The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histologic changes that occur between 3 and 12 weeks in an intra-articular, semitendinosus autograft, which was harvested without detachment of its tibial insertion and was placed through tibial and femoral drill holes, in a rabbit model. About 30 New Zealand white rabbits underwent ACL replacement using a semitendinosus tendon autograft. The normal ACL was transected at its femoral and tibial insertions. The tendon graft was harvested without detachment of its tibial insertion and its free end was secured with sutures. The graft was then passed through one tibial and one femoral tunnel and secured at the lateral femoral condyle. All animals were divided into three groups and were killed at 3, 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. Nine more animals underwent ACL reconstruction using a free semitendinosus tendon autograft. These animals were used as controls. The intra-articular portion of the graft and the interface between the bone tunnel and the graft was evaluated postoperatively for gross morphology and histological appearance. Results of this study showed that in a rabbit model the semitendinosus tendon autograft retained its viability when harvested without detachment of its peripheral insertion. On contrary, at the control group, necrosis of the graft was observed 3 weeks after surgery and progressively revascularization and maturation occurred 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. Retaining the tibial insertion of the semitendinosus autograft seems to preserves its viability and bypasses the stages of avascular necrosis and revascularization that occurs with the use of a free tendon autograft.
Kyparissiakos Gulf forms a 45 km long zone located at 70-80 km east from the Hellenic trench with a general direction NNW-SSE. Onshore studies show the existence of several neotectonic horsts and grabens bounded by E-W trending normal faults. Thrust sheets of the underlying Hellenides crop out within the horst areas and younger sediments, mostly Lower Pleistocene, have been deposited in the grabens. The age of the marine sediments is mostly Lower Pleistocene. Throw rate on the normal faults varies between 0.7 and >1.0 mm/yr, accommodating extension in the N-S direction. Subsidence rates during Early Pleistocene are between 0.1 and 0.3 mm/yr, whereas uplift rates during Middle Pleistocene-Present are between 0.18 and 0.50 mm/yr. Offshore data were obtained using bathymetric and air-gun litho-seismic profiles. The shelf has been disrupted by active faults with several meters of throw. Average Holocene throw rates are 0.4-0.6 mm/yr, but in some areas adjacent Filiatra and Olympia values greater than 3 mm/yr are detected. Holocene and Upper Pleistocene marine sediments thicken gradually to the north, as do the marine Lower Pleistocene sediments onshore. A NNW-SSE offshore longitudinal fault parallel to the Kyparissiakos coast with throw rate above 3 mm/yr is the dividing structure between the uplifted coastal area and the present-day gulf. This indicates a major change in paleogeography between Early and Middle Pleistocene. Present-day transition from E-W compression in the Hellenic Trench to E-W extension in the Kyparissiakos Gulf and to N-S extension in Western Peloponnesus is discussed. The development of E-W structures in Western Peloponnesus since Latest Pliocene may be related to the Central Hellenic Shear Zone, which accommodates differential GPS rates between Northern Greece and Southern Peloponnesus.
Anyfantakis ZA, Baron G, Aubry P, Himbert D, Feldman LJ, Tchetche D, Juliard J-M, Cokkinos DV, Steg PG. Acute coronary anglographic findings in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY. Vol. 49. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA; 2007. pp. 219A–220A.
Background: The prognostic significance of age in ovarian cancer has not been clarified. We investigated the characteristics of ovarian cancer presenting in ages >70 years and assessed the prognostic significance of advanced age. Patients and Methods: Four hundred and fifty-three patients with stage IIC-IV ovarian cancer (age>70 years n=106 [23%]), treated postoperatively with platinum-based chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Median overall survival (OS) of patients ≤70 years old (52.3 months, 95% CI: 43.2-61.3) was longer than that of older patients (38.8 months, 95% CI: 29.9-47.7) (p=0.005), but this difference was not significant in a multivariate analysis (p=0.978). Age >70 years was correlated with worse performance status (PS) (p=0.019), higher tumor grade (p=0.033), residual disease >2 cm (p=0.006) and less frequent paclitaxel administration (p<0.001). Toxicity from chemotherapy was similar between the two age groups, but the relative dose intensity of paclitaxel was lower among elderly patients. Conclusion: The worse outcome of ovarian cancer in elderly patients may be attributed to other associated adverse prognostic factors, but advanced age was not an independent prognostic factor.
Three advanced models of pharmacokinetics are described. In the first class are physiologically based pharmacokinetic models based on in vitro data on transport and metabolism. The information is translated as transporter and enzyme activities and their attendant heterogeneities into liver and intestine models. Second are circulatory models based on transit time distribution and plasma concentration time curves. The third are fractal models for nonhomogeneous systems and non-Fickian processes are presented. The usefulness of these pharmacokinetic models, with examples, is compared.
The description of coastal recession is a difficult asset that is characterized by highuncertainty. This uncertainty stems from the nature of the different factors that constitute the coastal systems. Physical features such as the different geological formations, the tectonic state of the coastal area and the sea level are all factors that complicate the efforts to describe the situation. In addition, any GIS software is lacking the tools to explain or map the uncertainty factors. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce a tool that may handle the natural factors in a GIS interface. In this paper we present an algorithm that works on a GIS interface and uses grid modelingtechniques. Taking into account factors such as the geology of the areas that are examined, the drainage system, the coastal type etc., the system applies a set of user defined empirical rules, to estimate the evolution of the recession process in the affected areas. For this paper we have tested the algorithm at the island of Samos (Eastern Aegean, Greece). In the last 20 years, huge problems of coastal erosion have been observed at the northeastern part of the island near the town of Karlovassi and at the southwestern part near the Castle of Pythagorion.The algorithm may prove to be of great assistance as a decision support tool for the municipalities in these areas, since the measures that have been taken so far are temporary and do not envision the future development of the coastline.
