Publications by Year: 1991

The binding of 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) to bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA), and human plasma has been studied by potentiometric titration utilizing a laboratory constructed ion selective electrode (ISE) of ANS. Three classes of ANS binding sites were found on BSA, HSA, and plasma at 25 and 37-degrees-C. Computer analysis of the data resulted in estimates for the association constants, number of binding sites (HSA, BSA), and binding capacity of each class. The association constants for the first class of binding sites at 25-degrees-C were found to be 7.53 (+/- 0.59) x 10(5), 2.70 (+/- 0.20) x 10(5), and 2.64 (+/- 0.26) x 10(5) M-1 for BSA, HSA, and plasma, respectively. Lower values for the association constants of all binding classes were estimated at the higher temperature (37-degrees-C). The binding capacity for ANS decreased in the order BSA, plasma, HSA.

We report six female patients with breast cancer who developed dermatomyositis and compare our data with those from other reports. The development of dermatomyositis in two patients led to the discovery of a second primary ovarian carcinoma, whereas the development of dermatomyositis in another two patients led to the discovery of recurrent breast cancer. In three patients the diagnosis of dermatomyositis preceded the diagnosis of breast cancer, while the rest developed dermatomyositis after the diagnosis of breast cancer. A parallel clinical course of dermatomyositis and breast cancer was seen in only one patient. Coexisting dermatomyositis and breast cancer is a rare phenomenon, and dermatomyositis that develops during the course of breast cancer may indicate the occurrence of a second primary malignancy or recurrent breast cancer. The onset of dermatomyositis may precede, coincide with, or follow the diagnosis of breast cancer. The clinical course of dermatomyositis sometimes, but not always, parallels the course of breast cancer. There are no specific clinical or laboratory markers to distinguish patients with dermatomyositis who have malignancy from those without cancer. © 1991.

The authors develop a new efficient method for calculating the shape-truncation functions of arbitrary Voronoi polyhedra by combining analytical and numerical techniques. Applications are presented for cells of cubic symmetry as well as for hexagonal close-packed (HCP) atomic polyhedra with different values of the c/a ratio. They also discuss an efficient way for performing three-dimensional integrations in electronic-structure calculations (e.g. solve Poisson's equation) using shape functions.

A photographic atlas of close pairs of star clusters in the Large Magellanie Cloud is presented here. The criterion for inclusion of cluster pairs in the atlas was an upper limit of 18.7 pc for the projected separation between the centres of the clusters in each pair. Accurate coordinates for the clusters, the projected separations and estimates of the diameters and positional angles are given and some of the global properties of the cluster-pair population of the LMC are discussed. It is found that the individual clusters in pairs preferentially have nearly equal sizes.

The production of cosmic ray positrons by photon-photon pair production of high-energy gamma-rays on starlight photons is examined. Calculating the production rate as a function of positron energy and distance from the sun resulting from interactions with sunlight is the first step. The results are generalized to production on other types of star. The average production rate per unit volume averaged over the local region of the galaxy is calculated, and the contribution to the observed intensity from this process is estimated.

The mixing and transport of cosmic rays accelerated by a pulsar inside an expanding supernova remnant are examined, and the resulting high-energy gamma-ray emission from nuclear interactions of these accelerated particles in the shell is investigated. Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the interface between a pulsar wind cavity and the inner supernova envelope is assumed to be the mixing mechanism. The analysis is applied to the model of Gaisser, Harding, and Stanev (1987), where protons are accelerated at the reverse shock in the pulsar wind. The instability time-scale is estimated from the dynamics of the pulsar wind cavity, and model the injection, diffusion, and interaction of protons in the shell. The resulting gamma-ray flux is lower than previous estimates due to proton adiabatic losses in the expanding pulsar wind. The protons mix and diffuse only into the innermost regions of the envelope before interacting. Energy-dependent diffusion causes the higher energy gamma-ray light curves to decay faster than those at lower energy.

