic behavior of the main seismic-active faults of Northern Greece area using neotectonic and seismological data. Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation (OASP) (in Greek)] shows a similar agreement with typical misfit of the order 10°. The stress inversion method was modified in order to select one or both nodal planes of the focal mechanism which corresponds to the "true" fault plane of the occurred earthquakes and was able to select a single fault plane in the majority of examined cases. Using this approach, the obtained fault plane rose diagrams are in agreement with results from various neotectonic studies. Moreover, several secondary active fault branches were identified, which are still not clearly observed in the field.

When citing: Kamberidou, Irene & Patsantaras, Nikolaos (2006). "Social Capital and Gender Equity in Sports”. Presentation at the international conference Social Capital and Sport Governance in Europe: Trust and the Use of Social Ties, 4-5/12/2006, organized by the Universitat Commerciale Luigi Bocconi and IPAS- Institute of Public Administration and Health Care Management ‘Carlo Masini’, in collaboration with the European Commission, Milano Italy. © Irene Kamberidou presenting paper at Bocconi University, Milano 2006, at conference entitled  Social Capital and Gender Equity in Sports.  

The study focuses on the application of computing elements in the field of geoarchaeology. Emphasis is placed on the meaningful combination of geomorphological and environmental data along with archaeological features within Geographic Information Systems. Principal objective was the identification and the modeling of possible Roman cadastres in the area of Béziers, in southern France. For this purpose numerous technologies have been applied; GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing techniques and Digital Image Processing methods were used for the collection, storage, digitization and analysis of geoarchaeological data. Geographical Information System (G.I.S.) was used for the processing of primary data, the production of secondary information layers, the development of the digital elevation model and its derivative files and, in essence, for the spatial and the quantitative analysis of the data. The research concluded at 3 potential Roman cadastre grids establishing orientation and distance of axes as main criteria. Further processing of the data concluded in one final Roman cadastre grid for the area of Biterrois in France.

Context.Recent surveys of the Local Group spiral Galaxies M 31 and M 33 with XMM-Newton yielded a large number of X-ray sources. Aims.As part of the effort to identify and classify the objects responsible for this X-ray emission, we have obtained optical spectra of the brightest optical counterparts of the identified X-ray sources, using the 1.3 m Skinakas Telescope. Most of these objects are foreground star candidates. The purpose of the present study is to confirm this identification and to explore the compatibility between the optical spectral classification and the observed X-ray properties of the sources. Methods.We have obtained optical spectra for the 14 brightest optical counterparts of X-ray sources identified by XMM-Newton in the direction of M 31 and for 21 optical counterparts in the direction of M 33, using the 1.3 m Skinakas telescope in Crete, Greece. Results.All of the M 31 sources and all but one of the M 33 sources were confirmed to be foreground stars, of spectral types between A and M. One of the stars is a late M dwarf with Hα emission, a flare star, also displaying strong X-ray variability. One of the M 33 sources (lying within the D25 ellipse) corresponds to a previously known background galaxy, LEDA 5899.

We report on the microstructure evolution in Cu-15% Nb multifilamentary wires upon annealing and the corresponding effects on their electrical and magnetic properties. During annealing at temperatures higher than 800 degrees C thermal instability mechanisms take place in the microstructure of the Cu-15%Nb composite, leading to spheroidization, followed by coarsening of niobium filaments. Such microstructural changes exert considerable influence on the magnitude of the normal electrical resistivity for the Cu-Nb composite. In addition, the annealing process leads to a double-peak structure in the isothermal DC magnetization curves of the composite, which is strongly dependent on the annealing time. This behavior suggests that the spheroidization kinetics can be obtained from M(H) curves.

This retrospective study aimed to estimate the value of spiral Computerized Tomography (sCT) in patients with suspected appendicitis who remained undiagnosed after 48 hours of expectant management. We assessed a cohort of 150 patients by focused unenhanced sCT. According to the clinical scenario we occasionally employed contrast media and extended the scanned area. The major radiological signs were appendiceal enlargement and inflammatory changes of periappendiceal tissue and mesenteric fat. Regarding acute appendicitis the examination was 95.8% sensitive, 97.4% specific, had a positive predictive value of 97.18%, a negative predictive value of 96.2% and an accuracy of 96.7%. It also provided alternative diagnoses in 55 patients leading correctly 31 of them to the theatre for a variety of abdominal surgical diseases. For abdominal surgical pathology in general, sCT was 97.1% sensitive, 95.7% specific, had a positive predictive value of 98% and a negative predictive value of 93.8%. The importance of good communication between the clinicians and radiologists was pointed out by the correct alternative diagnoses set by imaging in the 55 patients after modifying the sCT protocol and was highlighted by the unnecessary appendectomy of three patients with negative imaging. Our results verify the accuracy and value of unenhanced sCT in patients with a clinical picture which remains inconclusive after an initial period of expectant management.

The vortex-matter phase diagram of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8+x single crystal superconductor has been studied, using bulk and local magnetization measurements. We observed a second magnetization peak in the temperature interval 20 K < T < 40 K. At 40 K the second peak splits into two peaks, termed the upper and lower second magnetization peaks (USP and LSP), respectively. In the magnetic field interval [H-LCP,H-UCP] we observed the clear signature of a first-order melting transition of the vortex lattice. This particular behavior is similar to a situation with two critical endpoints of the first-order melting line and one coexistence point, where the topological transition line ends on the first-order melting line.

A case of spontaneous peritonitis caused by Leminorella grimontii in a 63-year-old man with cirrhosis is reported. To our knowledge, L. grimontii has never been reported as a cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The patient responded to antimicrobial therapy. Clinical and therapeutic implications are discussed.

Malignant transformation of a mature ovarian cystic teratoma is the most serious complication of this relatively common neoplastic lesion. While any constituent tissue of the teratoma can undergo malignant transformation, squamous cell carcinoma represents approximately 80% of those malignancies. Furthermore, the synchronous occurrence of a second malignancy in that setting is extremely rare. Preoperative diagnosis of malignant transformation within a mature cystic teratoma is extremely difficult and poses a great challenge to current clinical surgical practice. The particularly aggressive behavior of this rare tumor, also poses significant surgical managing dilemmas. We present a case report of a premenopausal woman with an invasive squamous cell carcinoma arising in a mature cystic teratoma and a synchronous invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

Aims.We analyse the influence of the stochastic particle acceleration for the evolution of the electron spectrum. We assume that all investigated spectra are generated inside a spherical, homogeneous source and also analyse the synchrotron and inverse Compton emission generated by such an object. Methods: .The stochastic acceleration is treated as the diffusion of the particle momentum and is described by the momentum-diffusion equation. We investigate the stationary and time dependent solutions of the equation for several different evolutionary scenarios. The scenarios are divided into two general classes. First, we analyse a few cases without injection or escape of the particles during the evolution. Then we investigate the scenarios where we assume continuous injection and simultaneous escape of the particles. Results: .In the case of no injection and escape the acceleration process, competing with the radiative cooling, only modifies the initial particle spectrum. The competition leads to a thermal or quasi-thermal distribution of the particle energy. In the case of the injection and simultaneous escape the resulting spectra depend mostly on the energy distribution of the injected particles. In the simplest case, where the particles are injected at the lowest possible energies, the competition between the acceleration and the escape forms a power-law energy distribution. We apply our modeling to the high energy activity of the blazar Mrk 501 observed in April 1997. Calculating the evolution of the electron spectrum self-consistently we can reproduce the observed spectra well with a number of free parameters that is comparable to or less than in the "classic stationary" one-zone synchrotron self-Compton scenario.

The structure of the 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxin (PaFd) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which belongs to the Allochromatium vinosum (Alvin) subfamily, has been determined by X-ray crystallography at 1.32-A resolution, which is the highest up to now for a member of this subfamily of Fds. The main structural features of PaFd are similar to those of AlvinFd. However, the significantly higher resolution of the PaFd structure makes possible a reliable comparison with available high-resolution structures of [4Fe-4S]-containing Fds, in an effort to rationalize the unusual electrochemical properties of Alvin-like Fds. Three major factors contributing to the reduction potential values of [4Fe-4S]2+/+ clusters of Fds, namely, the surface accessibility of the clusters, the N-H...S hydrogen-bonding network, and the volume of the cavities hosting the clusters, are extensively discussed. The volume of the cavities is introduced in the present work for the first time, and can in part explain the very negative potential of cluster I of Alvin-like Fds.

Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SFN) of the newborn is an uncommon disorder of the adipose tissue, mostly affecting full-term or post-term newborns who experience perinatal distress. The lesions of SFN typically occur during the first six weeks of life; they are usually self-limited and no specific therapy is required. The disorder may be rarely complicated with hypercalcaemia. We present the case of a neonate with perinatal asphyxia who manifested SFN followed by hypocalcaemia instead of hypercalcaemia and a biochemical profile of pseudohypoparathyroidism four weeks after the eruption of skin lesions. The infant was treated with alfacalcidiol. Blood biochemistry was normalized within one week and serum parathyroid hormone levels declined to normal over the next two months. It is suggested that perinatal asphyxia was the common etiopathogenetic factor for the development of both SFN and pseudohypoparathyroidism.

In the present work we study extensively the manipulation of superconductivity through ferromagnetism in a new category of hybrids. The studied hybrids consist of antiferromagnetic/ ferromagnetic (AF/FM) [La0.33Ca0.67MnO3/La0.60Ca0.40MnO3](15) multilayers (MLs) in contact with a low-T-c Nb superconductor (SC). In these hybrids a relatively thick FM buffer layer was used as a reservoir for the generation of stray fields that influence the SC intensively. Our results show that in the parallel field configuration the SC becomes ferromagnetically coupled to the ML when field-cooled through its T-c(SC). Thus, although the SC should behave diamagnetically in respect to the externally applied magnetic field, its bulk magnetization behaves ferromagnetically and switches together with the magnetization of the ML when its coercive field is exceeded (switching effect). By employing specific experiments, where the ML was selectively exchange biased or not, we clearly demonstrate that the ML structure, separating the FM buffer and the SC layers, inflicts its magnetic properties on the whole hybrid. Thus, in such ML/SC hybrids the exchange bias mechanism can be used for regulating the switching of the SC magnetization. By employing specific experimental protocols for our magnetization measurements we directly uncover that the multidomain magnetic state of the ML strongly suppresses both the transition's height and the critical temperature of the SC. Simple FM/SC bilayers have also been studied. In these samples the switching effect is observed only for zero external field, while it is absent when a magnetic field is applied. This indicates that the ML structure is an essential ingredient for the generic observation of the switching effect. Our experimental results support recent theoretical studies referring to the mutual proximity effect (Kharitonov et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 73 054511), to the possible formation of spin-triplet superconductivity (Bergeret et al 2001 Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 4096), and to the influence of an FM domain state on the properties of an SC (Buzdin and Mel'nikov 2003 Phys. Rev. B 67 020503( R)) in relevant hybrids. Apart from their importance for theory, our results are valuable for the design of spin-valve devices that recently have attracted great interest.

We present the spectral and temporal radiative signatures expected within the ``supercritical pile'' model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). This model is motivated by the need for a process that provides the dissipation necessary in GRBs and presents a well-defined scheme for converting the energy stored in the relativistic protons of the relativistic blast waves (RBWs) associated with GRBs into radiation; at the same time, it leads to spectra that exhibit a peak in the burst νFν distribution at an energy Epeak~=1 MeV in the observer's frame, in agreement with observations and largely independent of the Lorentz factor Γ of the associated relativistic outflow. Furthermore, this scheme does not require (but does not preclude) acceleration of particles at the shock other than that provided by the isotropization of the flow bulk kinetic energy in the RBW frame. In the present paper we model in detail the evolution of protons, electrons, and photons from a RBW to produce detailed spectra of the prompt GRB phase as a function of time from across a very broad range in frequency, spanning roughly 4logΓ decades. The model spectra are in general agreement with observations and provide a means for delineating the model parameters through direct comparison with trends observed in GRB properties.

We report a detailed study of surface and interface properties of pulsed-laser-deposited NiMnSb films on a Si(100) substrate as a function of film thickness. As the thickness of films is reduced below 35 nm, formation of a porous layer is observed. Porosity in this layer increases with decrease in NiMnSb film thickness. These morphological changes of the ultrathin films are reflected in the interesting transport and magnetic properties of these films. Compositional anomaly and surface and interface roughness are not the source of magnetic and transport properties of the films. © 2006 The American Physical Society.

We present a detailed analytical study of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in generalized asymmetric slab waveguides with a core of negative permittivity and permeability. Profiting from the duality principle, we confine ourselves to the analysis of p -polarized (TM) SPP eigenmodes, which also occur in thin metallic films. It is shown that the left-handed (LH) structures considered here support a richer variety of SPPs when compared to their metallic counterparts. Depending on the refractive index distribution, the permittivity of each medium and the thickness of the core, a total of 30 solutions to the involved characteristic equation are identified in a unified manner and classified systematically. In order to identify conclusively all SPPs, we follow an analytical methodology based directly on the solution constraints inherent in the associated transcendental equation. This treatment reveals striking features of the formed SPP eigenmodes, such as the existence of "supermodes" when no SPP is supported at one of the slab interfaces. Moreover, our study reveals the opening of gaps in the SPP dispersion diagrams, occurrence of monomodal propagation for specific choices of the material parameters, presence of SPPs with no cutoff thickness and coexistence of three eigenmodes, with double mode-degeneracy points occurring twice. The eigenmodes with negative energy flux that give rise to negative group velocity are identified via a closed-form expression for the time-averaged power flow P in the guide. For each eigenmode, we examine the variation of P with the reduced slab thickness and discuss key features of the effective index geometric dispersion diagram, most of which are unique to the generalized structures studied herein. © 2006 The American Physical Society.

When surface-state electrons scatter at perturbations, such as magnetic or nonmagnetic adatoms or clusters on surfaces, an electronic resonance, localized at the adatom site, can develop below the bottom of the surface-state band for both spin channels. In the case of adatoms, these states have been found very recently in scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments for the Cu(111) and Ag(111) surfaces. Motivated by these experiments, we carried out a systematic theoretical investigation of the electronic structure of these surface states in the presence of magnetic and nonmagnetic atoms on Cu(111). We found that Ca and all 3d adatoms lead to a split-off state at the bottom of the surface band which is, however, not seen for the sp elements Ga and Ge. The situation is completely reversed if the impurities are embedded in the surface: Ga and Ge are able to produce a split-off state whereas the 3d impurities are not. The resonance arises from the s state of the impurities and is explained in terms of strength and the interaction nature (attraction or repulsion) of the perturbing potential.

Introduction: Glycodelin and survivin are key polypeptide regulators of cellular proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In view of contradictory reports on their functional role in tumors, we studied their transcriptional levels in localized breast cancer. Patients and methods: Glycodelin and survivin messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was isolated and amplified by quantitative reverse-trancription PCR from paraffin-embedded breast carcinomas of 275 women. A normalized score was calculated by the use of GAPDH, RPL37A reference genes and was correlated with clinicopathologic/molecular parameters and patient outcome. Results: A total of 272 patients were eligible, most harbored stage III node-positive breast carcinomas larger than 2 cm. Glycodelin mRNA was expressed in 68 patients (25%), more frequently in premenopausal women (P = 0.01) and those with HER2 mRNA-positive tumors (P = 0.02). Survivin mRNA was present in 263 tumors (97%) and its levels correlated significantly with high nuclear grade, VEGF mRNA and p53 mRNA presence (P < 0.05). At a median follow-up of 64 months, neither glycodelin nor survivin mRNA expression demonstrated prognostic utility for overall or disease-free survival at univariate and multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Glycodelin and survivin transcriptional activity are associated with adverse clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics of node-positive primary breast cancer but do not predict patient outcome. Further study is needed for illumination of their functional roles in tumorigenesis. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

The long-term CCD and photoelectric observations of YY Her covering the period of its post-outburst activity (JD 2 451 823 -- 2 452 996) are presented. We explain the periodic variations of the brightness of YY Her by the eclipses of the components in the system. The model with a deformed (non-homogeneous) envelope, surrounding the white dwarf is discussed. In addition, we observed a flare in about JD 2 452 440, during the primary minimum, that was later followed by an energetic outburst in JD 2 452 700.

Rhinoviruses (RV), the major trigger of acute asthma exacerbations, are able to infect bronchial epithelium and induce production of pro-inflammatory, but also angiogenic and pro-fibrotic mediators. Fluticasone propionate (FP) and salmeterol (S) are clinically effective and act synergistically in controlling persistent asthma; however, their effect on virus-associated asthma is less clear.|The aim of this study was to assess the individual and combined effects of FP and S on RV-induced epithelial production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2).|Bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were exposed in vitro to RV and were subsequently treated with FP and S, at physiologically relevant concentrations, alone or in combination. VEGF and FGF-2 were measured in the supernatants of these cultures using ELISA.|FP was able to reduce RV-induced VEGF production in a dose-dependent manner. S also induced a smaller reduction; addition of both factors inhibited VEGF synergistically. FGF-2 production was not inhibited by either FP or S alone, but was significantly reduced when both substances were present in the culture.|This study demonstrates that FP and S may synergistically inhibit the production of angiogenic and/or pro-fibrotic factors that are induced after RV infection of BEAS-2B and are implicated in airway remodelling, suggesting that this combination may represent an important therapeutic option on virus-induced asthma.

Nucleophilic substitutions of the reactive chlorine atoms in cyanuric chloride by the bridging 4,4'-bipyridine in refluxing toluene lead to quaternarization of the latter and the subsequent formation of a pi-conjugate, covalent layered network. The network is composed of central 1,3,5-triazine units with 4,4'-bipyridinium rings covalently attached and balanced by the released chloride ions. Due to the extremely high electron deficiency of the triazine rings, the material undergoes partial reduction by its compensated chloride ions resulting in a radical concentration of 1 X 1020 spin g(-1), according to EPR quantitative analysis. In this instance, the radicals provide stability to the organic network by minimizing its electron deficiency. The material exhibits thermal and electrochemical stability, as evidenced by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and cyclic voltammetry techniques. As such, the pi-conjugate organic material displays low band gaps and electrical conductivity in the range of 10(-4)-10(-5) S cm(-1) at room temperature. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PLA2 is an important signaling enzyme that generates multiple downstream effectors, such as arachidonic acid and PAF, which are key mediators of inflammation as well as other pathophysiological conditions. Inhibition of PLA2 is potentially an effective therapy for several inflammatory diseases. In this review, we discuss the various classes of synthetic inhibitors of Group IVA and Group VIA phospholipase A2. 

Urothelial cancer is a common malignancy. The management of patients with recurrent disease after cystectomy or initially metastatic or unresectable disease represents a therapeutic challenge. Systemic chemotherapy prolongs survival but long-term survival remains infrequent. During recent years there has been improvement due to the use of novel chemotherapeutic agents, mainly gemcitabine and the taxanes. The long-considered-standard MVAC has been challenged by combinations showing more favourable toxicity profiles and equal (gemcitabine-cisplatin) or even improved (dose-dense, G-CSF-supported MVAC) efficacy. Specific interest has also been generated in specific groups of patients (elderly patients, patients with renal function impairment or comorbidities), who are not fit for the standard cisplatin-based chemotherapy but can derive significant benefit from carboplatin- or taxane-based treatment. Retrospective analyses have enabled the identification of groups of patients with different prognoses, who possibly require different therapeutic approaches. Modern chemotherapy offers a chance of long-term survival in patients without visceral metastases, possibly in combination with definitive local treatment. Finally, the progress of targeted therapies in other neoplasms seems to be reflected in advanced bladder cancer by recent studies indicating that biological agents can be combined with modern chemotherapy. The true role of such therapies is currently being evaluated. © 2006 Oxford University Press.

