Publications by Year: 2000

We consider the combined problem of pricing and ordering for a perishable product with unknown demand distribution and censored demand observations resulting from lost sales, faced by a monopolistic retailer. We develop an adaptive pricing and ordering policy with the asymptotic property that the average realized profit per period converges with probability one to the optimal value under complete information on the distribution. The pricing mechanism is modeled as a multiarmed bandit problem, while the order quantity decision, made after the price level is established, is based on a stochastic approximation procedure with multiplicative updates.

Very little is known about genetic abnormalities involved in the development of pilocytic astrocytoma, the most frequently occurring brain tumour of childhood. We have analysed 48 pilocytic astrocytoma specimens using comparative genomic hybridization. Only five of 41 tumours from children showed abnormalities detectable by comparative genomic hybridization, and in each case this represented gain of a single chromosome. Interestingly, two of seven tumours from adults showed abnormalities, which were multiple and relatively complex. Six of the seven tumours showing abnormalities were from female patients (two adults and four children). The most frequently detectable abnormality was gain of 9q34.1-qter, which was present in three cases (two adult and one paediatric).

The EPR spectrum of the oxygen-deficient Sm0.5Er0.5Ba2Cu3O6+x mixed phase has been investigated in the temperature range of 3.3-20 K. Anomalous behavior of the EPR spectrum has been detected below 4 K that may indicate the presence of magnetic centers with singlet ground state and an excitation energy of the order of 1 K. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Testicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is an uncommon disease and its outcome following chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy has been variable. A retrospective analysis was performed on 26 patients with primary testicular lymphoma treated predominantly with anthracycline-based chemotherapy between 1984 and 1999. The patients' median age was 60 years (range 19-82 years) with 17 (65.4%) patients being older than 60 years. Four (15.4%) patients had constitutional B symptoms. There were 11 (42.3%) patients with high grade lymphoma, 12 (46.2%) with intermediate grade, 1 (3.8%) with low grade and 2 (7.7%) were not classified. According to the Ann-Anbor staging system, 18 patients (69.2%) had early (stage I/II) and 8 (30.8%) advanced (stage III/IV) disease. Chemotherapy was administered to 24 patients including 22 patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Two stage IEA patients were treated with orchidectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy to the regional lymph nodes without systemic chemotherapy. Chemotherapy alone resulted in a complete remission (CR) in 14 (58.3%) of 24 patients and partial remission in 1 (4.2%), amounting to an overall response rate (RR) of 62.5%. Of the 5 stage I patients who had chemotherapy on an adjuvant basis, 4 (80%) had CR/no evidence of disease. Of the 11 stage II patients, 8 (72.7%) achieved CR and 1 (9.1%) PR (overall RR of 81.8%). CR was obtained in 2 (25%) of 8 stage III/IV patients. Both patients remain disease free for 26 and 65 months. Excluding the 5 stage I patients, chemotherapy resulted in a CR in 10/19 (52.6%) patients and a PR in 1/19 (5.2%), inducing an overall RR of 57.8%. The mean duration of response was 75 months (range 8-145.5+ months). After a median follow-up of 87 months (range 0.13-145.5+ months) the median survival time was 31 months (range 0.13-145.5+ months) and the median time to progression (TTP) 17 months (range 0.13-145.5+ months). The median TTP was significantly higher in early disease compared to that of advanced disease (52 vs. 3 months, p = 0.02). Of the 3 patients who relapsed following disease-free status, CNS involvement occurred in 2 stage II patients and contralateral testis involvement in 1 stage IEA, respectively. The latter remained disease free for 2 years following orchidectomy alone. The other 2 patients who relapsed did not respond to salvage chemotherapy and died. There was no significant relationship between the values of LDH and β2-microglobulin with the outcome except for ESR which was significantly related with the CR (p = 0.005) or RR (p = 0.005). In conclusion, patients with primary testicular lymphoma have a poor outcome, despite the treatment with anthracycline-containing regimens. Treatment with anthracycline-based chemotherapy is recommended in patients at early stages. In advanced disease, more intensive or investigational regimens should be considered. Because the relapse rate in the CNS and contralateral testis is quite high in most studies, prophylactic CNS treatment and radiotherapy to the other testis should be included in the management of testicular lymphoma. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Germline mutations in BRCA1 gene account for varying proportions of breast/ovarian cancer families, and demonstrate considerable variation in mutational spectra coincident with ethnic and geographical diversity. We have screened for mutations the entire coding sequence of BRCA1 in 30 breast/ovarian cancer women with family history of two or more cases of breast cancer under age 50 and/or ovarian cancer at any age. Genomic DNA from patient was initially analyzed for truncating mutations in exon 11 with PTT followed by DNA sequencing. In the cases where no frameshift mutation was observed in exon 11, all other exons were screened with direct sequencing. Two novel (3099delT, 3277insG) and three already described (3741insA, 1623del5-TTAAA, 5382insC-twice) truncating mutations were identified. In addition, 6 point mutations (L771L, P871L, E1038G, K1183R, S1436S, S1613G) which are already classified as polymorphisms were identified. Three unclassified intronic variants (IVS16-68 G>A, IVS16-92 G>A, IVS18+65G>A) were also detected. These results show that BRCA1 deleterious mutations are present in a fraction (20%) of Greek breast/ovarian cancer families similar to other European countries. Mutations were detected in high- (>/=3 members) as well as in moderate-risk (2 members) families. This is the first report of BRCA1 mutation analysis in Greece

Non-African Burkitt's lymphoma is a rare disease among adults without AIDS. Among 1352 Greek adult patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 24 cases (1.8%) were classified as Burkitt's (BL) or Burkitt-like (BLL) lymphoma. Eleven cases fulfilled the criteria of BL and 13 of BLL. No statistical differences were found in the general characteristics of the two groups at the time of diagnosis. Extranodal involvement was a common finding in both groups and bulky disease (> 10 cm) was observed in almost one half of the patients. The majority of the patients were treated with intensive, although different, protocols. After induction treatment, complete remission (CR) was achieved in 14 patients (60.8%). CR was reached in all cases with stage I-II, while in stage IV the CR rate was 30.4%. The median overall survival was 27 months. The median survival for BL was 13 months compared to 27 months in the BLL group (P = 0.34). The data of the present retrospective analysis, indicated that there were not significant clinical differences between BL and BLL variants. Since BLL is still a non-reproducible category in the REAL classification, all BL variants must be treated uniformly with intensive protocols. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.

AIMS: To assess the effect of simvastatin, hormone replacement therapy and their combination on soluble cell adhesion molecules and plasma lipids, in hypercholesterolaemic post-menopausal women with coronary artery disease. METHODS: We studied 16 post-menopausal women with coronary artery disease and hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol >200mg x dl(-1) and LDL cholesterol >130 mg x dl(-1)). We compared simvastatin (20 mg daily) with hormone replacement therapy (0.625 mg conjugated oestrogen and 2.5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate daily) and their combination, in a randomized, crossover, placebo controlled study. Each treatment period was 8 weeks long with a 4 week washout interval between treatments. Circulating cell adhesion molecules and plasma lipids were evaluated at the end of each treatment period. RESULTS: All three active treatments--simvastatin, hormone replacement therapy and the combination therapy--significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol, compared to placebo (P<0.001). Only hormone replacement therapy, alone and in combination with simvastatin, significantly decreased lipoprotein(a) when compared to placebo (P<0.05), whereas simvastatin had no significant effect. Likewise, hormone replacement therapy and the combination therapy significantly reduced the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) plasma levels (P=0.03 and P=0.02, respectively), while simvastatin, which was superior to hormone replacement therapy in lowering total and LDL cholesterol, did not modify ICAM-1 levels; the combination therapy was not more effective than hormone replacement therapy alone in ICAM-1 reduction. Neither the effect, on any treatment when compared to placebo, of VCAM-1 nor E-selectin levels differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Hormone replacement therapy may limit the inflammatory response to injury by modulating the expression of cell adhesion molecules from the endothelial cells, possibly in association with lipoprotein (a) reduction

To the purpose of investigating the changes effected on the game of volleyball by the enforcement of the new scoring rules we recorded the duration of each set, the match duration (MD) and the total match duration (TMD) of the games of the A1 and A2 categories of men and women for the 1997-1998 period in Greece, when the matches were played according to the old rules and the 1998-1999 period in Greece and Cyprus, after the enforcement of the new regulations. The reduction of the mean set duration and consequently of the mean game duration as well the reduction of the variability of the respective times was reasonably evident. This was followed by a greater percentage of games finishing with a score of 3-2. Countries with a marked difference of level exhibited different time characteristics. However the variability owed to the randomness of the set aggregate can only be eliminated by the specification of the number of sets played per game, while the variability of the set duration can be extinguished only by reverting the set to a fixed time duration. This will lead to volleyball games, which are both entertaining and fascinating to watch both on the court and on the TV.     Keywords: Volleyball, match duration, set duration.

The determination of the alkaloids reserpine, rescinnamine and yohimbine based on a chemiluminogenic reaction with potassium permanganate in the presence of polyphosphoric acid is described. The investigation was carried out using a batch and a flow injection chemiluminometer. Both approaches were accurate and precise, allowing the measurement of reserpine within the ranges 0.100-3.00 and 0.050-3.00 micrograms ml-1 with RSD values for 1.00 microgram ml-1 of 1.91 and 0.33% (n = 8) with the batch and the flow injection manifold, respectively. The procedure was successfully applied to formulations after extraction of reserpine with chloroform, with recoveries from commercial formulations within the range 95.2-99.0%.

AIM: The aim of this study was to detect circulating anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (anti-CEA) in breast cancer patients and to evaluate their clinical and prognostic significance. METHODS: Fifty-two breast cancer patients and 28 controls were included in this study. Detection of anti-CEA antibodies was performed using a modified enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). Sensitivity, specificity and usefulness index of anti-CEA antibodies were compared to those of CEA. The correlation of anti-CEA antibodies with survival and recurrence-free survival was tested with univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Anti-CEA was present in 57% of breast cancer patients and in 11% of controls. The sensitivity and usefulness index of anti-CEA were significantly better than those of CEA. The specificity of anti-CEA antibodies was less than that of CEA, the difference not being statistically significant. Anti-CEA antibodies were an independent statistically significant, favourable factor in recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSION: Anti-CEA antibodies circulate in breast cancer patients. They could be used as a more sensitive tumour marker than CEA. Their presence is associated with improved recurrence-free survival. These results should be confirmed in a larger series.

Gemcitabine plus paclitaxel and paclitaxel plus carboplatin are active and well tolerated in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, showing similar rates of response and survival. The Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group conducted a randomized phase III trial comparing gemcitabine plus paclitaxel with paclitaxel plus carboplatin. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Group A received paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 plus carboplatin (area under the curve = 6) on day I. Group B received paclitaxel in identical fashion to group A plus gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. A minimum of two cycles and a maximum of six cycles was allowed. To date, 127 eligible patients (63 in group A and 64 in group B) have been randomized; the median follow-up time is 4.6 months. Preliminary results suggest that both combinations can be given in full doses and are well tolerated. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was mild but more prominent in group A (10% v 3%, respectively) while thrombocytopenia was not significant for either group. Moreover, severe neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, or cardiac toxicity has not been observed in the vast majority of patients in either group. Although patients in group B experienced higher response rates (37.5%) than those in group A (21.8%), the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. Definite conclusions about this study cannot be made until more data are available. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.

OBJECTIVES: Maternal serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were evaluated in preeclampsia to investigate whether these molecules could be helpful with regard to this pregnancy complication. STUDY DESIGN: The study population was composed of 30 preeclamptic patients with a mean gestational age of 35.5 ± 4.6 weeks and 20 age-matched and gestational age-matched normotensive uncomplicated pregnancies (controls). Blood samples from 7 of the 30 preeclamptic patients and 15 of the 20 controls in the second trimester were also analyzed. Data were analyzed by parametric methods. RESULTS: Significantly higher maternal serum sVCAM-1 levels were found in both groups of preeclamptic patients with and without fetal growth restriction (981 ± 145 ng/ml; n = 13;p < 0.0005 and 846 ± 84 ng/ml;p < 0.02, respectively) compared with controls (668 ± 186 ng/ml). In contrast, no significant difference was found in maternal serum sICAM-1 levels between preeclamptic and nonnotensive pregnancies, or in both adhesion molecules (1) in the controls between second and third trimester samples and (2) in the second trimester between pregnant women who developed preeclampsia later and gestational age-matched controls. CONCLUSION: These findings show a selective significant elevation of maternal serum sVCAM-1 in preeclampsia, with the highest values in cases complicated with fetal growth restriction, perhaps reflecting its angiogenic function. Hence, sVCAM-1 could be helpful in the diagnosis of this fetal complication in preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II scoring systems in a single intensive care unit (ICU), independent from the ICUs of the developmental sample; and to compare the performance of APACHE II and SAPS II by means of statistical analyses in such a clinical setting. DESIGN: Prospective, cohort study. SETTING: A single ICU in a Greek university hospital. PATIENTS: In a time interval of 5 yrs, data for 681 patients admitted to our ICU were collected. The original exclusion criteria of both systems were employed. Patients <17 yrs of age were dropped from the study to keep compatibility with both systems. Eventually, a total of 661 patients were included in the analysis. INTERVENTIONS: Demographics, clinical parameters essential for the calculation of APACHE II and SAPS II scores, and risk of hospital death were recorded. Patient vital status was followed up to hospital discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Both systems showed poor calibration and underestimated mortality but had good discriminative power, with SAPS II performing better than APACHE II. The evaluation of uniformity of fit in various subgroups for both systems confirmed the pattern of underprediction of mortality from both models and the better performance of APACHE II over our data sample. CONCLUSIONS: APACHE II and SAPS II failed to predict mortality in a population sample other than the one used for their development. APACHE II performed better than SAPS II. Validation in such a population is essential. Because there is a great variation in clinical and other patient characteristics among ICUs, it is doubtful that one system can be validated in all types of populations to be used for comparisons among different ICUs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among competitive worries, sport confidence, and performance of young athletes. Participants were 143 young swimmers aged 11 to 12 years. The athletes completed trait and state questionnaires (competitive worries and sport confidence) in noncompetitive and competitive conditions, respectively. The results indicated: (a) significant relationships among trait and state characteristics and between trait General Self-confidence and performance ratings in both races as well as between performance ratings in Races 1 and 2; (b) significant differences in state variables among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait variables; (c) significant differences in performance among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait General Self-confidence and trait Positive Thinking in Race 1 and on variables trait General Self-confidence, state General Self-confidence, and state Positive Thinking Race 2; and (d) trait General Self-confidence and trait Confidence in Unfavorable Situations were the most important predictors of young swimmers’ performances. These results may be useful in application to competitive sports for young athletes. They may help in psychodiagnostic procedures and may be used for both the content and the direction of individual programs for psychological preparation of young athletes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among competitive worries, sport confidence, and performance of young athletes. Participants were 143 young swimmers aged 11 to 12 years. The athletes completed trait and state questionnaires (competitive worries and sport confidence) in noncompetitive and competitive conditions, respectively. The results indicated: (a) significant relationships among trait and state characteristics and between trait General Self-confidence and performance ratings in both races as well as between performance ratings in Races 1 and 2; (b) significant differences in state variables among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait variables; (c) significant differences in performance among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait General Self-confidence and trait Positive Thinking in Race 1 and on variables trait General Self-confidence, state General Self-confidence, and state Positive Thinking Race 2; and (d) trait General Self-confidence and trait Confidence in Unfavorable Situations were the most important predictors of young swimmers’ performances. These results may be useful in application to competitive sports for young athletes. They may help in psychodiagnostic procedures and may be used for both the content and the direction of individual programs for psychological preparation of young athletes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among competitive worries, sport confidence, and performance of young athletes. Participants were 143 young swimmers aged 11 to 12 years. The athletes completed trait and state questionnaires (competitive worries and sport confidence) in noncompetitive and competitive conditions, respectively. The results indicated: (a) significant relationships among trait and state characteristics and between trait General Self-confidence and performance ratings in both races as well as between performance ratings in Races 1 and 2; (b) significant differences in state variables among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait variables; (c) significant differences in performance among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait General Self-confidence and trait Positive Thinking in Race 1 and on variables trait General Self-confidence, state General Self-confidence, and state Positive Thinking Race 2; and (d) trait General Self-confidence and trait Confidence in Unfavorable Situations were the most important predictors of young swimmers’ performances. These results may be useful in application to competitive sports for young athletes. They may help in psychodiagnostic procedures and may be used for both the content and the direction of individual programs for psychological preparation of young athletes.