ualitative research conducted with specific focus groups in areas representative of Greece - urban, industrial and agricultural populations, confirms the gender impact factor on digital illiteracy. A large part of the population in Greek society today is displaying technophobia, women in particular, as is the case internationally. Gender-constrained attitudes against science and technology are formulated very early. The compatibility of private life and career is essentially a female problem, a factor that is clearly evident in the latest EU average employment quota for women which is marked by a decrease of 14.3 percent, in contrast to the 5.6 percent increase in the employment quota for men. The situation is even worse in the science and technology fields. Alarming are the results of the latest study of the EU-Commission ‘She Figures 2006’, according to which women remain a minority among researchers in the EU. The first part of the study is based on questionnaires, group interviews and discourse analyses with specific focus group: (1) female and male university students, (2) female students, and (3) primary and secondary male and female school teachers. In the second unity, social theories and theoretical approaches are used to examine the multivariable inclusive vs. exclusionary factors that result in the ‘leaky pipeline’ and the ‘glass ceiling’, namely the digital divide, the under-representation of women in science and technology. Although efforts are being made to attract women to the knowledge economy and IT professions, educational reforms alone will have very limited impact without the systematic promotion of inter and multidisciplinary research, international collaborations, interdisciplinarity in Education, the promotion of a gender-inclusive labor market that recruits and retains women as well as the establishment of a more flexible and family-friendly oriented working environment. *************KEYWORDS:
Gender neutral vs gender constrained, Gender-neutral technological education, Technoethos, Technophobia, Gender factor in digital illiteracy, Digital divide, Gender gaps, Women's underrepresentation, Gender-inclusive labor market, Recruitment, Retention, Flexible and family-friendly oriented working environment, Gender mainstreaming.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Procleix Ultrio human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)/hepatitis C virus (HCV)/hepatitis B virus (HBV) (Ultrio) assay simultaneously detects HIV-1 RNA, HCV RNA and HBV DNA in individual blood donations. The main objective of the study was to assess the analytical and clinical sensitivity of the multiplex and discriminatory probe assays in samples with a low viral load. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The VQC HIV RNA genotype B, HCV RNA genotype 1 and HBV DNA genotype A standard dilutions were tested in 26 repeats. The probability of detection by Ultrio was compared with previously obtained data of the Procleix Duplex HIV-1/HCV assay on the same reference panels. A selection of 121 anti-HIV-1, 138 anti-HCV and 190 HBsAg positive samples from patients receiving antiviral therapy were tested. The majority of patient samples had a viral load below the detection limit of the diagnostic nucleic acid test assays, which made them suitable to evaluate the performance of the multiplex and discriminatory assays on yield cases with a similar low viral load. RESULTS: The 95% and 50% detection end-points of the Ultrio assay along with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals are 53.7 (32.9-117.2) and 8.6 (6.2-12.1) geq/ml for HIV-1 RNA, 30.3 (19.0-62.4) and 5.2 (3.7-7.2) geq/ml for HCV RNA and 393.7 (147.9-6978) and 54.5 (22.4-143.8) geq/ml for HBV DNA. The analytical sensitivity of Ultrio expressed as a potency factor relative to previously obtained Duplex results on the same HIV-1 RNA and HCV-RNA standard dilutions was 1.09 (0.20-6.10) and 1.11 (0.21-5.89), respectively. The assay detected all 22 HIV-1 infected patients with viral load > 50 copies/ml, and 41 of 99 patients (41%) with viral load < 50 copies/ml, of which 23 (56%) were detected by the discriminatory assay. All 47 patients with HCV RNA load > 521 IU/ml and 10/91 polymerase chain reaction-negative patients with viral load < 50 IU/ml tested positive in Ultrio assay of which five were missed in the discriminatory test. The assay detected 53/55 HBV infected patients (96%) with viral load > 250 copies/ml and 108/135 patients (80%) with viral load < 250 copies/ml of which 17 (16%) were missed by the discriminatory test. CONCLUSIONS: The new Procleix Ultrio assay is as sensitive as the Procleix Duplex assay for HIV-1 and HCV detection meeting the requirements of universal guidelines. The ability of the assay to detect HBV DNA in low viral load samples could be useful for screening blood. Inevitable negative results of discriminatory probe assays caused by stochastic sample variation will reduce the chance of recognizing low viraemic blood donors detected by individual donation nucleic acid test.
A democratic European Turkey, that endorses the acquis communautaire and the European political culture as that has evolved over the last 50 years is not considered by Greece as a security threat. However, certain forms of conduct on the part of our neighbor and NATO ally cause serious concern to Athens and the Greek people, which determines the approach of the Greek government towards Greek-Turkish relations.
Purpose of investigation: Uterine sarcomas are rare neoplasms characterized by a high rate of local recurrences and distant metastases. The role of chemotherapy in early-stage completely resected disease remains controversial. Methods: Thirty-one patients with Stage I or II uterine sarcomas, referred to our center for adjuvant chemotherapy, received anthracycline-based regimens. Seventeen (54.8%) patients received ifosfamide, etoposide and epirubicin, six (19.4%) were treated with doxorubicin and carboplatin, three (9.6%) were administered doxorubicin and ifosfamide, while five (16.1%) patients received various anthracycline-based regimens. Results: With a median follow-up of 82 months disease recurred in 12 (38.7%) patients. Five-year survival probability is estimated at 54%. Both median overall survival and time to progression for all patients have not been reached yet. Patients who received ifosfamide-containing regimens had a statistically significant benefit in overall survival (p ≤ 0.05) when compared with those treated with non-ifosfamide-containing regimens. Conclusion: Our data suggest a potential role for anthracycline- and ifosfamide-containing chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting for early-stage uterine sarcomas.