Despite a few decades of intense study, a full description of tautomers of one-electron-oxidized guanine remains to be achieved. Here we show that two of these tautomers are produced by the protonation of an 8-haloguanine electron adduct. The rate constants for the reactions of hydrated electrons (e aq-) with a variety of 8-substituted guanine derivatives have been measured by a pulse radiolysis technique and correlated with both inductive and resonance components of the substituents. The fate of electron adducts was investigated by radiolytic methods coupled with product studies and addressed computationally by means of time-dependent DFT (TD-B3LYP/6- 311G**//B1B95/6-31+G**) calculations. The reaction of eaq- with 8-haloguanosine or 8-halo-2′- deoxyguanosine produces the first observable transient species that decay unimolecularly (k = 1 × 105 s-1 at 22 °C) to give the one-electron oxidized guanosine or 2′-deoxyguanosine. Theory suggests that the electron adducts of 8-bromoguanine derivatives protonated at C8 form a $π$-complex, with the Br atom situated above the molecular plane, that is prompt to eject Br. The two short-lived intermediates, which show a substantial difference in their absorption spectra, are recognized to be the two purine tautomers (i.e., iminic 7 and aminic 3 forms). The spin density distributions of the two tautomers are quite different at the O6 and N10 positions, whereas they are very similar at the N3, C5, and C8 positions. The resonance structures of the two tautomers are discussed in some detail. B1B95/6-31+G** calculations show also that the tautomerization from the iminic (7) to the aminic (3) arrangement is a water-assisted process. © 2006 American Chemical Society.

Despite a few decades of intense study, a full description of tautomers of one-electron-oxidized guanine remains to be achieved. Here we show that two of these tautomers are produced by the protonation of an 8-haloguanine electron adduct. The rate constants for the reactions of hydrated electrons (e(aq)(-)) with a variety of 8-substituted guanine derivatives have been measured by a pulse radiolysis technique and correlated with both inductive and resonance components of the substituents. The fate of electron adducts was investigated by radiolytic methods coupled with product studies and addressed computationally by means of time-dependent DFT (TD-B3LYP/6-311G**//B1B95/6-31+G**) calculations. The reaction of e(aq)(-) with 8-haloguanosine or 8-halo-2'-deoxyguanosine produces the first observable transient species that decay unimolecularly (k = 1 x 10(5) s(-1) at 22 degrees C) to give the one-electron oxidized guanosine or 2'-deoxyguanosine. Theory suggests that the electron adducts of 8-bromoguanine derivatives protonated at C8 form a pi-complex, with the Br atom situated above the molecular plane, that is prompt to eject Br-. The two short- lived intermediates, which show a substantial difference in their absorption spectra, are recognized to be the two purine tautomers (i.e., iminic 7 and aminic 3 forms). The spin density distributions of the two tautomers are quite different at the O6 and N10 positions, whereas they are very similar at the N3, C5, and C8 positions. The resonance structures of the two tautomers are discussed in some detail. B1B95/6-31+G** calculations show also that the tautomerization from the iminic (7) to the aminic (3) arrangement is a water-assisted process.

We propose two novel approaches to study the temperature dependence of the magnetization and the spin polarization at the Fermi level in magnetic compounds, and apply them to half-metallic ferromagnets. We reveal a new mechanism, where the hybridization of states forming the half-metallic gap depends on thermal spin fluctuations and the polarization can drop abruptly at temperatures much lower than the Curie point. We verify this for NiMnSb by ab initio calculations. The thermal properties are studied by mapping ab initio results to an extended Heisenberg model which includes longitudinal fluctuations and is solved by a Monte Carlo method.

Background: Intrauterine fetal development is characterized by increased rates of proliferation and apoptosis, while both these processes may be attenuated post-natally. Aim: Tissue polypeptide specific antigen and sFas serum concentrations were determined during pregnancy and post-natally, in order to evaluate their alterations during these crucial periods. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven healthy pregnant women, their full-term newborns and 35 healthy adults (controls) were included in the study. Markers were measured: a) in maternal serum (MS), during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester and at the 1st stage of labor; b) in the umbilical cord (UC), during the 2nd stage of labor; c) in neonatal serum in the 1st (1N) and 5th (5N) day after birth; and d) in controls. Results: The serum TPS concentrations in MS increased significantly with gestational age, being higher in the 3rd trimester and labor, than those in controls (p<0.001). TPS values were significantly lower in the UC, compared to those in MS (p<0.001), while they were markedly elevated in 1N, compared to MS and UC (p<0.001), and subsequently decreased in 5N (p<0.001), remaining higher, than those in the controls (p<0.001). Serum sFas concentrations in the MS depended significantly on gestational age (p<0.001), being significantly lower in the first trimester, than those in the second (p<0.003), the third (p<0.03), in labor and controls (p<0.005). sFas concentrations in the UC were significantly lower than in MS and controls (p<0.001), while they increased significantly in 5 N samples (p<0.01). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate: a) a higher apoptosis rate in the first trimester of pregnancy, possibly affecting maternal immuno-tolerance, followed by a down-regulation during the post-natal period; b) a progressively increased proliferation from the first trimester to parturition, reflecting the fetal and placental growth and development, that seems to be thereafter moderated.

The ligands o-C6H4(CH2EMe)2(E = S or Se) have been prepared and characterised spectroscopically. A systematic study of the coordination chemistry of these, together with the telluroether analogue, o-C6H4(CH2TeMe)2, with late transition metal centers has been undertaken. The planar complexes [MCl2(o-C6H4(CH2SMe)2)] and [M(o-C6H4(CH2EMe)2)2](PF6)2(M = Pd or Pt; E = S or Se), the distorted octahedral [RhCl2(o-C6H4(CH2EMe)2)2]Y (E = S or Se: Y = PF6; E = Te: Y = Cl) and [RuCl2(o-C6H4(CH2EMe)2)2] (E = S, Se or Te), the dithioether-bridged binuclear [(RuCl2(p-cymene))2(μ-o-C6H4(CH2SMe)2)] and the tetrahedral [M′(o-C6H4(CH2EMe)2)2]BF4(M′ = Cu or Ag; E = S, Se or Te) have been obtained and characterised by IR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H,63Cu,77Se(1H),125Te(1H) and195Pt), electrospray MS and microanalyses. Crystal structures of the parent o-C6H4(CH2SMe)2and seven complexes are described, which show three different stereoisomeric forms for the chelated ligands, as well as the first example of a bridging coordination mode in [(RuCl2(p-cymene))2(μ-o-C6H4(CH2SMe)2)]. These studies reveal the consequences of the sterically demanding o-xylyl backbone, which typically leads to unusually obtuse E–M–E chelate angles of ∼100°. © 2006 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Bacteroides fragilis group strains are still considered susceptible to most antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of infections caused by anaerobic organisms. We describe two cases of infections due to isolates simultaneously resistant to clindamycin, tetracycline, cefoxitin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and imipenem and, in one of the two cases, to metronidazole. Such infections, although still rare, do exist and tend to complicate treatment.

BACKGROUND: In order to reduce abdominal trauma and operative costs we have adopted a two-trocar laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy for patients with acute appendicitis. In the current study, the proposed technique is prospectively evaluated against conventional laparoscopic appendectomy with respect to feasibility, safety, and postoperative outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 2001 and July 2003, 83 consecutive patients were admitted with clinically diagnosed acute appendicitis and were randomly assigned to two-trocar laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy (n = 40, 48.2%) or conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (n = 43, 51.8%). RESULTS: Two-trocar laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy was successfully completed in 30 patients (80.1%). Four patients initially scheduled for two-trocar laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy (10.8%) were converted to laparotomy due to excessive body weight (BMI > or = 40), while an additional 5-mm infraumbilical trocar was inserted in another 3 patients (8.1%). The procedure was associated with decreased operative time and more rapid return to normal activity compared to laparoscopic appendectomy (P < 0.001 and P = 0.038, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference regarding the duration of hospitalization or the morbidity rate between the two groups. Conversion of the initial procedure was associated with increased wound infection rate and higher morbidity (P = 0.032 and P = 0.018, respectively). CONCLUSION: Two-trocar laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy represents a promising minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of acute appendicitis. It is fast and easy to perform, and it is expected to decrease the overall cost of laparoscopic appendectomy. Its only contraindication is excessive body weight; it remains to be evaluated in the setting of perforated appendicitis and retrocecally located appendices.

This report by an international consensus panel updates current recommendations for defining clinical response in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). The previously published response criteria incorporated parameters for monoclonal protein reduction and/or improvement of marrow and nodal involvement, and included definitions of complete and partial remissions. The criteria have been updated to include minor response and stable disease categories. In addition, the criteria now recognize that delayed responses after treatment with nucleoside analogues and biologic agents and the time point for assessing response in patients with WM should be considered so as to not miss or miscategorize a response. The new criteria should therefore help in better delineating responses to therapy in patients with WM, particularly with the wide use of nucleoside analogues and biologically based agents for this disease.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B-cell disorder characterized by the infiltration of lymphoplasmacytic cells into bone marrow and the presence of an IgM monoclonal gammopathy. As part of the Third International Workshop on WM, held October 7 to 10, 2004 in Paris, France, a consensus panel charged with providing treatment recommendations for WM updated its recommendations on both frontline and salvage therapies. The panel considered encouraging results from recent studies that addressed the use of extended-dose rituximab as well as other treatment options: therapy with either nucleoside analogs and alkylator agents, rituximab in combination with nucleoside analogs, nucleoside analogs plus alkylator agents, or combination chemotherapies, such as CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) or cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone. The panel determined that these were reasonable treatment options for WM patients and such therapeutic approaches were likely to yield results that are at least as good as if not better than the currently recommended use of single-agent alkylator, nucleoside analog, or standard-dose rituximab therapy. Such approaches were deemed to be reasonable treatment for WM patients in both the upfront and salvage settings, though randomized studies addressing the efficacy and toxicity of such novel approaches over previously established standard of care options are needed. © 2006 by The American Society of Hematology.

This study aimed at evaluating whether addition of extensive upper body training in well-trained cross country skiers induces an adaptation of the triceps brachii (TB) muscle and whether this affects performance. Muscle biopsies were obtained from TB muscle in six male elite cross country skiers before and after 20 weeks of increased upper body training. The cross-sectional area of type I and IIA fibers increased by 11.3% and 24.0%, respectively, and so did the number of capillaries per fiber (2.3-3.2) (all P<0.05). SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis revealed in single fibers that the number of fibers expressing myosin heavy chain (MHC) type I isoform decreased from 68.7% to 60.9% (P<0.05), MHC I/IIA isoform was unaltered, while MHC IIA fibers increased from 21.6% to 35.7% and the 4.8% MHC IIA/IIX disappeared with the training (both P<0.05). Citrate synthase and 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase activities increased by 23.3% and 15.4%, respectively, and double poling 10 km time-trial by 10.4% (all P<0.05). The values for TB are similar to what has been demonstrated for leg muscles after exercise training. The subjects who demonstrated the largest improvement in performance exhibited the largest muscle adaptation, which, in turn, was related to the pre-maximal oxygen uptake.

We sought to study the presence of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) and its ligands, advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), S100/calgranulins and amphoterin (high mobility group box 1 protein; HMGB1), in the vitreous cavity and epiretinal membranes (ERMs) of eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Undiluted vitreous specimens were collected from 30 eyes of 30 patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for repair of retinal detachment (RD) secondary to PDR (n = 15) or PVR (n = 15). The vitreous samples obtained from 10 eyes undergoing macular hole repair were used as controls. Epiretinal membranes were obtained from eight eyes with PDR and from 10 eyes with PVR. The levels of AGEs in the vitreous were measured using ELISA. The vitreous levels of soluble RAGE (sRAGE), S100/calgranulins and amphoterin were measured using Western blot analyses. The localization of RAGE and its ligands in ERMs was determined with immunohistochemistry. The vitreous levels of sRAGE were significantly increased in both PDR and PVR (p < or = 0.05) compared to control vitreous. In both PDR and PVR, the vitreous levels of AGEs (p < or = 0.01), S100/calgranulins (p < or = 0.05), and amphoterin (p < or = 0.01) were also elevated compared to control eyes. Expression of RAGE was detected in six of eight ERMs from eyes with PDR and eight of 10 ERMs from eyes with PVR. Many cells expressing RAGE also expressed vimentin, suggesting a glial cell origin. Ligands for RAGE were also detected in ERMs, with AGEs detected in five eyes with PDR and eight eyes with PVR. Similarly, S100 and amphoterin ERM expression was observed in six eyes with PDR; these ligands were also expressed in ERMs from eyes with PVR (8 and 7 cases, respectively). We conclude that RAGE and its ligands are increased in the vitreous cavity of eyes with PDR and PVR and are present in ERMs of eyes with these proliferative retinal disorders. These findings suggest a role for the proinflammatory RAGE axis in the pathogenesis of proliferative retinal diseases.

Previous findings from our group based on Monte Carlo simulations indicated that Fickian drug release from Euclidian or fractal matrices can be described with the Weibull function. In this study, the entire drug release kinetics of various published data and experimental data from commercial or prepared controlled release formulations of diltiazem and diclofenac are analyzed using the Weibull function. The exponent of time b of the Weibull function is linearly related to the exponent n of the power law derived from the analysis of the first 60% of the release curves. The value of the exponent b is an indicator of the mechanism of transport of a drug through the polymer matrix. Estimates for b < 0.75 indicate Fickian diffusion in either fractal or Euclidian spaces while a combined mechanism (Fickian diffusion and Case 11 transport) is associated with b values in the range 0.75 < b < 1. For values of b higher than 1, the drug transport follows a complex release mechanism. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human rhinoviruses, major precipitants of asthma exacerbations, infect the lower airway epithelium inducing inflammation. The possibility that viral infection may mediate angiogenesis, thus contributing to airway remodeling, has not been evaluated.|To investigate whether epithelial infection with rhinovirus mediates angiogenesis in vitro, evaluate possible modulation by an atopic environment, and confirm angiogenic factor induction after in vivo rhinovirus infection.|Bronchial epithelial cells were infected with rhinovirus and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiopoietins were measured. The angiogenic effect of epithelial products was assessed in in vitro models of angiogenesis. PBMCs, obtained from patients with atopic asthma and normal controls, were exposed to rhinovirus; the ability of supernatants from these cultures differentially to affect rhinovirus-mediated epithelial VEGF production was evaluated. VEGF levels were measured in respiratory secretions from patients with asthma, before and during rhinovirus-induced exacerbations.|Epithelial infection with rhinovirus specifically stimulated mRNA expression and release of VEGF, but not angiopoietins, in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner. Supernatants from these cultures were able to induce angiogenesis in vitro, significantly inhibited by a neutralizing anti-VEGF antibody. When bronchial cells were exposed to supernatants of rhinovirus-infected mononuclear cells from normal subjects or atopic patients with asthma, VEGF induction was significantly higher under the influence of the atopic environment. VEGF was elevated during rhinovirus-associated asthma exacerbations.|Rhinovirus infection, a frequent event, induces VEGF production in bronchial epithelial cells and human airways, an effect enhanced in an atopic environment. Rhinovirus-associated, VEGF-mediated angiogenesis may contribute to airway remodeling in asthma.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the predictive value of neuropsychologic profiles, at diagnosis, for mortality in incident Alzheimer disease (AD). BACKGROUND: Rate of AD progression varies significantly across individuals for reasons that are not well understood. Several studies have linked rapid decline with disproportionately impaired executive functioning, presumably reflecting greater impairment of frontal networks. To the extent that differential neuropsychologic profiles reflect various neuropathologic presentations of AD, such profiles may inform survival estimates early in the disease. METHODS: Five neuropsychologic indices were used to characterize performance in 161 individuals at diagnosis of AD during a 15-year, longitudinal, primarily community-based study. RESULTS: Fifty-two percent of participants reached the mortality end point with a median survival of 5.52 years (95% confidence interval, 4.41-6.63). Cox proportional hazards analyses indicated that older age at diagnosis was associated with higher risk of mortality (risk ratios, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.12) whereas Hispanic ethnicity predicted lower mortality [0.22 (0.09-0.55)]. Controlling for these 2 demographic variables, higher verbal fluency scores at diagnosis predicted lower mortality [0.69 (0.49-0.96)]. CONCLUSIONS: Disproportionate impairment of both category and letter fluency at the earliest stages of AD predicts mortality. The prognostic value of these tests may derive from their general psychometric properties, or may reflect the measures' sensitivity to an early or critical level of compromise to frontal networks.

The optical observations used in this study were carried out during three observing runs, on September 6, 2003, on October 18-22, 2003 and on October 10-11, 2004, using the 1.3-m Ritchey-Cretien telescope at Skinakas Observatory, located on the island of Crete (Greece). (3 data files).

The vortex matter phase diagram for H parallel to c of the thallium-based cuprate with formula Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 (Tl-2212) has been studied using magnetization measurements. We observed a second magnetization peak monotonically decreasing with temperature in the temperature interval 20 K < T < 40 K. At 40 K the second peak splits into two peaks. The field location of the lower part of the second peak decreases with temperature and for 80 K <= T <= T-c it is transformed to a sudden drop. The corresponding upper part of the second peak forms a broad maximum and subsequently develops a negative curvature as it approaches the melting line. In the magnetic field interval [H-LCP,H-UCP] we observed a first-order melting transition (FOT) of the vortex lattice. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We present the results of a statistical investigation of the period-color and period-bolometric magnitude relations using a carefully selected sample of 120 contact systems with known physical parameters.

In this study the contribution of meteorological parameters to the total variability of respiratory infections (RI) is analysed. For this purpose, data on the daily numbers of general practitioner (GP) consultations for RI during the year 2002 were used. This dataset has been compiled by the Local Health Service in the surroundings of Athens, Greece (Acharnes city). The meteorological data obtained by the Meteorological Station of the National Observatory of Athens comprise daily values of mean, maximum, and minimum air temperature, air temperature range, relative humidity, absolute humidity, sunshine, surface atmospheric pressure, wind speed, as well as day-to-day changes of these parameters. Furthermore, the following biometeorological parameters and thermal indices were also evaluated: mean radiant temperature (T mrt), predicted mean vote (PMV), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) and standard effective temperature (SET*) as well as their day-to-day changes. First, the relationship between every meteorological-biometeorological parameter and consultations for RI was examined by applying the Pearson Chi-Square Test (χ 2) to the data of the 25 compiled contingency tables. In the second stage, the application of generalised linear models (GLM) with Poisson distribution to the data revealed how much the weather variability leads to statistically important changes in consultations for RI. The results of this study contribute to the evidence that there is an association between weather conditions and the number of GP consultations for RI. More specifically, the influence of air temperature and absolute humidity on consultations on the same day is weaker than the lag effect (∼2 weeks) related to cold existence and absolute humidity, while a strong wind during the preceding 3days drives a peak in GP consultations. © ISB 2006.

1. Καμπερίδου, Ε., (2006). Οι περί Ελληνισμού Αντιλήψεις και Περιγραφές περιηγητριών του 17ου, 18ου και 19ου και η γυναικεία περιήγηση. ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑ & ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ, 38, 14-18.  K.9.2. στο Apella  

• Kamberidou, I. (2006). Lady Travellers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries: Discourse on Orientalism and the Greek Element. Philosophy & Education (EKDEF), 38, August 2006, 14-18. K.9.2. in Apella

We present an analysis of the individual observations of a deep XMM-Newton survey of the Local Group spiral galaxy M 33. We detected a total of 350 sources with fluxes (in the 0.2-4.5 keV energy band) in the range 6.7 × 10-16-1.5 × 10-11 erg s-1. This comprehensive study considers flux variability, spectral characteristics, and classification of the detected objects. Thirty-nine objects in our catalogue are new sources, while 311 were already detected in a previous analysis of most of the same data using combined images. We present improved positions of these sources and the X-ray parameters of each source in each individual observation that covers the source. We then used these parameters to systematically search for flux variability on time scales of hours to months or years. The long-term light-curves were generated for the 61 sources showing a significant variability of the (0.2-4.5) keV flux, by a factor of 1.2 to 144. The detected variability was then used to classify 8 new X-ray binary candidates in M 33. Together with the hardness ratio method and cross-correlation with optical, infrared, and radio data, we also classify or confirm previous classification of 25 supernova remnants and candidates, 2 X-ray binaries, and 11 super-soft source candidates (7 of which are new SSS candidates). In addition, we classify 13 active galactic nuclei and background galaxies, 6 stars, and 23 foreground star candidates in the direction of M 33. Further 206 objects are classified as "hard", approximately half of which are sources intrinsic to M 33. The relative contribution of the classified XRB and SSS in M 33 is now comparable to M 31. The luminosity distribution of SNRs in both spiral galaxies is almost the same, although the number of the detected SNRs in M 33 remains much higher.