We investigate the importance of metal-induced gap states for the tunneling of metal electrons through epitaxial insulator films. By introducing an imaginary part kappa to the wave vector in order to describe the decay of the wave function in the insulator, we obtain the complex band structure in the gap region. The spectrum of the decay parameters kappa is calculated for the semiconductors Si, Ge, GaAs, and ZnSe. in most cases, for large enough film thicknesses the tunneling is dominated by states of normal incidence on the interface. Possible exceptions are considered. Based on our conclusions, we discuss the spin-dependent tunneling in Fe/semiconductor/Fe (001) junctions.

The present study examines the genetic variability and the taxonomic relationships among five lacertid species, i.e. Podarcis taurica, P. milensis, P. peloponnesiaca, Lacerta graeca and Algyroides moreoticus, representing the three main genera of this family in Europe. The last four of the above species are endemic to Greece and three of them live sympatrically in Peloponnisos. These relationships were studied by allozyme analysis. Of the loci analyzed, the Mpi-1 locus was found to be a convenient molecular marker for discrimination of the genera Podarcis (allele a), Lacerta (allele b) and Algyroides (allele c). The values of Nei’s genetic distances between the examined species ranged from 0.025 to 0.484. According to the UPGMA-dendrogram plotted using the Nei’s genetic distances, two species groups are formed indicating that the genera Lacerta and Algyroides show a stronger relationship to one another than either does to Podarcis. These results are in agreement with DNA sequence data but are not in accordance with previous electrophoretic and immunological studies, which suggest that Lacerta is more closely related to Podarcis than to Algyroides. The studied Podarcis taxa were found to be close relatives (Nei’s distances <0.18), especially P. taurica and P. milensis. These values are lower than those usually given in the literature for the distinction of lacertid species.

Rhinoviruses are associated with the majority of asthma exacerbations. To date, the pathogenesis of virus-induced asthma exacerbations is still unclear, and no safe effective therapy is available. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) has a central role in inflammatory cell recruitment to the airways in asthma and is the receptor for 90% of rhinoviruses. We have previously shown that rhinovirus infection of lower airway epithelium induces ICAM-1 expression by a transcriptional mechanism that is critically nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent.|The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of systemic (hydrocortisone [HC], dexamethasone [DM]) and topical (mometasone furoate [MF]) corticosteroids on rhinovirus-induced ICAM-1 up-regulation.|Cultured primary bronchial or transformed (A549) respiratory epithelial cells were pretreated with corticosteroids for 16 hours and infected with rhinovirus type 16 for 8 hours. ICAM-1 surface expression was evaluated by flow cytometry. In A549 cells ICAM-1 messenger RNA was evaluated by specific reverse transcription-PCR and promoter activation by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay.|We observed inhibition of rhinovirus-induced ICAM-1 up-regulation with corticosteroid pretreatment in both primary bronchial epithelial and A549 cells. In A549 cells systemic and topical corticosteroids demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition with similar efficacy (inhibitory concentration 50% 10(-10) mol/L, 10(-11) mol/L, and 10(-11) mol/L for HC, DM, and MF respectively). MF also inhibited ICAM-1 messenger RNA induction by rhinovirus infection in a dose-dependent manner. MF completely inhibited rhinovirus-induced ICAM-1 promoter activation. HC, DM, and MF had no direct effect on rhinovirus infectivity and replication in cultured cells.|Corticosteroids decrease rhinovirus-induced ICAM-1 up-regulation in respiratory epithelial cells and modulate pretranscriptional mechanisms. This effect may be important for the therapeutic control of virus-induced asthma exacerbations.

The magnetic critical behavior in the series La-0.67(BaxCa1-x)(0.33)MnO3 (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1) of manganese perovskites is studied by means of DC magnetic measurements. As Ca ions are substituted by the larger Ba ions, the transition temperature increases from 265 to 340 K as a result of structural changes. Arrott plots show that only in samples with x greater than or equal to 0.25 the magnetic properties follow the behavior expected for a conventional second-order ferromagnetic transition. The values of critical exponents (beta, gamma) estimated by modified Arrott plots are found to lie between those predicted for a 3D-Heisenberg model and those of mean field theory. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

We report here the results of a tomographic lithospheric study in the area of the Corinth and Evvia rifts (Greece), designed to constrain the mechanism of continental extension. Sixty seismological stations were deployed in the area for a period of 6 months, and 177 teleseismic events were recorded by more than five stations and gave more than 2000 travel time residuals (P and PKP phases), which were inverted to image the velocity structure down to 200 km depth. We use both a linear and a nonlinear method to invert the data set. The main result is a long-wavelength positive velocity anomaly located in the upper mantle, which is interpreted as the subducted African lithosphere. The subducted lithosphere is well defined from ∼7O km depth down to 200 km. From synthetic tests as well as from the amplitude of the anomaly (more than +7%) we conclude that the subduction continues below 200 km. In addition, a second positive velocity anomaly of about +4% from the surface down to 40 km depth, located north of the Gulf of Corinth, has been found. This is interpreted as the result of a crustal thinning of several kilometers (∼5 km), shifted to the north from the Gulf of Corinth and trending obliquily NW-SE. We suggest that this crustal thinning is mainly related to the Miocene widespread extension in the Aegean and that the Quaternary Corinth rift initiated where the crust was already thinned. The different styles of deformation of the eastern and western part of the rift are consistent with this interpretation. No clear velocity anomaly can be related to the Evvia rift.

We report a patient with a history of orchiectomy for Leydig cell tumor of the testis who developed Cushing syndrome. This syndrome was due to ectopic production of cortisol and was the primary feature of tumor recurrence. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.

In this study an attempt is made to investigate comprehensively the dynamics of a case of cyclogenesis over the Aegean Sea within the context of the potential vorticity. At early stages the cyclogenesis is manifested by a large scale development at the upper levels over Adriatic Sea and Yugoslavia associated with an upper tropospheric potential vorticity anomaly. At later stages a smaller scale development was generated over Aegean Sea associated with a low-level potential vorticity anomaly and a surface warm anomaly. By means of a two-dimensional potential vorticity inversion it is demonstrated that the scale, the position and the strength of the involved anomalies contribute to the surface development, however, the low-level potential vorticity anomaly seems to constitute the most significant feature, more likely to be associated with condensation.

The classical Blandford & Payne model for the magneto-centrifugal acceleration and collimation of a disc-wind is revisited and refined. In the original model, the gas is cold and the solution is everywhere subfast magnetosonic. In the present model the plasma has a finite temperature and the self-consistent solution of the MHD equations starts with a subslow magnetosonic speed which subsequently crosses all critical points, at the slow magnetosonic, Alfvén and fast magnetosonic separatrix surfaces. The superfast magnetosonic solution thus satisfies MHD causality. Downstream of the fast magnetosonic critical point the poloidal streamlines overfocus towards the axis and the solution is terminated. The validity of the model to disc winds associated with young stellar objects is briefly discussed.

The classical Blandford & Payne model for the magneto-centrifugal acceleration and collimation of a disc-wind is revisited and refined. In the original model, the gas is cold and the solution is everywhere subfast magnetosonic. In the present model the plasma has a finite temperature and the self-consistent solution of the MHD equations starts with a subslow magnetosonic speed which subsequently crosses all critical points, at the slow magnetosonic, Alfvén and fast magnetosonic separatrix surfaces. The superfast magnetosonic solution thus satisfies MHD causality. Downstream of the fast magnetosonic critical point the poloidal streamlines overfocus towards the axis and the solution is terminated. The validity of the model to disc winds associated with young stellar objects is briefly discussed.

A total of 55 Enterococcus faecalis and 21 Enterococcus faecium non-replicate isolates were obtained from routine clinical specimens, during a 1 year period, in a tertiary care hospital in Athens, Greece. The most common isolation site was the urinary tract (44% of E. faecalis and 33% of E. faecium isolates). No vancomycin resistance was detected. Ampicillin-resistant isolates did not produce beta-lactamase. High-level gentamicin resistance was detected in 22% and 0% of E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates, respectively. The corresponding figures for high-level streptomycin resistance were 40% and 33%. The aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme gene aac(6')+aph(2") was detected by PCR in 10 of 12 high-level gentamicin-resistant E. faecalis isolates, and the ant(6)-I gene in all high-level streptomycin-resistant isolates of both species. DNA fingerprinting by PFGE grouped 31 of 55 E. faecalis isolates into 10 clusters, and 10 of 21 E. faecium isolates into two clusters, containing two to seven isolates each. Two E. faecalis PFGE types, comprising isolates expressing high-level aminoglycoside resistance, and not observed among non-high-level aminoglycoside-resistant strains, were disseminated in building A of the hospital. In contrast, high-level aminoglycoside resistance seemed to have been acquired nosocomially by a number of genotypically different E. faecium types. Molecular typing was therefore instrumental in understanding the differences in the mode of spread and acquisition of high-level aminoglycoside resistance among these two different enterococcal species.

Voltage-modulated scanning force microscopy has been employed to investigate the dynamics of ferroelectric domains as a function of time and temperature in triglycine sulfate (TGS) single crystals. Branching of the domain structure and nucleation of fine domain patterns by internal fields of thermal origin have been directly observed on the submicron scale. Domain coarsening after quenching TGS samples from the paraelectric phase into the ferroelectric one has been studied, revealing a nonlinear time dependence of the characteristic correlation domain length and supporting the validity of dynamical scaling law and the conservation of the total surface charge. Substantial differences in the evolution of the domain structure have been detected during cooling or heating treatment in the ferroelectric phase. Domain contrast is shown to monitor the ferroelectric phase transition through its temperature dependence, reflecting the competition between electrostatic and piezoelectric effects. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Oxygen deficient La0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3O6+x has been studied by EPR spectroscopy. The temperature dependence of EPR spectrum reveals the presence of sustained magnetic ordering of the Gd3+ sublattice and localized paramagnetic centers corresponding to copper-oxygen clusters. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The temperature dependence of the EPR spectra for the oxygen deficient Ni2 FeVO6-δ compound has been investigated in the range of 50-300 K. An intense EPR line associated with high-spin iron centers or ferromagnetic clusters, is observed. The strong temperature dependence of the EPR intensity, resonance field and line width is consistent with the stepwise magnetization variation and supports the presence of successive magnetic anomalies at lower temperatures. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The Bardeen model - the first regular black hole model in General Relativity - is reinterpreted as the gravitational field of a nonlinear magnetic monopole, i.e., as a magnetic solution to Einstein equations coupled to a nonlinear electrodynamics. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

The g factors of the 21/+ and 31/- states in semi-magic 90Zr have been measured for the first time with the technique of Coulomb excitation of 90Zr beams in inverse kinematics in combination with transient magnetic fields. The resulting g factors, g(21/+) = +1.25(21) and g(31/3) = +0.986(56), are both consistent with a dominant g(9/2) proton configuration and a closed N = 50 neutron shell. The lifetime of the 21/+ state was measured by the Doppler shift attenuation method, ? = 0.126(3) ps. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Contrast mechanisms for the detection of antiparallel domains in ferroelectric materials such as triglycine sulfate are investigated in the dynamic contact electrostatic force microscope. The domain contrast exhibits strong dependence on voltage modulation frequency, which is explained with the excitation of resonant modes of the cantilever in contact conditions. Phenomena such as contrast enhancement, inversion, and nulling are detected and accounted for with a simple model for the tip-sample interaction. The model includes the effects of the viscoelastic sample response and confirms that the observed contrast features have to be attributed to the spectral response of the tip-sample junction. © 2000 The American Physical Society.