Respiratory infections by bacteria and viruses often trigger symptoms of asthma in both adults and children. This observation and subsequent mechanistic studies have demonstrated important interactions among allergens, microbes and the atopic host. The mechanisms responsible for microbe-induced asthma exacerbations are only incompletely understood. A focal point of current research is the inflammatory response of the host following an encounter with a pathogenic microbe, including variations in chemokine and cytokine production and resulting in changes in bronchial hyper-responsiveness and lung function. Direct bronchial infection, exposure of nerves with resulting neurogenic inflammation and a deviated host immune response are among the mechanisms underlying these functional disorders. Lately, suboptimal innate immune responses, expressed as defective interferon production, have gained attention as they might be amenable to intervention. This review describes the suggested mechanisms involved in the complex interactions between 'asthmagenic' microbes, the immune system and atopy, based on in-vitro and in-vivo experimental models and epidemiological evidence. In addition, it provides a synopsis of potential therapeutic strategies either directly against the microorganisms or in respect to the associated inflammation.
Kostopoulou A, Theodorakis GN, Koutelou M, Livanis EG, Theodorakos A, Maounis T, Kremastinos DT, Cokkinos DV. Autonomic nervous function abnormalities in patients with Brugada syndrome. In: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY. Vol. 49. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA; 2007. pp. 36A–36A.
Vagelatos A, Mantzari E, Orphanos G, Tsalidis C, Pantazara M, Kalamara C, Diolis C, Neurosoft SA. Biomedical data mining for the Greek language. Proceedings of the 12th World Congress on the Internet in Medicine (MEDNET 2007), Leipzig, Germany, October 7–10, 2007, published in Technology and Health-Care. 2007;15(5).
Aim. This study examined the ventilatory responses and blood lactate concentration after a simulated synchronized swimming routine of athletes of two different age categories. Methods. Sixteen trained female synchronized swimmers, 8 competing at the comen category (age: 13.8±0.2 years) and 8 competing at the senior category (age: 22.6±0.9 years), performed a maximal 400 m swimming test and a simulated synchronized swimming routine. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) of the tests was obtained by backward extrapolation of a monoexponential curve fitted to the postexercise oxygen uptake data. Results. There were no differences in V̇O2 at the end of the routine (37.4±2.7 vs 40.5±2 mL·kg -1·min-1, or 81.8±3.1% and 85.8±2.7% of V̇O2peak) and blood lactate (5.7*0.9 vs 4.5±0.4 mmol-L-1) between senior and comen synchronized swimmers. There was no difference in the half-time of V̇O2 decay (T1/2) between the athletes of the two categories, but T1/2 was significantly higher after the routine compared with the V̇O2peak test for both categories (senior: 45.2±5.9 vs 33.1±2.1 s, P<0.05, comen: 38.2±6 vs 27.4±8.2 s, P<0.05). The mean end-tidal pressure of CO2 during the second half of the recovery was higher after the routine than after the V̇O2peak test (37.2±1.4 vs 34.5±1.5 mmHg, P<0.05), possibly due to the prolonged periods of breath holding (55±4% of routine time). Breathing frequency was also high (30±2.2 breaths.min-1) at the later part of recovery after the routine. Conclusion. Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to a simulated synchronized swimming routine were similar in senior and comen athletes. The slower recovery of V̇O2 after the routine could be related to the elevated cost of ventilation, especially during the later stages of recovery, possibly as a result of the prolonged apnea.
Aim. This study examined the ventilatory responses and blood lactate concentration after a simulated synchronized swimming routine of athletes of two different age categories. Methods. Sixteen trained female synchronized swimmers, 8 competing at the comen category (age: 13.8±0.2 years) and 8 competing at the senior category (age: 22.6±0.9 years), performed a maximal 400 m swimming test and a simulated synchronized swimming routine. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) of the tests was obtained by backward extrapolation of a monoexponential curve fitted to the postexercise oxygen uptake data. Results. There were no differences in V̇O2 at the end of the routine (37.4±2.7 vs 40.5±2 mL·kg -1·min-1, or 81.8±3.1% and 85.8±2.7% of V̇O2peak) and blood lactate (5.7*0.9 vs 4.5±0.4 mmol-L-1) between senior and comen synchronized swimmers. There was no difference in the half-time of V̇O2 decay (T1/2) between the athletes of the two categories, but T1/2 was significantly higher after the routine compared with the V̇O2peak test for both categories (senior: 45.2±5.9 vs 33.1±2.1 s, P<0.05, comen: 38.2±6 vs 27.4±8.2 s, P<0.05). The mean end-tidal pressure of CO2 during the second half of the recovery was higher after the routine than after the V̇O2peak test (37.2±1.4 vs 34.5±1.5 mmHg, P<0.05), possibly due to the prolonged periods of breath holding (55±4% of routine time). Breathing frequency was also high (30±2.2 breaths.min-1) at the later part of recovery after the routine. Conclusion. Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to a simulated synchronized swimming routine were similar in senior and comen athletes. The slower recovery of V̇O2 after the routine could be related to the elevated cost of ventilation, especially during the later stages of recovery, possibly as a result of the prolonged apnea.
Aim. This study examined the ventilatory responses and blood lactate concentration after a simulated synchronized swimming routine of athletes of two different age categories. Methods. Sixteen trained female synchronized swimmers, 8 competing at the comen category (age: 13.8±0.2 years) and 8 competing at the senior category (age: 22.6±0.9 years), performed a maximal 400 m swimming test and a simulated synchronized swimming routine. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) of the tests was obtained by backward extrapolation of a monoexponential curve fitted to the postexercise oxygen uptake data. Results. There were no differences in V̇O2 at the end of the routine (37.4±2.7 vs 40.5±2 mL·kg -1·min-1, or 81.8±3.1% and 85.8±2.7% of V̇O2peak) and blood lactate (5.7*0.9 vs 4.5±0.4 mmol-L-1) between senior and comen synchronized swimmers. There was no difference in the half-time of V̇O2 decay (T1/2) between the athletes of the two categories, but T1/2 was significantly higher after the routine compared with the V̇O2peak test for both categories (senior: 45.2±5.9 vs 33.1±2.1 s, P<0.05, comen: 38.2±6 vs 27.4±8.2 s, P<0.05). The mean end-tidal pressure of CO2 during the second half of the recovery was higher after the routine than after the V̇O2peak test (37.2±1.4 vs 34.5±1.5 mmHg, P<0.05), possibly due to the prolonged periods of breath holding (55±4% of routine time). Breathing frequency was also high (30±2.2 breaths.min-1) at the later part of recovery after the routine. Conclusion. Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to a simulated synchronized swimming routine were similar in senior and comen athletes. The slower recovery of V̇O2 after the routine could be related to the elevated cost of ventilation, especially during the later stages of recovery, possibly as a result of the prolonged apnea.