Background: Young age has been reported to be a favorable prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of ovarian cancer presenting in patients aged ≤40 and assess the prognostic significance of young age. Methods: Data from 591 consecutive ovarian cancer patients, including 37 subjects (6.3%) aged ≤40, who were treated postoperatively with platinum-based chemotherapy in our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Results: In our series, age ≤40 did not show an independent association with overall (p = 0.542) or progression-free survival (p = 0.334). Nonetheless, it was correlated with low tumor grade (p = 0.009) and small volume of residual disease after primary surgery (p = 0.020), while there was a nonsignificant trend for correlation with performance status 0 (p = 0.052). Stratified analysis showed that age ≤40 was associated with improved overall survival in the subgroups of serous histology and stage IIC-IV disease; however, multivariate analyses failed to identify age as an independent predictor of survival within either subgroup (p = 0.079 and p = 0.585, respectively). Conclusions: Age ≤40 was not an independent prognostic factor in our analysis.The survival advantage of young patients may be attributed to the association with low tumor grade, more complete surgical debulking and better performance status. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG.

The aim of this study was to examine whether the only existing, to date. model for the explanation of children's understanding and experience of loneliness - a model proposed by Hymel, Tarulli, Hayden Thomson, and Terrell-Deutsch (1999), and documented in Greece by Besevegis and Galanaki (2003) and Galanaki (2004a. 2004b) - is supported through the use of the retrospective method and, more specifically, through memories of childhood loneliness. The participants were 203 students from the University of Athens (Greece), who were asked to write down a memory of childhood loneliness (6-12 years). Results showed that the above model fits, with some differentiations, the loneliness memories. The individual differences In the experience of childhood loneliness, the stability of loneliness across time and situations, the relevant attributions, and the issue of beneficial aloneness are also discussed.

Cette étude s’inscrit au croisement des sciences sociales et des sciences du langage. Elle aborde la question de l’adaptation du système de la langue aux exigences qu’a fait surgir l’entrée des femmes dans la sphère publique et notamment dans la vie politique. Elle adopte une optique comparatiste : y sont confrontés le cas de la Grèce et celui de la France.L’étude est centrée sur les axes suivants : en premier lieu sont recensés les problèmes grammaticaux suscités par la nécessité de féminiser le langage, notamment les noms de titre et de fonction ; cette première partie tente de répertorier les attitudes et les propositions des linguistes, grammairiens et lexicographes. Ensuite sont présentées les politiques adoptées par les pouvoirs publics en matière de langue (cf. création de commissions spécialisées de terminologie en France, publication de circulaires encourageant l’utilisation des formes féminines des noms de métier, de grade et de fonction, financement de projets de recherche) ainsi que les réactions d’institutions officielles (par exemple, de l’Académie Française) face à cette politique linguistique. Le troisième axe de cette recherche concerne l’implantation de la féminisation des noms de titre et de fonction et l’évolution des usages dans le secteur des médias. Dans tous les domaines examinés, il semble bien que la France a fait davantage de progrès que la Grèce. La recherche effectuée conduit à la conclusion que les résistances face à la parité linguistique ne font que miroiter les obstacles à l’accès des femmes à une égalité politique visible et reconnue.

Τα ερωτήματα τα οποία εξετάζει η εργασία, προκειμένου να καταλήξει σε προτάσεις για την πληρέστερη αξιοποίηση της μερικής απασχολήσεως με βάση τις ρυθμίσεις του ασφαλιστικού δικαίου, είναι τα εξής: Πρώτον, πώς μπορεί η ασφαλιστική νομοθεσία για τη μερική απασχόληση να συμβάλλει στην επίτευξη άλλων κοινωνικοοικονομικών στόχων; Υποστηρίζεται ότι υπάρχουν περιθώρια για τη θέσπιση ασφαλιστικών ρυθμίσεων, οι οποίες θα επιτρέψουν την εξυπηρέτηση διαφόρων στόχων της κοινωνικής προστασίας και της οικονομικής ανάπτυξης, όπως π.χ. η ασφάλιση της μερικής απασχολήσεως  σε συνδυασμό με την τμηματική σύνταξη και τη χρονικά περιορισμένη επιδότηση των εισφορών. Δεύτερον, συνάδουν οι ρυθμίσεις για την ασφάλιση της μερικής απασχόλησης με τις  αρχές της ισότητας και της αναλογικότητας και τις επιταγές του ευρωπαϊκού κοινοτικού δικαίου; Διαπιστώνεται διαφορετική μεταχείριση εργαζομένων που παρέχουν τον ίδιο αριθμό ωρών εργασίας επειδή η βάση υπολογισμού της σύνταξης είναι η ημέρα εργασίας στην ασφάλιση, κατ’ αντιγραφή αυτού που συμβαίνει στην πλήρη απασχόληση. Η διακριτική αυτή μεταχείριση αντίκειται στην αρχή της ισότητας και στην αρχή της αναλογικότητας καθώς και στις επιταγές της Οδηγίας 97/81 Ε.Κ. του Συμβουλίου της 15ης Δεκεμβρίου 1997 σχετικά με τη συμφωνία πλαίσιο για την εργασία μερικής απασχόλησης, η οποία αναγνωρίζει μεν ότι τα θέματα που αφορούν την υποχρεωτική κοινωνική ασφάλιση των μερικώς εργαζομένων υπάγονται στην αρμοδιότητα των κρατών μελών, αλλά παράλληλα προτρέπει τα κράτη μέλη να θεσπίσουν ασφαλιστικά συστήματα που θα παρέχουν την κατάλληλη προστασία στα άτομα που απασχολούνται με τις άτυπες μορφές εργασίας. Τρίτον, ερωτάται μήπως η περιορισμένη ανάπτυξη της μερικής απασχόλησης στην Ελλάδα οφείλεται στην προτίμηση για τις συμβάσεις μισθώσεως έργου και ανεξαρτήτων υπηρεσιών; Διαπιστώνεται ότι η δυσμενής κοινωνικοασφαλιστική μεταχείριση σημαντικής μερίδας των μερικώς απασχολουμένων μισθωτών είναι ένας από τους λόγους που εμποδίζουν την ανάπτυξή της. Ήδη, η Επιτροπή της Ε.Ε.  έχει συστήσει στη χώρα μας τη λήψη μέτρων για την προώθηση της μερικής απασχόλησης. Τέτοια μέτρα είναι η αντικατάσταση της ημέρας εργασίας στην ασφάλιση με την ώρα εργασίας, η κατάργηση των εμποδίων για την προαιρετική συνέχιση της ασφάλισης και, γενικότερα, η επανεξέταση των χρονικών και λοιπών προϋποθέσεων για την απονομή των παροχών στους μερικώς απασχολούμενους καθώς και η αντικατάσταση των δύσκαμπτων και αυστηρών διαδικασιών για την υπαγωγή στην ασφάλιση. Η εργασία καταλήγει ότι τα τεκμήρια υπαγωγής στην ασφάλιση και οι διακρίσεις μεταξύ εξαρτημένης και ανεξάρτητης εργασίας στο ασφαλιστικό δίκαιο δεν έχουν και τόσο μεγάλη σημασία. Σκοπός είναι η ασφαλιστική κάλυψη. Αυτό που ενδιαφέρει είναι η επαρκής κάλυψη των ασφαλισμένων και των συνταξιούχων από τους γνωστούς και τους νέους κοινωνικούς κινδύνους διαμέσου της λειτουργίας ενός δίκαιου και βιώσιμου ασφαλιστικού συστήματος.

The aim of this study was to collect, present, and discuss Anna Freud's references to the phenomenon of aloneness and loneliness among children-victims of World War II. Those references are included in Anna Freud's observations of parentless children, children who had lived in concentration camps, children who were separated from their parents due to the evacuation of London, etc. All these children were living in the residences founded by Anna Freud and her collaborators in London (Freud & Burlingham, 1944, 1973; Freud & Dann, 1951). Unfortunately, Anna Freud did not utilize those observations for the interpretation of severe early trauma and for the formulation of her developmental theory. Among Anna Freud's observations, various themes on traumatized children's experience of aloneness and loneliness are identified and discussed, the following: type of attachments; separation anxiety in the relationships with parents, siblings, and peers; fear of loneliness; nature of loneliness; inability to be alone; inability to use aloneness constructively; disturbed and non disturbed ways of mastering the fear of loneliness (e.g., attachment, playing, fantasies, defense mechanisms). The discussion points out that aloneness and loneliness among children with such severe early traumas (war, death of parents, separation from parents, hospitalization) constitute extremely painful and deviant experiences, warranting psychotherapeutic intervention. Anna Freud's observations are discussed in the framework of the classic psychoanalytic approaches, as well as some recent empirical investigations on children's experience of aloneness and loneliness.

  Παρατηρείται μία ιδιαίτέρη ευαισθητοποίηση στις γυναικείες μαρτυρίες, όσον αφορά το θέμα της υποδούλωσης και του εξανδραποδισμού, από τον Τουρκικό ζυγό, αυτών που αποκαλούσαν απογόνους των αρχαίων Ελλήνων, που συμβάλλει στην επικέντρωση του γυναικείου λόγου στο Ελληνικό στοιχείο, συγκριτικά με τις περιγραφές τους για άλλους υπόδουλους λαούς και υποτελείς υπηκόους των Οθωμανικών επικρατειών. Εν ολίγοις, οι λόγοι που ώθησαν τις περιηγήτριες να επικεντρώσουν μεγαλύτερη προσοχή ή να παρέχουν περισσότερο υλικό, στα έργα τους για το «Ελληνικό στοιχείο», συγκριτικά με άλλους υπόδουλους λαούς, αναζητούνται στον ευρύτερο ρόλο που έπαιζε στις κοινωνίες, ο απόηχος του αρχαίου Ελληνικού πολιτισμού. Οι περιηγήτριες, και ιδιαίτερα εκείνες του 19ου αιώνα, όπως και οι περιηγητές, ήταν επηρεασμένες από τον «Ελληνικό Πυρετό» (Larrabee 1957), δηλαδή το μεγάλο φιλελληνικό πνεύμα και ρεύμα της εποχής τους- τον ρομαντισμό και την εξιδανίκευση για την Ελλάδα, που, κατά την εκτίμησή τους, υπήρξε η κοιτίδα του πολιτισμού και της δημοκρατίας, η Ελλάδα των αρχαίων φιλοσόφων, του Ομήρου, των απογόνων των αρχαίων, οι οποίοι είχαν καταφέρει μετά από 400 χρόνια δουλείας να διατηρήσουν την εθνική τους συνείδηση, αλλά και να εξεγερθούν—παρόλο που και άλλοι λαοί αγωνίσθηκαν και εκείνοι σκληρά για την εθνική τους ανεξαρτησία. Έτσι ευαισθητοποιημένοι, οι δυτικοί, πέραν της αποστολής μη-κυβερνητικής Αγγλικής, Γαλλικής και Αμερικάνικής οικονομικής βοήθειας στον υπόδουλο Ελληνισμό, κατά την διάρκεια του Ελληνικού εθνικο-απελευθερωτικού αγώνα (της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης) και των εξεγέρσεων που ακολούθησαν, έφταναν και οι ίδιοι, γυναίκες και άνδρες, σε μεγάλους αριθμούς, για να βοηθήσουν και να συμμετάσχουν στον εθνικο-απελευθερωτικό αγώνα του Ελληνισμού κατά του Τουρκικού ζυγού. Οι γυναικείες μαρτυρίες που ακολουθούν, αποτελούν αντιπροσωπευτικά δείγματα αυτού του φιλελληνικού ρεύματος, αυτού του «Ελληνικού Πυρετού» και αυτής της ιδιαίτερης ευαισθητοποίησης για εκείνους που εθεωρούσαν απογόνους των αρχαίων Ελλήνων.

Η σχολιαζόμενη απόφαση  δέχεται ότι ο νομοθέτης μπορεί να καθιερώσει σύστημα διοικητικής εποπτείας και να συστήσει θέση κυβερνητικού επιτρόπου στους οργανισμούς κοινωνικής ασφάλισης. Το ΣτΕ με την απόφαση αυτή αποσαφηνίζει το ελάχιστο περιεχόμενο του πυρήνα του θεσμού της κοινωνικής ασφάλισης, όσον αφορά στη διοίκηση των ασφαλιστικών οργανισμών. 

Οι νομοθετικές παλινδρομήσεις κατέστησαν εν τοις πράγμασι κενή περιεχομένου την υποχρέωση σύνταξης αναλογιστικών μελετών και συνέβαλαν αποφασιστικά στην κακή οικονομική τους κατάσταση και στην ανάγκη τακτικής και έκτακτης χρηματοδότησής τους από τον κρατικό προϋπολογισμό για να ανταποκρίνονται ασφαλιστικές τους υποχρεώσεις.  Η συμβολή του ΣτΕ στη διασφάλιση της βιωσιμότητας των οργανισμών κοινωνικής ασφάλισης είναι καθοριστική, διότι εντάσσει στο περιεχόμενο του πυρήνα του θεσμού της κοινωνικής ασφάλισης την ασφαλιστική τεχνική και τις αναλογιστικές μελέτες, με αποτέλεσμα ο κοινός νομοθέτης να μην μπορεί να αποφύγει τη σύνταξή τους κατά τον καθορισμό – τροποποίηση των παροχών και του τρόπου χρηματοδοτήσεως. Το Δικαστήριο δέχεται ότι η σύνταξη αναλογιστικών μελετών θέτει σε υγιείς βάσεις τη σχέση παροχών και χρηματοδοτήσεως του οργανισμού, διασφαλίζει τη λειτουργία βιώσιμων ασφαλιστικών οργανισμών και συνακόλουθα διασφαλίζει τον ίδιο τον θεσμό της κοινωνικής ασφάλισης, τον οποίο εγγυάται το Κράτος, σύμφωνα με το άρθρο 22 παρ. 5 του Συντάγματος. Το σχόλιο καταλήγει με την παρατήρηση ότι παρά τα όσα το ΣτΕ και η θεωρία δέχονται ο νομοθέτης και η διοίκηση δεν έχουν εμπεδώσει την αξία και την αναγκαιότητα της συντάξεως αναλογιστικών μελετών. 

The pyridine functionalised N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [M(κ2-NCDIPP)(COD)]+A-, NCDIPP=3-(2,6-Pr2iC6H3)-1-[2-(3-picolyl)]-imidazol-2-ylidene, A-=[Ar4FB]-, [{3,5-(CF3)2C6H2}4B] -, M = Rh, 1b, Ir, 4, have been prepared in two steps by reaction of the [M(COD)Cl]2 with the isolated NCDIPP to [Rh(κ1-NCDIPP)(COD)Cl], 2, and [Ir(κ 2-NCDIPP)(COD)Cl], 3, followed by anion exchange with Na+A-. The phosphine functionalised N-heterocyclic carbene complex [Rh(PCH2Cmes)2]Br, 6, PCH 2Cmes = 1-(diphenylphosphino-methyl)-3-(2,4,6-Me 3C6H2)-imidazol-2-ylidene, was prepared by the reaction of the [Rh(COD)Cl]2 with the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbene generated in situ. Monomeric [Rh(PCH2CH2C DIPP)(acac)], 7 was prepared by an analogous reactions from [Rh(COE)2(acac)]. In contrast, phosphine functionalised N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of iridium (I) were not easily accessible. However, the reaction of [Ir(COD)(μ-Cl)2(μ-H)]2 with PCH 2CH2Cmes gave complex [Ir(COD)(PCH 2CH2Cmes)Br], 8, in which the carbene is coordinated to the metal in an 'abnormal' mode. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Visceral involvement in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) seldom precedes hematological manifestation. We report on a patient with M4 - ANLL presenting with acute abdomen without any evidence of blood disorder. Laparotomy revealed only ileal wall oedema. Postoperative clinical deterioration led to a second-look operation combined with intraoperative endoscopy. Biopsied tissues were diffusely infiltrated by blasts characterised as HLA-DR (+), PGM1 (50% +), MPO (50% +) and CD 34 (-). Bone marrow reconfirmed these findings and showed positivity for CD4 (44%), CD11b (50%), CD11c (42%), CD13 (33%), CD34 (32%), and CD56 (54%). Chemotherapy achieved a complete but short remission. Relapse occurred 7 months later. Immediately after consolidation chemotherapy the profoundly immunosuppressed patient passed away after a lower respiratory tract infection. We discuss the contrast between histology and short disease duration, the unusual presentation and the bad prognosis, and attempt to correlate the clinical course with the coexpression of markers.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This prospective study aimed to review the trustworthiness of the initial clinical assessment in acute appendicitis without employment of imaging modalities, laparoscopy or any other adjunct diagnostic test. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 717 patients were operated on for appendicitis by six different surgeons. Initial clinical and laboratory examination were evaluated in relation to the intraoperative and the pathological appreciation of the appendiceal inflammation. RESULTS: 598 patients were found to have appendicitis, 34 a different condition, 41 had both appendicitis and an additional condition and 44 no pathology. 6% of the laparotomies and 11% of the appendectomies were unnecessary. The severity of the inflammation correlated significantly with periumbilical pain, pain migrating to right lower quadrant, loss of appetite, fever, rebound tenderness, local rigidity, polymorphonuclear predominance on deferential, polymorhonucleosis and leukocytosis. Leukocytosis was less frequent in aged patients. All the six surgeons were found to be equally reliable, although they all underestimated the setting compared to the pathologists. Patients with a long duration of symptoms had milder forms of inflammation and increased percentage of unanticipated abdominal conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Appendicitis can be reliably diagnosed clinically without employment of adjunct tests. These can be reserved for equivocal cases.

Purpose of investigation: Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and uterine clear cell carcinoma (UCCC) represent more aggressive tumors than the more common endometroid cancers, exhibiting a propensity for distant metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity and safety of paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy as the only adjuvant treatment in patients with surgically resected UPSC and UCCC. Methods: Fifteen patients with Stage IB-IV UPSC or UCCC were treated with a mean of six courses of paclitaxel 175 mg/m3 plus carboplatin AUC 5 at three-week intervals, three to six weeks after undergoing surgery with curative intent. No patient had residual disease after surgery and none underwent pre- or post-chemotherapy irradiation. Results: With a median follow-up of 29.4 months, six patients (40%) relapsed and two (13%) died of disease. Mean time to recurrence was 16.9 months. Recurrence rate per Stage was 17% for Stage IB/C, 57% for Stage IIIA/C and 50% for Stage IV. Projected 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival was 79.7% and 55.7%, respectively. All relapses were abdominopelvic whereas in one case pelvic recurrence was accompanied by lung metastasis. The most frequent grade 3-4 toxicity was neutropenia. Conclusion: Chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus carboplatin is feasible and possibly prevents distant metastasis when used as adjuvant in UPSC and UCCC.