GALEN-IN-USE is a European project that aims to promote greater European harmonization and to overcome the problems encountered in using traditional coding and classification systems. This paper presents the work done by the Greek Centre of Medical Informatics and Terminology, as a collaborating centre of GALEN-IN-USE(GIU), in order to apply GIU's tools to Greek Health Care System as well as the affect of this application in education.

Background: Gemcitabine and vinorelbine have shown activity in breast cancer. A phase II trial was initiated in order to evaluate the response rate (RR) and time to progression (TTP) of the combination of the two drugs in patients with metastatic breast cancer progressing after first-line taxane-based chemotherapy. Patients and methods: Thirty-one patients were treated with the combination of gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 days 1 + 8 and vinorelbine 30 mg/m2 days 1 + 8. The cycles were repeated every three weeks. Results: Of 27 evaluable patients 1 (4%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.1%-19%) achieved complete remission (CR), five (18%; 95% CI: 6%-38%) partial remission (PR), eleven (40%; 95% CI: 22%-61%) stable disease and ten patients progressed. The median duration of response was six months (range 4-10+) and the median duration of disease stabilization was five months (range 2-22+). With a median follow-up of 16 months (range 0.4-22+) the median TTP was 3.5 months (range 0.4-22+) and the median survival was 9.5 months (range 0.4-22+). Grade 3-4 toxicities were granulocytopenia 15 patients (48%), rash 3 patients (10%), neuropathy 1 patient (3%) and thrombocytopenia 1 patient (3%). In conclusion the combination of gemcitabine/vinorelbine in the doses administered in this group of patients had a response rate of 22% and needs to be further evaluated in metastatic breast cancer.

Coastal zone of the Ithaki Island consists mainly of calcareous rocks (>80%) of the Ionian geotectonic zone and secondarily of Neogene sequences, flysch and Quaternary deposits. Due to the presence of carstic limestones, vegetation is poor with the ‘makia’ type of vegetation to cover almost the half of the coastal land. In terms of coast formation, four types of coasts have been identified, according toShepard’s genetic classification; these are coasts of: tectonic origin, terrestrial deposition, subaerial erosion and marine erosion. The small coastal towns and villages occupy only the 3,1% of the coastal land being developed primarily on Quaternary deposits and in areas with small (10%) topographic slope. Beaches suitable for touristic activities are present within protected small bays and usually are associated with the presence of fluvial deposits reworked by the existed wave activity.

The paper argues, varying Cantor’s well-known set-theoretic reasoning, that the principle “(It is possible that p) iff (in some possible world, p)” leads to a paradoxical conclusion regarding how many possible worlds there are. The argument justifies some scepticism about whether there are possible worlds in any of the philosophical senses of the term (as opposed to the sense in which we talk about possible worlds in modal logic and which is minimally laden from a metaphysical viewpoint).

This work is a description of the water masses and circulation in the site of the CINCS (Pelagic–Benthic Coupling IN the Oligotrophic Cretan Sea) experiment in the southern boundary of the Cretan Sea, a region of recently renewed interest with respect to the hydrology of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin. Analysis of hydrological data from the study area reveals the presence of five water masses: local surface water and remotely advected Modified Atlantic Water (MAW) share the surface layers below them are Cretan Intermediate Water (CIW), between 50 and 150 dbar, Transition Mediterranean Waters (TMW) with its core located between 300–400 dbar, and the Cretan Deep Waters (CDW) occupying the depths below 800 dbar. The circulation over the coastal shelf and slope is dictated by the offshore semi-permanent mesoscale features that dominated the Cretan Sea in 1994–1995, forcing locally a shoreward flow. The hydrographic observations are verified by current-meter measurements from a mooring in the sampling area. The recorded velocity is generally towards the SE direction, seasonally modulated, reaching maximum speeds of 27 cm s−1. Analysis of the new data set has revealed a previously unobserved feature of the oceanographic characteristics of the region. Over the base of the Cretan Slope there occur lenses of water that are warmer and more saline than their surroundings. These lenses probably form on the shelf seasonally; their waters are rich in oxygen, and have a density that is higher than historical Cretan Deep Water values.

Background: The prognosis of platinum resistant ovarian cancer is very poor and the treatment of choice has not been clearly defined. Patients and methods: We conducted a phase II study with the combination of ifosfamide i.v. at 2.25 g/m2 (days 1, 2) and etoposide per os at 100 mg daily (days 1- 10) every four weeks. To be eligible for the study patients had to be resistant to platinum and paclitaxel pretreated. Results: Forty-one patients entered the study. The median interval from the previous chemotherapy was 3.9 months. The median number of previous chemotherapeutic regimens was 2. Severe toxicities included neutropenia (41% of patients), leukopenia (29%) and thrombocytopenia (13%). Thirty-five patients are assessable for response. Nine patients responded (22% of the eligible, 26% of the assessable), four of them demonstrated complete response to chemotherapy (10% and 12%, respectively), while three patients demonstrated stabilization of their progressive disease. After a median follow-up of 18 months, time to progression is 3 months (range 0.9-14.4), duration of response is 9 months (2.5-11) and median survival is 13 months (2.5-37.4+). Conclusions: The combination of ifosfamide with oral etoposide appears to have significant but manageable toxicity and encouraging efficacy in platinum resistant ovarian cancer.

Among all imaging modalities, magnetic resonance imaging provides the most useful information about the accurate staging of solitary bone plasmacytoma, the prediction of progression of asymptomatic multiple myeloma and the prognosis of symptomatic multiple myeloma. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging contributes to the differential diagnosis of compression fractures in patients with myeloma and can be used for assessment of response to treatment.

We present a number of data for the Pyrgos (W.Peloponnessos, Greece), which took place on 26 March1993 and caused considerable damage in the town ofPyrgos and the surrounding area. The local geologicaland neotectonic conditions are also outlined; they aremainly characterized by complex stratigraphicstructure and outcrop pattern, together with a largenumber of large active fault zones and/or isolatedfaults. The detailed damage recording in themeizoseismal area, which was based on the EMS-92,showed significant differentiation of damage from oneurban unit to another, regardless of the foundationformation. The correlation of the existing dataconfirmed the decisive impact of faults and fault zoneon intensity distributions. It was also clear that,the larger a fault zone, the greater was thedifference in intensity across that structure.

A number of repetitive DNA clones were generated from PCR amplifications of Indian muntjac genomic DNA using primer sequences derived from a white tailed deer satellite II DNA sequence. One clone (Mmv-0.7) was characterized and shown to be a cervid satellite II DNA clone. Multiple colored FISH studies with cervid satellite I (C5) and this satellite II clone (Mmv-0.7) to Chinese muntjac metaphase chromosomes localized both satellite DNAs at the pericentromeric regions of all chromosomes except for chromosome 3 and the Y chromosome, whereas chromosome 3 exhibited pericentromeric satellite II DNA only. Where distinguishable, the pericentromeric satellite II signals appeared terminally oriented with respect to satellite I. Six pairs of Chinese muntjac autosomes had interstitial satellite I sites with four of these autosomal pairs (chromosomes 1, 2 and two other smaller autosomal pairs) also exhibiting interstitial satellite II signals. An interstitial site on the X chromosome was found to have satellite II signals. For the Indian muntjac chromosomes, FISH studies revealed a pericentromeric hybridization for satellites I and II as well as 27 distinct interstitial hybridization sites, each having at least one of the satellite DNAs. These data were used to more precisely define the chromosome fusion-associated breakpoints that presumably led to the formation of the present-day Indian muntjac karyotype. It further hints at the possibility that the Indian muntjac karyotype may have evolved directly from a 2n = 70 ancestral karyotype rather than from an intermediate 2n = 46 Chinese muntjac-like karyotype.

Health informatics is a recently established and important multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary field that not only involves informatics but also medicine, nursing, engineering, biology and other-related subjects. A coordination of this field at a postgraduate level becomes important now in Europe where other European Community programs such as the Telematics for Health Care will require at the Fourth Framework Programme (1994-1999) and the Fifth Framework Programme (2000-2006) adequate human resources of higher potential and knowledge. A European M.Sc. course met all the above objectives. The curriculum was developed according to previous experiences in similar programmes. Recently the course has been organised on the basis of an Inter-University nature with the participation of 5 Greek Universities. The paper aims at providing a description of the new academic programme and a brief evaluation of the implementation phase.

This article focused on the investigation of the time characteristics of individual sets of volleyball matches in relation to their order in the match, the total number of sets in the game, the category of the teams and the sex of the players in two consecutive years, before and after the enforcement of the new regulations. All the matches from the corresponding leagues in Greece for 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 were taken into consideration giving a total of 1016 games. Besides the obvious conclusion that sets from games with a 3-0 final score are smaller in duration than sets form games with a 3-1 or 3-2 final score, it seems that the professionalism of the teams playing a volleyball match bears a strong relevance to set duration characteristics and interdependencies. Professional teams are able to display a more consistent performance throughout all the sets of the game. Based on the present inferences, as well as taking into consideration the requirements of a more rigorous presence of volleyball in the TV, where the time fluctuations of the duration of a volleyball match should be eliminated, it is proposed that the game of volleyball should be played with a fixed number of sets and that this number should be equal to four.  Keywords: Volleyball, match duration, set duration.

Voltage-modulated scanning force microscopy has been applied to investigate domain kinetics in triglycine sulfate single crystals, thermally quenched from the paraelectric to the ferroelectric phase. Temporal analysis of the equal-time correlation functions shows that the average domain size grows initially with a power law dependence close to that of conserved systems, whereas a crossover to the slower logarithmic growth law (Formula presented) predicted for systems with random impurities occurs in the late stage of coarsening. Domain growth is dominated by a single characteristic length scale consistent with the dynamical scaling hypothesis. The total surface charge corresponding to the domain area of the two polarization states is found to be conserved within the studied time scale, indicating that the system may be considered to behave like one with conserved order parameter. © 2000 The American Physical Society.

We investigate theoretically the spatial dependence of the linear absorption spectra of single and coupled semiconductor quantum dots, where the strong three-dimensional quantum confinement leads to an overall enhancement of Coulomb interaction and, in turn, to a pronounced renormalization of the excitonic properties. We show that—because of such Coulomb correlations and the spatial interference of the exciton wave functions—unexpected spectral features appear whose intensity depends on spatial resolution in a highly nonmonotonic way when the spatial resolution is comparable with the excitonic Bohr radius. We finally discuss how the optical near-field properties of double quantum dots are affected by their coupling.

Local Hall dc-susceptibility and global dc-magnetization measurements are used in order to construct the vortex matter phase diagram for a HgBa2CuO4+x single crystal with T similar to 89.9 K. For T > T* = 82 K, the points where the step in rile local ac-susceptibility measurements and the anomaly in the de magnetization measurements occur fall on the same curve, indicating that the same phenomenon is observed in both cases. We modeled these points by a power law H-m(T) = H-o(1-T/T-c)(a), with a = 2.4 +/- 0.1 and H-o = 267 +/- 125 kOe. The local Nail ac-susceptibility data, below the "step" temperature, show a behavior which can be explained if we suppose that at the vicinity of the step a local peak in the J(c)(T) curve exists (so-called peak effect). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Oxygen deficient ErxY1-xBa3Cu26+y (x=1.0, 0.5) compounds are studied by EPR spectroscopy. The EPR spectra reveal the presence of high spin (S>1) paramagnetic centers, dimers and free Cu2+ ions, which appear enhanced in the mixed R phase and suppressed in the single R123 one, consistent with phase separation. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

We performed magnetic moment (m) relaxation measurements at low temperatures (5 less than or equal to T less than or equal to 20 K) in two single phase, c-axis-oriented polycrystalline Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta (2223) samples prepared under different conditions with different T-c's. The m versus t data show a logarithmic relation and by fitting them the J(c)(H, T) and U-c(H, T) variation were extracted. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The relaxation of the magnetic moment of a thin disk of YBa2Cu3O7-delta superconductor in a perpendicular magnetic field shows a logarithmic dependence on time for the examined temperature range T: 10-60 K. Data are analyzed within an analytical model. The temperature dependencies of the critical current j(c), and the pinning potential U-0, are estimated by fitting the relaxation data. Furthermore, the E versus j characteristics are quantitatively derived from the relaxation data at the circumference of the disk. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

{During the summer of 1993, a network of seismological stations was installed over a period of 7 weeks around the eastern Gulf of Corinth where a sequence of strong earthquakes occurred during 1981. Seismicity lies between the Alepohori fault dipping north and the Kaparelli fault dipping south and is related to both of these antithetic faults. Focal mechanisms show normal faulting with the active fault plane dipping at about 45° for both faults. The aftershocks of the 1981 earthquake sequence recorded by King et al. (1985) were processed again and show similar results. In contrast, the observations collected near the western end of the Gulf of Corinth during an experiment conducted in 1991 (Rigo et al.), and during the aftershock studies of the 1992 Galaxidi and the 1995 Aigion earthquakes (Hatzfeld et al. 1996; Bernard et al. 1997) show seismicity dipping at a very low angle (about 15°) northwards and normal faulting mechanisms with the active fault plane dipping northwards at about 30°. We suggest that the 8–12 km deep seismicity in the west is probably related to the seismic—aseismic transition and not to a possible almost horizontal active fault dipping north as previously proposed. The difference in the seismicity and focal mechanisms between east and west of the Gulf could be related to the difference in the recent extension rate between the western Gulf of Corinth and the eastern Gulf of Corinth, which rotated the faults dipping originally at 45° (as in the east of the Gulf) to 30° (as in the west of the Gulf).}

Take a formula of first-order logic which is a logical consequence of some other formulae according to model theory, and in all those formulae replace schematic letters with English expressions. Is the argument resulting from the replacement valid in the sense that the premisses could not have been true without the conclusion also being true? Can we reason from the model-theoretic concept of logical consequence to the modal concept of validity? Yes, if the model theory is the standard one for sentential logic; no, if it is the standard one for the predicate calculus; and yes, if it is a certain model theory for free logic. These conclusions rely inter alia on some assumptions about possible worlds, which are mapped into the models of model theory. Plural quantification is used in the last section, while part of the reasoning is relegated to an appendix that includes a proof of completeness for a version of free logic.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell neoplasm characterized by bone marrow infiltration with malignant plasma cells, which synthesize and secrete monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) fragments. Despite the considerable progress in the understanding of MM biology, the molecular basis of the disease remains elusive. The initial transformation is thought to occur in a post-germinal center B-lineage cell, carrying a somatically hypermutated Ig heavy chain (IGH) gene. This plasmablastic precursor cell colonizes the bone marrow, propagates clonally and differentiates into a slowly proliferating myeloma cell population, all under the influence of specific cell adhesion molecules and cytokines. Production of interleukin-6 by stromal cells, osteoblasts and, in some cases, neoplastic cells is an essential element of myeloma cell growth, with the cytokine stimulus being delivered intracellularly via the Jack-STAT and ras signaling pathways. While karyotypic changes have been identified in up to 50% of MM patients, recent molecular cytogenetic techniques have revealed chromosomal abnormalities in the vast majority of examined cases. Translocations mostly involve illegal switch rearrangements of the IGH locus with various partner genes (CCND1, FGFR3, c-maf). Such events have been assigned a critical role in MM development. Mutations in coding and regulatory regions, as well as aberrant expression patterns of several oncogenes (c-myc, ras) and tumor suppressor genes (p16, p15) have been reported. Key regulators of programmed cell death (BCL-2, Fas), tumor expansion (metalloproteinases) and drug responsiveness (topoisomerase II alpha) have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of this hematologic malignancy. A tumorigenic role for human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) was postulated recently, following the detection of viral sequences in bone marrow dendritic cells of MM patients. However, since several research groups were unable to confirm this observation, the role of HHV8 remains unclear. Translation of the advances in MM molecular biology into novel therapeutic strategies is essential in order to improve disease prognosis.