Cyclosporine and methotrexate at standard doses (15 mg/m2 on day 1 and 10 mg/m2 on days 3, 6, and 11, total 45 mg/m2) are effective in the prophylaxis of actue graft‐vs.‐host disease. However, the combination has significant early toxicities with delayed engraftment, increased mucositis, and hepatotoxicity. We modified the combination by adding single‐dose methylprednisolone and lowered the total dose of methotrexate to 35 mg/m2 (5 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, and 6, and then 10 mg/m2 on days 11 and 18) and then to 20 mg/m2 (5 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, 6, and 11) in an attempt to decrease these side effects in two sequential consecutive groups of patients. We demonstrated that the modified regimens maintained the efficacy with reduced toxicities. The rate of engraftment was comparable to cyclosporine alone and the hepatotoxicity was reduced with reduced doses of methotrexate. Factors such as early immunosuppression of the host, intravenous immunoglobulin, the timing of steroid administration, nucleotide free diet and germ free environment may contribute to the effectiveness of the combination and permit reduction of methotrexate dose. Copyright © 1991 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company

A compartmental approach for estimating the duration of the zero-order absorption was developed. For drugs obeying one-compartment model disposition, the estimation is based on an explicit relationship while an iterative process is required for drugs represented by two-compartment kinetics. A method based on a double graphical plot for ascertaining absorption kinetics for drugs exhibiting one-compartment model disposition was also developed.

We have used anodization techniques to process porous surface regions in p-type Czochralski Si and in p-type Si0.85Ge0.15 epitaxial layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The SiGe layers were unrelaxed before processing. We have observed strong near-infrared and visible light emission from both systems. Analysis of the radiative and nonradiative recombination processes indicate that the emission is consistent with the decay of excitons localized in structures of one or zero dimensions.

The authors investigate the formation of local spin moments of transition metal impurities diluted in free-electron-like monovalent hosts by performing self-consistent, local spin density functional calculations for all the 3d elements embedded in jellium. The magnetic behaviour of the impurity is studied systematically by varying continuously the jellium density from zero up to a critical value, at which the magnetic moment disappears. The results are in good agreement with the results of other calculations and the available experimental data.

A generalized Hodges-Lehmann type estimator for the treatment effect in the two-sample problem with right censoring, is proposed based on an inverse-quantile-type idea using truncated versions of the Kaplan-Meier estimators over the subspace where they are consistent. Its strong consistency and asymptotic normality can be obtained, under no conditions on the uninformative censorings, and the resulting variance is easily estimable from the data. In simulation studies the proposed estimator is superior to existing procedures in the presence of heavy unequal censoring.

A study is undertaken of the 3D spatial distribution of the older stellar population lying beyond about 2 kpc in projected radial distance from the center of the SMC. The study is intended to cover 120 square degrees including six overlapping Schmidt fields. The results from an area of 80 square degrees are presented including the western, northern and northeastern outer parts of the SMC.

Objective: To evaluate serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as a prognostic factor in previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma. Design: Study of 391 consecutive patients with uniformly treated multiple myeloma, followed until death in 63% of patients. Setting: Tertiary, referral cancer center. Patients: A total of 391 consecutive, previously untreated, symptomatic patients with various stages of multiple myeloma. Intervention: Various chemotherapy regimens that included doxorubicin or glucocorticoids, or both, with a consistent response rate (53%). Measurements: Outcomes included clinical response based on a 75% reduction of calculated tumor load and survival time from treatment. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used. Main Results: Eleven percent of patients showed a high serum LDH level of more than 5.0 μkat/L (300 U/L). An elevated LDH level was seen more frequently with a rise in the tumor load; an increased level was present in 26% of patients with high tumor mass. A high LDH level was associated with plasma cell leukemia or lymphoma-like clinical features (43%) and with plasma cell hypodiploidy (17%). Only 20% of patients with elevated LDH levels responded to chemotherapy compared with a response rate of 57% for patients with low levels of LDH. Using multivariate analysis, LDH was a significant independent predictor of response (P = 0.001), with an odds ratio of 0.25 (95% Cl, 0.11 to 0.57). A high LDH level was associated with a short median survival (9 months) and showed the highest relative risk (2.63; Cl, 1.75 to 3.95; P= 0.001). Conclusions: Elevation of the LDH level suggests the presence of occult extraosseous disease and high tumor mass. The LDH level is a predictor of a poor prognosis in selected patients who should be considered for early intensive treatment.