Objective. Mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (mEOC) representing about 10% of all EOC are known to be possibly resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy and bear a poorer prognosis with respect to other subtypes of EOC. This study was undertaken to compare response and survival to platinum-based chemotherapy between patients with advanced stages III and IV mEOC and serous EOC (sEOC). Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed in 47 patients with advanced stage of mEOC treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in the context of several study protocols of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG) between 6/7/1983 and 25/2/2003. The outcome was compared to that of 94 patients with sEOC treated with the same protocols during the same study period (ratio mucinous: serous 1:2). Results. One hundred forty-one patients (47 stages III and IV mEOC, 94 stages III and IV sEOC) treated with platinum-based chemotherapy were analyzed. The overall response rate for mEOC was 38.5% (complete remission 18%) (95% CI 23.4-55.4%) and 70% (complete remission 47%) (95% CI 58.5-80.3%) for sEOC (P = 0.001). After a median follow-up of 77.8 months, median survival and time to tumor progression (TTP) were not significantly different between the two groups (33.2 months [95% CI 23.3-43.1 months] vs. 38.0 months [95% CI 26.8-49.2 months], P = 0.46, 11.8 months [95% CI 7.2-16.4 months] vs. 20.0 months [95% CI 15.7-24.2 months], P = 0.18, respectively). Conclusion. Patients with mEOC have significantly lower response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy compared to patients with sEOC. This low response to platinum-based chemotherapy was not translated in inferior TTP or survival. Our data indicate that a new strategy for chemotherapy in mEOC should be adopted, one that focuses on new agents without cross-resistance to platinum agents. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background: The potential role of the adult thymus in T-cell homeostasis subsequent to lymphopenia remains the subject of debate. We examined whether thymic activity contributes to reconstitution of the peripheral T-cell pool, a critical process for patients recovering from antineoplastic therapy. Methods: In selected patients with various neoplastic diseases we assessed peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets by flow-cytometry, including thymus-derived, CD4+ T cells expressing the CD45RA molecule, and thymic size rebound by CT scan before, and 3, 6 and 12 months after completion of cytotoxic therapy. Results: Adult patients (n = 21, mean age of 30 years, range 18-49) had higher baseline numbers of B and lower numbers of NK cells than elderly patients (n = 15, mean age of 79 years, range 70-91), while total T-cell numbers did not differ. Despite the reduction of lymphocyte counts being comparable in the adult (mean of 45%) and elderly (mean of 49%) groups, occurring at, or near, completion of treatment, an enlargement of the previously atrophic thymus was evident in 63% of the adult, but in none of the elderly, subjects. In 22 patients who remained active disease-free during the following year, B cells and NK cells recovered to pretreatment levels as soon as at 3 months, whereas overall T-cell recovery occurred at 6 months post-treatment. Thymic rebound, observed in 11 of 22 patients who were of younger age, correlated significantly with a faster and more complete recovery of CD45RA+ CD4+ (mainly helper-naïve) T cells. Conclusion: The adult thymus appears capable of regeneration, at least up to middle age, contributing significantly to the reconstitution of the peripheral T-cell pool following chemotherapy-induced lymphopenia. In advanced age, however, although peripheral homeostatic pathways appear intact, regeneration of the naïve repertoire is incomplete. © 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A decadal-scale trend in the tropical radiative energy budget has been observed recently by satellites, which however is not reproduced by climate models. In the present study, we have computed the outgoing shortwave radiation (OSR) at the top of atmosphere (TOA) at 2.5° longitude-latitude resolution and on a mean monthly basis for the 17-year period 1984-2000, by using a deterministic solar radiative transfer model and cloud climatological data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) D2 database. Anomaly time series for the mean monthly pixel-level OSR fluxes, as well as for the key physical parameters, were constructed. A significant decreasing trend in OSR anomalies, starting mainly from the late 1980s, was found in tropical and subtropical regions (30° S-30° N), indicating a decadal increase in solar planetary heating equal to 1.9±0.3Wm-2/decade, reproducing well the features recorded by satellite observations, in contrast to climate model results. This increase in solar planetary heating, however, is accompanied by a similar increase in planetary cooling, due to increased outgoing longwave radiation, so that there is no change in net radiation. The model computed OSR trend is in good agreement with the corresponding linear decadal decrease of 2.5±0.4Wm-2/decade in tropical mean OSR anomalies derived from ERBE S-10N non-scanner data (edition 2). An attempt was made to identify the physical processes responsible for the decreasing trend in tropical mean OSR. A detailed correlation analysis using pixel-level anomalies of model computed OSR flux and ISCCP cloud cover over the entire tropical and subtropical region (30° S-30° N), gave a correlation coefficient of 0.79, indicating that decreasing cloud cover is the main reason for the tropical OSR trend. According to the ISCCP-D2 data derived from the combined visible/infrared (VIS/IR) analysis, the tropical cloud cover has decreased by 6.6±0.2% per decade, in relative terms. A detailed analysis of the inter-annual and long-term variability of the various parameters determining the OSR at TOA, has shown that the most important contribution to the observed OSR trend comes from a decrease in low-level cloud cover over the period 1984-2000, followed by decreases in middle and high-level cloud cover. Note, however, that there still remain some uncertainties associated with the existence and magnitude of trends in ISCCP-D2 cloud amounts. Opposite but small trends are introduced by increases in cloud scattering optical depth of low and middle clouds.

BACKGROUND: Associations between the APOE genotype and various medical conditions have been documented at a very young age. The association between the APOE genotype and cognitive performance varies at different ages. APOE related changes in brain activation have been recently reported for middle aged and elderly subjects. OBJECTIVE: To explore APOE related alterations during cognitive activation in a population of young adults. METHODS: Using H2(15)O positron emission tomography (PET), imaging was carried out in 20 healthy young adults (age 19 to 28 years; four epsilon4 carriers and 16 non-epsilon4 carriers) during a non-verbal memory task. Voxel-wise multiple regression analyses were undertaken, with the activation difference PET counts as the dependent variable and the APOE genotype as the independent variable. RESULTS: Brain regions were identified where epsilon4 carriers showed significantly lower or higher activation than non-carriers. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that APOE dependent modulation of cerebral flow may be present even at a young age. This may reflect an APOE related physiological heterogeneity which may or may not predispose to brain disease in the ensuing decades or, less likely, the effect of very early Alzheimer's disease related pathological changes.

Our understanding of the cardiovascular system has evolved through the years by extensive studies emphasizing the identification of the molecular and physiological mechanisms involved in its normal function and disease pathogenesis. Major discoveries have been made along the way. However, the majority of this work has focused on specific genes or pathways rather than integrative approaches. In cardiomyopathies alone, over 30 different loci have shown mutations with varying inheritance patterns, yet mostly coding for structural proteins. The emergence of microarrays in the early 1990s paved the way to a new era of cardiovascular research. Microarrays dramatically accelerated the rhythm of discoveries by giving us the ability to simultaneously study thousands of genes in a single experiment. In the field of cardiovascular research, microarrays are having a significant contribution, with the majority of work focusing on end-stage cardiomyopathies that lead to heart failure. Novel molecular mechanisms have been identified, known pathways are seen under new light, disease subgroups begin to emerge, and the effects of various drugs are molecularly dissected. This cross-study data comparison concludes that consistent energy metabolism gene expression changes occur across dilated, hypertrophic, and ischemic cardiomyopathies, while Ca2+ homeostasis changes are prominent in the first two cardiomyopathies, and structural gene expression changes accompany mostly the dilated form. Gene expression changes are further correlated to disease genetics. The future of microarrays in the cardiomyopathy field is discussed with an emphasis on optimum experimental design and on applications in diagnosis, prognosis, and drug discovery.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to correlate bcl-2 protein expression and DNA-ploidy status with established prognostic parameters in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to examine their impact on disease progression and patient survival. Methods: Both parameters were prospectively measured in 50 consecutive radical nephrectomy specimens using flow cytometry. They were correlated with the tumor grade, stage and histological type. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for all parameters was performed. Results: Bcl-2 protein expression was higher in RCC compared to normal renal tissue (P < 0.0001). Aneuploid tumors had higher bcl-2 expression compared to diploid tumors (P = 0.015). Bcl-2 expression and DNA content were not correlated with tumor histological types (P = 0.277/ P = 0.419), grades (P = 0.690/P = 0.449), T categories (P = 0.637/P = 0.585) or stages (P = 0.726/ P = 0.800). Median follow-up time was 46 months (range, 5-84) with a mean overall survival of 61.8 months (95% confidence interval, 53.7-69.9). Tumor stage was the only statistically important prognostic factor (P = 0.0045). Conclusion: Although Bcl-2 expression was correlated with tumor DNA content, the prognostic value of these two parameters following radical nephrectomy was not established.

{The pharmacokinetics of tobramycin was studied in adult patients (N = 151) admitted either for initial suspicion of Gram-negative infection or for prophylaxis. In addition to age, weight, height and creatinine clearance (CrCL), a range of other covariates were also analysed, including type of pathology, co-medication, fever, sex and ethnicity (Basque or not). All patients received 100 mg tobramycin every 8 h and samples were collected at three time points after the first dose and at two time points after the fourth dose and assayed with a fluorescence polarisation immunoassay. The population mixed effects bicompartmental parameters were obtained from 725 concentration measurements using NONMEM, FOCE method, and were: systemic clearance

Background: Brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are rare. A retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with brain metastases from EOC over the last 20 years, according to the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG) tumor registry, was conducted. Patients and Methods: A total of 1450 patients with EOC were treated within various HeCOG protocols from 1983 to 2004. Seventeen (1.17%) of them developed brain metastases. Results: The median age at diagnosis of brain metastases was 58 years (range, 24 to 77). At initial diagnosis, 2 patients had stage II, 12 had stage III and 3 had stage IV disease. Serous papillary adenocarcinoma was the most common histological subtype [12 patients (71%)]. All patients had received initial cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The median time from initial diagnosis to central nervous system (CNS) relapse was 15.9 months (range, 1.4 to 70.8). The CNS was the only site of disease in 13 (76.5%) patients, whereas 4 (23.5%) patients had additional extracranial disease. Two (12%) patients with isolated single brain lesions underwent surgical excision of the metastases, followed by whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and chemotherapy. Four (24%) patients were treated with WBRT alone, 6 (35%) patients with WBRT plus chemotherapy and 2 (12%) had only supportive care, while 3 (18%) patients decided not to have any further treatment after the diagnosis of brain metastases. The median survival time from diagnosis of CNS relapse was 5.7 months (range, 0.2 to 22.6) and the median survival time from diagnosis of EOC was 27.4 months (range, 3.0 to 71.4). In patients with CNS recurrence as the only site of disease, the median survival time from diagnosis of CNS relapse was 5.3 months (range, 0.6 to 22.6) and in those with both CNS and extracranial disease, the median survival time was 3.9 months (range, 0.2 to 11.9) (p=0.5597). There was a statistically significant difference in survival for those treated with WBRT plus chemotherapy (10.0 months) versus those treated with WBRT alone (1.5 months) and those who had only supportive care (0.2 months) (p=0.0003). Conclusion: The incidence of cerebral metastases in our patients with EOC was 1.17%, which is consistent with the mean value of all series reported in the literature. The prognosis of patients with brain metastases from EOC is poor. Patients who had WBRT and chemotherapy fared better than those who received WBRT alone.

In order to understand the brain networks that mediate cognitive reserve, we explored the relationship between subjects' network expression during the performance of a memory test and an index of cognitive reserve. Using H2(15)O positron emission tomography, we imaged 17 healthy older subjects and 20 young adults while they performed a serial recognition memory task for nonsense shapes under two conditions: low demand, with a unique shape presented in each study trial; and titrated demand, with a study list size adjusted so that each subject recognized shapes at 75% accuracy. A factor score that summarized years of education, and scores on the NART and the WAIS-R Vocabulary subtest was used as an index of cognitive reserve. The scaled subprofile model was used to identify a set of functionally connected regions (or topography) that changed in expression across the two task conditions and was differentially expressed by the young and elderly subjects. The regions most active in this topography consisted of right hippocampus, posterior insula, thalamus, and right and left operculum; we found concomitant deactivation in right lingual gyrus, inferior parietal lobe and association cortex, left posterior cingulate, and right and left calcarine cortex. Young subjects with higher cognitive reserve showed increased expression of the topography across the two task conditions. Because this topography, which is responsive to increased task demands, was differentially expressed as a function of reserve level, it may represent a neural manifestation of innate or acquired reserve. In contrast, older subjects with higher cognitive reserve showed decreased expression of the topography across tasks. This suggests some functional reorganization of the network used by the young subjects. Thus, for the old subjects this topography may represent an altered, compensatory network that is used to maintain function in the face of age-related physiological changes.

Laparoscopy has emerged as an important staging procedure for determining resectability of pancreatic cancer. However, a small fraction of patients with pancreatic cancer benefit from its use and therefore the routine application of laparoscopy remains controversial. We hypothesized that serum CA 19-9 levels may identify patients who will or will not benefit by laparoscopy. We retrospectively reviewed our database of 63 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent staging laparoscopy and correlated findings with CA 19-9 levels. Overall, laparoscopy identified metastatic disease in 12 patients (19%). None of those required any further operation. The resectability rate (patients who underwent resection after laparoscopy) was 73.5%. There was one false-negative laparoscopy (1.6%). Patients with higher CA 19-9 levels had significant higher odds of having metastasis identified by laparoscopy (odds ratio, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-3.24; P = .04). There was no patient with CA 19-9 levels below 100 U/ml in whom metastatic disease was identified during laparoscopy: 18 patients (28.6%) with CA 19-9 levels below this cutoff point had negative laparoscopy and could have avoided the procedure had this cutoff been used for screening. This would have increased the laparoscopy yield to 26.7%. In patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, low CA 19-9 levels predict low probability of metastatic disease; in those patients, laparoscopy can be spared. On the contrary, patients with elevated CA 19-9 have an increased probability of metastatic disease, and these patients may benefit from diagnostic laparoscopy.

Carboplatin-related hypersensitivity reactions, frequently encountered in the heavily pretreated subpopulation of patients with gynecologic malignancies, can be severe and even potentially lethal - precluding these patients from an effective salvage treatment. We describe our experience in the management of such reactions and the application of a pretreatment protocol with corticosteroids, antihistamines and a slow infusion rate in order to safely re-administer carboplatin to the above patients. From 1998 to 2004, twenty patients developed an allergic reaction to carboplatin. Sixteen of them (80%) suffered from ovarian cancer. Upon resolution of the acute reaction, thirteen patients were pretreated according to our protocol and were re-exposed to carboplatin. Fifteen patients experienced the reaction during second-line carboplatin-based treatment and 5 patients after 3 or more regimens. Fifteen of the reactions (75%) were severe. Thirteen patients were re-treated with carboplatin after the application of our protocol, all of them successfully, even though 10 patients (77%) experienced minor symptoms during subsequent courses. On the contrary, only one of the 6 patients who were re-treated without the application of the protocol was able to receive further platinum-based treatment. In conclusion, pretreatment with corticosteroids, antihistamines and a slower infusion rate may make re-treatment possible in patients having experienced hypersensitivity to carboplatin. © E.S.I.F.T. srl - Firenze.

We present a case of systemic sarcoidosis with ovarian and peritoneal involvement. The atypical clinical presentation of the disease has lead to a problem of the differential diagnosis with ovarian cancer. A 72-year-old female was admitted because of low grade fever, fatigue and dilatation of the abdomen. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of the patient revealed moderate right pleural effusion, ascites, diffuse ovarian infiltration, presence of enlarged intraabdominal lymph nodes and a substantially high value of serum CA 125. Histological examination after laparotomy was indicative of ovarian sarcoidosis.

New BVRI light curves of the eclipsing binary system V1363 Ori, based on CCD observations made at the University of Athens Observatory, are analyzed using the Wilson-Devinney light curve synthesis code and new geometric and photometric elements are derived. These elements are used together with the available spectroscopic data to compute the absolute elements of the system. The evolutionary status of the system is also discussed.

New ground-based BV RI CCD observations of the eclipsing binary systems NN Vir and YY CrB are analyzed and illustrated. New times of minima are given and new ephemerides are proposed. The light curves are analyzed with the Wilson-Devinney light curve synthesis code and new geometric and photometric elements are derived. These elements are used together with the available spectroscopic data to compute absolute elements. The evolutionary status of each system is studied by means of mass-radius diagrams. The systems NN Vir and YY CrB are found to be A-type and W-type W UMa systems, respectively.

In this work, the characteristics of the long-term precipitation time series in Athens area (1891-2000). Statistical analysis shows that higher values of annual precipitation observed in the 1930s, while the lowest values were observed in the 1890s and 1980s. There is no significant trend in the annual precipitation time series. Moreover, the annual number of days with high precipitation (ANDHP) remains constant, during the investigated period. Spectral analysis by the Blackman-Tukey method that applied to the time series of ANDHP, showed in most cases peaks at frequencies corresponding to the following time periods: about 2.6 and 4.0 years. Β© by PSP.

Despite the knowledge that women are more susceptible than men to stress-related mental illness, such as major depression, there is no comprehensive estimation of the role of gender in the detrimental effects of chronic stress that might cause depression. Sex differences regarding the association of behavioral parameters with serotonergic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activities were investigated in the chronic mild stress model of depression. Additionally, the impact of chronic mild stress exposure on an additional/novel short-term stressful procedure, such as the forced swim test was examined in male and female rats. Female rats were found to be more vulnerable to chronic mild stress and that was depicted with disruption of sucrose intake, decreases in open field activity, increased corticosterone levels, alteration in estrous cycle and decreased serotonergic activity in hippocampus and hypothalamus. On the contrary, in males the current chronic mild stress protocol elicited only behavioral changes, such as disruption in sucrose intake and decreased open field activity. Interestingly, in response to forced swim test, females previously subjected to chronic mild stress, were found to cope better by exhibiting increased active behavior in the second forced swim test session and higher hypothalamic serotonergic activity in comparison with corresponding males. On the other hand, males were more affected by previous chronic mild stress exposure and that was manifested by decreased active behavior in the first forced swim test session and increased corticosterone levels following second forced swim test session. These data indicate that although females are more vulnerable in the application of chronic mild stress than males, in response to an additional-novel stressor (forced swim test) they show better response. Therefore, both sex/gender and combination of stressful procedures should be carefully considered in the study of the pathophysiology of stress-related mental illnesses.

Despite the knowledge that women are more susceptible than men to stress-related mental illness, such as major depression, there is no comprehensive estimation of the role of gender in the detrimental effects of chronic stress that might cause depression. Sex differences regarding the association of behavioral parameters with serotonergic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activities were investigated in the chronic mild stress model of depression. Additionally, the impact of chronic mild stress exposure on an additional/novel short-term stressful procedure, such as the forced swim test was examined in male and female rats. Female rats were found to be more vulnerable to chronic mild stress and that was depicted with disruption of sucrose intake, decreases in open field activity, increased corticosterone levels, alteration in estrous cycle and decreased serotonergic activity in hippocampus and hypothalamus. On the contrary, in males the current chronic mild stress protocol elicited only behavioral changes, such as disruption in sucrose intake and decreased open field activity. Interestingly, in response to forced swim test, females previously subjected to chronic mild stress, were found to cope better by exhibiting increased active behavior in the second forced swim test session and higher hypothalamic serotonergic activity in comparison with corresponding males. On the other hand, males were more affected by previous chronic mild stress exposure and that was manifested by decreased active behavior in the first forced swim test session and increased corticosterone levels following second forced swim test session. These data indicate that although females are more vulnerable in the application of chronic mild stress than males, in response to an additional-novel stressor (forced swim test) they show better response. Therefore, both sex/gender and combination of stressful procedures should be carefully considered in the study of the pathophysiology of stress-related mental illnesses.