The relevance of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infections in liver pathology remains unclear. To investigate the epidemiology of GBV-C/HGV in Athens, Greece, sera from 512 subjects were screened for present and past markers of GBV-C/HGV infection using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a serological assay, respectively. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 18/56 (32.1%), 12/42 (28.6%), and 16/55 (29.1%) patients with acute hepatitis B, C, or non-A-E, and in 5/58 (8.6%) and 18/68 (26.5%) patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, respectively, as well as in 50/133 (37.6%) hemodialysis patients and 10/100 (10%) healthy individuals. The data indicated that GBV-C/HGV seroprevalence is age-dependent; thus, GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2 positivity were shown to be associated with younger age [odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0. 97-1.00, P = 0.017] and older age (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, P = 0.002), respectively. No significant associations were identified between GBV-C/HGV RNA status and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in either hepatitis or hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive acute non-A-E hepatitis patients were more likely to manifest a more severe clinical form of acute hepatitis (P = 0.024). Phylogenetic analysis of partial 5'-untranslated region sequences isolated from 18 viremic individuals showed that most GBV-C/HGV strains circulating in the greater metropolitan area of Athens belong to the 2a subgroup. A genetically diverse type 2 sequence that may represent a novel subtype within group 2 was also characterized.

Health informatics is a recently established and important multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary field that not only involves informatics but also medicine, nursing, engineering, biology and other-related subjects. A co-ordination of this field at a postgraduate level becomes important now in Europe where other European Community programs such as the Telematics for Health Care will require at the Fourth Framework Programme (1994-1999) and the Fifth Framework Programme (2000-2006) adequate human resources of higher potential and knowledge. A European M.Sc. course met all the above objectives. The curriculum was developed according to previous experiences in similar programmes. Recently the course has been organised on the basis of an Inter-University nature with the participation of 5 Greek Universities. The paper aims at providing a description of the new academic programme and a brief evaluation of the implementation phase.

We present a new version of a program for the calculation of the frequency band structure of an infinite photonic crystal, and of the transmission, reflection and absorption coefficients of light by a slab of this crystal. The crystal consists of a stack of identical slices parallel to a given surface; a slice may consist of a number of different components, each of which can be either a homogeneous plate or a multilayer of non-overlapping spherical particles of given periodicity parallel to the surface. The homogeneous media to the left and right of the slab may be different (have different real and positive dielectric functions and magnetic permeabilities).

In this poster we present the architecture of a new music interface for blind musicians,integrated in the WEDELMUSIC1 environment which is under development at ILSP2. Our scope is tofacilitate the access of visually impaired persons to musical databases (scores, audio and MIDI files)via Internet and give them the possibility to edit and create musical scores.

This paper shows that some plausible assumptions about any object that has a name lead to the conclusion that the object could not have failed to exist. Considering the conclusion wrong, I argue that the source of the error is the principle “If something is the case, it could not have been impossible”, which occurs in some systems of modal logic; if an object did not exist, it would not be possible for it to exist.

The geopolitical situation creates the conditions which will allow the signing of treaties of friendship and cooperation between the Arab countries in the region and Israel. Unthreatened by the Iranian or Syrian export of “Islamic revolution” or “Kurdish terrorism” respectively, relieved of the “pan-Arab syndromes” caused by the non-resolution of the Palestinian problem, Arab governments in the region will no longer have any impediment to their promotion of long-range plans for cooperation with Israel, aiming at the development and prosperity of the region

We present BVRI CCD photometry for 12 RR Lyrae variables, including three newly discovered ones in the Oosterhoff type II globular cluster NGC 6426. New light curves and ephemerides are presented. The mean periods of the RRab and RRc variables whose light curves are analyzed in this work are <Pab>=0.70+/-0.02 days and <Pc>=0.34+/-0.03 days, respectively. The number ratio of the RRc type variables to the total number of RR Lyrae type variables is n(c)/n(ab+c)=0.36. The period-amplitude relation for fundamental-mode RR Lyrae variables (RRab) in NGC 6426 supports the recent conclusion of Clement & Shelton that this relation is not a function of metal abundance. Fourier decomposition of the light curves has been used to determine the mass, luminosity, and temperature for the RRc stars. Application of the formula of Jurcsik & Kovács, which relates Fourier parameters of RRab stars to [Fe/H], yielded the value [Fe/H]=-2.16+/-0.13 dex, which is compatible (given the errors) with the value -2.33+/-0.15 dex, derived from the red giant branch color index developed by Hatzidimitriou et al. From star counts along the horizontal branch (HB), we obtain the Lee et al. HB color distribution index, (B-R)/(B+V+R)=0.58+/-0.18. The HB of NGC 6426 resembles that of NGC 5053 and M68. We find almost no faint blue stars analogous to the ones constituting the extended HB in M15.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) support has become a widely used treatment strategy. In order to simplify the procedure, a single very large-volume leukapheresis, programme combined with short-term refrigerated storage of the PBPC was developed. Seventy-two patients suffering from various relatively chemosensitive malignancies received high-dose chemotherapy, consisting of agents with short in vivo half-lives and 24 to 48 hours later, the refrigerated PBPC were reinfused. A single very large-volume apheresis was sufficient to obtain at least 2 × 106/kg CD34+ cells in 58 patients, (81%). and 63% had at least 2.5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. Only two patients (3%) were transplanted with less than 1 × 10 CD34+ cells/kg. In three patients (4%) leukupheresis was repeated because of insufficient number of PBPC. The median CD34+ cell count was 3 × 106/kg. A median of 38.5 L blood (range, 21 to 59) was processed, which accounted for a median of 9 × patient's total blood volume. Very large-volume leukapharesis was well tolerated with symptomatic hypocalcemia being the most common (18%) side-effect. The median time to neutrophils >1.5 × 109/L, and to self-supporting platelet COUDI >25 × 109/L, was 10 and 12 days after reinfusion of PBPC graft, respectively. There were no treatment-related deaths. Our results indicate that this simplified approach of PBPC transplantation can be associated with prompt hematologic recovery in most patients and that it can be useful in settings where facilities are limited or for certain diseases where conditioning regimens with short hall-life are appropriate. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

It is proposed to perform accurate manoeuvring of a submarine in straight horizontal course, with independent control of elevation angle and heave velocity. Independent control is accomplished via a noninteracting control technique using a static state feedback law. The general analytic expression of the feedback controllers satisfying the I/O decoupling requirement is derived. The necessary and sufficient conditions for noninteracting control with simultaneous stability are explicitly determined in terms of the stability derivatives of the submarine.

It is proposed to perform accurate manoeuvring of a submarine in straight horizontal course, with independent control of elevation angle and heave velocity. Independent control is accomplished via a noninteracting control technique using a static state feedback law. The general analytic expression of the feedback controllers satisfying the I/O decoupling requirement is derived. The necessary and sufficient conditions for noninteracting control with simultaneous stability are explicitly determined in terms of the stability derivatives of the submarine.

Four different parameter estimation criteria, the geometric mean functional relationship (GMFR), the maximum likelihood (ML), the perpendicular least-squares (PLS) and the non-linear weighted least squares (WLS), were used to fit a model to the observed data when both regression variables were subject to error. Performances of these criteria were evaluated by fitting the co-operative drug-protein binding Hill model on simulated data containing errors in both variables. Six types of data were simulated with known variances. Comparison of the criteria was done by evaluating the bias, the relative standard deviation (S.D.) and the root-mean-squared error (RMSE), between estimated and true parameter values. Results show that (1) for data with correlated errors, all criteria perform poorly; in particular, the GMFR and ML criteria. For data with uncorrelated errors, all criteria perform equally well with regard to the RMSE. (2) Use of GMFR and ML lead to lower values far S.D. but higher biases compared with WLS and PLS. (3) WLS performs less well when equal dispersion is applied to the two observed variables. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The evolution of photoluminescence (PL) spectra of single GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots (QD) is studied as a function of laser excitation power and temperature. At very low powers, where multi‐exciton occupation of the QD can be excluded, an unexpected and pronounced spectral evolution is observed (large energy shifts and appearance of multiple emission lines). A similar evolution is observed at low excitation powers with increasing temperature. A model, taking into account the influence of the shallow, residual impurities in the environment of each QD, explains the observed spectral evolutions in terms of photo‐depletion of the QD and hopping of impurity‐bound carriers back into the QD. Theoretical calculations of the PL due to Nelectrons + 1 hole (Ne + 1h) QD states allow us to attribute the ≈︂2 meV spaced lines in the experimental spectra to the different charge states Ne + 1h, (N — 1) e + 1h, … of the QD.

Η ενασχόληση με το θέμα της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής του ανθρώπου και της ορθόδοξης χριστιανικής ηθικής σε επίπεδο διδακτορικής διατριβής αποτέλεσε πρωτότυπο έργο, αφού δεν είχε υποβληθεί έως τότε σε Θεολογική Σχολή παρόμοια μελέτη.  Στην παρούσα διατριβή αναφέρονται διεξοδικά τα ηθικά ερωτήματα και προβλήματα που προκύπτουν από την εφαρμογή της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής στον άνθρωπο και διατυπώνονται απόψεις με βάση την ορθόδοξη χριστιανική ηθική και την ποιμαντική προοπτική του θέματος.  Στην εισαγωγή της εργασίας επισημαίνεται η σπουδαιότητα του θέματος και παρατίθεται η σχετική με αυτό προβληματική. Η διατριβή διαιρείται σε οκτώ κεφάλαια.  Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο αναφέρεται η αντίληψη για το ανθρώπινο έμβρυο στη χριστιανική παράδοση και τεκμαίρεται ο σεβασμός που είναι αναγκαίο να απολαμβάνει από τη σύλληψη, μέσω της παράθεσης βιβλικών και πατερικών κειμένων. Η συγκεριμένη θέση κρίνεται απαραίτητη για το λόγο ότι αρκετά έμβρυα, τα οποία δημιουργούνται εργαστηριακά, είτε καταψύχονται είτε καταστρέφονται μετά από ορισμένο χρόνο αποθήκευσης.   Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται τα προβλήματα, τα οποία προκαλούν η στειρότητα και η ατεκνία στο ζεύγος, όπως το κοινωνικό όνειδος, οι ψυχικές επιπλοκές και η θλίψη που προκαλείται στον άνθρωπο.  Εκτίθεται συνοπτικά η αντιμετώπισή τους, σύμφωνα με την ιουδαϊκή και τη χριστιανική παράδοση, δηλαδή μέσα από τις βιβλικές διηγήσεις και τις πατερικές ερμηνευτικές προσεγγίσεις. Μέσω των αναφορών σε συναξάρια και περιστατικά στείρων ζευγαριών, τα οποία αντιμετώπισαν το πρόβλημα της ατεκνίας,  παρουσιάζονται περιπτώσεις συζύγων που συγκαταλέγονται στη χορεία των αγίων της Ορθόδοξης  Εκκλησίας. Ο Θεός πατέρας εισακούοντας τις προσευχές τους, χαρίζει τέκνα, αν και βρίσκονταν σε προχωρημένη ηλικία. Με το γεγονός  αυτό φανερώνεται η λύση που δίνει ο Θεός πατέρας στο πρόβλημα της στειρότητας, συνεργούντος του άτεκνου ζεύγους και μαρτυρείται η εμπιστοσύνη των συζύγων στο  θέλημα του Θεού. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται τα παθολογικά αίτια της στειρότητας και τα ιατρικά μέσα αντιμετώπισής της.  Επιπλέον, γίνεται λόγος για την υιοθεσία, η οποία πριν από την εμφάνιση των μεθόδων της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής,  αποτελούσε για αιώνες τρόπο αντιμετώπισης της ατεκνίας.  Τέλος, σημειώνεται συνοπτικά η κείμενη νομοθεσία στη χώρα μας, παρατίθενται στατιστικά στοιχεία για τον αριθμό των  υιοθεσιών στην Ελλάδα και γίνεται σύντομη αναφορά στη νέα νομοθετική ρύθμιση για την υιοθεσία σε σχέση με την υποβοηθούμενη αναπαραγωγή. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο αναφέρονται οι μέθοδοι της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής και περιγράφονται  η λειτουργία και η εφαρμογή των μεθόδων αυτών σε εργαστηριακό περιβάλλον. Συγκεκριμένα, γίνεται λόγος για την τεχνητή σπερματέγχυση και αναλύονται οι  διαφορές ανάμεσα στην ομόλογη και την ετερόλογη γονιμοποίηση. Στη συνέχεια, παρουσιάζεται λεπτομερώς η εξωσωματική γονιμοποίηση και οι επιμέρους μεθόδοι αυτής. Στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο εξετάζονται με χαρακτηριστικά παραδείγματα η δανεική μητρότητα και τα νομικά προβλήματα που ανακύπτουν από την εφαρμογή της στην αναπαραγωγική διαδικασία. Στο έκτο κεφάλαιο σημειώνονται και κρίνονται οι σύγχρονες δυνατότητες και συνέπειες, που απορρέουν από  την εφαρμογή των μεθόδων της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής, όπως για παράδειγμα, η προεμφυτευτική διάγνωση των εμβρύων, ο πειραματισμός και η κατάψυξή τους, η απόκτηση τέκνων από ομοφυλόφιλα ζευγάρια, η προγενετική επιλογή φύλου και τέλος η κλωνοποίηση. Στο έβδομο κεφάλαιο καταγράφονται τα ηθικά προβλήματα και διλήμματα, που αναφύονται από την εφαρμογή των μεθόδων της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής.  Επιπλέον, αναφέρονται οι σύγχρονες θεολογικές θέσεις και απόψεις για το θέμα, τόσο των ορθοδόξων μελετητών, όσο και των ετεροδόξων, κυρίως των Ρωμαιοκαθολικών και των Προτεσταντών, όπως αυτές αποτυπώνονται σε επίσημα έγγραφα και επιστημονικές ανακοινώσεις τους. Στο όγδοο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζεται για πρώτη φορά η ηθική αξιολόγηση των μεθόδων της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής από την οπτική γωνία της ορθόδοξης χριστιανικής ηθικής. Επιχειρείται η διατύπωση και η ανάπτυξη ορθόδοξης πρότασης για τη χρήση των μεθόδων αυτών.  Η διατριβή ολοκληρώνεται με τον επίλογο και τα συμπεράσματα, καθώς και με τη συνοπτική μετάφραση στην αγγλική γλώσσα. Τέλος, παρατίθεται η  ελληνόγλωσση  και ξενόγλωσση βιβλιογραφία, στην οποία συμπεριλαμβάνεται ικανός αριθμός ελληνόγλωσσων και ξενόγλωσσων άρθρων και δημοσιευμάτων σε εφημερίδες και επιστημονικά περιοδικά για τα θέματα της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής, ευρύτερα  της γενετικής, αλλά και της υιοθεσίας και της κλωνοποίησης. Η διδακτορική διατριβή βρίσκεται στη βάση δεδομένων «Εθνικό Αρχείο Διδακτορικών Διατριβών» του Εθνικού Κέντρου Τεκμηρίωσης και στις  ηλεκτρονικές διευθύνσεις:  http://www.didaktorika.gr/eadd/handle/10442/12582  https://core.ac.uk/display/10955424 http://bioethicsuop.blogspot.gr/p/blog-page_1384.html Στη βάση των ακαδημαϊκών συγγραμάτων ΕΥΔΟΞΟΣ επιλέχθηκε ως προτεινόμενο εγχειρίδιο στα μαθήματα:

1. Τμήμα Θεολογίας, Θεολογική Σχολή Α.Π.Θ., Επιλεγμένο σύγγραμμα 3ο,  στο Μάθημα1154 ΠΡΟΚΛΗΣΕΙΣ ΒΙΟΗΘΙΚΗΣ, εξάμηνο Εαρινό για τα ακαδημαϊκά έτη  2010-11, 2011-12 (στην έντυπη μορφή του Οδηγού Σπουδών), 2012-2013, 2013-14.

2. Τμήμα Μαιευτικής, ΤΕΙ Δυτικής Μακεδονίας, επιλεγμένο σύγγραμμα 2ο  στο Μάθημα 661 ΥΠΟΒΟΗΘΟΥΜΕΝΗ ΑΝΑΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗ, ακαδημαϊκό έτος  2011-2012.   Ενδεικτικές αναφορές επιστημόνων στη διδακτορική διατριβή α. Μαντζαρίδη Γεωργίου, «Η θεώρηση της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής», Επιστημονική Επετηρίδα Θεολογικής Σχολής του Τμήματος Θεολογίας, 10, (2000),  Θεσσαλονίκη, 94, υποσημ. 2   β. Του ιδίου,  Ηθική ΙΙ, εκδ. Πουρναρά, Θεσσαλονίκη 2003, σ. 580, υποσημ. 3 γ. Κεσελόπουλου Ανέστη, Εκ του θανάτου εις την Ζωήν, Θεολογική προσέγγιση στις προκλήσεις της βιοηθικής, εκδ. Πουρναρά, Θεσσαλονίκη 2003, α) σελ.59, υποσημ. 36, β) σελ.144, υποσημ.1, γ) σελ.155, υποσημ.16 δ. Βάντσου Μιλτιάδη, Η ιερότητα της Ζωής, Οι θέσεις της Ρωμαιοκαθολικής Εκκλησίας σε θέματα βιοηθικής, Θεσσαλονίκη 2003, α) σελ.110, υποσημ. 259, β) σελ.248, υποσημ. 688, γ) σελ. 258, υποσημ. 715. ε. Γρινιεζάκη Μακαρίου Αρχ., Κλωνοποίηση, Ηθικοκοινωνικές και Θεολογικές Συνιστώσες, Παντοδαπά της Βιοηθικής τόμος 1ος  εκδόσεις Ακρίτας, Αθήνα 2005. Παραπομπές 113, 267, 320. στ. Ιερόθεου Βλάχου, μητροπολίτου Ναυπάκτου και Αγίου Βλασίου, Βιοηθική και βιοθεολογία, εκδόσεις Ιεράς Μονής Γενεθλίου της Θεοτόκου (Πελαγίας), 2005, σελ. 293-294. Αναφορές στον Τύπο: Σουφλέρη Ιωάννας, «Έρχονται τα κύτταρα Ε.B.D», Το Βήμα της Κυριακής, 7.1.2001. Ενδεικτικές αναφορές στο διαδίκτυο: http://www.bioethics.org.gr/06_d.html (ιστοσελίδα Κέντρου Βιοιατρικής και Ηθικής Δεοντολογίας) http://bitly.com/1WMx4I1(ΠΕΜΠΤΟΥΣΙΑ)      http://dobrotoliubie.com/2016/02/11/православието-и-ин-витро-оплождането/   Βιβλιοκριτικές : α. Δρ. Παπαγιάννη Αντωνίου, Ιατρικά Θέματα 21, (2001),100-101. β. Βάντσου Μιλτιάδη, Orthodoxes Forum 16 (2002), 283-284. γ. Μπουγάτσου Νίκου, Ανάπλασις 396, (2001),183. δ. π. Σωφρόνιου Γκουτζίνη,  Σύναξη 81, (2002),114-115. ε. Χατζηφώτη Ιωάννη, Παύλειος Λόγος 40, (2001), 31. στ. Μητροπολίτου  Ναυπάκτου και Αγίου Βλασίου  κ. Ιερόθεου Βλάχου «ΥΠΟΒΟΗΘΟΥΜΕΝΗ ΑΝΑΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗ - ΝΕΟΣ ΝΟΜΟΣ» (Εἰσήγησις  Ἐνώπιον τῆς Ἱεραρχίας τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ἑλλάδοςτήν 6ην Ὀκτωβρίου 2005)   http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/holysynod/eisigiseis/ierotheos_anaparagogi.htm ……………………………………………………………………………………………… «Στό θέμα τῆς ἰατρικῆς ὑποβοήθησης στήν ἀνθρώπινη ἀναπαραγωγή ὑπάρχει μιά σημαντική ἐπιστημονική μελέτη τοῦ κ. Βασιλείου Φανάρα, τήν ὁποία ὑπέβαλε στήν θεολογική Σχολή Θεσσαλονίκης, ὡς διδακτορική διατριβή, μέ τίτλο «Ὑποβοηθούμενη ἀναπαραγωγή, ἠθικοκοινωνική προσέγγιση».     Στήν ἐνδιαφέρουσα αὐτή ἐπιστημονική μελέτη, ἡ ὁποία κατά τήν ἄποψή μου εἶναι ἡ μοναδική στό εἶδος της, ἀνευρίσκουμε σημαντικά σημεῖα, ὅπως γιά παράδειγμα τί εἶναι ὑποβοηθούμενη ἀναπαραγωγή, ποιές εἶναι οἱ μέθοδοι μέ τίς ὁποῖες γίνεται, ποιές εἶναι οἱ συνέπειες ἀπό τήν ἐφαρμογή της καί ποιά εἶνα τά νομικά, ἠθικά, κοινωνικά καί θεολογικά προβλήματα πού ἀναφύονται μέ τήν χρήση της.  Γιά νά διαπιστωθῆ ἡ ἀξία τῆς μελέτης, ἁπλῶς θά παραθέσω τά ὀκτώ κεφάλαιά της. Στό πρῶτο κεφάλαιο γίνεται λόγος γιά τό ἀνθρώπινο ἔμβρυο στήν Χριστιανική παράδοση. Στό δεύτερο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζεται ……….Τέλος στό ὄγδοο κεφάλαιο ἀναπτύσσεται τό θέμα τῆς ὑποβοηθούμενης ἀναπαραγωγῆς ἀπό πλευρᾶς ὀρθοδόξου χριστιανικῆς ἠθικῆς. Ὁ ἐπίλογος καί τά συμπεράσματα τῆς μελέτης δίδουν μιά συνολική εἰκόνα τοῦ προβλήματος αὐτοῦ.» Σε επόμενη έκδοση της διατριβής θα συμπεριληφθούν οι αναγκαίες προσθήκες (νέες μέθοδοι, νέα νομοθεσία κτλ), οι διορθώσεις των λαθών που επισημάνθηκαν όλα αυτά τα χρόνια και θα προστεθεί η αναγκαία βιβλιογραφική ενημέρωσή της. ISBN 960- 7814-14-2. Κωδικός Βιβλίου στον Εύδοξο: 24976

This research comes to illuminate a masterpiece of ecclesiastical poetry, the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete (660 - 740 A.D.), with the light of two scientific fields: Theology and Pedagogy. It comes to fill the gap of a special treatise on the pedagogic elements and hermeneutical analysis of the Great Canon, on which few and restricted essays have been written, mostly of hymnologic interest.     A hymnological approach of the poem (life and personality of the writer, writing circumstances, language and style) was the first step of the survey. The Great Canon is of tremendous literary value. The poetic and dense language adjusted to a pre-determined poetic measure is a most fascinating instrument, used ingeniously by the composer, whose sacred life was even more fascinating. Apart from the pedagogic character of the Canon, its presence in the Great Lent’s typikon satisfies the aesthetic need of a descend pray.As a liturgical poem, the Great Canon abounds with Orthodoxy. Partially examined, its dogmatic elements concern all branches of systematic Theology. Its full alignment with Orthodoxy discloses the potentials of its pedagogic purpose, which is repentance.Liturgical pedagogy is quite a useful term to describe the procedure of learning how to feel and follow God’s Will through Worship. This pedagogy is not something beyond or alien to any other pedagogic system. Repetition, familiarization, “material participation” (actual physical presence) to Worship are conditions sine qua non for any kind of educational attempt, even if the pedagogic aim has less to do with expanding cognitive faculty and more with enriching people’ s hearts with authentic feelings. Andrew of Crete is overwhelmed with awe and every single word of his Canon is the result of a sincere feeling. Therefore, he can and does «teach» and convey awe to the others. Saint Andrew was and still is an active member of the Church. His life proves that a composer’ s sanctity can bear dogmatic accuracy in his words, renovating inspiration in the difficult task of waking up people’s consciences that belong in different ages, educational levels and spiritual condition. Nevertheless, his pilgrimage has a common basis to stand up: Their membership to the Church, their conscientious and freewill participation in liturgical life, and their intention to follow up the spirit of the Great Lent. The Great Canon is the most intense assault to human egoism that ecclesiastical poetry can give. This impetuous self - assault in its full extent happens only once a year during the Great Lent. This is the most one can bear. The Greek term metania for repentance means change of mind. The composer addresses to the innermost recesses of people’ s hearts so as to instill the procedure of metania in a most discreet way. He leads people to personal conclusions about their own spiritual condition revealing that the only reason to mourn is the loss of Paradise. The conclusions are derived spontaneously as the Sacred Story is unfolded in a profoundly dramatic way. Divine Incarnation brings to the world the possibility of a real relationship with God, which is the basis of the orthodox concept of Pedagogy. In this relationship the unexpected and unstable party is man, not Cod. God is Love and there is nothing more reliable and invariable than love. Man’s personal controversies on the one hand, and the simplicity of the evangelic word on the other, compress any rational pre-scheduled pedagogic action; the only strong argument for the possibility of one’s repentance is the “improvisation” of Paraclete. The classic pedagogic principles are present in the Great Canon and get related to its ceremonial use, orthodox spirituality and mystical catechesis. They are orientated to ecclesiastical life. An effort to reveal the sequence of the writer’s teaching process has led to the safe conclusion that he follows a series of paradigms, parables and pictures derived from the Bible. Moreover, there is enough space for a personal view on the text, and this is why an original hermeneutic approach, yet in complete accordance with Orthodox Pedagogy, was attempted.Common pedagogic means, such as addiction, encouragement, reinforce-ment, advice, orders, paradigms and models are present in the Canon, though not always visible at first glance. Their presentation and analysis was an indispensable, yet profoundly demanding, part of the research. For instance, a pedagogue might be surprised to hear that lamentation serves encouragement. A theologian, however, can easily understand why the Canon’ s mourning is not rendered as the tragic woe of ancient Greek fatality but as the «hopeful despair» of patristic language.Certainly, in this survey Theology is not an opponent to Pedagogy. Each science has been a useful servant to the other. Both of them are something more than scientific fields. They deal with the deepest needs of the human soul - the desire to reach beauty, wisdom and happiness. Both of them have questions to pose and answers to give. However, time has come for the scientific field of Pedagogy to give a sincere answer to the crucial question of God’ s existence, because if He exists he cannot be ignored as a Teacher.URL: https://www.didaktorika.gr/eadd/handle/10442/12018

Purpose: The combination of paclitaxel and carboplatin has become a widely used regimen in NSCLC due to phase II reports of moderate toxicity, reasonable activity and easy outpatient administration. Purpose of our present prospective study was to evaluate the dose-response relationship of paclitaxel. Patients and methods: Since July 1996, 198 patients with non-operable NSCLC and measurable disease without previous chemotherapy entered the trial. Ninety nine patients (group A) were randomized to receive paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 in three-hour infusion plus carboplatin dosed to an area under the concentration-time curve of 6 every 3 weeks and 99 (group B) to receive the same regimen with paclitaxel increased to 225 mg/m2. Eligibility criteria included WHO performance status 0-2, documented inoperable stage IIIA and IIIB, IV, no brain metastasis, no prior chemotherapy and adequate renal and hepatic function. Patients in both groups were well-matched with baseline disease characteristics. Results: In group A with 90 evaluable patients, the response rate was 25.6%(6 CR, 17 PR) whereas in group B with 88 evaluable patients, the response rate was 31.8% (3 CR, 25 PR), P = 0.733. Median time to progression favored the high-dose paclitaxel (4.3 vs. 6.4 months, P = 0.044). The median survival was 9.5 months for group A versus 11.4 months for group B (P = 0.16). The one-year survival was 37% for group A and 44% for group B (P = 0.35). The best prognostic factor for one-year survival was the response rate (P < 0.0001). With a relative dose intensity of paclitaxel 0.94 in both groups, neurotoxicity (P = 0.025) and leucopenia (P = 0.038) were more pronounced in group B patients. No toxic death was observed. Conclusions: Higher dose paclitaxel prolongs the median time to progression but causes more neurotoxicity and leucopenia. The better response rate, the longer overall and better one-year survival seen with the higher dose of paclitaxel are not statistically significant.