A successful pregnancy of a young woman with late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LOCAH) is reported. Exogenous glucocorticoids are the most commonly used regimen in such cases both for suppression of adrenal overstimulation and avoiding masculinization of a female fetus. In our LOCAH patient methylprednisolone has been used for treatment. We present the management and the outcome of this pregnancy, as well as the hormonal follow-up. © 1991.

The estimation of the treatment effect in the two-sample problem with right censoring is of interest in survival analysis. In this article we consider both the location shift model and the scale change model. We establish the large-sample properties of a generalized Hodges-Lehmann type estimator. The strong consistency is established under the minimal possible conditions. The asymptotic normality is also obtained without imposing any conditions on the censoring mechanisms. As a by-product, we also establish a result for the oscillation behavior of the Kaplan-Meier process, which extends the Bahadur result for the empirical process to the censored case.

A new age indicator for star clusters and other stellar populations, with red horizontal branches or clumps, is introduced. This indicator is defined as the colour difference between the median colour of the red horizontal branch or clump and the red giant branch at the level of the horizontal branch. This difference is clearly independent of the values adopted for the reddening and distance modulus of the population as well as of systematic errors in the photometry and it is shown to be insensitive to metal abundance for a wide range of metallicities from solar values down to [Fe/H]~ - 1.7 dex. The theoretical predictions of stellar evolution models for this indicator are also examined. Finally, the new indicator is applied to colour-magnitude diagrams of star clusters with poorly known ages in our Galaxy, as well as to field populations in the Magellanic Clouds and the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. At least one of the galactic disc globular clusters examined is found to have an age less than ~8 Gyr.

The authors present numerical calculations of the absorbance of light by a plane of metallic spheres. The absorbance is calculated as a function of frequency for s- and p-polarized light, for different angles of incidence and for different coverages. They demonstrate the importance of l-pole terms beyond the dipole (l=1) term in interparticle scattering. They examine the effect of disorder and consider the influence of a dielectric substrate on the absorbance of the system consisting of a substrate plus adsorbed spheres.

Pleural fluid and serum soluble Interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) were measured by an enzyme-immunoassay in 13 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, in 28 patients with carcinomatous pleurisy and in 17 transudates from patients with congestive heart failure. Significantly higher values of sIL-2R were observed in exudative than in transudative (x̄ ± SLM = 713 ± 111 U/ml) pleural fluid samples, the highest being found in tuberculous (3777 ± 501 U/ml) and the intermediate in carcinomatous exudates (1981 ± 160 U/ml) (p < 0.0001, one way ANOVA). Serum sIL-2R were significantly higher in cacrinomatous and transudative groups than in age- and sex-matched controls (p < 0.002; one way ANOVA), while there was no significant difference between the tuberculous group and controls. The pleura/serum sIL-2R ratio was significantly higher in tuberculous (5.32 ± 0.60), than in carcinomatous pleurisy (2.67 ± 6.20) and higher still than in transudates (0.76 ± 0.10) (p < 0.001; one way ANOVA). In conclusion, the pleura/serum sIL-2R ratio may be a helpful parameter in differentiating tuberculous from carcinomatous pleurisy and an additional confirmatory one for distinguishing transudates from exudates.

Twenty-four patients with metastatic and chemotherapy-refractorynonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis were treated with various chemotherapy regimens upon failure. Eight of the 24 patients (33 %) are alive and disease free after salvage therapy with a median follow-up of sixteen months. Prognostic factors tested included those known to be predictive for initial response to therapy (clinical stage and degree of elevation of the biomarkers). In addition, time to initiation of salvage therapy and response to initial chemotherapy were assessed as variables. Our data suggest that patients with solitary organ metastases following relapse, and response to initial chemotherapy are favorable predictors for response to salvage treatment. All the patients with solitary organ metastases (5/5 [100 %]) but only 3/19 (16 %) of the patients with multiple metastatic sites were salvaged. Patients with delayed initiation of salvage therapy had a reduced likelihood of achieving a complete remission but this was not statistically significant. The variables identified need to be incorporated into future trials testing the efficacy of salvage therapy for patients with nonseminomatous tumors of the testis. © 1991 Cahners Publishing Company.