BACKGROUND: Peptide YY (PYY) and ghrelin are gastrointestinal tract-derived hormones that play roles in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Negative energy balance often occurs in hospitalized preterm infants. METHODS: To measure serum concentrations of PYY in preterm and full-term infants and to investigate their correlations with anthropometric characteristics, food intake, and serum ghrelin concentrations, we measured serum PYY and ghrelin concentrations by RIA in 62 healthy preterm infants [mean (SD) gestational age, 32.0 (2.1) weeks; postnatal age, 40.9 (14.8) days] and 15 healthy full-term infants of comparable postnatal age. All of the infants were formula-fed every 3 h. RESULTS: PYY concentrations were significantly higher in preterm [1126.2 (215.4) ng/L] than in full-term infants [825.3 (234.4) ng/L; P < 0.001]. In the entire study population, serum PYY concentrations correlated negatively with gestational age and anthropometric measurements (birth weight, body weight, body length, body mass index, and head circumference) and positively with serum ghrelin concentrations, whereas there was no significant correlation between PYY concentration and caloric intake or weight gain. Multiple regression analysis, after correction for prematurity, revealed that serum PYY concentrations correlated independently with serum ghrelin concentrations and infant body weight or body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating concentrations of PYY may increase in preterm infants to compensate for the negative body-weight balance. The physiologic mechanisms behind the correlation between PYY and ghrelin remain to be elucidated.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical prognostic factors of patients with ovarian carcinosarcoma treated with radical surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. During a 6-year period, nine patients with ovarian carcinosarcoma were referred to our institution. Tissue blocks were reviewed and sections containing both carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements were stained for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), vimentin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD45RO, c-erbB-2, p53, CD34, Ki67, S100, estrogen, and progesterone receptors. Histological and immunohistochemical findings as well as clinical characteristics were then correlated with progression-free interval and overall survival. There were four homologous and five heterologous carcinosarcomas. Five patients had early stage disease. Seven of the patients were optimally debulked. All patients were treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy following surgery. With regard to immunohistochemistry, all specimens were negative for CD34, c-erbB-2, estrogen, and progesterone receptor expression. Five tumors overexpressed p53 and four specimens demonstrated a positive staining for Ki67. Reactivity for VEGF and CD45RO was observed in four and two tumor specimens, respectively. The median overall survival was 32.9 months with no statistical difference between early and advanced stages, while median time to progression was 13.5 months. p53 overexpression demonstrated a trend for better overall survival. Only p53 overexpression seems to influence overall survival although, due to the small number of patients studied, no safe conclusions can be drawn. Despite the predominance of early stage patients that favorably influenced overall survival, aggressive surgical cytoreduction followed by anthracycline-based treatment were the cornerstone in our multimodality approach. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This paper is a study of the way in which native speakers of Modern Greek use deictic categories. Specifically, it provides a theoretical account of the cognitive procedures that motivate the choice of one deictic over its counter-part in a deictic contrast and the pragmatic effects that this particular choice seems to have in terms of the speech situation.

To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of gemcitabine and vinorelbine in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL), 22 patients with relapsed or refractory DLBL were treated with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 and vinorelbine 30 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 wk for a maximum of six cycles. Fourteen patients were considered chemosensitive while eight patients were considered chemoresistant to the last treatment regimen. All 22 patients were assessed for response to treatment. Three patients (14%) achieved complete remission and eight patients (36%) had partial remission of their disease, with an overall response rate of 50%. With a median follow up of 44 months, the median time to progression (TTP) for all patients was 8.1 months while the median overall survival (OS) was 12.9 months. Toxicity was minimal and all patients were treated on an outpatient basis. The combination of gemcitabine and vinorelbine is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for patients with relapsed of refractory DLBL. © Blackwell Munksgaard 2005.

Docetaxel is an effective agent for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). Its combination with estramustine phosphate (EMP) has shown promising results in AIPC but the toxicity remains considerable. In an effort to minimize toxicity, we designed an every-2-week docetaxel administration regimen with a 3-day low-dose EMP regimen. Patients with bone metastases also received zoledronic acid. A total of 54 patients with AIPC received docetaxel at 45 mg/m2 and EMP (140 mg orally every 8 hours for nine doses) every 2 weeks. Zoledronic acid was administered at 4 mg every 28 days. Of the 49 assessable patients, 22 (45%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 31% to 60%) had a prostate-specific antigen response. Of 24 patients with measurable disease, 9 (38%, 95% CI 19% to 59%) had a response to therapy (one complete response and eight partial responses). The median time to progression was 4.4 months (95% CI 2.7 to 6), and overall survival was 13.3 months (95% CI 9 to 17.6). Toxicity was mild, with only 5 cases of grade 3 or 4 toxicity. The pain score improved by 1 point in 21 (54%) of 39 symptomatic patients, and 14 (40%) of 38 patients who used analgesics discontinued analgesic consumption by the end of treatment. The combination of an every-2-week regimen of docetaxel, EMP, and zoledronic acid is an effective, well-tolerated regimen that results in symptomatic improvement in a significant proportion of patients with AIPC. © 2005 Elsevier Inc.

Objectives. To evaluate the safety profile and therapeutic value of the combination of estramustine, mitoxantrone, and vinorelbine in the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Methods. Fifty-two patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer were included in the study. Median age was 70 years (range, 49 to 100 years), World Health Organization performance status ranged from 0 to 2. The treatment schedule consisted of estramustine capsules (140 mg 3 times daily on days 1 to 3 and days 8 to 10 per os), intravenous mitoxantrone (12 mg/m2 on day 2), and intravenous vinorelbine (25 mg/m2 on day 2 and day 9), given in a 3-week cycle. Results. Thirty-one percent of patients with measurable soft-tissue disease demonstrated an objective response, which included six complete and ten partial responses in all involved organs (bone responses not included). Twenty-nine patients (56%) had a greater than 50% reduction in serum prostate-specific antigen level. The median duration of response was 6.9 months, and the median survival for all patients was 14.5 months. Conclusions. The combination of estramustine, vinorelbine, and mitoxantrone is safe, well tolerated, and relatively active in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. © 2005 Elsevier Inc.

Objectives. To evaluate the safety profile and therapeutic value of the combination of estramustine, mitoxantrone, and vinorelbine in the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Methods. Fifty-two patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer were included in the study. Median age was 70 years (range, 49 to 100 years), World Health Organization performance status ranged from 0 to 2. The treatment schedule consisted of estramustine capsules (140 mg 3 times daily on days 1 to 3 and days 8 to 10 per os), intravenous mitoxantrone (12 mg/m2 on day 2), and intravenous vinorelbine (25 mg/m2 on day 2 and day 9), given in a 3-week cycle. Results. Thirty-one percent of patients with measurable soft-tissue disease demonstrated an objective response, which included six complete and ten partial responses in all involved organs (bone responses not included). Twenty-nine patients (56%) had a greater than 50% reduction in serum prostate-specific antigen level. The median duration of response was 6.9 months, and the median survival for all patients was 14.5 months. Conclusions. The combination of estramustine, vinorelbine, and mitoxantrone is safe, well tolerated, and relatively active in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. © 2005 Elsevier Inc.

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the effect of intermediate doses of thalidomide with dexamethasone (Thal/Dex) on disease course and bone disease in patients with refractory/relapsed myeloma who were under zoledronic acid therapy. We studied 35 patients, who received thalidomide at a dose of 200mg/daily. We measured, pre-, 3 and 6 months post-treatment soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN), markers of bone resorption and formation. Before treatment, patients had increased levels of sRANKL/OPG ratio, bone resorption markers and OPN, while they had suppressed bone formation. The pretreatment sRANKL/OPG ratio correlated with the extent of bone disease. Thal/Dex administration resulted in a significant reduction of sRANKL/OPG ratio, and bone resorption. Bone formation, OPG and OPN did not show any alteration. Changes of sRANKL/OPG ratio correlated with changes of bone resorption markers. Thal/Dex was given for a median time of 10 months and the median follow-up period was 22 months. The response rate was 65.7%. The median survival was 19.5 months. β2-microglobulin, type of response and International Staging System predicted for survival. These results suggest that the combination of intermediate dose of Thal/Dex is effective in patients with refractory/relapsed myeloma and improves abnormal bone remodeling through the reduction of sRANKL/OPG ratio. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This study determined the role of the combined use of 99mTc- sestamibi and 99mTc-pentavalent dimercaptosuccinic acid (V-DMSA) scintigraphy in evaluating the effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma. Methods: In 20 patients with multiple myeloma who had received or were receiving chemotherapy, 99mTc-sestamibi and 99mTc-V-DMSA scanning was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Results: In group A (11 patients with active disease), 42 99mTc-sestamibi-positive lesions were found. Thirty-seven of those lesions were also positive for 99mTc-V-DMSA uptake, as were 16 additional lesions (nonactive) (NAL). Thus, in group A, the total number of positive lesions (TPL) detected was 58 and the NAL/TPL ratio was 16:58. In group B (9 patients in remission), 5 99mTc-sestamibi-positive lesions were found. A further 22 lesions were also positive for 99mTc-V-DMSA uptake. Thus, in group B, the NAL/TPL ratio was 22:27. Therefore, the NAL/TPL ratios considered to represent effectively treated lesions were 27.6% and 81.5% for groups A and B, respectively. Conclusion: Combined use of the 2 agents allows the effectiveness of chemotherapy to be evaluated through a comparison of NAL and TPL multiple myeloma lesions even in the absence of a baseline study.

Tail autotomy, the self-induced tail separation from the body, is a common and effective antipredator mechanism in lizards. In this study, we examine the muscle energetics of tail shedding in six lacertid lizard species (Podarcis erhardii, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, Podarcis muralis, Podarcis gaigeae, Podarcis milensis, and Lacerta graeca) from the northeast Mediterranean region. Very long periods of postautotomy tail movement were demonstrated for all species (rangep6–8 min), and differences among species were not statistically significant. Postautotomy tail movement, powered by anaerobic muscle activity, resulted in a strong increase in lactate concentrations and a concomitant depletion of muscle glycogen of exhausted tails relative to resting tails. No significant differences were found in either lactate or glycogen concentrations among the species examined. Duration of movement was negatively correlated with final lactate concentrations. The lack of differentiation in postautotomy energetic physiology in this group of species that have evolved nder very different predation environments indicates that postautotomy muscle metabolism involves an overall conservative suite of characters.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this investigation was to study the shapes of the condyle and the glenoid fossa in patients with Class II Division 1, Class II Division 2, and Class III malocclusions. METHODS: Axially corrected tomograms of 189 patients were used (109 Class II Division 1, 47 Class II Division 2, and 33 Class III). Five points on the condyle and 7 on the outline of the fossa were digitized. Size was assessed by the centroid size of each structure, and measurements of shape were made by principal component analysis of the Procrustes residuals. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Inspection of the principal components of shape showed that shape variability of the condyle was mainly related to inclination of the condylar head; shape variability of the fossa was related to inclination of the eminence and fossa height. Centroid size was correlated to age in the Class III group only. Condylar and fossa shapes were found to be different between the groups; the Class III group had a more elongated and anteriorly inclined condylar head and a wider and shallower fossa. In the Class III group, the condyle was closer to the roof of the fossa. The 2 Class II divisions differed only in the position of the condyle in the fossa, which was situated more anteriorly in the Class II Division 1 group.

{The 3-D structure of the lithosphere beneath the Aegean Sea is investigated through surface wave dispersion analysis. Rayleigh and Love waves recorded by 12 broad-band stations installed for a duration of 6 months in the Aegean region are processed through array analysis and Wiener filtering. Data from three GEOFON stations in the area of Crete were also used. The resulting two-station phase velocities are used to determine lateral variations of Rayleigh wave phase velocities between periods of 20 and 100 s by a 2-D ray tomography method. The obtained phase velocities are inverted to calculate variation of S-wave velocity with depth using a combination of linearized inversion and a Monte Carlo based non-linear inversion.The absolute S-wave velocity is resolved to a depth of approximately 200 km. A high-velocity anomaly of 3 per cent is observed in the southern Aegean attributed to the Hellenic subduction. In the northern part of the Aegean, in the prolongation of the North Anatolian Fault which is influenced by strong extensional movements, we found low absolute S-wave velocities at 50–100 km depth. This supports a model of a distributed deformation of the upper mantle in the area. Separate Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity inversions along common profiles reveal a strong Love–Rayleigh discrepancy in the northern Aegean down to at least 150 km depth, i.e. most probably including the top of the asthenosphere.}

The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness and validity of contrast enhanced-spiral computerized tomography in assessing blunt abdominal trauma. 257 patients were admitted in a general hospital over a period of five years and were examined with computed tomography. Two-dimension reconstruction and delayed imaging were used when appropriate. 169 patients underwent a laparotomy, while 88 were treated conservatively. Scans were true positive for intraabdominal damage in 212 patients depicting chiefly splenic, liver, renal, urinary bladder, and mesenteric/intestinal injuries (41%, 18%, 6.6%, 6.6%, and 13.7% respectively). True negative examinations amounted up to 35. 10 non-specific examinations displayed the existence of hemoperitoneum but not the actual damage itself, therefore they were considered false negative. No false positive examination existed. Overall sensitivity was 95%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value 78%. In conclusion spiral computed tomography is a valuable examination in blunt abdominal trauma as it facilitates diagnosis of intraabdominal damage, assists in defining treatment and occasionally allows foretelling the outcome.

We discuss the correlation between the evolution of the TeV emission and X-ray radiation observed in high-energy peaked BL Lac objects. We describe such a correlation by a simple power law F_TeV(t) propto F^x_X-ray(t). In the first part of this work we present correlations obtained for the activity of Mrk 501 observed in 1997 April and for the activity of Mrk 421 observed in 2000 February. Our results obtained for Mrk 501 show that the index of the correlation (x) may strongly depend on the width and position of the spectral bands used for the comparison. The result of the correlation which we have obtained for Mrk 421 is not informative. However, we discuss results of similar correlation obtained for this source by other authors. They report an almost quadratic (x ∼ 2) correlations observed between the evolution of the TeV and X-ray emission. In the second part of this paper we present a phenomenological model which describes the evolution of the synchrotron and inverse Compton emission of a simple spherical homogeneous source. Neglecting the radiative cooling of the particles we derive analytical expressions that describe the evolution. Then we use a numerical code to investigate the impact of radiative cooling on the evolution. We show that different forms of correlations can be obtained depending on the assumed evolution scenario and the spectral bands used for the calculation. However, the quadratic correlation observed during the decay phase of the flare observed in Mrk 421 on 2001 March 19 appears problematic for this basic modeling. The quadratic correlation can be explained only for specific choices of the spectral bands used for the calculation. Therefore, looking for more robust solutions, we investigate the evolution of the emission generated by a cylindrical source. However this model does not provide robust solutions for the problem of a quadratic correlation. In principle the problem could be solved by the TeV emission generated by the self Compton scattering in the Thomson limit. However, we show that such a process requires unacceptably large values of the Doppler factor. Finally we briefly discuss the possible influence of the light travel time effect on our results.

We show that the integrability obstruction of a transitive Lie algebroid coincides with the lifting obstruction of a crossed module of groupoids associated naturally with the given algebroid. Then we extend this result to general extensions of integrable transitive Lie algebroids by Lie algebra bundles. Such a lifting obstruction is directly related with the classification of extensions of transitive Lie groupoids. We also give a classification of such extensions which differentiates to the classification of transitive Lie algebroids discussed in \cite{KCHM:new}.

We studied the crystal and magnetic structure of the La1-xCaxMnO3 compound for (0.11 <= x <= 0.175) using stoichiometric samples. For x < 0.13 the system's ground state is insulating canted antiferromagnetic. For 0.13 <= x <= 0.175 below the Jahn-Teller transition temperature (T-JT) the crystal structure undergoes a monoclinic distortion. The crystal structure can be described with P2(1)/c space group which permits two Mn sites. The unit-cell strain parameter s=2(a-c)/(a+c) increases for T < T-JT, taking the maximum value at the Curie point, and then decreases. Below T-M'M''approximate to 60 K s abruptly changes slope and finally approaches T=0 K with nearly zero slope. The change of s at T-M'M'' is connected to a characteristic feature in the magnetic measurements. As x increases towards the ferromagnetic metallic boundary, although s is reduced appreciably, the monoclinic structure is preserved. The monoclinic structure is discussed with relation to the orbital ordering, which can produce the ferromagnetic insulating ground state. We also studied samples that were prepared in air atmosphere. This category of samples shows ferromagnetic insulating behavior without following the particular variation of the s parameter. The crystal structure of these samples is related to the so-called O-* (c > a > b/root 2) structure.

In most cases multiple myeloma is an incurable plasma cell malignancy. Despite the use of conventional therapy or high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), patients continue to relapse at a constant rate. A small minority of patients are cured by allogeneic transplantation. Novel drugs targeting not only the myeloma cell but also its interactions with the malignant microenvironment have recently been used in patients with relapsed/refractory disease. So far, ASCT has been the treatment of choice for eligible myeloma patients. However, many questions regarding the management of myeloma patients remain unanswered. How safe is ASCT in elderly patients? Is there a role for non-myeloablative allogeneic transplantation in multiple myeloma? What is the role of novel agents, such as thalidomide, its analogues and bortezomib, in the treatment of newly diagnosed patients or as maintenance post-ASCT? This review summarises all available data for the current treatment options for myeloma providing a useful algorithm for its management. © 2005 Ashley Publications Ltd.

BACKGROUND: Delusions and hallucinations are common in Alzheimer disease (AD) and there are conflicting reports regarding their ability to predict cognitive decline, functional decline, and institutionalization. According to all previous literature, they are not associated with mortality. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the presence of delusions or hallucinations has predictive value for important outcomes in AD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 456 patients with AD at early stages (mean Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score of 21 of 30 at entry) were recruited and followed up semiannually for up to 14 years (mean, 4.5 years) in 5 university-based AD centers in the United States and Europe. Using the Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in AD (administered every 6 months, for a total of 3266 visit-assessments, average of 7.2 per patient), the presence of delusions and hallucinations was extracted and examined as time-dependent predictors in Cox models. The models controlled for cohort effect, recruitment center, informant status, sex, age, education, a comorbidity index, baseline cognitive and baseline functional performance, behavioral symptoms, and use of neuroleptics and cholinesterase inhibitors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitive (Columbia MMSE score of < or =20/57 [approximate Folstein MMSE score of < or =10/30]), functional (Blessed Dementia Rating Scale [parts I and II] score of > or =10), institutionalization equivalent index, and death. RESULTS: During the full course of follow-up, 38% of patients reached the cognitive, 41% the functional, 54% the institutionalization, and 49% the mortality end point. Delusions were noted for 34% of patients at baseline and 70% at any evaluation. Their presence was associated with increased risk for cognitive (risk ratio [RR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.08) and functional decline (RR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.02-1.94). Hallucinations were present in 7% of patients at initial visit and in 33% at any visit. Their presence was associated with increased risk for cognitive decline (RR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.06-2.47), functional decline (RR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.54-2.27), institutionalization (RR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.13-2.28), and death (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.03-2.14). CONCLUSIONS: Delusions and hallucinations are very common in AD and predict cognitive and functional decline. Presence of hallucinations is also associated with institutionalization and mortality.