Objectives. Both paclitaxel and cisplatin have moderate activity in patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium, and the combination of these two agents has shown activity in a variety of solid tumors. We administered this combination to patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium to evaluate its activity and to define its toxicity. Methods. Twenty-four consecutive patients were treated on an outpatient basis with paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 administered intravenously over a 3-h period followed by cisplatin 75 mg/m2 administered intravenously with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support. The chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks for a maximum of six courses. Results. Sixteen patients (67%; 95% confidence interval, 4584%) achieved an objective response, including seven complete responses and nine partial responses. The median duration of response was 7 months, and the median times to progression and survival for all patients were 8.4 and 17.6 months, respectively. Some degree of neurotoxicity occurred in 44% of patients. Grade 3 or 4 toxicity included granulocytopenia in 22% of patients and peripheral neuropathy in 9%. Conclusion. The combination of paclitaxel with cisplatin with G-CSF support appears active in patients with metastatic or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium. The significant incidence of neurotoxicity is of concern and alternative methods of administration of the two agents could be evaluated. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

BACKGROUND. The combination of paclitaxel with cisplatin or carboplatin has become the preferred chemotherapy regimen in the treatment of epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Anthracyclines also have activity in this disease. We conducted a Phase II study by using the combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and epirubicin for the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma. METHODS. Forty consecutive patients with optimally (n = 7) or suboptimally (n = 33) debulked advanced ovarian carcinoma (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage III or IV) were treated with paclitaxel, 135 mg/m2, as a 3-hour intravenous infusion, cisplatin 75 mg/m2 intravenously (i.v.), and epirubicin 50 mg/m2 i.v. every 3 weeks on an outpatient basis. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor was administered at a dose of 5 μg/kg/day on Days 5-9. RESULTS. Among 28 patients with measurable disease, 24 (86%%) achieved an objective response including 19 complete and 5 partial responses. Among 18 patients who underwent reassessment laparotomy, pathologic complete response was confirmed in 9 patients. At a minimum follow-up of 40 months, the median overall survival had not been reached whereas the median time to progression for all patients was 18.7 months. The median remission duration for women with measurable disease who responded to treatment was 14 months. The treatment was well tolerated without toxic deaths; the most common toxicity was Grade 3/4 neutropenia that occurred in 30% of patients. Significant neuropathy (Grade 2 or higher) developed in only 8% of patients. CONCLUSIONS. The combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and epirubicin is a well tolerated outpatient regimen with significant activity in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. (C) 2000 American Cancer society.

Recent results obtained within the framework of the international observational and research campaigns are reviewed. The main topics are following: magnetic cataclysmic variables: synchronization of the spin and orbital period of the white dwarf; observational evidence on the switching of the accretion from one pole to another; non-dipole configuration of the magnetic field; ``swingings'' of the orientation of the magnetic axis in the `` synchronous systems''; instability of the accretion and the ``red noise''; long-term luminosity changes; UV Cet - like flares; two-pole accretion in the intermediate polars; weakly- and non- magnetic cataclysmic variables: negative and positive superhumps in the nova-like variables; ``red noise'' and/or quasi-periodic oscillations; unprecedented switch of the superhump period in TT Ari; the luminosity dependence of the superhump period in BZ Cam and V725 Aql; long-term variations of the outburst characteristics of dwarf novae and luminosity of old novae - magnetic activity of the red secondary vs third body orbiting around a cataclysmic variable; symbiotic binaries: light curve variations in symbiotic novae and stars with a pulsating component; long-periodic pulsating variables: statistical study of the characteristics of the mean phase curves and of the individual cycles; additional classification criteria for the Mira-type and semi-regular stars. Some of the original papers are available at http://www.paco.odessa.ua/~il-a and http://ila.webjump.com

We study the effect of planar defects in phononic crystals of spherical scatterers. It is shown that a plane of impurity spheres introduces modes of vibration of the elastic field localized on this plane at frequencies within a frequency gap of a pure phononic crystal; these show up as sharp resonances in the transmittance of elastic waves incident on a slab of the crystal. A periodic arrangement of impurity planes along a given direction creates narrow impurity bands with a width which depends on the position of these bands within the frequency gap of the pure crystal and on the separation between the impurity planes. We show how a slight deviation from periodicity (one impurity plane is different from the rest) reduces dramatically the transmittance of elastic waves incident on a slab of the crystal.

The potential of photoacoustic spectroscopy to resolve the crystal field levels of Cu2+ ions in three polyamine copper complexes, aqua spermine copper sulfate trihydrate [NH2(CH2)3NH(CH2)4NH(CH2)3 NH2·Cu2+·H2O]·SO42-·3H2O, norspermine copper sulfate trihydrate [NH2(CH2)3NH(CH2)3NH(CH2)3 NH2·Cu2+·SO42-]·3H2O, and homospermine copper sulfate dihydrate [NH2(CH2)3 NH(CH2)2NH(CH2)3 NH2·Cu2+·SO42-]·2H2O, has been explored along with UV/VIS and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Intense absorption is detected in the photoacoustic spectrum corresponding to the d-d transition band weakly traced in the corresponding optical spectrum. The observed fine structure photoacoustic lines are assigned to the individual d-d transitions of Cu2+ ions, which are further exploited to determine the diverse metal-ligand interaction of the studied compound employing simple crystal field analysis.

UNLABELLED: Plasma immunoreactive endothelin levels were determined in 31 children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis and it was examined whether these levels correlated with the severity of the disease. The study comprised 16 cystic fibrosis patients (mean (SD) age 13.0 (4.9) y) with impaired lung function (Group A), 15 cystic fibrosis patients (11.2 (5.5) y) with unimpaired lung function (Group B) and 28 healthy controls (10.6 (4.3) y) (Group C). The selection and classification of patients into groups was based on criteria including the grade of finger-clubbing, the Brasfield chest radiograph score and spirometric and arterial blood gas values. In all subjects, plasma immunoreactive endothelin, atrial natriuretic peptide, renin, serum aldosterone levels and serum and urine electrolytes were measured. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma endothelin levels were significantly higher in Group A (range 2.5-8.4 pg/ml, median 3.2 pg/ml) than those in Group B (1.3-3.8 pg/ml, median 2.0 pg/ml, p < 0.001) and Group C (1.5-3.5 pg/ml, median 2.5 pg/ml, p < 0.001), whereas they did not differ between groups B and C. They correlated positively with the severity of finger-clubbing, heart rate, arterial blood PCO2, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels and serum aldosterone levels and negatively with the arterial blood PO2, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and the Brasfield chest radiograph score. In multivariate regression analysis PO2 was the only independent factor found to significantly affect plasma endothelin levels. In conclusion, plasma immunoreactive endothelin levels are increased in cystic fibrosis patients with impaired pulmonary function and are related to the severity of the disease.

The aim of this paper, is to demonstrate the use of GIS technology in the study of knickpoints, by processing geographical, geomorphological and geological variables. The final result is the creation of different level databases and thematic maps and their combination in order to help scientists to deduce geomorphological conclusions. These GIS techniques help the user to locate probable knickpoints fast and accurately, minimizing the subjectivity of the processing. This methodology can be easily applied to any set of similar nature primary data, without any modifications. As a case study we used Leukadaisland (West Greece) because it gathers a variety of lithologies, a sufficient rain state, a polymorphic relief and tectonic activity. The result of this study is a field cross-tested method based on GIS techniques that can predict the exact point providing the coordinates (e.g. Longitute/Latitute) of possible knickpoints. Thedata that the user has to supply to the system is a good scale relief and the drainage system of the area.

Preliminary evidence suggests that rituximab, a chimeric antibody that targets CD20+ B cells, may be active in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). In May 1999 we initiated a prospective trial during which patients with WM were treated with rituximab, 375 mg/m2, administered by IV infusion weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Three months after completion of rituximab, patients without evidence of progressive disease received repeat 4-week courses of this agent. Twelve patients have been treated so far.Eight patients were previously untreated, 2 primary refractory and 2 were treated during resistant relapse. The median age was 77 years (range: 39 to 85 years), hemoglobin was < 10.0 gr/ dl in 5 patients, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly were present in 6 and 5 patients respectively. After the initial 4-week courses of rituximab responses were as follows: 75% reduction of IgM in 3 patients, 50% reduction of IgM in 2 patients, 25% reduction of IgM in 1 patient, stable disease in 4 patients and progressive disease in 2 patients. At least 50% reduction of IgM was noted in 3 of 8 previously untreated patients and in 2 of 4 pretreated patients. Among the 10 patients eligible for the second 4-week course of rituximab, 5 patients are évaluable so far: a 25% decrease of IgM was noted in two patients with stable disease after the first course of rituximab. Disappearance or significant reduction of lymphadenopathy or splenomegaly and of bone marrow lymphocytosis occurred in all responding patients. Treatment with rituximab was well tolerated: 3 patients developed grade 1,2 rigors and fever and 2 patients developed flushing. Our prospective study indicate that rituximab is an active and well torelated agent for the treatment of WM.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and the process of Cardiological Nursing Care Plans proposed to be used within an electronic patient record that can fulfill both nursing science and experience. The project is focused on the development of a clinical database capable of analysis to link control of nursing process with clinical outcome.

In order to assess the role of α-interferon or dexamethasone as maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma, 172 consecutive, previously untreated patients with disease of low or intermediate tumor mass received primary therapy with oral melphalan and intermittent, high-dose dexamethasone (MD), repeated monthly. Within 5 months, 84 responding patients were assigned at random to maintenance treatment with α-interferon (3 mU s.c. 3 x weekly) or dexamethasone (20 mg/m2 p.o. each morning for 4 days) repeated monthly until relapse. Upon relapse, MD was resumed for 2 cycles and second responses were maintained with 4-day courses of melphalan-dexamethasone until second relapse. Initial response was achieved in 88 patients (51%) after a median 0.7 month and no more than 3 courses of MD, a frequency of response similar to that observed previously with dexamethasone alone. There were identical median remissions of 10 months with interferon or dexamethasone, both maintenance regimens being associated with infrequent, mild, and reversible side effects. Significantly more patients responded again to resumption of MD after disease relapse to interferon (82%) than to dexamethasone (44%) (P = 0.001). The median remission from randomization to melphalan-resistant second relapse was 32 months for patients maintained initially on interferon compared to 19 months for those on dexamethasone (P = 0.01). These findings supported an advantage for interferon in remission maintenance by increasing the frequency of tumor recontrol with later treatment that included dexamethasone. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The validity of the rapid urease (CLO) test to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with bleeding ulcers has been questioned. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the validity of the CLO test in comparison with histology in diagnosing H. pylori infection in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB), irrespective of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use. METHODS: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed within 24 h of admission for all patients with UGB admitted to the Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, Athens, for a period of 12 months. Patients with variceal bleeding, previous gastric operation, recent treatment with proton pump inhibitors (< 2 months) and those with a history of H. pylori eradication therapy were excluded from the study. At least four biopsies (two from the antrum and two from the body) were obtained for the CLO test and histology (modified Giemsa). RESULTS: Seventy-two consecutive patients (aged 18-90 years, 51 men, 21 women) were included. Forty-six patients (64%) used NSAID. Thirty-two patients (44%) were found to be positive for H. pylori infection by the CLO test, while 44 patients (61%) were found to be positive on histology (P<0.045, 95% CI, 0.004-0.331). The sensitivity and specificity of the CLO test were 68 and 93% respectively; positive and negative predictive values were 94 and 65%, respectively. The age of the patient and visible blood in the stomach did not influence results of either the CLO or histology. CONCLUSIONS: The CLO test, performed within 24 h of hospital admission in patients with UGB, irrespective of NSAID use, is unreliable for the detection of H. pylori infection. The age of the patient and the presence of blood in the stomach do not seem to influence these results.

Human respiratory epithelial cells may act as antigen-presenting cells during respiratory viral infections. In addition to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, antigen presentation requires participation of costimulatory molecules. Here the authors investigated class I and class II antigens and B7-1 and B7-2 costimulatory molecule expression in human A549 pulmonary epithelial cells and primary bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) at baseline and after rhinovirus infection. Constitutive expression of MHC class I and B7-1 molecules was observed on both cell types. MHC class I molecules were up-regulated by rhinovirus infection, while B7-1 was up-regulated only on A549 cells. B7-2 molecules were constitutively expressed at a low level and were up-regulated by rhinovirus only on HBECs. Rhinovirus induction of antigen-presenting molecule expression on A549 cells was accompanied by cellular activation in terms of induction of release of the chemokines RANTES and Groalpha. These data show that respiratory epithelium expresses full antigen-presentation machinery and that rhinovirus infection up-regulates this expression.