Twenty-four patients with metastatic and chemotherapy-refractorynonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis were treated with various chemotherapy regimens upon failure. Eight of the 24 patients (33 %) are alive and disease free after salvage therapy with a median follow-up of sixteen months. Prognostic factors tested included those known to be predictive for initial response to therapy (clinical stage and degree of elevation of the biomarkers). In addition, time to initiation of salvage therapy and response to initial chemotherapy were assessed as variables. Our data suggest that patients with solitary organ metastases following relapse, and response to initial chemotherapy are favorable predictors for response to salvage treatment. All the patients with solitary organ metastases (5/5 [100 %]) but only 3/19 (16 %) of the patients with multiple metastatic sites were salvaged. Patients with delayed initiation of salvage therapy had a reduced likelihood of achieving a complete remission but this was not statistically significant. The variables identified need to be incorporated into future trials testing the efficacy of salvage therapy for patients with nonseminomatous tumors of the testis. © 1991 Cahners Publishing Company.

We present a rare case of primary renal carcinoid tumor that metastasized to the liver and kidneys. The tumor and the metastases were hypovascular angiographically, did not enhance on CT, and were hyperechoic with a hypoechoic halo on ultrasound. A similar pattern has been seen in a few cases previously reported in the literature. © 1991 Raven Press, Ltd., New York.

Abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic marrow transplantation. We studied 14 consecutive CMV‐seropositive patients adding ganciclovir (2.5 mg/kg i.v. every 8 hours for 7 days prior to transplant and 6 mg/kg three times a week after neutrophils became > 0.5 times 109/1 and the patients were platelet transfusion‐independent until d 70) to our previous prophylaxis regimen which consisted of intravenous immunoglobulin and acyclovir. The result was compared with 30 consecutive patients whom we studied with our previous regimen. The addition of ganciclovir did not cause any extra toxicities. The incidence of interstitial pneumonitis and cumulative probability of CMV excretion in the first 100 d post‐transplantation was significantly reduced (p = 0.038 and p = 0.035 respectively). The result shows that addition of ganciclovir significantly decreased the incidence of CMV infection in the early post‐transplantation period. © Munksgaard 1991

This article presents the results of a research study on 547 mental patients testing a form of nursing assessment of mental patients in psychiatric and in general hospitals, as a means to assess their nursing needs and as a basis for planning, implementation and evaluation of their personalized holistic nursing care. The study showed that more depressive than schizophrenic patients went to the general hospital for help. The reverse was observed in the psychiatric hospital. The psychological nursing needs of the patients were significantly correlated with their somatic nursing needs. The psychological as well as the somatic nursing needs of the patients were significantly correlated with sex, age, somatic health state and mental health state in general, and not with their concrete psychiatric diagnosis. It is concluded that the psychiatric nursing assessment should be oriented towards the investigation of the patient's psychosomatic nursing needs rather than be based on his medical diagnosis.

The purpose of this study was to provide quantitative data on the shape of the mandible at the period around the pubertal growth spurt and to test the hypothesis that early mandibular shape may influence the amount and direction of subsequent mandibular growth. Longitudinal data from lateral cephalograms of 55 white female and 39 white male subjects were used. The mandibular outline from articulare to gnathion was analyzed into cosine curves, according to the Fourier equation. The resulting Fourier coefficients, representing mandibular outline shape, were analyzed statistically in relation to age, sex, craniofacial pattern, and mandibular growth rotation. Statistically significant growth changes of the Fourier coefficients were observed, especially during the postpubertal period, indicating a decrease in the gonial angle with age. Sex-related differences in shape were observed at all ages, male subjects showing a more rounded shape of the mandible than female subjects. Mandibular shape, as represented by the Fourier coefficients, was correlated to cephalometric variables, indicating mandibular inclination, but only poorly to cephalometric variables, indicating anteroposterior jaw relation. Total rotation of the mandible during growth could not be predicted by mandibular shape.

One of the most important considerations in designing an integrated process for the production of organic acids is the strong pH dependence of the process parameters. The release of the acidic products during the fermentation alters the pH of the broth and subsequently affects the kinetics of cell growth and product formation. In addition, some parameters (such as the distribution coefficient of the products during extraction, their solubility constants during precipitation, etc.) in the subsequent separation processes following fermentation are also strong functions of pH. A pH profile predicting model for organic acids fermentation could be used in combination with specific separation process equations, in order to perform simulations concerning the feasibility of the whole process or the evaluation of the system's performance. In this work, such a general pH profile predicting model has been developed. The model requires knowledge of the fermentation medium composition and the kinetics of cell growth and product formation. The model has been verified for (but by no means restricted to) the case of butyric acid fermentation.  