In this paper we demonstrate the dependence of MgB2 as for its superconducting properties with respect to different thermal profiles used at the manufacturing stage of the compound. A colligation is made between the change of the superconducting capabilities and the structure of the final material. The samples were characterized, as far as the structure is concerned, with an X-ray diffractometer, a scanning electron microscope, and a differential thermal analyzer. As for the superconductivity aspect of the compound, the dependence of the magnetic ac susceptibility and resistivity with respect to temperature was determined. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the natural course of depressive symptoms in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), specifically, the temporal relationship between depressive symptoms, function, and cognitive status. DESIGN: Multicenter cohort study with follow-up of up to 14 years. SETTING: Patients from the two Multicenter Study of Predictors of Disease Course in Alzheimer's Disease (Predictors Study) cohorts were recruited at five sites in the United States and Europe. PARTICIPANTS: Patients diagnosed with probable AD (n=536) enrolled in a longitudinal study (Predictors Study). MEASUREMENTS: Depressive symptoms were evaluated at 6-month intervals using the Columbia Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer's Disease. The Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) and Blessed Dementia Rating Scale (BDRS) were used to assess cognitive status and functional activity, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was stable over the first 3 years of follow-up, at approximately 40%. There was a significant drop to 28% and 24% in the fourth and fifth years of follow-up, respectively. Time-dependent Cox analysis revealed that functional activity (BDRS) but not cognitive status (3MS) was a significant predictor of the first episode of depressive symptoms during follow-up. Generalized estimating equation analyses showed that AD duration and functional activity but not cognitive status were significantly related to depressive symptoms over the entire follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are common in AD, but their prevalence decreases over time. Examination of the temporal relationship between depressive symptoms and risk factors suggests that decline in function but not in cognition precedes the first episode of depressive symptoms in patients with probable AD.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a real-time quantitative RT-PCR method for BRCA1 mRNA and then use it for the study of BRCA1 gene expression in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells after their exposure to antineoplastic agents and gamma irradiation. DESIGN AND METHODS: The developed QRT-PCR method is based on the real-time monitoring of a fluorescein-labeled TaqMan probe, specific for BRCA1 mRNA, during PCR in the LightCycler. A BRCA1 PCR amplicon was purified, quantitated and used as a standard of known concentration for the development and analytical evaluation of the assay. The method was applied to study the alteration of BRCA1 gene expression after exposure to taxol, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, etoposide or gamma irradiation in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells. RESULTS: The developed method is quantitative, highly specific for mRNA and highly sensitive (detection limit of 4 BRCA1 copies per mug of total RNA). We observed a reduction of BRCA1 expression for all antineoplastic agents used, while the gamma irradiated MCF-7 cells had an increase of expression with a peak at the 10 Gy dose. CONCLUSIONS: The developed BRCA1 QRT-PCR method is quantitative, highly sensitive and specific. The proposed method is rapid, automated, and cost effective and can be used to study BRCA1 expression in a variety of clinical samples

Purpose: To review the diagnostic criteria, prognostic factors, response criteria, and treatment options of patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). Methods: A review of published reports was facilitated by the use of a MEDLINE computer search and by manual search of the Index Medicus. Results: WM should be regarded as a distinct clinicopathologic entity and confined to those patients with lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma who have demonstrable serum immunoglobulin M monoclonal protein. Treatment decisions should rely on specific clinical and laboratory criteria. Initiation of therapy should not be based on serum monoclonal protein levels per se. The three main choices for systemic primary treatment of symptomatic patients with WM include alkylating agents (chlorambucil), nucleoside analogs (fludarabine and cladribine), and the monoclonal antibody rituximab. There are no data from prospective randomized studies to recommend the use of one first-line agent over another, although consideration of a patient's candidacy for autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) should be taken into account to avoid stem cell-damaging agents. There are preliminary data to suggest that combinations of nucleoside analogs and alkylating agents with or without rituximab may improve response rates at the expense of higher toxicity. Conclusion: WM is a distinct low-grade lymphoproliferative disorder. When therapy is indicated, alkylating agents, nucleoside analogs, and rituximab are reasonable choices. Several factors, including the presence of cytopenias, need for rapid disease control, candidacy for ASCT, age, and comorbidities, should be taken into consideration when choosing the most appropriate primary treatment. © 2005 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Most statistical methods for censored survival data assume there is no dependence between the lifetime and censoring mechanisms, an assumption which is often doubtful in practice. In this paper we study a parametric model which allows for dependence in terms of a parameter δ and a bias function B(t, θ). We propose a sensitivity analysis on the estimate of the parameter of interest for small values of δ. This parameter measures the dependence between the lifetime and the censoring mechanisms. Its size can be interpreted in terms of a correlation coefficient between the two mechanisms. A medical example suggests that even a small degree of dependence between the failure and censoring processes can have a noticeableeffect on the analysis.

The double-mode pulsation of GSC 00144-03031 has been detected when searching for COROT targets. A very large dataset composed of 4722 photometric measurements was collected at six observatories in Europe and America. There is no hint of the excitation of additional modes (down to 0.6 mmag) and therefore GSC 00144-03031 seems to be a pure double-mode pulsator, with a very short fundamental radial mode (P = 84 min). From uvbyβ photometry and evolutionary tracks it appears to be a Pop. I star with M = 1.75 M⊙, located in the middle of the instability strip, close to the Zero-Age Main Sequence. We also discovered other new double-mode pulsators in the databases of large-scale projects: OGLE BW2_V142, OGLE BW1_V207, ASAS3 094303-1707.3, ASAS3 000116-6037.0, NSVS 3234596 and NSVS 3324715. An observational Petersen diagram is presented and explained by means of new models. A common sequence connecting Pop. I stars from the shortest to the longest periods is proposed and the spreads in the period ratios are ascribed to different metallicities (at the shortest periods) and to different masses (at the longest ones).

Respiratory viruses induce asthma exacerbations and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Atopy is an important risk factor for asthma persistence.|We sought to evaluate whether atopy is a risk factor for prolonged AHR after upper respiratory tract infections (URIs).|Twenty-five children (13 atopic and 12 nonatopic children) with intermittent virus-induced asthma were studied. Clinical evaluation, skin prick tests, methacholine bronchoprovocation, questionnaires, and a nasal wash specimen were obtained at baseline. For 9 months, subjects completed diary cards with respiratory symptoms. During their first reported cold, a nasal wash specimen was obtained. Methacholine provocation was performed 10 days and 5, 7, 9, and 11 weeks later. In case a new cold developed, the provocation schedule was followed from the beginning.|Viruses were detected in 17 (68%) of 25 patients during their first cold, with rhinovirus being most commonly identified (82%). AHR increased significantly 10 days after the URI, equally in both groups (P = .67), and remained so up to the fifth week. Duration of AHR in subjects experiencing a single URI ranged from 5 to 11 weeks, without a significant difference between groups. In the duration of the study, atopic children experienced more colds and asthma exacerbations than nonatopic children. Thus for duration of AHR, significant prolongation was noted in the atopic group when assessed cumulatively.|In asthmatic children the duration of AHR after a single natural cold is 5 to 11 weeks. However, an increased rate of symptomatic cold and asthma episodes in atopic children is associated with considerable cumulative prolongation of AHR, which might help explain the role of atopy as a risk factor for asthma persistence.

We consider the problem of dynamic admission control in a Markovian loss system with two classes. Jobs arrive at the system in batches; each admitted job requires different service rates and brings different revenues depending on its class. We introduce the definition of a 'preferred class' for systems receiving mixed and single-class batches separately, and derive sufficient conditions for each system to have a preferred class. We also establish a monotonicity property of the optimal value functions, which reduces the number of possibly optimal actions. © Applied Probability Trust 2005.

Background: Several lines of laboratory evidence support the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as an adverse prognostic indicator in ovarian cancers. However, different methods of immunohistochemical assessment have yielded conflicting results. Here, we sought to determine the prognostic value of EGFR in ovarian cancer using a novel method of compartmentalized in situ protein analysis. Methods: A tissue array composed of 150 advanced-stage ovarian cancers uniformly treated, with surgical debulking followed by platinum-paclitaxel combination chemotherapy, was constructed. For evaluation of EGFR protein expression, we used an immunofluorescence-based method of automated in situ quantitative measurement of protein analysis (AQUA). Results: Mean follow-up time for the entire cohort was 34.4 months. Eighty-one of 150 cases had sufficient tissue for AQUA analysis. High tumor EGFR expression was associated with poor outcome for overall survival (P = 0.0001) and disease-free survival (P = 0.0005) at 3 years. In multivariable analysis, adjusting for well-characterized prognostic variables, EGFR expression status was the most significant prognostic factor for disease-free and overall survival. Conclusion: The conflicting results in the literature regarding the prognostic value of EGFR may be due to the technical difficulties inherent in assessing EGFR with immunocytochemistry. In the present study, we show that measurement of EGFR protein levels in ovarian cancer using AQUA is feasible and can give important prognostic information. © 2005 American Association for Cancer Research.

In this work we present magnetization data on hybrids consisting of multilayers (MLs) of manganites [La0.33Ca0.67MnO3/La0.60Ca0.40MnO3](15) in contact with a low-T-c Nb superconductor (SC). Although a pure SC should behave diamagnetically in respect to the external magnetic field in our ML-SC hybrids we observed that the magnetization of the SC follows that of the ML. Our intriguing experimental results show that the SC below its T-c(SC) becomes ferromagnetically coupled to the ML. As a result in the regime where diamagnetic behavior of the SC was expected its bulk magnetization switches only whenever the coercive field of the ML is exceeded. By employing specific experiments where the ML was selectively biased or not we demonstrate that the ML inflicts its magnetic properties on the whole hybrid. Possible explanations are discussed in connection to recent theoretical proposals and experimental findings that were obtained in relative hybrids.

Objective. We investigated the dose-related effect of dopexamine and dopamine on free radical production and lipid peroxidation estimated by MDA measurements in an ischaemia-reperfusion model of supraceliac aortic repair. Design. Prospective, randomized, blinded experimental study. Materials. Twenty-five healthy pigs. Methods. All experiments were performed under general endotracheal anaesthesia. Supraceliac aortic cross clamping was performed in all pigs. The pigs were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 5 in each group) and received a continuous intravenous infusion of normal saline (CTL), dopamine 2 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopa 2), dopamine 8 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopa 8), dopexamine 2 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopex 2), dopexamine 8 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopex 8). Cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, arterial blood gas analysis and blood sampling for plasma MDA measurements (to reveal lipid peroxidation) were recorded after induction of anaesthesia (baseline), 60 and 120 min after cross-clamping of aorta (ischaemia phase), and 60 and 120 min after restoration of flow (reperfusion phase). Results. Dopexamine and dopamine at 8 μg kg-1 min-1 reduced MDA at 60 and 120 min after reperfusion. Conclusion. Dopexamine seems superior to dopamine in reducing oxygen free radicals and subsequent lipid peroxidation during reperfusion after supraceliac aortic cross clamping in pigs. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective. We investigated the dose-related effect of dopexamine and dopamine on free radical production and lipid peroxidation estimated by MDA measurements in an ischaemia-reperfusion model of supraceliac aortic repair. Design. Prospective, randomized, blinded experimental study. Materials. Twenty-five healthy pigs. Methods. All experiments were performed under general endotracheal anaesthesia. Supraceliac aortic cross clamping was performed in all pigs. The pigs were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 5 in each group) and received a continuous intravenous infusion of normal saline (CTL), dopamine 2 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopa 2), dopamine 8 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopa 8), dopexamine 2 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopex 2), dopexamine 8 μg kg-1 min-1 (dopex 8). Cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, arterial blood gas analysis and blood sampling for plasma MDA measurements (to reveal lipid peroxidation) were recorded after induction of anaesthesia (baseline), 60 and 120 min after cross-clamping of aorta (ischaemia phase), and 60 and 120 min after restoration of flow (reperfusion phase). Results. Dopexamine and dopamine at 8 μg kg-1 min-1 reduced MDA at 60 and 120 min after reperfusion. Conclusion. Dopexamine seems superior to dopamine in reducing oxygen free radicals and subsequent lipid peroxidation during reperfusion after supraceliac aortic cross clamping in pigs. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AIM: To develop an experimental model of islet allotransplantation in diabetic rats and to determine the positive or adverse effects of MMF as a single agent. METHODS: Thirty-six male Wistar rats and 18 male Lewis rats were used as recipients and donors respectively. Diabetes was induced by the use of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Unpurified islets were isolated using the collagenase digestion technique and transplanted into the splenic parenchyma. The recipients were randomly assigned to one of the following three groups: group A (control group) had no immunosuppression; group B received cyclosporine (CsA) (5 mg/kg); group C received mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (20 mg/kg). The animals were killed on the 12th d. Blood and grafted tissues were obtained for laboratory and histological assessment. RESULTS: Median allograft survival was significantly higher in the two therapy groups than that in the controls (10 and 12 d for CsA and MMF respectively vs 0 d for the control group, P<0.01). No difference in allograft survival between the CsA and MMF groups was found. However, MMF had less renal and hepatic toxicity and allowed weight gain. CONCLUSION: Monotherapy with MMF for immunosuppression was safe in an experimental model of islet allotransplantation and was equally effective with cyclosporine, with less toxicity.

The electronic properties of boron-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) have been studied using static magnetization and electron spin resonance. A relatively strong ferromagnetic signal has been identified in the dc magnetization response that shows the occurrence of ferromagnetism, coexisting with the orbital and spin magnetism of the conduction electrons. The small diamagnetic susceptibility and the weak temperature variation of the g factor, which is observed in the narrow conduction-electron spin resonance (CESR), indicate a Fermi level shift of ∼0.2eV, according to the quasi-two-dimensional graphite band model. The temperature dependence of the spin susceptibility reveals considerable enhancement compared to undoped MWNTs and the presence of thermally activated behavior, complying with an increased density of states and the formation of localized impurity states close to the Fermi level. Line-shape analysis of the CESR spectra in terms of two separate spin systems implies enhanced doping inhomogeneity. © 2005 The American Physical Society.

BACKGROUND: Total thyroidectomy is associated with minimal morbidity. The electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing system is an adjunct to the surgical technique, recently made available to thyroid surgery. METHODS: This is a prospective randomized trial of total thyroidectomies performed in single unit from July 2003 to May 2004. Patients were randomly assigned in two groups: group A (n = 90), total thyroidectomy with the classic suture ligation technique; and group B (n = 94), total thyroidectomy with the use of the electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing system. RESULTS: Operative time was significantly reduced in group B by 14 minutes (mean difference, 14.3 +/- 4.2 minutes, 95% CI, 5.88-22.6 minutes). No statistically significant differences were found in postoperative complications, postoperative serum calcium measurements, or hospital stay between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing system is a safe and useful, time-saving adjunct for total thyroidectomy.

Living coccolithophores were collected, in August, 2001, from eight stations in the Gulf of Korthi (Andros Island, middle Aegean Sea, eastern Mediterranean), in order to determine the cell density, species composition and biogeographical (spatial and vertical) distribution in this coastal marine ecosystem. The holococcolithophore assemblages in the sampled stations sometimes reached more than 50% of the total standing crop, tending to be dominant especially at the shallower stations. Two new species of Sphaerocalyptra were identified and are described and figured here: Sphaerocalyptra dermitzakii sp. nov. and Sphaerocalyptra youngii sp. nov.

The ever-increasing mobility in Greece’s geopolitical neighborhood calls for an evaluation and re-design of the existing crisis management mechanism, with a long-term perspective. Due to the fact that the mechanism in question is based on the functioning of the Governmental Council on Foreign and Defence Matters (KYSEA), this evaluation is focused on the Council’s current structure and on its weaknesses.

This study has been carried out in order to evaluate the performance of CALPUFF modelling system in an area of complex topography. For this reason a comparison was performed between numerical results produced by this modelling system and those derived by two Eulerian models (UAM-V and REMSAD), together with experimental measurements. The meteorological input parameters, produced by the meteorological model CALMET are also examined through comparison with observations and to MM5 model results. Emphasis is given to the mixing height calculation, due to its importance in the prediction of pollutant concentrations. It was found that the overall performance of the CALPUFF is satisfactory and the results derived are compatible with these produced by the Eulerian models, especially under unstable atmospheric conditions. The CALPUFF model’s performance is improved significantly when vertical meteorological profiles produced by MM5 are additionally employed. Copyright © 2005 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Assessment of the reliability of NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data has been the subject of much recent climatological research. In this study, an attempt is made to evaluate the reanalysis data for maximum and minimum temperatures over Greece for the period 1958-2000. Considering that available observations for Greek stations are not included as input in the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data, the evaluation was made using gridded observational data derived from long time series for the examined area, using an objective scheme. The reanalysis data were compared with respect to the intra-annual variability for extreme years, the inter-annual variability of the corresponding temperature anomalies, and their ability to represent cold and warm spells. Also, the correlation patterns between the two datasets of daily and monthly values were examined. In general, it was found that there was good agreement between the two datasets, although some regional and seasonal differences existed and these were associated with topographical features not correctly represented by the reanalysis model resolution, such as land-sea distribution and orography. © Springer-Verlag 2004.

Memory loads exceeding the limited capacity of working memory (WM) have been shown to expand the prefrontal areas that participate in WM and have revealed substantial individual differences in performance. We used a delayed-match-to-sample (DMS) task in an event-related fMRI study to map the full extent of the expanded regional activations associated with supracapacity loads. A 6-letter study array was compared to arrays of 1 and 3 letters. The task comprised separate encoding, retention, and retrieval fMRI epochs. A brain-wide spatial covariance analysis was applied to the data of all task epochs to identify patterns of correlated regional activations whose expression increased monotonically across 3 memory-load levels on a subject-by-subject basis. Such load-related activation patterns were in all task phases. Of greatest interest is the activation pattern that was obtained during the maintenance phase: increasing activation with memory load was found not only in the lateral PFC (BA 9,44) but also in the parietal lobe (BA 7,40), anterior cingulate (BA 32), and cerebellum. Decreasing activation was found in the occipito-temporal lobe (BA 19,39) as well as the medial prefrontal cortex (BA 9,10). Subject increases in pattern expression from 1 to 6 items were positively correlated with the corresponding reaction time increases (p<0.05) and negatively correlated with NARTIQ (p<0.05), indicating that people who were faster in their responses and had higher NARTIQ had to increase their subject expression of the memory-load-related activation pattern less and were more efficient at the cognitive task. Our method thus not only reproduced findings of other WM studies but also addressed the issue of interactions between lateral PFC and other parts of the brain during the task, for the retention of the to-be-remembered information. The load-related activation patterns from encoding and retrieval phase and their relationship to behavior are also discussed.

The origin of the pathogenic endothelial cells in common infantile hemangioma is unknown. We show here that the transcriptomes of human placenta and infantile hemangioma are sufficiently similar to suggest a placental origin for this tumor, expanding on recent immunophenotypical studies that have suggested this possibility [North, P. E., et al. (2001) Arch. Dermatol. 137, 559-570]. The transcriptomes of placenta, hemangioma, and eight normal and diseased tissues were compared by hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering analysis of >7,800 genes. We found that the level of transcriptome similarity between placenta and hemangioma exceeded that of any other tissue compared and paralleled that observed between a given tissue and its derived tumor, such as normal and cancerous lung. The degree of similarity was even greater when a subset of endothelial cell-specific genes was analyzed. Genes preferentially expressed in both placenta and hemangiomas were identified, including 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2. These data demonstrate the value of global molecular profiling of tissues as a tool for hypothesis-driven research. Furthermore, it suggests that the unique self-limited growth of infantile hemangioma may, in fact, mirror the lifetime of placental endothelium.

We report on the microstructural evolution in Cu 15%Nb multifilamentary wires upon annealing and the corresponding effects on their magnetic properties. During annealing at temperatures higher than 800 degrees C thermal instability mechanisms take place in the microstructure of the Cu 15 %Nb composite, leading to the spheroidization of niobium filaments. Another important consequence of annealing is the recrystallization of Nb, that has a straightforward influence on the magnetization data. When compared to the as-drawn composite, in the annealed Cu15%Nb samples the bulk upper critical field H-c2(T) is reduced significantly, while the lower critical field H-c1 (T) is increased as a function of the annealing temperature and time. This indicates that we may employ this process as an efficient method to modify the basic superconducting parameters of Nb, namely the coherence length (T) and the penetration depth lambda(T).