Human rhinoviruses (RVs) are responsible for the majority of upper respiratory tract infections. Despite the high prevalence, the pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Experimental models would permit study of the immunological response to infections. Animal models have many limitations because of the anatomic and physiological differences between mammalian species. The only nonhuman animals susceptible to RV are chimpanzees and gibbons. Mouse models are not used because of host cell tropism of RV. This problem may have been partially overcome by transfecting mouse cells with viral RNA, by replacing mouse ICAM-1 with the human counterpart and by using a variant virus. It remains to be seen if these advances will translate into establishment of useful mouse models. In the absence of animal models, epithelial cell lines such as BEAS-2B, A549, 16HBE and HEp-2 have been used. Fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells have also been used. Although transformed cell lines have many properties in common with normal epithelial cells, they lose certain differentiated functions. Therefore, primary and recently well-differentiated cultures are used to study the immune response. In addition to a local inflammatory response, a systemic immune response to RV does develop; therefore peripheral blood mononuclear cells and dendritic cells have been infected with RV, shedding additional light on cell-mediated immunity. Cellular models are invaluable investigational tools for understanding mechanisms of RV-induced asthma and evaluating new targets for therapy.
The purpose of this study was to use quantitative methods to measure the size and shape of the sella turcica and thus establish normative reference standards that could assist in a more objective evaluation and detection of pathological conditions. Standardized lateral cephalograms of 184 healthy Greeks (91 males and 93 females) were used. The age range was between 6 and 17 years. Conventional measurements included three different heights of the sella turcica (anterior, posterior, median), its length, and width, measured in relation to the Frankfort reference line. In addition, the area of sella turcica was calculated. Morphometric methods were used to assess shape. The tracings were superimposed using the Procrustes method, and the average shape was computed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess shape variability. The data were correlated with centroid size, age, and gender. Unpaired t-tests were used to determine gender differences. Sella height anteriorly was the only variable found to be significantly different between the genders, being larger in females by 0.5 mm. Linear and area measurements were found to be significantly correlated with age, but all correlations were low (r(2) below 8 per cent). Sella turcica shape, as described by PCA, was different between males and females, mainly at the posterior aspect of the sella outline. However, although there was an extensive overlap between the genders, and differences were minimal. Age was not found to be correlated with the shape coefficients, although, in the female group, the first principal component of shape was marginally not significant. Allometry was observed in both genders, the sella showing a tendency towards a flatter and wider shape with increase in size. The results of this study constitute quantitative reference data that could be used for objective evaluation of sella shape.
We discuss the results from the optical study of the X-ray sources detected in our Chandra survey of the central region of the Small Magellanic Cloud. Based on the OGLE-II and MCPS optical photometric catalogs we propose the most likely counterpart for 113 X-ray sources, 32 of which are identified with early type counterparts (of OB spectral type based on their position in color-magnitude diagrams). Optical spectroscopy of these counterparts with the 2dF spectrograph (AAT) reveals 13 new Be-XRBs in the SMC "bar". We estimate that these Be-XRBs have an age of 15-85 Myr, consistent with the typical age of Be stars. We also examine the "overabudance" of Be-XRBs in the SMC fields covered by Chandra, in comparison to the Milky Way, and we show that there is residual excess, even after accounting for the higher star formation rate of the SMC. This excess can be attributed to the lower metallicity of the SMC. Finally, we present a preliminary study of the parent stellar populations of these X-ray binaries based on deep IMACS observations. This work was supported by NASA LTSA grant NAG5-13056, and NASA grant G02-3117X.
The present work describes the interfacial polymerization of aniline in the absence or presence of surfactants. Polyaniline was readily obtained in the semi-oxidized doped state and was cast from the aqueous phase. The structural and morphological characteristics of the polyanilines were deduced from X-ray Diffractometry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Various morphologies were obtained depending on the surfactant addition. Conductivity measurements recorded for HCl doped polyaniline nanoneedles from 5 to 330 K showed a T, value at 230 K, where their transport behaviour changes from metallic-like above T, to semiconductive below T,. Furthermore, extensive magnetic measurements have been performed as a function of applied field and temperature. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVE: Adiponectin plays a protective role in several malignancies, including myeloblastic leukemia, whereas leptin may increase the proliferation of progenitor cells and may stimulate leukemic cell growth in vitro. We investigated the role of adiponectin and leptin levels in the etiopathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a preleukemic condition with increasing incidence which has recently been associated with obesity.
METHODS: In a case-control study, 101 cases with incident, histologically confirmed primary MDS and 101 controls matched on gender and age were studied between 2004 and 2007, and blood samples were collected.
RESULTS: Higher serum adiponectin levels were associated with lower risk of MDS by bivariate analysis and after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and serum levels of leptin (p < 0.001). Subjects in the third quartile for leptin levels had a lower risk of MDS than controls, and low leptin concentrations were observed in low-risk MDS patients with normal or good prognostic karyotype after adjusting for age, gender and body mass index.
CONCLUSIONS: Circulating adiponectin and leptin may play an important role in MDS etiopathogenesis. Future studies are needed to confirm these associations and to explore underlying mechanisms.