The AAT FOCAP fibre system has been used to obtain spectra, centred at the Ca II IR-triplet, of 14 stars in the field of the recently discovered Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Radial velocities derived from these spectra indicate that six of the stars observed are Sextans members. Their velocities cluster closely about a value of 230+/-6 km s^-1^ which we take as the heliocentric velocity of this galaxy. This velocity, when corrected to the galactic rest frame, indicates that Sextans makes a contribution comparable to those of other dSph galaxies, such as Sculptor and Orsa Minor, to calculations of the mass of the galaxy's halo. The spectra of the Sextans members also yield an estimate of the mean abundance of this galaxy: a value of [Fe/H] = - 1.7+/-0.25 dex is suggested from a comparison of the line strengths with those of globular cluster stars. This value is higher than that expected for Sextans from the absolute magnitude-abundance relation, followed by the other galactic dSph galaxies.

Pair production of a photon in the Coulomb field of an electron (often referred to as triplet pair production) despite the fact that it is a third-order QED process has a cross-section that exceeds the Compton cross-section for energies of collision equal to or greater than 250 m(e)c-squared. The present paper reexamines the problem of ultrarelativistic electrons entering a photon field by including triplet pair production as both an energy loss and reinjection mechanism for electrons. The steady state electron distribution and photon spectrum are calculated for monoenergetic and power-law electron injections, and a comparison is made with the results obtained in the pure Compton case, i.e., by ignoring triplet pair production.

The authors present a method for the calculation of the scattering of light by a periodic two-dimensional array of spherical particles adsorbed on a uniform dielectric slab. Multiple scattering of light between the particles of the overlayer and between the overlayer and the substrate is taken fully into account. The method is applied to light scattering from a square lattice of gold particles on a sapphire substrate for which experimental data are available. The agreement between theory and experiment is reasonably good.

Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), β-chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG), pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (SP1), and β2-microglobulin (β2M) were taken in 92 patients with primary lung cancer and 43 controls. The mean value of sIL-2R in the cancer group was twice as high as that of the controls (P less than 0.001) and the highest values were observed in those with small cell carcinoma (SCC) (P less than 0.0001). Of the cancer patients, 51.1% had CEA values higher than the cutoff level of 5 ng/ml. Extended-disease patients had a higher percentage of increased CEA values than those with limited disease. Adenocarcinoma (ADCC) and SCC groups had the highest percentages of increased CEA levels. There was no significant difference between the groups for β-HCG, AFP, SP1, and β2M, and intermarker correlation was not seen. The results suggest that sIL-2R and CEA may be useful in monitoring the extent of disease and possibly indicate the histologic subtype, thus having a bearing on treatment and prognosis.

The authors present local-spin-density-functional calculations for the interaction energies of vacancies with 3d and 4sp impurities in Cu as well as with 4d and 5sp impurities in Ag. The calculations are based on the jellium model and first-order perturbation theory, thus enabling an interpretation of the interaction in purely electrostatic terms. The results are in agreement with those obtained by first-principles calculations and confirm the experimentally known trends.