Rhinoviruses (RVs) are the most common upper respiratory pathogens, inducing the majority of common colds worldwide. RV-related morbidity, although significant cumulatively, has been considered trivial for the individual patient. However, recent strong epidemiological associations of RVs with asthma exacerbations, including severe episodes requiring hospitalization, indicate that RV infections can result in serious disease. Current evidence supports the possibility that RVs infect the lower airways, inducing a local inflammatory response. Such evidence suggests that the role of RVs in other lower respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis and cystic fibrosis, should be re-examined with polymerase chain reaction-based methodologies, which are considerably more sensitive than traditional, cell culture-based techniques. The mechanisms through which RVs induce lower airway disease are studied to understand the relative contributions of the epithelial, neurogenic and immune components in the antiviral response, and to permit the design and implementation of specific treatments.

Rhinoviruses are the major cause of the common cold and a trigger of acute asthma exacerbations. Whether these exacerbations result from direct infection of the lower airway or from indirect mechanisms consequent on infection of the upper airway alone is currently unknown. Lower respiratory infection was investigated in vitro by exposing primary human bronchial epithelial cells to rhinoviruses and in vivo after experimental upper respiratory infection of human volunteers. Bronchial infection was confirmed by both approaches. Furthermore, rhinoviruses induced production of interleukin-6, -8, and -16 and RANTES and were cytotoxic to cultured respiratory epithelium. This evidence strongly supports a direct lower respiratory epithelial reaction as the initial event in the induction of rhinovirus-mediated asthma exacerbations. The frequency of infection and the nature of the inflammatory response observed are similar to those of the upper respiratory tract, suggesting that rhinovirus infections may be one of the most important causes of lower in addition to upper respiratory disease.

Voltage-modulated scanning force microscopy is applied to study the temperature dependence of the ferroelectric domain structure of triglycine sulfate up to TC, the ferroelectric transition temperature. The polarization image contrast exhibits a power-law decrease as TC is approached, associated with the competition between Maxwell stress and the converse piezoelectric effect. Substantial differences in the static and dynamic domain patterns are detected for two samples of different aging conditions. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

We develop a formalism for the calculation of the frequency band structure of a phononic crystal consisting of nonoverlapping elastic spheres, characterized by Lamé coefficients which may be complex and frequency dependent, arranged periodically in a host medium with different mass density and Lamé coefficients. We view the crystal as a sequence of planes of spheres, parallel to and having the two-dimensional periodicity of a given crystallographic plane, and obtain the complex band structure of the infinite crystal associated with this plane. The method allows one to calculate, also, the transmission, reflection, and absorption coefficients for an elastic wave (longitudinal or transverse) incident, at any angle, on a slab of the crystal of finite thickness. We demonstrate the efficiency of the method by applying it to a specific example.

We present a method, based on the coherent potential approximation, for the treatment of disorder in photonic crystals. We apply the method to the study of light absorption by a three-dimensional array of plasma spheres distributed randomly in a host dielectric medium. We find that the effect of disorder on the absorbance of a thick slab of the material consisting of many layers of spheres is much less pronounced than in the corresponding case of a single layer of spheres.

The evolution of the paper-based to Computer-based Patient Records (CPR) or Electronic Patient Records (EPR) changes the way in which we have to perceive and deal with privacy and security issues. The education and awareness of the users and public of the selfsame issues hold a very important role. A survey was conducted by the Laboratory of Health Informatics of the University of Athens concerning the awareness of future health care professionals. The results are discussed further down and an attempt to define profiles of training courses on security is made.

The Cretan Basin can be characterized as a back-arc basin of the Hellenic Trench System, that is related to the subduction zone of the African Plate under the Eurasia Plate. The study area includes the narrow and relatively steep (gradient 1.5°) continental shelf of the island of Crete followed by the steep slope (2°–4°) and the rather flat deeper part of the Cretan basin (water depths >1700 m). Surficial sediments of the coastal zone are coarser and of terrigenous origin, while in deeper waters finer sediments, of biogenic origin, are more abundant. Sand-sized calcareous sediment accumulations, identified in middle-lower slope, may be attributed to the aggregation of seabed biogenic material related to the near bed current activity. High resolution profiles (3.5 kHz) taken from the inner shelf shows a typical sigmoid-oblique progradational configuration, implying prodelta sediment accumulation during the Holocene. In the upper-middle slope, sub-bottom reflectors indicate continuous sedimentation of alternating fine and/or coarse grained material. Small-scale gravity induced synsedimentary faults appeared, locally. In contrast, a series of gravity induced faults, identified in the lower slope, are associated with sediment instabilities due to seismotectonic activity. Sediment cores taken from the shelf-break consists of calcareous muddy sand with small amounts of terrigenous silt and fine sand, while the cores recovered from the middle slope has revealed a more homogeneous fine sediment texture of hemipelagic deposition. The prevailing accumulation processes in the southern margin of the Cretan basin are: (i) prodelta deposition in the inner-middle shelf; (ii) settling from bottom nepheloid layers in the shelf and upper slope; (iii) calcareous sediment formation due to settling from suspension and post accumulation aggregation (middle-lower slope); (iv) long-term episodic sediment gravity processes in the lower slope; and (v) to a lesser extent, redeposition from resuspension due to gravity processes and bottom currents.

We aimed to study maternal and infant serum leptin concentrations during the perinatal period and their relationship to the body weight of mothers and newborns. Serum leptin values were measured by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) (R&D systems) in 26 healthy, term neonates during the first (N1) and fifth (N5) day after birth and were compared with serum leptin values in maternal blood (MS), amniotic fluid (AF), and umbilical cord (UC) at delivery. Twenty-five healthy, nonpregnant women, age and body weight-matched to the mothers, were used as controls (C). Infant serum leptin concentrations declined significantly after birth from UC to the N5 samples (p < 0.003). MS leptin values were significantly higher than UC, N1, N5, and C values (p < 0.001), while AF values were significantly lower than in controls (p < 0.001). UC, but not MS leptin values correlated significantly with the birth weight of infants (r = 0.6; p < 0.03). The elevated values of leptin in maternal serum and the regressing pattern of infant leptin values after birth suggest an additional, probably placental source of this protein during pregnancy, possibly contributing to the regulation of fetal body weight.

Both E- and L-selectin are cell adhesion molecules. E-selectin is expressed by activated endothelial cells, whereas L-selectin by quiescent leukocytes and is rapidly cleaved off after activation. Both selectins take part in the first step of the 'adhesion cascade', the 'rolling of leukocytes', leading to the extravasation of the white cells to the sites of inflammation, infection or damage. For this reason their soluble forms (sE- and sL-selectin, respectively), are considered early and reliable markers of the immune activation and response. Moreover, sE-selectin has been reported to be a potent angiogenic factor and a reliable marker of infection and sepsis in neonates, as well as endothelial activation, while sL-selectin of the leukocyte function and maturity. Following informed maternal consent, we evaluated prospectively by ELISA, sE- and sL-selectin in the serum of 40 (19 females, 21 males), healthy, term, infection-free neonates, on the second and fifth day of life, and compared them with the respective values in 20 healthy adults (10 females, 10 males), with the purpose of examining the pattern of their values in the early postpartum days, and to establish reference values for both selectins. Values (mean±S.D.) of sE-selectin both on the second (139±48 ng/ml) and fifth day of life (111±35 ng/ml) were found to be highly increased, as compared with those in controls (48±13 ng/ml; P<4x10-11 and P<4x10-10, respectively), while sL-selectin values on both the second (674±223 ng/ml) and the fifth day of life (684±221 ng/ml), were significantly lower than those in controls (938±181 ng/ml); P<0.0001 and P<0.0003, respectively). A significant decrease was noted in sE-selectin values, from the second to the fifth day of life (P<10-7), while sL-selectin values showed no significant change in the same time interval. A strong correlation was found between values on the second and the fifth day of life of both sE- and sL-selectin (r(P)=0.885 and r(P)=0.813, respectively; P<0.00001). Neonatal values of both sE- and sL-selectin on the second or on the fifth day of life, did not depend on the perinatal factors, neonatal sex, or birth weight, mode of delivery, and maternal age or parity. In conclusion, in the very early neonatal period, our findings of highly increased sE-selectin, while low sL-selectin, suggest an immune and more specifically endothelial activation and an immature and decreased leukocyte function. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

The importance of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in human serum for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer is controversial. The IGF-1/PSA ratio may improve the performance of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a prostate cancer marker. IGF-1, along with PSA and free PSA concentration, was measured in the serum of 34 patients with prostate cancer and in 131 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Although IGF-1 concentration did not significantly differ between the groups, PSA/IGF-1 ratio could clearly distinguish the two groups. In patients with cancer but not in patients with BPH, IGF-1 concentration correlated with PSA and free PSA. The values of PSA and free PSA correlated with each other for both groups. Receivers Operating Curve (ROC) analysis indicated a better sensitivity to specificity ratio for PSA/IGF-1 than for PSA or Free/Total (F/T) PSA.

In the Health field, there is an increasing need to give the Health professional the opportunity to experiment on real situations without necessarily having to be in contact with the patient. In order for this to be achieved, there must be a virtual reality representation via a safe and user friendly system, such as a computer. This means that by using Simulation and modelling techniques new models have to be constructed which will portray the reality. The scope of this paper is to present a Simulation Model and Practical for Educating the General Public for the AIDS Epidemic. The model and the practical were developed by using the tools and applications created under the COAST project.

The reproductive strategy of Podarcis milensis exhibits some peculiarities when compared with other congeners. Males and females attain sexual maturity at a minimum body size of 47 and 42 mm SVL, respectively, both at an age of about one year. Podarcis milensis has a very small clutch size, with a mean of 1.73 and a range of 1-3 eggs, and produces multiple clutches annually. Both sexes exhibit a prolonged reproductive period extending from January to August.

Most patients with multiple myeloma (MM) present with symptoms, have evidence of generalized disease, and require chemotherapy promptly to reduce the malignant clone. Some patients present with a local symptom from a single plasmacytoma but no myeloma elsewhere. Such patients usually become free of symptoms after local radiotherapy. In patients with MM without symptoms, the diagnosis is made on the basis of screening laboratory tests. In patients with either solitary plasmacytoma of bone or asymptomatic MM, systemic treatment should be deferred until there is evidence of disease progression. (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematology.

In breast milk and paired serum from 70 lactating women and 40 of their term, infection-free neonates, on the 2nd and 5th day postpartum slCAM-1, sVCAM-1, sE- and sL-selectin were measured by ELISA and compared with those in 26 healthy adults (controls). Seven infant formulas and fresh milk from five cows were also analyzed. Human colostrum values of slCAM-1, sVCAM-1 (similar to those in maternal and control serum), sE-selectin and sL-selectin (~10 and ~100 times lower than in maternal and control serum) were significantly higher than those in milk, while they varied widely. None of the adhesion molecules was detected in fresh cow's milk or infant formulas. Exclusively breast-fed infants showed significantly higher values of slCAM-1 and sL-selectin on the 2nd day of life than those supplemented also with formula. Only slCAM-1 values correlated positively between colostrum and time-matched maternal serum. These findings show in human milk important amounts of slCAM-1 and sVCAM-1 but minimal amounts of sE- and sL-selectin, which could affect the immune system of the neonate.

We present results on spin-polarized electron transport from a ferromagnet to a two-dimensional electron gas system (2DEG). The investigated device consists of an injector and a collector contact made from ferromagnetic permalloy thin films with different coercive fields. That allows parallel or antiparallel magnetization of the contacts in different applied magnetic fields. The conducting medium is a 2DEG formed in an AlSb/InAs quantum well. Data from this device suggest that its resistance is controlled by two different types of spin-valve effect: the first is due to the ferromagnet-semiconductor contact resistance, determined by the zero-field spin-splitting in InAs, and the second is due to the propagation of electrons with a spin imbalance through the 2DEG without spin-scattering.

An experimental campaign was conducted at the lee side of a 1 km high steep mountain in order to study the development of strong downslope winds under favorable conditions, using combined remote and insitu instrumentation. The examination of the upstream atmospheric conditions reveals that the development of strong downslope winds is favored by a mean state critical layer or a significant decrease in static stability (such as at the top of a temperature inversion) at the proper height above the mountain top. Strong downslope winds could occur even for wind directions with a deviation of 60° off the axis perpendicular to the ridgeline, as long as the cross-mountain wind has a significant value (at least 7 ms-1). The developed disturbances are associated with intense downdrafts of the order of 4-5 ms-1 within the first 600 m above ground and characteristic vertical turbulent structures that were observed by sodar. The same phenomenon is observed not only during nighttime but also under unstable and neutral conditions of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) albeit with weaker intensity. Fourier analysis of the vertical velocity field demonstrated that the typical time period of intense disturbances was about 5 min. Further evidence is also provided for the application of the hydraulic-like theory under real atmospheric conditions. Copyright 2000 by the American Geophysical Union.

A simple reversed phase HPLC method suitable to study the interactions of alkylating agents with DNA is presented in this paper. DNA interaction is expressed as the % DNA peak size exclusion. The effects caused by the antitumor drugs melphalan, busulphan, and busulpan analogues on DNA were clearly observed through chromatographic data. The synthetic dimethanesulphonates of 2-tetradecyl-1,4-butanediol and 1,2-hexadecanediol were proved more potent than busulphan.

Five cases of acute neutropenic enterocolitis complicating taxane-based chemotherapy are described. During a 34-month period, our department administered 4,600 courses of taxane-based (paclitaxel and docetaxel) chemotherapy to 800 cancer patients. Seven to 10 days postchemotherapy in five patients (0.1% of the given courses), neutropenic fever, abdominal pain, rebound tenderness, and grade II-IV diarrhea (bloody in two cases) developed. Two patients had oral candidiasis, and in two others septic shock developed. Computed tomography scans of the abdomen revealed in all patients thickening of the colon wall and pericolic edema, and a pericolic abscess was revealed in three of them. Both clinical and radiologic findings supported the diagnosis of acute neutropenic enterocolitis. All patients were successfully treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. In conclusion, acute neutropenic enterocolitis is a severe complication of taxane-based chemotherapy. Early diagnosis and appropriate conservative treatment leads to complete recovery. Although rare, this infection is less often associated with other chemotherapeutic regimens.