{OBJECTIVE: To determine circulating levels of adiponectin in preterm infants and examine possible associations with anthropometric measurements, weight gain, and leptin and insulin levels. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: A university hospital neonatal care unit. Study population: 62 preterm (mean (SD) gestational age 32.0 (2.1) weeks) and 15 full-term infants (reference group). INTERVENTIONS: Blood samples taken at discharge (40.9 (14.8) days of life) from the preterm infants and at a comparable postnatal age in full-term infants. All infants were fed the same commercial formula, but in nine preterms the formula contained long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum levels of adiponectin, leptin and insulin. Associations of adiponectin levels were tested only in the preterm group. RESULTS: Serum levels of adiponectin were lower in preterm (40.9 (14.8) microg/ml) than full-term infants (53.1 (16.0) microg/ml, p<0.01). However, after adjustment for body weight, the influence of prematurity on adiponectin levels was no longer significant. In preterm infants, adiponectin levels independently correlated with being born small for gestational age (SGA) (beta=-0.35
Καμπερίδου, Ε. (2007). Ένα είδος Φυλετικού Διαχωρισμού» (Pardoe, 1837) στους υποτελείς λαούς της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας: οι επιβαλλόμενες φυλετικο-χρωματικές διακρίσεις στις οικίες, στα ενδύματα και στα υποδήματα των υποτελών λαών. Φιλοσοφία & Παιδεία, 44-45, 22-25. J.4 in APELLA
Concurrent chemoradiotherapy has become a standard therapy for locoregionally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this phase II trial was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of concurrent chemoradiotherapy following induction with non-platinum chemotherapy in patients with inoperable locally advanced NSCLC. Patients and Methods: All patients with locally advanced inoperable NSCLC ECOG performance status (PS): 0-1 following staging received paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 in a 3-h infusion on day 1 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 21 days for two cycles. The patients with a response or stable disease (SD) continued to receive paclitaxel 60 mg/m2 weekly and radiotherapy 63 Gy given at 1.8 Gy once a day for 7 weeks. Results: Forty-three eligible patients entered the study. The median age was 63 years (range 42-76), male 93%, IIIB 63% and IIIA 37%. Following induction 15 (36.5%) of the patients responded: complete response (CR), 2%; partial response (PR), 33%; and 19 (46.5%) SD. From those with SD, 7 (37%) improved to a PR following concurrent chemoradiotherapy. With a median follow-up of 44 months (95% CI: range 36-53) the median survival was 20.8 months (95%c CI: range 15.4-26.3) and time-to-progression 8.4 months (95% CI: range 6.2-10.6). The median survival of those who had improved response from SD to PR was 31.4 months (95% CI: range 18.7-44.1) versus 20.8 months (95% CI: range 5.5-11.3) for those who had no improvement (p=0.20). The commonest grade 3/4 toxicity in induction was neutropenia 12% with 2 febrile neutropenic patients whereas in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy neutropenia, neurotoxicity and oesophagitis were observed in 6% of the patients. Conclusion: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy following induction chemotherapy in patients with stage III NSCLC is feasible with reasonable efficacy and acceptable toxicity.
Most recent molecular studies revealed the phylogeny of Greek Podarcis species, which for years remained elusive, due to discordant data produced from various chromosomal, complement fixation and protein studies. In this report, we analyzed cellular immune responses of spleen derived lymphocytes from six allopatric Podarcis species encountered in Greece, by assessing two-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR)-induced proliferation. On the basis of stimulation indices (S.I.) as determined from cultures set up from xenogeneic splenocytes coincubated in pairs, we generated a phylogenetic tree, fully consistent with the phylogenetic relationships of Podarcis as determined by parallel analyses basedon partial mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences. Although the exact mechanisms triggering lymphocyte responses in lizard two-way xenogeneic MLR are not fully understood, our results show the potential use of cell-mediated immune responses as an additional approach to mtDNA analysis, for species delimitation within specific lizard taxa.
Sarajedini A, Spurzem R, Cannon R, Castellani V, Cudworth K, Da Costa G, Deng LC, Giersz M, Hatzidimitriou D, Lada C. Commission 37: Star Clusters. [Internet]. 2007;26A:277 - 277. WebsiteAbstract
During the period 2004 to 2005, the following symposia and colloquia were related to the activities of the commission: The A-Star Puzzle (IAUS224), Massive Star Birth: A Crossroads of Astrophysics (IAUS227), and From Lithium to Uranium: Elemental Tracers of Early Cosmic Evolution (IAUS228).
The Commission business meeting was held on 17 August 2006. Approximately 20 people attended, including the Commission vice-president, Rainer Spurzem. The sole member of the Commission Organizing Committee that was present was Gary Da Costa, who, along with Patricia Whitelock, the outgoing president of Division VII and Commission 33, served as chairs of the meeting.
The scope of the present research is to examine the spatial consequences of the predicted future sea-level rise upon the active area of the delta of the River Acheloos, which forms part of the NW coast of the Gulf of Patras (Ionian Sea). The growth of the Acheloos River deltaic plain, prior to the construction of dams and channelization of the lower part of the river, took place through the progradation of four main distributaries which transported 5-6 million tones of sediments annually.Following the construction of the dams, the hydraulic regime of Acheloos has changed and its propagation has ceased. The present investigation aims to quantify coastal changes on the deltaic plain of the Acheloos river due to the combined effect of (i) the process of inundation induced by a future sea level rise of 0.5 and 1 m and (ii) coastal erosion caused by the increased exposure to wave action due to sea-level rise and subsequent coastline retreat. The results of our analysis show severe shoreline recession (up to 1900m), extensive submergence of the active deltaic plain (~ 2586⋅103 m2 or 61.4 %) and elimination of most of the lagoonal areas. The substantial loss of deltaic land, accompanied by salinisation of the groundwater table, will cause severe damage to the agricultural economy of the area. Furthermore, we show that the consequences of a future sea-level rise on a low-relief fluviallydominated delta cannot be predicted accurately by simple conceptual models; instead, a holistic approach incorporating topographic, geomorphological, sedimentological, morphodynamic and hydrodynamic analyses is required.