▪ Objective: To evaluate the safety and immunologic and antiviral effects of combination therapy with zidovudine and dideoxycytidine (ddC) in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection. ▪ Design: A phase I/II open-label, dose-ranging study. ▪ Setting: Two AIDS Clinical Trials Group units. ▪ Patients: Patients (56) with advanced HIV disease. ▪ Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to one of three paired regimens of zidovudine and ddC. We evaluated six dosing regimens, each involving oral administration of the study drugs at 8-hour intervals. ▪ Measurements: Pharmacokinetics, toxicity, CD4 counts, p24 antigenemia and clinical end points. ▪ Main Results: The median follow-up period was 40.6 weeks (range, 0.3 to 70 weeks). Neither drug affected the pharmacokinetic profile of the other. Episodes of serious hematologic toxicity were infrequent, occurring in only 17.9% of patients, and did not differ among the regimens (P = 0.15). Severe sensory peripheral neuropathy occurred in two patients (one patient each in regimens 1 and 4). One patient receiving regimen 4 died. The mean maximal increase in CD4 counts exceeded 109 cells/mm3, and 69% of patients receiving combinations containing 300 or 600 mg of zidovudine daily had an increase in CD4 counts of 50 cells/mm3 or greater. Regimens containing 600 mg of zidovudine daily (regimens 2 and 5) were also more likely to result in persistent increases in CD4 counts above pretreatment values than were the two lowest dose regimens (P = 0.003). The decline in CD4 counts was more rapid, and the suppression of the p24 antigenemia was less rapid and less sustained in patients receiving the lowest zidovudine dose alone (regimen 6). The addition of ddC to regimen 6 (regimen 3) resulted in a slower decline in the CD4 counts (P = 0.06). ▪ Conclusions: Combination therapy with zidovudine and ddC at the doses tested was well tolerated and did not result in toxicity. A daily oral dose of 150 mg of zidovudine appeared to produce a suboptimal effect on p24 antigenemia and CD4 counts. Combination therapy with ddC and higher doses of zidovudine produced greater and more persistent effects in patients with advanced HIV infection compared with other study regimens and with the results of previous trials of zidovudine monotherapy.

The materials Gd0.5RE0.5 Ba2Cu3O7‐δ (Re = Y, Sm, Eu, and La) are investigated in the orthorhombic (HTC) and tetragonal (non‐HTC) phases using EPR method. For both phases EPR signals associated with Gd ions are detected. In the tetragonal phase a strong temperature dependence of the intensities of this line is observed. These characteristics can be ascribed to the skin effect. A small polaron model is proposed to interpret the conduction mechanism of the tetragonal phase (semiconducting) of these samples. Copyright © 1991 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA

The solubility of cyclosporin A was determined in water and in Sorensen buffers at pH 1.2 and 6.6 at temperatures ranging from 5 to 37-degrees-C. No differences in solubility behaviour were observed among the three aqeous media. Solubility was found to be inversely proportional to the temperature in each medium, indicating that the heat of solution was exothermic in each case.

We apply the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green’s-function method and perform ab initio calculations based on local-density-functional theory for the vacancy-solute interaction energies in Cu, Ni, Ag, and Pd. In particular, we calculate the nearest-neighbor interaction of vacancies with 3d and 4sp impurities in Cu and Ni as well as with 4d and 5sp impurities in Ag and Pd. We also calculate the divacancy binding energies in these hosts. Further we demonstrate that the Hellmann-Feynman theorem with respect to the nuclear charge provides a useful tool to calculate and understand interaction energies. We discuss applications to jellium calculations for Cu and to the stability of larger agglomerates.

The tectonic structure and evolution of Kythira is in general similar to that of the Cyclades with a difference in the chronologic succession of the alpine and post alpine geodynaaic processes which have ended in the Cyclades in contrast to Kythira where they are still in evolution. A basic distinction has to be lade between the early phase of compressional tectonism which built up the alpine nappe pile and the late phase of extensional character which denudates the non metamorphic units froa the crests of the anticlinal domes of the underlying netanorphic units. During this late phase the decollement and sliding of the non metanorphic units along their contact with the underlying metamorphic units is dominant under the important effect of gravity, the normal faults being limited above the main overthrusts.