Purpose: To quantitate the individual levels of melphalan-induced DNA damage formation and repair in vivo and to search for possible correlations with clinical outcome in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients and Methods: The formation and subsequent repair of DNA damage (monoadducts and interstrand cross-links) in the p53 tumor-suppressor gene, the proto-oncogene N-ras, and the house-keeping gene beta-actin during the first 24 hours after treatment with high-dose melphalan (HDM; 200 mg/m2) supported by autologous blood stem-cell transplantation (ABSCT) was measured in blood leukocytes of 26 patients with MM. The peak DNA adduct levels, the total amount of adducts over time, and the rate of adducts repair in each gene were correlated with response and time to progression after HDM. Results: The levels of gene-specific DNA damage formation and the individual repairing capacity varied up to 16-fold among patients, indicating that the melphalan-induced biologic effect in vivo is highly individualized. A significantly greater DNA damage and a slower rate of repair in p53 for all end points under study were found in patients who achieved tumor reduction compared with nonresponding patients. Furthermore, longer progression-free survival correlated with increased peak monoadduct levels in the p53 gene (P = .032). Conclusion: Increased DNA damage and slower repairing capacity in the p53gene from blood leukocytes after HDM correlate with improved outcome of patients with MM who undergo ABSCT. These results suggest that quantitation of such biologic end points may identify patients who are more likely to benefit from this procedure. © 2005 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

A small percentage of germ cell tumors is known to be familial. There are several reports describing familial cases of testicular germ cell tumors; however, there are only a few of them reporting germ cell tumors that occurred in both males and females of the same family. We present a family with three children, two females and one male, previously healthy, who all developed germ cell malignancies. The first sibling was diagnosed with malignant teratoma of the ovary, the second one with dysgerminoma involving both ovaries, and the male one with both embryonal carcinoma and seminoma of the testicle. Our case report suggests that the possibility of an association between germ cell tumors of both ovaries and testis should be considered. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and ac conductivity have been applied to study a polymer composite containing as filler a binary mixture of magnetite (Fe3 O4) and cementite (Fe3 C) nanoparticles (30-50 nm) dispersed in a diamagnetic carbon matrix, which was synthesized by the carburization of nanocrystalline iron. Ac conductivity measurements showed thermally activated behavior involving a range of activation energies and power law frequency dependence at high frequencies similar to conducting polymer composites randomly filled with metal particles. Ferromagnetic resonance measurements revealed a relatively narrow FMR line at high temperatures indicating the presence of ferromagnetic nanoparticles, where thermal fluctuations and interparticle interactions determine the FMR temperature variation. An abrupt change of the FMR spectra was observed at T<81 K (ΔT≤1 K) coinciding with a sharp anomaly resolved in the temperature derivative of the ac conductivity. This behavior is attributed to the Verwey transition of Fe3 O4 nanoparticles, where the concurrent skin depth variation unveils the FMR of large magnetite conglomerates and thus allows discriminating their contribution from relatively isolated nanoparticles. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Model combinatorial films (CFs) which host a pure superconductor adjacent to a ferromagnetic-superconducting hybrid film (HF) are manufactured for the study of the influence of ferromagnetic nanoparticles (FNs) on the nucleation of superconductivity. Careful resistance measurements were performed simultaneously on two different sites of the CFs. Enhancement of superconductivity and magnetic memory effects were observed only on the hybrid site of the CFs but were absent on their purely superconducting part. Our results give direct proof that the FNs modulate the superconducting order parameter in an efficient and controlled way giving us the possibility of miscellaneous practical applications.

In this paper the language of first-order modal logic is enriched with an operator @ (‘actually’) such that, in any model, the evaluation of a formula @A at a possible world depends on the evaluation of A at the actual world. The models have world-variable domains. All the logics that are discussed extend the classical predicate calculus, with or without identity, and conform to the philosophical principle known as serious actualism. The basic logic relies on the system K, whereas others correspond to various properties that the actual world may have. All the logics are axiomatized.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 800 microg of misoprostol every 12 h, for a period of 36 h for pharmacological abortion. A group of 162 volunteer women with gestations between 50 and 63 days received misoprostol every 12 h up to a maximum of three doses for abortion. Outcome measures assessed included: successful abortion (complete abortion without requiring surgery), side effects, and a decrease in hemoglobin, mean time of vaginal bleeding, mean expulsion time and mean time of returning of menses. Complete abortion occurred in 148 of 162 (91%, 95% confidence interval 87.95) patients. The mean decrease in hemoglobin was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Vaginal bleeding lasted 8.0 +/- 3.2 days, spotting 8.0 +/- 3.5 days, and total bleeding 16 +/- 4.0 days. The mean expulsion time was 8.5 +/- 4.0 h. According to the observed outcomes, 800 microg of misoprostol vaginally could be a valid method to terminate pregnancies up to 9 weeks of gestation.

Computed tomography is entering the orthodontic specialty as a mainstream diagnostic modality. Radiation exposure and cost have decreased significantly, and the diagnostic value is very high compared with traditional radiographic options. However, 3-dimensional data present new challenges and need a different approach from traditional viewing of static images to make the most of the available possibilities. Advances in computer hardware and software now enable interactive display of the data on personal computers, with the ability to selectively view soft or hard tissues from any angle. Transfer functions are used to apply transparency and color. Cephalometric measurements can be taken by digitizing points in 3-dimensional coordinates. Application of 3-dimensional data is expected to increase significantly soon and might eventually replace many conventional orthodontic records that are in use today.

SUMMARY: The epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health issue. We conducted a comprehensive analysis to estimate future HCV-related morbidity and mortality, using a model which is the first to take into account currently available treatments. We reconstructed the incident infections per year in the past that progressed to chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Greece. Then, the natural history of the disease was simulated in subcohorts of newly infected subjects in the presence or absence of treatment using yearly estimates of the number of treated patients obtained from national databases. Annual estimates of the incidence and prevalence of CHC by fibrosis stage, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and mortality were obtained up to 2030. The current proportion of naive CHC patients receiving treatment in Greece is 1.2% per year. Treatment of 1.2-10% of naive CHC patients per year would reduce the cumulative number of incident cirrhosis and HCC cases from 2002 to 2030 by 10.8-39.4% and 12.8-39.8%, respectively and decrease the number of prevalent cirrhosis and HCC cases in 2030 by approximately 17-48% compared with the number estimated under the assumption of no treatment. Approximately 17 cirrhosis cases or six HCC cases or 10 premature deaths would be prevented for every 100 treated patients. However, the prevalent cirrhotic/HCC cases because of HCV and HCV-related deaths would not plateau until 2030. Despite the introduction of effective treatment, HCV-related morbidity and mortality will likely increase during the next 20-30 years in Greece. Intensive primary prevention efforts coupled with increased access to the currently available treatments are necessary to control the chronic consequences of HCV epidemic.

Gardner's syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the presence of colonic polyposis, osteomas and a multitude of soft tissue tumors. The syndrome may present at any age from 2 mo to 70 years with a variety of symptoms, either colonic or extracolonic. We present a case of a 11-year-old female patient with Gardner's syndrome who presented with a lumbar area desmoid tumor and treated with resection of the desmoid, restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis, A review of the current literature has been performed.

Background: A phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of gemcitabine (GEM) and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in patients with platinum- and/or taxane-resistant/refractory advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (AEOC). Patients and Methods: Patients (pts), who had been treated with platinum or paclitaxel and met the criteria of resistant/refractory AEOC, received GEM 650 mg/m2 days 1 and 8 and PLD 25 mg/m2 day 1 every 4 weeks up to a total of 6 cycles, unless disease progression or adverse effects prohibited further therapy. Results: Thirty-seven patients entered the study. There was 1 complete (3%) and 7 partial responses (19%) for an overall response rate of 22%. Two patients had stable disease (5.5%). After a median follow-up of 16.2 months, the median survival was 8.4 months and time to treatment failure 2.7 months. The most frequent severe toxicity was myelosuppression recorded in 13 (35%) patients. Severe stomatitis was recorded in only 2 (5%) cases and severe palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia in 1 patient. One severe allergic reaction (grade 4) to PLD was recorded following the third cycle of treatment. Conclusion: The combination of GEM and PLD in patients with AEOC, who are resistant/refractory to platinum and/or Taxanes, did not show any superiority over monotherapy. However, in view of the acceptable toxicity profile, the above combination may deserve further investigation in a randomised setting.

This paper presents a geopolitical approach to the phenomenon of terrorism, dealing mainly with its geo-economic, geostrategic and geo-cultural aspects. Aiming to establish an analytical basis for comprehending and countering the root causes of terrorism, it builds upon the global instability framework theorem as influenced by the trends of current globalisation processes, such as the issues of energy and energy resources, globalisation and the rapid technological changes, the world’s demographics and global climate changes. The broad stability concept is adopted as a substitute model for the traditional power and control maxim, with special emphasis on the so-called socially acceptable models and rates of development.

In this study, novel approaches for the design of bioequivalence (BE) limits are developed. The new BE limits scale with intrasubject variability but only until a geometric mean ratio (GMR)-dependent plateau value and combine the classic (0.80-1.25) and expanded (0.70-1.43) BE limits into a single criterion. Plots of the extreme GMR values accepted as a function of coefficient of variation (CV) have a convex shape, similar to the classic unscaled 0.80-1.25 limits. The performance of the novel approaches in comparison to the classic unscaled 0.80-1.25 limits as well as the two expanded BE limits, i.e., 0.70-1.43 and 0.75-1.33 was assessed using simulated data. Two-period crossover BE investigations with 12, 24 or 36 subjects were simulated with assumptions of CV 10%, 20%, 30% or 40%. At low CV values, the performance of the novel BE limits is almost identical to the 0.80-1.25 criterion. On the contrary, the expanded BE limits are very permissive even at high GMR values. For high CV% values (30% and 40%), the new BE limits show a much greater probability of declaring BE when GMR = 1 in comparison to the classic 0.80-1.25 limits. In addition, when the drug products differ more than 25%, the new BE limits show much lower percentage of acceptance than the expanded 0.70-1.43 limits. One of the major advantages of the new BE limits is their gradual expansion with variability until a GMR-dependent plateau value. Finally, the continuity and leveling-off properties of the new BE limits make them suitable for the assessment of BE studies, irrespective of the level of variability encountered. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The post Arafat era of the Palestinian issue is characterized by two different possible paths: 1) The path of conflict between opposite groups of PLO, i.e. Hamas (which is more widely accepted by people than Fatah), Hezbollah as well as other “Arafatian” tendencies which will lead the Palestinian case to disaster, and 2) The desired path of finding a “successor” to Arafat, who will be accepted as a negotiator by the other side that is the Israeli and, principally, the American one. In that case, acceptance by the American side is far more important than that by the Israeli government, as it will help address the Palestinian claims more fully. As things have evolved according to what was predicted, Mahmoud Abbas (better known under his PLO name as Abu Mazen) is Arafat’s successor and is considered by the Israelis as a tough but honest negotiator; he is also accepted by the Americans. Certainly, in both cases, it is reasonable that diplomatic references between the two parties will be defined in the Oslo Agreement Ι and ΙΙ and in the “Road Map”, since the aforementioned Agreement has been accepted by i) the American arbitration and the Quartet ii) the Israeli side and iii) the Palestinian side. Moreover, iv) it bears the seal of Arafat, which provides the text with moral and political vindication for the Palestinians and, therefore, with greater flexibility for legitimate national maneuvers to his successor. In both cases, the period within which commonly accepted conclusions may be reached, can be no less than 5 years.

The monthly mean shortwave (SW) radiation budget at the Earth's surface (SRB) was computed on 2.5-degree longitude-latitude resolution for the 17-year period from 1984 to 2000, using a radiative transfer model accounting for the key physical parameters that determine the surface SRB, and long-term climatological data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP-D2). The model input data were supplemented by data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction - National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) and European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Global Reanalysis projects, and other global data bases such as TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) and Global Aerosol Data Set (GADS). The model surface radiative fluxes were validated against surface measurements from 22 stations of the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) covering the years 1992-2000, and from 700 stations of the Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA), covering the period 1984-2000. The model is in good agreement with BSRN and GEBA, with a negative bias of 14 and 6.5 Wm-2, respectively. The model is able to reproduce interesting features of the seasonal and geographical variation of the surface SW fluxes at global scale. Based on the 17-year average model results, the global mean SW downward surface radiation (DSR) is equal to 171.6 Wm-2, whereas the net downward (or absorbed) surface SW radiation is equal to 149.4 Wm-2, values that correspond to 50.2 and 43.7% of the incoming SW radiation at the top of the Earth's atmosphere. These values involve a long-term surface albedo equal to 12.9%. Significant increasing trends in DSR and net DSR fluxes were found, equal to 4.1 and 3.7 Wm-2, respectively, over the 1984-2000 period (equivalent to 2.4 and 2.2 Wm-2 per decade), indicating an increasing surface solar radiative heating. This surface SW radiative heating is primarily attributed to clouds, especially low-level, and secondarily to other parameters such as total precipitable water. The surface solar heating occurs mainly in the period starting from the early 1990s, in contrast to decreasing trend in DSR through the late 1980s. The computed global mean DSR and net DSR flux anomalies were found to range within ±8 and ±6 Wm-2, respectively, with signals from El Niño and La Niña events, and the Pinatubo eruption, whereas significant positive anomalies have occurred in the period 1992-2000.

Generally speaking, the drafting of a Defense Doctrine follows the drafting and adoption, on the part of a government, of a National Security Policy, which includes the statement of the country’s Defense Policy and, consequently, its Defense Doctrine. In order to clarify the theoretical premises of the aims underlying the drafting of the Defense Doctrine, a set of definitions must be presented in detail. It should be stressed that this framework proposal, by its very nature, cannot be considered to imply a detailed presentation of the country’s New Defense Doctrine. It simply aims to outline the essential parameters which, in the eyes of its authors, should be considered by the country’s political leadership so that the final drafting of this Chart will be both complete and effective in view of protecting our national interest in all its aspects.

Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2005). Η Αθλήτρια ως Κοινωνικό Είδωλο στα ΜΜΕ : Ένα Καινούργιο Αρχέτυπο της Αμερικανικής κουλτούρας. Γυναίκα & Άθληση. Τόμος ΙV, τεύχος 1, Δεκ. 2005 11-22. Έκδοση της Πανελλήνιας Ένωσης για την Προώθηση των Γυναικών στον Αθλητισμό και τα Σπόρ (ΠΕΠΓΑΣ), Θεσσαλονίκη. L. 2 in Apella  

• Kamberidou, I. (2005). The idolization of the female athlete in the mass media: an icon of American culture. Women & Sport, (4), 1, Dec. 2005. Publication of the Hellenic Union for the Advancement of Women and Girls in Sport (PEPGAS):  11–22. [article and issue in Greek]  L. 2 in Apella  

Little research has been conducted regarding age-related changes in nonverbal memory. Using positron emission tomography (PET), the authors studied 17 elderly volunteers and 20 young volunteers, during nonverbal recognition task performance, to examine differences in brain blood flow. The subjects were asked to recognize a study list size (SLS) of shapes that was adjusted so that each subject performed at approximately 75% accuracy. Positron emission tomography results showed that, relative to younger individuals, elderly subjects engaged different regions, including the insula, during recognition. Elderly subjects did not show the relationship between parahippocampal flow and SLS, which was observed in younger subjects. These differences suggest that age-related functional brain changes partly explain performance deficits.

Using the state-of-the-art screened Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green function method we study the electronic and magnetic properties of NiMnSb and similar Heusler alloys. We show that all these compounds are half-metals, e.g. the minority-spin band is semiconducting and the Fermi level falls within this gap resulting in 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level. The total spin moment M-t shows the so-called Slater-Pauling behaviour and scales with the total valence charge Z(t) following the rule M-t = Z(t) - 18 for half and M-t = Z(t) - 24 for full Heusler alloys. These rules are connected to the origin of the gap. Finally we show that the inclusion of the spin-orbit interaction in our calculations kills the half-metallic gap but the spin-polarization at the Fermi level can be still very high, similar to 99% for NiMnSb, but much lower for a half-metallic compound like zinc-blende MnBi (77%).

Using theoretical arguments, we show that, in order to exploit half-metallic ferromagnets in tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) junctions, it is crucial to eliminate interface states at the Fermi level within the half-metallic gap; contrary to this, no such problem arises in giant magnetoresistance elements. Moreover, based on an a priori understanding of the electronic structure, we propose an antiferromagnetically coupled TMR element based on half-metallic zinc-blende chalcogenides, in which interface states are eliminated, as a paradigm of materials design from first principles. Our conclusions are supported by ab initio calculations.

UNLABELLED: Interferon (IFN) and especially IFN-alpha exhibit clinical anti-tumor activity against various types of malignant diseases. Natural inhibitors to various cytokines and IFNs have been documented in vitro as well as in vivo. IFN inhibitors have been implicated for the ineffectiveness of IFN treatment in malignant neoplasias. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of the IFN inhibiting activity in serum from patients with haematological malignancies versus patients with solid tumours, as an effort to explain, just in part, the different response of these patients to IFN treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety patients with a clinically evident solid tumour and forty-six patients with haematological malignancies were included in the study. Serum samples from all patients were collected before any treatment and stored at -70 degrees until use. Controls sera were selected from 50 apparently healthy blood donors. Interferon-inhibiting activity as well as endogenous IFN-like activity were determined in all serum samples in a cell line highly sensitive to IFN. RESULTS: There was no endogenous IFN-like activity in any of the patients' group or controls' group. Sera from patients with haematological malignancies exhibited IFN-blocking activity at a lower percentage (21.7%) in comparison to sera from patients with solid tumours (56.6%, P<0.001), but at a significantly higher percentage in comparison to sera from controls (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The fact that IFN inhibitors were detected at a significantly lower percentage in sera from patients with haematological malignancies versus patients with solid tumours, could explain in part the better response of the haematological malignancies to IFN treatment.

AIM: To assess the relative occurrence of non motor-vehicle knee injuries and identify important clusters that can be targeted for preventive interventions. METHODS: The study subjects covered 2167 children (0-14 years) who suffered non motor-vehicle knee injuries out of 66870 registered during a three-year period in an established Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS). A more serious joint injury was identified in 263 (12%) children, whereas the remaining 1904 children had only soft tissue knee injuries. RESULTS: The incidence of non motor-vehicle knee injuries was estimated at 6.5 per 1000 children-years. Both the incidence of knee injuries and the male-to-female ratio increase with increasing age, reflecting the gender and age pattern of physical activity. Three clusters were identified: The first consisted of more serious knee injuries among older children, frequently resulting after a fall from stairs or a collision in school during winter months; the second cluster consisted of rather minor knee injuries occurring mostly among younger girls at home or in playgrounds, following a fall after stumbling or hit by an object while playing, especially during the summer; the third cluster comprised injuries among older boys, sustained mainly subsequent to overexertion in a sports area. CONCLUSION: Knee injuries tend to be more common among boys but more serious among girls. More and less serious knee injuries tend to fall into distinct clusters that could facilitate prioritization of preventive measures.

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma which produces monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM). Over the last decade, new treatment modalites have been developed for the management of this disorder. Our objective is to provide treatment recommendations for WM. A review of published reports was facilitated by a MEDLINE computer search and by a manual search of Index Medicus. Other sources included abstracts and conference proceedings. Most patients with WM who are diagnosed by chance without symptoms should not be treated. Initiation of treatment should not be based on level of serum monoclonal protein per se. The presence of cytopenia, significant adenopathy or organomegaly, symptomatic hyperviscosity, severe neuropathy or cryoglobulinemia indicates the need for treatment. The main choices for primary treatment of symptomatic patients with WM include alkylating agents, the nucleoside analogs fludarabine or cladribine and the monoclonal antibody rituximab or combinations of these programs. There are no data from prospective randomized studies to recommend the use of one program over another. Nevertheless, the need for rapid disease control may favor the use of nucleoside analogs, whereas the presence of significant cytopenia may favor rituximab. High dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation may induce responses even in patients with resistance to all three class of agents. It may be prudent to avoid nucleoside analogs in patients who are candidates for high dose therapy. Despite the lack of randomized trials, a rational approach to the treatment of patients with WM is possible. Several factors, including the presence of cytopenias, need for rapid disease control, candidacy for autologous stem cell transplantation, age and co-morbid conditions, should be taken into consideration when choosing the most appropriate primary treatment.