In the current paper are presented the results of a multidisciplinary study (stratigraphical, sedimentological, geophysical and geochemical) combined with modern techniques (G.I.S. and remote sensing). This study aims at integrating the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the Korissia lagoon. It is a shallow coastal lagoon, communicating with the sea via an artificial channel. The area around the lagoon consists of alluvial sediments hosting, in places, newly formed and/or “old” (pre – Holocene) sand-dunes. The broader area constitutes a post- alpine sedimentary basin characterised by smooth morphological relief. The lower stratigraphic unit of the post-alpine sequence is a Pleistocene marly formation, which was detected as the basement (5-15 hm.m) by the geophysical survey. The resistivity-based basement map implies the existence of a “palaeo-gulf” trending E- W. These marls constitute the impermeable basement of a shallow aquifer hosted in the area. The salinity of the lagoon is very high during summer (>40psu) but it does not affect significantly the wells around it. The lagoon is well oxygenated, while the wells have lower D.O. values. Ammonia and nitrates are the main inorganic Nitrogen forms, in the lagoon and the wells, respectively. Phosphorus is the limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. Human activities affect the area that is in need of an environmental management plan in order to prevent ecological degradation.
In the current paper are presented the results of a multidisciplinary study (stratigraphical, sedimentological, geophysical and geochemical) combined with modern techniques (G.I.S. and remote sensing). This study aims at integrating the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the Korissia lagoon. It is a shallow coastal lagoon, communicating with the sea via an artificial channel. The area around the lagoon consists of alluvial sediments hosting, in places, newly formed and/or “old” (pre – Holocene) sand-dunes. The broader area constitutes a postalpine sedimentary basin characterised by smooth morphological relief. The lower stratigraphic unit of the post-alpine sequence is a Pleistocene marly formation, which was detected as the basement (5-15 Οhm.m) by the geophysical survey. The resistivity-based basement map implies the existence of a “palaeo-gulf” trending EW. These marls constitute the impermeable basement of a shallow aquifer hosted in the area. The salinity of the lagoon is very high during summer (>40psu) but it does not affect significantly the wells around it. The lagoon is well oxygenated, while the wells have lower D.O. values. Ammonia and nitrates are the main inorganic Nitrogen forms, in the lagoon and the wells, respectively. Phosphorus is the limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. Human activities affect the area that is in need of an environmental management plan in order to prevent ecological degradation.
We examine the intersubband transition dynamics of a single semiconductor quantum well when the ground and the first excited subbands are coupled by strong electromagnetic fields, with emphasis given to controlled intersubband population inversion. The system dynamics is described by the nonlinear density matrix equations that include the effects of electron‐electron interactions. We present analytical results for the electromagnetic field that can lead to high‐efficiency population inversion in the system. The validity of the analytical results is tested with numerical solutions of the density matrix equations for various values of the electron sheet density for a realistic GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well.
The Author list was incomplete in ATel#1152. On 2007 July 21.46 UT a spectrum of the nova candidate M31N 2007-07c (see ATel#1146, ATel#1149) was obtained with Double-Beam Spectrograph on the Palomar Hale-5m telescope. The 400/6000 grism (3.5 angstrom FWHM) and 158/7500 grating (8.6 angstrom FWHM) were used with 1200s exposure, each. The H-alpha line displays a P-Cygni profile. The measured expansion velocity is -1630+/-20 km/ sec (blue shifted), based on measurements of the Ca H+K lines, the G Band, H-beta, Mg lines and the near-infrared Ca-triplet.
Koumboulis FN, Tzamtzi MP, Skarpetis MG. A Decision Support System for Safe Switching Control. In: 6th WSEAS International Conference on Circuits, Systems, Electronics, Control & Signal Processing (CSECS'07), Cairo, Egypt. ; 2007. pp. 214–221.
As evidenced by the development of tools that enable proper analysis of river systems, floodplain modeling is more important than ever before. Current legislative and socioeconomic aspects of integrated water resource management often require a hydraulic analysis prior to development or construction in a floodplain. To aid in accurate floodplain modeling, scientists use computer models in planning and analyzing floodplain hydraulic situations while having difficult modeling problems depending on data needs and data availability. On the one hand, floodplain models are successful in dealing with time variation, and models with hundreds or even thousands of time steps are common. On the other hand, spatial disaggregating of the study area has been relatively simple, assuming, in many cases, uniform spatial properties or allow for small numbers of spatial subunits within which properties are uniform. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) offer the potential to increase the degree of definition of spatial subunits, in number and in descriptive detail. This paper focuses in integrating GIS and floodplain modeling in order to produce fast, accurate and easy to understand, through thematic and animated maps, results, through the development of an integrated Decision Support System (DSS). The system was applied in Prasianos watershed, Rethimnon, Crete isl., to enable prediction of spatial runoff distribution, calculate flood hydrographs and simulate the flooding following an earthen dam breach.
The Karlovassi Basin is an area that has suffered many catastrophic events such as fires or floods within the last 10 years. These intense phenomena, that take place mostly at its northern part, along with the human activities, have significantly accelerated the evolution rate of the local landforms. The result is the noticeable alteration of the geomorphological landscape within these last ten years.When dealing with landscape evolution, the time is a basic factor since it determines the intensity of the morphologic development. For this paper we used an algorithm for the temporal analysis of the changes in the landscape, because of the erosional processes. The software that has been developed to apply the algorithm is GIS based and uses the concept of the cellular automata for the geospatial calculations. For each grid cell it calculates the altitude and soil thickness of the area, based on the continuity equation, which involves parameters of different natural processes such as the weathering of rocks, the river and slope sediment yield, etc. Since time is an important factor in this equation, each parameter is characterized as timeconstant or time dependent. The temporal variation of the physical process parameters is expressed by simple mathematical expressions, which may represent time constant values, as well as abrupt, smooth or periodical variations with time.This algorithm may support the local authorities in decision making issues, since it may identify the areas that require protection against the intense physical phenomena of the last years. Moreover, it may be useful in geomorphological and environmental research, concerning the way that some landforms evolve.