(1991). Γογγάκη, Κωνσταντίνα. Προσέγγιση των Πυθίων αγώνων δια της αγγελικής ρήσης στην Ηλέκτρα του Σοφοκλή. Λόγος και Πράξη, 45: 106-116.   Ο μονόλογος του Παιδαγωγού στον οποίο περιγράφει τον πλαστό θάνατο του Ορέστη στους Πυθικούς αγώνες, αποτελεί μια σημαντική, ίσως μεγαλειώδη στιγμή του αθλητισμού, καθώς ο τελευταίος διασώζεται στα έργα της ανθρώπινης δημιουργίας, και ειδικά στην αρχαία τραγωδία. Ο Σοφοκλής περιγράφει το φυσικό και ψυχικό κάλλος του Ορέστη, δημιουργώντας ένας ήρωα-πρότυπο της κλασικής εποχής που ο ίδιος έζησε. Ο ήρωας έχει όλα τα στοιχεία της αναπόδραστης μοίρας του ανθρώπου, καθώς οι θεοί αποφασίζουν γι’ αυτόν. Ο Ορέστης, τελικά, το θαυμαστό σώμα του οποίου διαμελίζεται στους ιππικούς αγώνες, δεν συνιστά έναν ηττημένο, αλλά η πτώση του έχει τα δεδομένα του ήρωα, καθώς μάχεται, άνισος προς τη μοίρα, μέχρι της τελικής πτώσεως. Στην περιγραφή ο Σοφοκλής μιμείται απολύτως την ανάλογη αρματηλατική τεχνική της ιπποδρομίας της Ιλιάδας του Ομήρου τον οποίο ο ίδιος τόσο θαύμαζε. Η ρήση του παιδαγωγού κατορθώνει να συναρπάσει με τις απαράμιλλες περιγραφές του αγώνα, αποτελώντας ένα άριστο δείγμα αφηγηματικού και δραματικού λόγου. Ξεπερνάει σαφώς τα όρια μιας τυπικής περιγραφής, καθώς τους τεχνικούς και τους αθλητικούς όρους τους ανάγει σε λόγο ποιητικό. Εξάλλου, η επιλογή του ηρωϊκού θανάτου του Ορέστη στους Πυθικούς αγώνες αποτελεί ένα εύρημα, το οποίο στα επιδέξια ποιητικά χέρια του Σοφοκλή, ανάγει τον αθλητισμό σε έργο τέχνης.     * Η δημοσίευση μετά από επεξεργασία συμπεριελήφθη στο βιβλίο της Κων/νας Γογγάκη (2003), Οι αντιλήψεις των αρχαίων Ελλήνων για τον αθλητισμό, Αθήνα: Τυπωθήτω- Γ. Δαρδανός, σσ. 101-124.

Το άρθρο αυτό αποτελεί μια ενημερωμένη βιβλιογραφικά και πιο εκτεταμένη μορφή της εισήγησης που παρουσιάσθηκε στο 14ο σεμινάριο της Πανελλήνιας Ένωσης Φιλολόγων το Μάιο του 1991. Το θέμα του σεμιναρίου ήταν «Η ξένη λογοτεχνία στη δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση» και η εισήγηση αποσκοπούσε στην παρουσίαση ορισμένων συγγραφέων και τάσεων της μετά τον Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο λογοτεχνικής παραγωγής της Γερμανίας. Ο απώτερος στόχος της ήταν να αποτελέσει πηγή ενημέρωσης και βοήθημα για τους καθηγητές που καλούνται να διδάξουν κείμενα της γερμανικής λογοτεχνίας στην δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση. Παρουσιάζεται η πορεία της μεταπολεμικής γερμανικής λογοτεχνίας, με ξεχωριστή αναφορά στους συγγραφείς W. Borchert, G. Eich, P. Celan, I. Bachmann, H. M. Enzensberger, F. Dürrenmatt, M. Frisch και Chr. Wolf με παραδείγματα από τον λυρικό, τον δραματικό και τον πεζό λόγο. Ιδιαίτερη μνεία έγινε στη λογοτεχνική παραγωγή της Ανατολικής Γερμανίας. Έγινε προσπάθεια να συγκεντρωθεί και να παρατεθεί η υπάρχουσα σχετική βιβλιογραφία στην ελληνική γλώσσα (μεταφράσεις και μελέτες) και παρατέθηκε επιλεγμένη βιβλιογραφία στη γερμανική γλώσσα για τις ανάγκες των καθηγητών της Μέσης Εκπαίδευσης.