UNLABELLED: Abnormal glucose tolerance is a frequent late complication of cystic fibrosis (CF), but the prevalence of CF-related diabetes mellitus (CFRD) in children less than 10 y old is less than 2%. The youngest child with CFRD reported to date was 6 mo of age. Insulinopenia is the primary cause of abnormal glucose tolerance/CFRD, but it is unknown whether it may begin in the neonatal period. We describe a case of a neonate with CF who presented with hyperglycaemia in the diabetic range and marked insulinopenia. Insulinopenia and impaired glucose tolerance were permanent findings at 6 and 15 mo of age. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that abnormal glucose tolerance/diabetes may occur much earlier in the course of CF, even during neonatal age. Careful follow-up and further studies in CF infants could reveal that the real incidence of glucose intolerance and diabetes in this age group has been underestimated.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of (variable number tandem repeat) interleukin (IL) 1RN and (-511) IL-1B gene polymorphisms with brain hemorrhagic events after traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: Data from brain CT, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission, and 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were collected for 151 prospectively recruited patients with TBI. IL-1RN and IL-1B genotypes were determined using standard methods. Presence vs absence of any type of brain hemorrhage was the main outcome. Type of brain hemorrhage, GCS at admission, and 6-month GOS and mRS were secondary outcomes. Odd ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% CI were calculated using logistic regression analyses. In adjusted models, the associations were controlled for age, gender, diffuse brain edema, volume of intracranial hematoma, neurosurgical intervention, and GCS at admission. p values less than 0.01 were considered significant. RESULTS: Compared with noncarriers, IL-1RN allele 2 carriers had higher odds of having cerebral hemorrhages after TBI (adjusted OR = 4.57; 95% CI = 1.67 to 12.96; p = 0.004). The associations for (-511) IL-1B polymorphism were not significant. CONCLUSION: There is an association between the presence of interleukin-1RN allele 2 and posttraumatic brain hemorrhage.

Virus infections are the major cause of asthma exacerbations. CD8+ T cells have an important role in antiviral immune responses and animal studies suggest a role for CD8+ T cells in the pathogenesis of virus-induced asthma exacerbations. We have previously shown that the presence of IL-4 during stimulation increases the frequency of IL-5-positive cells and CD30 surface staining in CD8+ T cells from healthy, normal subjects. In this study, we investigated whether excess IL-4 during repeated TCR/CD3 stimulation of CD8+ T cells from atopic asthmatic subjects alters the balance of type 1/type 2 cytokine production in favour of the latter.|Peripheral blood CD8+ T cells from mild atopic asthmatic subjects were stimulated in vitro with anti-CD3 and IL-2 +/- excess IL-4 and the expression of activation and adhesion molecules and type 1 and type 2 cytokine production were assessed.|Surface expression of very late antigen-4 [VLA-4] and LFA-1 was decreased and the production of the type 2 cytokines IL-5 and IL-13 was augmented by the presence of IL-4 during stimulation of CD8+ T cells from mild atopic asthmatics.|These data suggest that during a respiratory virus infection activated CD8+ T cells from asthmatic subjects may produce excess type 2 cytokines and may contribute to asthma exacerbation by augmenting allergic inflammation.

Η ανθολογία αυτή συγκεντρώνει για πρώτη φορά εντυπώσεις Βρετανίδων περιηγητριών από την Ελλάδα, αρχίζοντας από τις επιστολές της λαίδης Μόνταγκιου, της πιο διάσημης περιηγήτριας και θαυμάστριας της Ανατολής του 18ου αιώνα, και τελειώνοντας με τα ημερολόγια της Βιρτζίνια Γουλφ, που επισκέφτηκε δύο φορές τη χώρα μας. Οι περιηγητικές πραγματείες, οι επιστολές και τα ημερολόγια που επιλέγονται αποκαλύπτουν όχι μόνο τον σημαντικό ρόλο που έπαιξε η Ελλάδα στον βρετανικό πολιτισμό αλλά και τη σημασία του φύλου, τόσο στον περιηγητισμό όσο και στην αναπαράσταση ενός "άλλου" πολιτισμού. Τα κείμενα των περιηγητριών αμφισβητούν τα στερεότυπα του ελληνικού ταξιδιού, που διαμορφώθηκαν σύμφωνα με τα πρότυπα των αρχαιοφίλων (και αρχαιοθήρων) του 18ου αιώνα ή μέσα από το ρομαντικό βλέμμα του λόρδου Βύρωνα και των επιγόνων του· συμπίπτουν επίσης χρονικά με την ιστορική περίοδο της αυτογνωσίας, τη διαμόρφωση της εθνικής και πολιτισμικής ταυτότητας του νέου έθνους-κράτους. [...] "Η Αθήνα" γράφει η Βιρτζίνια Γουλφ "σημαίνει πολύ περισσότερα πράγματα από την Ακρόπολη και το συνετότερο σχέδιο είναι να διαχωρίσεις τους ζωντανούς από τους νεκρούς, το παλιό από το νέο, έτσι ώστε η μια εικόνα να μην ενοχλεί την άλλη". Χωρίς να εγκαταλείπουν την αναζήτηση του παρελθόντος, οι περιηγήτριες αυτής της ανθολογίας δείχνουν να αφοσιώνονται στην απεικόνιση ενός "νοθευμένου" μεν αλλά απτού παρόντος, σε μια Ελλάδα που δεν είναι ξεπεσμένη, αλλά ζωντανή.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multicenter hemodialysis (HD) cohort study is to prospectively investigate the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Greece from 1993 to 1995 and delineate early virological and serological events associated with HCV seroconversion in the HD setting. METHODS: Sequential serum samples collected weekly from 562 patients were tested biochemically and serologically by means of a second- (EIA-2) and third-generation enzyme immunoassay (EIA-3). All patients with positive antibody to HCV test results (anti-HCV + ) and sequential samples from seroconverting patients were tested for HCV RNA. RESULTS: Anti-HCV prevalence at study entry was 29% (163 of 562 patients), and viremia was detectable in 110 of 163 anti-HCV + patients (67.5%). HCV incidence was 6.2 cases/100 person-years. Seroconversions could not be attributed to transfusions after study entry (only 1 patient had been administered transfusion), and HD unit was associated with increased hazard for seroconversion ( P = 0.002), even after adjusting for potential differences among their patients. According to Kaplan-Meier estimation, the median interval by which the HCV RNA assay detected HCV infection earlier than anti-HCV testing was 246 and 154 days for EIA-2 and EIA-3, respectively. Detectable HCV RNA and at least 2 consecutive abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels in the preseroconversion period were observed in 29 of 30 (97%) and 14 of 32 patients (44%), respectively. Reductions in HCV RNA levels immediately after seroconversion were transient or did not occur. CONCLUSION: On the grounds of apparent nosocomial transmission, the wide window period of HCV infection in HD patients emphasizes the need for strict adherence to specific infection-control measures in this setting.

AIM: To study the incidence of ulcerative colitis UC in the prefecture of Trikala, Central Greece. METHODS: A prospective and population based epidemiological study of UC from 1990 to the end of 1994 was conducted. Trikala is a semirural prefecture of Central Greece with a population of 138 946 (census 1991). Three gastroenterologists (one hospital based, two private doctors) of the prefecture participated in this study. RESULTS: During the study period, 66 new histologically verified cases of UC were recorded. The mean annual incidence of the disease in 1990-1994 was 11.2 per 10(5) inhabitants (95%CI: 8.7-14.3). There was no difference between men and women (annual incidence: 10.5 and 12.0 per 10(5) inhabitants respectively), either among urban, semirural or rural populations (annual incidence: 11.7, 17.1 and 9.9 per 10(5) inhabitants respectively). The majority (56%) of the patients never smoked and a quarter were ex-smokers. About a half of all cases had proctitis. CONCLUSION: UC is common in Central Greece and its incidence is similar to that in North-Western European countries.

The crystal structures of 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4CPA) included in beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TMbetaCD) have been studied by X-ray diffraction. The 4CPA/beta-CD complex crystallizes as a head-to-head dimer in the space group C2 in the Tetrad packing mode. The packing modes of some beta-CD dimeric complexes, having unique stackings, are also discussed. The 4CPA/TMbetaCD inclusion complex crystallizes in the space group P2(1) and its asymmetric unit contains two crystallographically independent complexes, complex A and complex B, exhibiting different conformations. The host molecule of complex A is significantly distorted, as a glucosidic residue rotated about the O4'-C1 and C4-O4 bonds forms an aperture where the guest molecule is accommodated. The phenyl moiety of the guest molecule of complex B is nearly perpendicular to the mean plane of the O4n atoms. The conformations of the guest molecules of the two complexes are similar. The crystal packing consists of antiparallel columns as in the majority of the TMbetaCD complexes published so far.

We report the growth of ultra-thin indium oxide layers using the dc-magnetron sputtering method. We demonstrate that good quality tunnel barriers made of indium oxide can be routinely fabricated and employed in spintronic-related devices. Simple magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were fabricated in a cross geometry using ex situ thermally evaporated cobalt and permalloy. Our best junctions obey the Rowell criteria for tunneling and exhibit a tunnel magnetoresistance of 15% at 100 K. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The phenotypic differences among Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, mdx mice, and mdx(5cv) mice suggest that despite the common etiology of dystrophin deficiency, secondary mechanisms have a substantial influence on phenotypic severity. The differential response of various skeletal muscles to dystrophin deficiency supports this hypothesis. To explore these differences, gene expression profiles were generated from duplicate RNA targets extracted from six different skeletal muscles (diaphragm, soleus, gastrocnemius, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, and extensor digitorum longus) from wild-type, mdx, and mdx(5cv) mice, resulting in 36 data sets for 18 muscle samples. The data sets were compared in three different ways: (1) among wild-type samples only, (2) among all 36 data sets, and (3) between strains for each muscle type. The molecular profiles of soleus and diaphragm separate significantly from the other four muscle types and from each other. Fiber-type proportions can explain some of these differences. These variations in wild-type gene expression profiles may also reflect biomechanical differences known to exist among skeletal muscles. Further exploration of the genes that most distinguish these muscles may help explain the origins of the biomechanical differences and the reasons why some muscles are more resistant than others to dystrophin deficiency.

Dermatomyositis has been modeled as an autoimmune disease largely mediated by the adaptive immune system, including a local humorally mediated response with B and T helper cell muscle infiltration, antibody and complement-mediated injury of capillaries, and perifascicular atrophy of muscle fibers caused by ischemia. To further understand the pathophysiology of dermatomyositis, we used microarrays, computational methods, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy to study muscle specimens from 67 patients, 54 with inflammatory myopathies, 14 with dermatomyositis. In dermatomyositis, genes induced by interferon-alpha/beta were highly overexpressed, and immunohistochemistry for the interferon-alpha/beta inducible protein MxA showed dense staining of perifascicular, and, sometimes all myofibers in 8/14 patients and on capillaries in 13/14 patients. Of 36 patients with other inflammatory myopathies, 1 patient had faint MxA staining of myofibers and 3 of capillaries. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells, potent CD4+ cellular sources of interferon-alpha, are present in substantial numbers in dermatomyositis and may account for most of the cells previously identified as T helper cells. In addition to an adaptive immune response, an innate immune response characterized by plasmacytoid dendritic cell infiltration and interferon-alpha/beta inducible gene and protein expression may be an important part of the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis, as it appears to be in systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Leakage from the pancreaticojujenostomy is the most serious complication of Whipple. Pancreatic fistula rate is higher in cases of fragile pancreas often seen in duodenal carcinomas and carcinomas of the ampulla of Vater. Octreotide administration has been used for the prevention of fistula formation through the subcutaneous route. Due to its physiologic effects to the pancreatic parenchyma the intra-arterial administration of octreotide could provide tissue hardening that allows for a technically easier anastomosis while maintaining its protective role for fistula formation. METHODS: Octreotide was injected directly into the distal part of the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) in four patients undergoing Whipple for histologically proven periampullary cancer. RESULTS: Tissue hardening after octreotide administration was evident not only in surgeons' hands but in the intra-operative ultrasound as well. The three patients were discharged on day 9, 11, and 13; they had an uneventful postoperative course, while one patient had a minor bile leak from the choledojejunal anastomosis and was discharged on day 22. CONCLUSIONS: The intra-arterial administration of octreotide during Whipple is a safe procedure and provides tissue hardening thus making the performance of the anastomosis technically easier. The actual benefit in terms of morbidity, mortality, and fistula rate are to be further evaluated.

The objective of this study was to investigate the evolution of pollutant concentrations generated by smoking in a controlled indoor environment. For this purpose, a small flat in the centre of Athens, Greece was equipped with NO x, O 3 and SO 2 continuous measuring instruments and portable analysers for spot measurements of TVOCs and CO 2, while two volunteer smokers remained inside and smoked as normal inhabitants. The results indicated that when windows are kept closed and smoking takes place NO x, CO 2 and TVOCs concentrations increase by an order of 3, 4 or 10 times, respectively, and decrease returning to initial levels after 1 or 2 h. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: Irinotecan (IRI) and oxaliplatin (OXA) are effective in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Previously untreated patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were randomly assigned to receive IRI plus leucovorin (LV)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU), or OXA plus LV/5-FU in order to compare the response rates, time-to-tumor progression, overall survival rates, and toxicity profiles of these two agents. Materials and methods: From January 1999 to February 2002, 295 patients were randomized to receive either IRI/LV/5-FU or OXA/LV/5-FU. The treatment schedules consisted of weekly IRI 70 mg/m2 or OXA 45 mg/m2 plus LV 200 mg/m2 followed immediately by intravenous bolus 5-FU 450 mg/m2 for 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest period. Treatment was continued for up to four cycles or until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or patient refusal. Results: There were no significant differences between the study arms in the overall response rate (33% with IRI/LV/5-FU versus 32% with OXA/LV/5-FU based on responses demonstrated on a single evaluation; 23% with IRI/LV/5-FU versus 22.3% with OXA/LV/5-FU based on responses confirmed according to WHO criteria) median time to progression (8.9 versus 7.6 months), and median overall survival (17.6 versus 17.4 months). Toxicity profiles (grades 3 and 4) were similar in the IRI and OXA arms (diarrhea 12.3% and 9.8%, neutropenia 8.2% and 4.9%, and febrile neutropenia 1.4% and 1.4%, respectively), with the exception of grade 3 sensory neuropathy, which almost exclusively occurred in the OXA arm (0% versus 5.6%; P = 0.003, Fisher's exact test). Conclusion: The IRI/LV/5-FU and OXA/LV/5-FU regimens demonstrated equally substantial efficacies and manageable toxicity profiles in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced CRC. However, IRI/LV/5-FU may be the preferable regimen to avoid significant neurotoxicity associated with OXA-LV/5-FU. © 2005 European Society for Medical Oncology.

Purpose of investigation: Late relapses are infrequent in ovarian cancer. We present the characteristics and outcome of patients who relapsed at least five years after first-line chemotherapy. Methods: Six cases were retrieved from 203 patients treated from 1994 to 1998. Results: Time to recurrence ranged from five to nine years. The initial stage was I or II in all cases, while histology was: endometrioid (4 cases), clear cell (1 case) and unspecified adenocarcinoma (1 case). Only two of five assessable patients responded to chemotherapy. Compared to earlier relapses, late relapses were characterized by earlier stages (p < 0.001), non serous histology (p = 0.010) and absence of symptoms (0% vs 46.5%, p = 0.025) at baseline. Five of 16 relapses (31%) among patients with Stage I or II were late relapses. Conclusion: Late relapses of ovarian cancer occur in early stages, where they are relatively frequent, while the chemosensitivity of the disease may be less than expected.

After a brief description of the layer multiple scattering method as applied to phononic crystals, we present some results obtained by this method, relating to: crystals of polystyrene spheres in water; crystals of silica spheres in air; and crystals of steel spheres in polyester. We relate the transmission characteristics of slabs of these ma terials to the complex band structure of the corresponding infinite crystals. We emphasize aspects of the underlying physics which have not been discussed previously.

We present a computer program to calculate the frequency band structure of an infinite phononic crystal, and the transmission, reflection and absorption of elastic waves by a slab of this crystal. The crystal consists of a stack of identical slices parallel to a given surface; the slice may consist of multilayers of non-overlapping spheres of given periodicity parallel to the surface and homogeneous plates. The elastic coefficients of the various components of the crystal may be complex functions of the frequency.

We theoretically investigate the linear near field absorption spectra of semiconductor quantum dots under magnetic field of variable orientation. We examine if the application of the magnetic field alone is sufficient to cause – increasing the spot illuminated by the near field probe – “unexpected” features to the absorption spectra.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been inferred to arise in highly collimated, ultrarelativistic jets that emanate from the vicinity of a solar-mass compact object. Electromagnetic stresses are the most plausible candidate for extracting rotational energy at the source and converting it into outflow kinetic energy. Two questions that need to be answered in order for this process to be well understood are: what determines the terminal Lorentz factor of the flow? What is the asymptotic value of the Poynting-to-matter energy flux ratio? We discuss the general characteristics of the relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) solutions that, together with previously obtained exact results, help to shed light on these questions.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) has been applied to investigate the magnetic heterogeneity in electron doped La1-xCaxMnO3 (0.80≤x≤0.95). A low field ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) mode is observed for lightly doped compounds (x = 0.90,0.95), signifying the formation of ferromagnetic (FM) spin clusters within the antiferromagnetic G-type AFM phase. The anomalous temperature variations of the resonance field, linewidth and FMR intensity, as well as the observation of thermal cycling effects below TC, emphasize the non-trivial dynamics of the FM phase, which is attributed to the temperature dependent size evolution of the underlying spin clusters towards canted AFM and FM domains. For heavier electron doping (x = 0.80,0.85), distinct AFM behaviour is evinced in the vicinity of TN in the monoclinic C-type AFM phase, characterized by the absence of critical relaxation. Additional weak FMR lines are observed for x = 0.80 and 0.85, whereas a narrow superparamagnetic-like signal is detected for x = 0.95. © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd.

It is well known that estradiol derived from neural aromatization of testosterone plays a crucial role in the development of the male brain and the display of sexual behaviors in adulthood. It was recently found that male aromatase knockout mice (ArKO) deficient in estradiol due to a mutation in the aromatase gene have general deficits in coital behavior and are sexually less motivated. We wondered whether these behavioral deficits of ArKO males could be related to changes in activity, exploration, anxiety and "depressive-like" symptomatology. ArKO and wild type (WT) males were subjected to open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), and forced swim tests (FST), after being exposed or not to chronic mild stress (CMS). CMS was used to evaluate the impact of chronic stressful procedures and to unveil possible differences between genotypes. There was no effect of genotype on OF, EPM and FST behavioral parameters. WT and ArKO mice exposed to CMS or not exhibited the same behavioral profile during these three types of tests. However, all CMS-exposed mice (ArKO and WT) spent less time in the center of the EPM. Additionally, floating duration measured in the FST increased between two tests in both WT and ArKO mice, though that increase was less prominent in mice previously subjected to CMS than in controls. Therefore, both ArKO and WT males displayed the same behavior and had the same response to CMS however CMS exposure slightly modified the behavior displayed by mice of both genotypes in the FST and EPM paradigms. These results show that ArKO males display normal levels of activity, exploration, anxiety and "depressive-like" symptomatology and thus their deficits in sexual behavior are specific in nature and do not result indirectly from other behavioral changes.