The purpose of the present study was to describe the development and validation of the Self-Talk Questionnaire (S-TQ), designed to measure two functions of self-talk strategies, namely the motivational function and the cognitive function, used by athletes to enhance their sport performances. The study was conducted in three phases. The first phase targeted item selection and content relevance. The second phase set out to test the factor structure of the instrument. The aim of the third phase was focused on further examination of the psychometric properties of the instrument. The results of an exploratory factor analysis provided adequate support for the instrument. The S-TQ consists of 11 items, representing two factors (motivational and cognitive). A confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit to the data. The factors were internally consistent, the correlations with external criteria were significant, and test-retest reliability values were very good. Examining the relationships between the S-TQ and similar constructs supported convergent validity. Discriminant validity was supported by correlations between the S-TQ and a different construct. The S-TQ appears to be a promising psychometric instrument that can be used in research and psychological intervention programs.
Pantazara M, Mantzari E, Vagelatos A, Kalamara C, Iordanidou A. Development of a Greek biomedical corpus. Proceedings of the 11th Panhellenic Conference on Informatics (PCI 2007), Patras, Greece, May 18–20, 2007. 2007:549-556.
In the present paper we develop a software in order to describe, in quantitative terms, the time variation of the shape and dimensions of a landform. The software is based on an iterative cellular automata algorithm. In each step, the algorithm calculates the altitude and soil thickness of each cell, which represents a piece of land. The calculations are based on the continuity equation. Parameters which express the intensity of weathering of rock masses, soil transport along slopes and fluvial transport of sediments by rivers (physical processes parameters), are incorporated in the continuity equation, using empirical relations. These parameters may be time constant or time dependent. The physical meaning of a time dependent parameter is that the rate of a geomorphological process may change with time, as a result of human activities or changes in the climate. The temporal variation of the physical processes parameters are expressed by simple mathematical expressions, which may represent smooth, rapid or periodical changes.This software may be useful in geomorphological and environmental research, inorder to estimate the future development of a landform, as a result of physicalprocesses and human activities.
This paper is based on the research on the possible structure of an information system for the purposes of occupational health and safety management. We initiated a questionnaire in order to find the possible interest on the part of potential users in the subject of occupational health and safety. The depiction of the potential interest is vital both for the software analysis cycle and development according to previous models. The evaluation of the results tends to create pilot applications among different enterprises. Documentation and process improvements ascertained quality of services, operational support, occupational health and safety advice are the basics of the above applications. Communication and codified information among intersted parts is the other target of the survey regarding health issues. Computer networks can offer such services. The network will consist of certain nodes responsible to inform executives on Occupational Health and Safety. A web database has been installed for inserting and searching documents. The submission of files to a server and the answers to questionnaires through the web help the experts to perform their activities. Based on the requirements of enterprises we have constructed a web file server. We submit files so that users can retrieve the files which they need. The access is limited to authorized users. Digital watermarks authenticate and protect digital objects.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing in prevalence. There are no known preventive or curative measures. There is evidence that oxidative stress, homo-cysteine-related vitamins, fats, and alcohol have a role in the pathogenesis of AD. Some epidemiologic studies suggest that higher dietary intake of antioxidants, vitamins B(6), B(12), and folate, unsaturated fatty acids, and fish are related to a lower risk of AD, but reports are inconsistent. Modest to moderate alcohol intake, particularly wine, may be related to a lower risk of AD. The Mediterranean diet may also be related to lower AD risk. However, randomized clinical trials of supplements of vitamins E, B(12), B(6), and folate have shown no cognitive benefit, and randomized trials for other nutrients or diets in AD are not available. The existing evidence does not support the recommendation of specific supplements, foods, or diets for the prevention of AD.
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether replacement of broad-spectrum cephalosporins (CEPs) by piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) as first-line empirical therapy may have an effect on beta-lactam resistance among Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in a tertiary care hospital. Data regarding CEP and TZP consumption and resistance were collected on a bimonthly basis during an open-label 2-year (1 year observational and 1 year interventional) study. Consumption of ceftazidime was reduced by 64.5%. In contrast, consumption of the other third-generation CEPs (cefotaxime and ceftriaxone) remained almost stable, whereas an increase in consumption of TZP by 2.8-fold was observed. A significant decrease in resistance to third-generation cephalosporins among K. pneumoniae isolates was observed, and the incidence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing isolates was notably reduced. These findings were less evident among E. coli isolates. Despite the significant increase in TZP consumption, the respective resistance rates of both bacterial species examined have remained almost unchanged.
The evolution of imipenem disk-diffusion susceptibility results of 2652 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 7596 Escherichia coli isolated during the period 2000-2005 were analysed. Screening for production of metallo-beta-lactamases was performed using the EDTA-synergy method. The percentage rate of K. pneumoniae isolates having a zone diameter < or =25 mm increased from 20% in 2000 to 41% in 2005, whereas the respective rate of isolates having a zone diameter > or =30 mm decreased from 48 to 23%. These changes were more evident during 2000-2002, followed in 2003 by the isolation of the first imipenem-resistant strains. Regarding E. coli, a similar decrease was observed (the rates of isolates having a zone diameter < or =25 mm and > or =30 mm changed from 7% and 68% in 2000, to 32% and 36% in 2005, respectively) following the respective changes of K. pneumoniae. A total of 20 K. pneumoniae strains, but no E. coli, were confirmed as metallo-beta-lactamase producers. In conclusion, a decrease of the imipenem susceptibility prior to the isolation of the first resistant strains in a tertiary care hospital was detected, as well as differences in this decrease between the two species. These findings indicate that monitoring of the evolution of imipenem susceptibility in real-time may help in unveiling forthcoming resistance and in implementing the appropriate diagnostic techniques.