(1991). Γογγάκη Κωνσταντίνα, Το εκπαιδευτικό πρόβλημα στη Λωρίδα της Γάζας Ανεξαρτησία και Ειρήνη, 1: 2-3. Η Λωρίδα της Γάζας, μια περιοχή της Παλαιστίνης που μαζί με τη Δυτική Όχθη και το μισό Ανατολικό της Ιερουσαλήμ κατακτήθηκε το 1967 από το Ισραήλ, εθεωρείτο πάντα ως μια από τις σθεναρότερες περιοχές αντίστασης στην κατοχή των Ισραηλινών. Είναι γνωστό, ότι όταν οι λαοί μάχονται για την ίδια τους την επιβίωση δεν έχουν πολλές δυνα­τότητες να ασχοληθούν το ίδιο δυναμι­κά με θέματα όπως η υγεία, η εκ­παίδευση, η ασφάλεια, κ.ά. Οι Παλαιστίνιοι, πάντως, παράλληλα με τον αγώνα τους για εθνική ανεξαρτησία, προσπαθούν να συντηρήσουν και να αναπτύξουν όλους τους βασικούς κοινωνικούς τομείς. Το εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα της Γάζας, όπως είναι φυσικό, πα­ρουσιάζει ιδιαίτερες αδυναμίες, ειδικά μετά την λαϊκή εξέγερση της Ιντιφάντα, καθώς η "επίβλεψη" της περιοχής και των κατοίκων της από τους Ισραηλινούς κατακτητές έχει σκληρύνει. Τα σχολεία στη Γάζα μοιάζουν με φυλακές και οι μαθητές με φυλακισμένους, αφού πριν και κατά τη διάρκεια της Ιντιφάντα οι Ισραηλινοί έχτισαν πα­νύψηλους τοίχους γύρω τους και τους τύλιξαν με ακανθώδη καλώδια. Η έλλειψη σεβασμού τον σχολικού ασύλου από τους στρατιώτες, είναι ένα άλλο πρόβλημα. Ανάλογη ατμόσφαιρα επικρατεί και στα Πανεπιστήμια, τα οποία όπως άλλωστε και πολλά σχολεία στα κατεχόμενα παρέμειναν κλειστά στη διάρκεια της Ιντιφάντα. Οι Ισραηλινοί κατακτητές με το κλείσιμο σχολείων - παν/μίων θέλησαν αφ’ ενός να επιβάλλουν μια συλλογι­κή τιμωρία, και αφ' ετέρου να εμποδίσουν την ελευθερία έκφρασης των φοιτητών και το δικαίωμά τους για επαφή και εκπαίδευση. Παράλληλα στο διδακτικό προσωπικό ασκείται αυστηρή επίβλεψη για την τήρηση του κυβερνητικού προγράμματος, ενώ στην περίπτωση παρεκκλίσεων τιμωρείται με κρατήσεις, φυλακίσεις και άλλες κυρώσεις. Ο τελικός στόχος των Ισραηλινών για τη Λωρίδα της Γάζας, αλλά και γενικά τις κατεχόμενες περιοχές της Παλαιστίνης, είναι ο υποβιβασμός του εκπαιδευτικού συστήματος, ώστε να κάνουν τον Παλαιστινιακό λαό αμαθή, προκειμένου να τον ελέγχουν. Κατά τον Assad El Saftawyee, σύμφωνα με τον οποίο "η διαμάχη μεταξύ Πα­λαιστινίων και Ισραηλινών εί­ναι διαμάχη μεταξύ δύο πολιτισμών", οι Παλαιστίνιοι γνωρίζουν ότι ένα έθνος ή ένας πληθυσμός χρειάζεται ταυτόχρονα την επιστημονική σκέψη και την υψηλή τεχνολο­γία, το μείγμα των πο­λιτισμών και την υψηλή τεχνολογία της Δύσης για την αντιμετώπιση του σύγχρονου κόσμου επί ίσοις όροις.   *Η δημοσίευση βασίζεται σε πραγματικά δεδομένα και στοιχεία τα οποία συγκέντρωσε η Κων/να Γογγάκη κατά το ταξίδι της στη Λωρίδα της Γάζας τον Ιούλιο - Αύγουστο 1991. Εκτός από την επίσκεψη σε στρατόπεδα προσφύγων, τη συνεργασία με εκπαιδευτικά κέντρα και την επαφή με κατοίκους στη Λωρίδα της Γάζας σημαντικά στοιχεία της παρείχαν δύο σημαντικές προσωπικότητες που συνάντησε στη Γάζα. Ο Assad El Saftawyee, καθηγητής, ο οποίος έχει σπουδάσει Φυσική στην Αίγυπτο το 1957 μαζί με τον Yasser Araffat και τον Salah Abo Kalaff και ο οποίος είχε τεθεί σε διοικητικό περιορισμό από τις Ισραηλι­νές αρχές. Και ο Μohamad Abu Shaban, πρόεδρος του GAZA CEN­TER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.