A 52-year-old dentist with kappa light chain multiple myeloma relapsed 6 months after 180 mg/m2 melphalan and an autograft. A partial remission had been attained after the autograft. Relapse occurred while he was on dexamethasone maintenance therapy. Chemotherapy was not an option due to low blood counts. Thalidomide was administered at relatively high doses (escalated up to 700 mg daily and continued for 4 months). There was a prompt decline in urine protein from 6067 mg/day to 2177 mg/day within a month. The response continued to improve with achievement of near-complete remission within 6 months and a decline in urine protein to 413 mg/day. Subsequently, grade 3 neutropenia and peripheral neuropathy required dose reduction to 200 mg/day. Disease activity parameters continued to improve on the lower dose of thalidomide. Nine months after starting thalidomide, the patient is in near-complete remission, enjoys an excellent quality of life, and has returned to work. We conclude that thalidomide can effectively control myeloma relapsing after high-dose chemotherapy, and may be especially useful in resistant cases or those unable to tolerate further chemotherapy.

What is a Tarikat? What is their role in Turkey? To answer these questions the terms “Tarikat” (Islamic order) and “Cemaat” (Islamic community or group) and the differences between them will have to be clarified. Then their political and social functions will be illustrated.

Recent data suggest that thalidomide is active in approximately 30% of patients (pts) with refractory multiple myeloma. Between 7/99 and 7/00 we treated 38 pts with refractory myeloma with thalidomide 200 mg PO q.h.s, increased to 400 mg after two weeks (in absence of severe side effects), and intermittent dexamethasone 40 mg p.o. x 4 days on days 1-4, 9-12, 17-20 followed by monthly dexamethasone (days 1-4). Pts median age was 67 years (49 to 79 years). Immediately prior therapy has consisted of high-dose pulse dexamethasone (21 pts) or VAD (17pts). Twelve pts had previously received an autologous stem cell transplant. Fourteen pts were considered as primary refractory and 24 pts were treated during refractory relapse. Serum b2-microglobulin > 3.0 mg/dl was present in 66% of pts and elevated serum LDH in 26%. Among the 33 patients évaluable for response so far, 17 (52%) have achieved a partial response defined by reductions > 50% of serum monoclonal protein and/or by >75% of urine monoclonal protein. The time to response was short (median: 1.5 months, range 0.5 to 3 months). Side effects included constipation (75%), morning somnolence (54%), tremor (25%), dry skin/rash (18%), headache (14%) and peripheral neuropathy (7%). Our results indicate activity of the combination of thalidomide with dexamethasone in pts with multiple myeloma refractory to dexamethasone-based regimens. Pts accrual and follow up is ongoing in order to define the activity of this combination in pts'subsets and to assess the duration of response.

Aim: TPS concentrations were measured throughout normal pregnancy in maternal serum (MS) and amniotic fluid (AF) in order to evaluate the usefulness of TPS in the follow-up of pregnancy breast cancer patients. Patients and Methods: Following informed consent, 30 pregnant women during the 2nd trimester, 28 during the 3rd and 26 at parturition were included in the study. For comparison, 28 women in the 1st trimester and 28 healthy, non pregnant women (controls) were also studied. Both MS and AF antigen values were measured by an enzyme immunoassay (BEKI Diagnostics). Results: Maternal serum TPS concentrations increased significantly with gestational age (p < 0.0001), being significantly higher in the 3rd trimester and during labor than those in the controls (p < 0.0001). Amniotic fluid TPS values were markedly elevated, compared with those in MS (p < 0.0001, paired-t-test), declining significantly from the 2nd to the 3rd trimester (p < 0.0015) and labor. Both MS and AF TPS values during labor depended on the mode of delivery, being higher in the cases terminated by vaginal delivery, compared to those by elective cesarean section. Conclusion: Maternal serum TPS values are influenced significantly by pregnancy, and thus, this antigen, as tumor marker seems to be reliable only during early pregnancy.

Thalidomide is an active agent in patients with refractory multiple myeloma. Based on these data we performed a phase II study in order to evaluate the activity of thalidomide in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). Thalidomide was administered on a doseescalating schedule of 200 mg daily p.o. x 14 days with dose escalation by 200 mg every two weeks to a maximum dose of 600 mg. Twenty patients were treated with a median age of 74 years (range: 48 to 85 years). Hemoglobin was < 10.0 gr/dl in 5 patients, serum monoclonal IgM was >3.0 gr in 9 patients and lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly were present in 7 and 10 patients respectively. Ten patients were previously untreated, 1 was relapsing off treatment, 5 were primary refractory and 4 were treated during refractory relapse. Five patients (25%) achieved at least 50% reduction of serum monoclonal IgM and at least 50% reduction of tumor at all involved sites. At least 25% reduction of IgM was noted in all eventual responders within 4 weeks of thalidomide treatment. Responses occurred in 3 of 10 previoulsy untreated patients and in 2 of 10 pretreated patients. One responding patient with artial fibrillation died of an embolie cerebral accident 4 months after achieving a response and the other responding patients remain without progression for 2+ months to 12 + months. Some degree of toxicity was observed in almost all patients. Grade 2 or 3 toxicities included constipation in 6 patients, somnolence in 3 patients, tremor in 2 patients and neuropathy in 2 patients. This explained the inability to reach the targeted dose of thalidomide 600 mg p.o. QD in all but 4 patients; the median daily dose of this agent was 200 mg. We conclude that thalidomide has moderate activity in WM. A relatively low median daily dose could be administered to this elderly patient population.

The aim was to study the ursodeoxycholic acid (UDC) effect on thr cyclosporin A (CsA) pharmacokinetics after oral administration of the microemulsion Formulation Neoral(R) (CsA-ME) in liver transplant recipients, and test the potential protective effect of this bile acid on liver and renal CsA-ME-induced toxicity. At entry into the study, 12 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation received CsA-ME. for at least 6 months. They then received a cotreatment CsA-ME plus UDC (13.8 mg.kg (1).day(-1)) for three months. Blood concentrations of CsA were measured using a monoclonal antibody specific For the parent compound. The kinetic data were analysed by a mathematical model incorporating a time dependent rate coefficient for CsA intestinal absorption, before and after UDC treatment. Changes in serum markers of hepatic and renal injury were assessed. Individual serum bile acids were determined by chromatography. Serum levels of UDC increased from 3 to about 45 % of total serum bile acids after UDC treatment. The estimated model parameters indicate that UDC administration modulates CsA intestinal absorption. In the nine non-cholestatic patients, UDC reduced the absorption late and the bioavailability of CsA without modifying the elimination rate constant of CsA and the CsA pre-drug levels. In contrast, in the three cholestatic patients, the bioavailability tended to be higher and the absorption rate faster when CsA was combined with UDC. UDC significantly decreased elevated gamma -glutamyl transferase and creatinine serum levels and induced some clinical improvements such as disappearance of headaches in four patients. In conclusion, a 3-month UDC treatment modifies CsA intestinal absorption without affecting CsA elimination rate constant. On the other hand, UDC supplementation appears to improve CsA tolerability. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.

Data on the thermal ecology of the African Chameleon Chamaeleo africanus Laurenti, 1768 and the Common Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758) are reported from Greece. In the field the Tb values ranged from 10.4°C to 31.6°C for C. africanus and 23.5°C to 31°C for C. chamaeleon. There was a significant correlation between Tb and Ta in spring and summer for both species. There was also a significant correlation between Tb and Ts only in the spring and only for C. africanus. Cloacal temperatures differed significantly between spring and summer and so did substrate temperatures and air temperatures. As the months became hotter the animals reached higher temperatures. In a laboratory temperature gradient, the preferred body temperatures of C. africanus and C. chamaeleon were measured and compared with field body temperatures. The preferred body temperature in the laboratory gradient ranged from 26.0°C to 36.0°C for C. chamaeleon and from 25.0°C to 35.0°C for C. africanus. The mean Tb for C. africanus in the laboratory was 31°C while for C. chamaeleon it was 31.6°C. The results indicate that both chameleon species are thermoconformers. Cloacal temperatures differed significantly between the two species in the field but not in the laboratory. There was no difference between the Tb of the two sexes, both in the field and in the laboratory.

We used local AC-susceptibility and global DC magnetization measurements to determine the magnetic phase diagram of two HgBa2CuO4+delta single crystals with T-c = 95 and 89.9 K, respectively. The corresponding lines for the more anisotropic crystal (T-c = 89.9 K, crystal A) lie lower than those of the nearly optimally doped crystal (T-c = 95 K, crystal B). The irreversibility line (IL) decreases exponentially in the temperature range 20 less than or equal to T less than or equal to T*. At T* = 82 and 88 K the IL change slope and varies with a power law up to the T-c. Certain features in these measurements are also discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Purpose: To review the clinical features, complications, and treatment of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, a low-grade lymphoproliferative disorder that produces monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) M. 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: The clinical manifestations associated with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia can be classified according to those related to direct tumor infiltration, to the amount and specific properties of circulating IgM, and to the deposition of IgM in various tissues. Asymptomatic patients should be followed without treatment. For symptomatic patients, standard treatment consists primarily of oral chlorambucil; nucleoside analogs, such as fludarabine and cladribine, are effective in one third of previously treated patients and in up to 80% of previously untreated patients. Preliminary evidence suggests that anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody may be active in about 30% of previously treated patients and that high-dose therapy with autologous stem-cell rescue is effective in most patients, including some with resistance to nucleoside analogs. Conclusion: Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia has a wide clinical spectrum that practicing physicians need to recognize early to reach the correct diagnosis. When therapy is indicated, oral chlorambucil is the standard primary treatment, but cladribine or fludarabine can be used when a rapid cytoreduction is desirable. Prospective randomized trials are required to elucidate the impact of nucleoside analogs on patients' survival. A nucleoside analog is the treatment of choice for patients who have been previously treated with an alkylating agent.

In this article we describe aspects of systems theory which are useful for the educator, the school psychologist, and the career counselor when coping with problem situations in school. Namely, we present the main systemic principles, such as circular causality, nonadditivity, equifinality, multifinality, morph stasis, morphogenesis, and the concept of rules. Next, we discuss in systemic terms the school-family contact when children's problem behavior occurs. Finally, we describe and question common dysfunctional views which deter us from adopting the systemic perspective and bring to an impasse our efforts to deal with problem situations in school.

Στα πλαίσια αυτής της παρουσίασης, θα επιχειρηθεί, αρχικά, να δοθεί ένας ορισμός του όρου "κοινωνικές αναστολές" και θα διευκρινιστεί το πότε η κατάσταση αυτή συνιστά πρόβλημα το οποίο χρειάζεται ειδική αντιμετώπιση. Στη συνέχεια, θα περιγραφούν οι πηγές των κοινωνικών αναστολών και τα συγκεκριμένα χαρακτηριστικά της συμπεριφοράς του παιδιού με κοινωνικές αναστολές. Ακολούθως, θα δοθούν πρακτικές κατευθύνσεις για τον τρόπο με τον οποίο οι γονείς και οι εκπαιδευτικοί μπορούν να μειώνουν τις κοινωνικές αναστολές των παιδιών. Τέλος, θα παρουσιαστεί συνοπτικά ένα σχετικό πιλοτικό πρόγραμμα παρέμβασης στον χώρο του σχολείου.

Aufbauend auf einem pragmatischen Ansatz, erfolgt der Versuch, in Bezug auf jene kommunikative Situationen, an denen Personen teilnehmen, die in und über zwei Sprachen sozialisiert werden, die nachstehenden Komponenten des semiotischen Rhombus in deren einzelnen Merkmale aufzugliedern: Sprecher - Hörer einerseits und Vorstellung - Lautzeichen andererseits. Eine Konfrontation so wie diese Merkmale einerseits in der monolingualen Kommunikation und so, wie sie in kommunikativen Situationen erscheinen, an denen Personen teilnehmen, die in und über zwei Sprachen sozialisiert werden, ergibt, daß diese Personen auf zweierlei pragmatische Umfelder referieren, bzw. auf eine Verschmelzung dieser beiden. Dies führt dazu, daß vielfältige Differenzierungen auftreten können, von denen wir hier nur folgende erwähnen: - semantische Reichweite der Vorstellungen, bzw. verwendete Lautzeichen referieren auf abweichende Vorstellungen, besonders auf emotiver und konnotativer Ebene, - Sprecher-Hörer-Verhältnis unterliegt abweichender Einschätzung, insbesondere bezüglich der sprachlichen Anpassung an die für in der jeweiligen Sprachgemeinschaft üblichen Verhaltensmuster.

Ἀποτελεῖ πράγματι τὸ πολιτικὸ ἰσλὰμ ἀπειλὴ γιὰ τὸ «κοσμικὸ» καθεστὼς τῆς «εὐρωπαϊκῆς» Τουρκίας; Καὶ κατὰ πόσον τὸ ἐρωτημα αὐτὸ ἀποτελεῖ ἀνησυχία τῶν δυτικῶν κέντρων ἀποφάσεων; Ἢ μήπως ὁ ὑποκριτικὸς «ἀντιισλαμισμὸς» τῆς ∆ύσεως, καὶ κυρίως τῶν ΗΠΑ, χρησιμοποιεῖ στὴν πραγματικότητα τὸ Ἰσλὰμ ὡς ὀργανικὸ στοιχεῖο γιὰ τὴν διαχρονικὴ στρατηγική του, ἰδιαιτέρως στὸ πλαίσιο τοῦ ἐκ νέου ἀκρωτηριασμοῦ καὶ τοῦ «ὑγειονομικοῦ» περιορισμοῦ τῆς Ρωσσίας; Η παρούσα δημοσίευση αναλύει τὸ τουρκικὸ πολιτικὸν ἰσλὰμ, ὡς γεωπολιτικὸς καταλύτης τοῦ ἀγγλοσαξονικοῦ παράγοντος στὴν Εὐρώπη.