Temperature sensitivity of digestive processes has important ramifications for digestive performance in ectothermic vertebrates. We conducted a comparative analysis of temperature effects on digestive processes [gut passage times (GPTs) and apparent digestive efficiencies (ADEs)] in five lacertid lizards occurring in insular ( Podarcis erhardii, P. gaigeae ), and mainland ( P. muralis, P. peloponnesiaca, Lacerta graeca ) Mediterranean environments. GPTs were negatively correlated to temperature with mainland taxa having 10–20% longer GPTs than island taxa. In contrast to previous studies that estimate ADEs using bomb calorimetry, we compare ADEs by analyzing discrete efficiencies for lipids, sugars and proteins at three temperature regimes (20, 25, and 30°C); each of these categories produces different results. ADEs for lipids and sugars showed a monotonic increase with temperature whereas ADEs for proteins decreased with temperature. Island taxa had consistently higher ADEs than their mainland counterparts for lipids and for proteins but not for sugars. They are characterized by superior energy acquisition abilities despite significantly shorter GPTs. Their increased digestive performance relative to the mainland species appears to allow them to maximize energy acquisition in unproductive island environments where food availability is spatially and seasonally clustered.
A 44-year old male patient with a past medical history of a complete surgical excision of pelvic hydatid cyst two years previously presented with constant pelvic floor pain and plasma IgG anti-echinococcal antibody titres of 14.27 U/mL. Based on that and the imaging findings of abdominal ultrasound (US), Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) the diagnosis of a recurrent retrorectal pelvic hydatid cyst was made. Three courses of oral albendazole treatment were administered and sixteen weeks later, the patient was admitted for a planned elective operation. At that time, a new CT scan revealed disappearance of the cyst, while the serological tests showed a decrease in the IgG anti-echinococcal antibody titres to 0. 71 U/mL. Four different species of the Echinococcus tapeworm can produce infection in humans. E granulosus and E multilocularis are the most common, causing cystic and alveolar echinococcosis respectively, while E vogeli and E oligarthrus, have only rarely been associated with human infection. Although surgical resection remains the treatment of choice for hydatid disease, the present case could suggest that especially in cases of recurrent intraabdominal extrahepatic hydatid cyst, treatment with albendazole may lead to disappearance of the recurrent cyst therefore, should constitute a first line therapeutic option prior to any planned reoperation.
Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2007). Απόψεις Ξένων Περιηγητριών για την Περίοδο της Τουρκοκρατίας: «Δυστυχώς οι πόλεις είναι γεμάτες Έλληνες (1853). ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑ & ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ, Περιοδική Επιστημονική Έκδοση της Ένωσης Καθηγητών για την Προαγωγή της Φιλοσοφίας στην Εκπαίδευση (ΕΚΔΕΦ), ‘Έτος 13ο , Τεύχος 41 (Ιανουάριος-Απρίλιος 2007): 34-37. J.5 in APELLA
BACKGROUND: Disruptive behavior is common in Alzheimer disease (AD). There are conflicting reports regarding its ability to predict cognitive decline, functional decline, institutionalization, and mortality.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the presence of disruptive behavior has predictive value for important outcomes in AD.
DESIGN: Using the Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer Disease (administered every 6 months, for a total of 3438 visit-assessments and an average of 6.9 per patient), the presence of disruptive behavior (wandering, verbal outbursts, physical threats/violence, agitation/restlessness, and sundowning) was extracted and examined as a time-dependent predictor in Cox models. The models controlled for the recruitment cohort, recruitment center, informant status, sex, age, education, a comorbidity index, baseline cognitive and functional performance, and neuroleptic use.
SETTING: Five university-based AD centers in the United States and Europe (Predictors Study).
PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred ninety-seven patients with early-stage AD (mean Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score, 20 of 30 at entry) who were recruited and who underwent semiannual follow-up for as long as 14 (mean, 4.4) years.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitive (Columbia Mini-Mental State Examination score, < or = 20 of 57 [approximate Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score, < or = 10 of 30]) and functional (Blessed Dementia Rating Scale score, parts I and II, > or = 10) ratings, institutionalization equivalent index, and death.
RESULTS: At least 1 disruptive behavioral symptom was noted in 48% of patients at baseline and in 83% at any evaluation. Their presence was associated with increased risks of cognitive decline (hazard ratio 1.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-2.03]), functional decline (1.66 [95% CI, 1.17-2.36]), and institutionalization (1.47 [95% CI, 1.10-1.97]). Sundowning was associated with faster cognitive decline, wandering with faster functional decline and institutionalization, and agitation/restlessness with faster cognitive and functional decline. There was no association between disruptive behavior and mortality (hazard ratio, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.71-1.25]).
CONCLUSION: Disruptive behavior is very common in AD and predicts cognitive decline, functional decline, and institutionalization but not mortality.
c-Jun is a transcription factor activated by phosphorylation by the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway in response to extracellular signals and cytokines. We show that adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of the dominant negative form of c-Jun (dn-c-Jun) in C57BL/6 mice increased greatly apoE hepatic mRNA and plasma levels, increased plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, and very low density lipoprotein levels, and resulted in the accumulation of discoidal high density lipoprotein particles. A similar but more severe phenotype was generated by overexpression of the mouse apoE in C57BL/6 mice, suggesting that dyslipidemia induced by dn-c-Jun was the result of apoE overexpression. Unexpectedly, infection of apoE(-/-) mice with adenovirus expressing dn-c-Jun reduced plasma cholesterol by 70%, suggesting that dn-c-Jun affected other genes that control plasma cholesterol levels. To identify these genes, we performed whole genome expression analysis (34,000 genes) of isolated livers from two groups of five apoE(-/-) mice, infected with adenoviruses expressing either the dn-c-Jun or the green fluorescence protein. Bioinformatic analysis and Northern blotting validation revealed that dn-c-Jun increased 40-fold the apoE mRNA and reduced by 70% the Scd-1 (stearoyl-CoA-desaturase 1) mRNA. The involvement of Scd-1 in lowering plasma cholesterol was confirmed by restoration of high cholesterol levels of apoE(-/-) mice following coinfection with adenoviruses expressing dn-c-Jun and Scd-1. In conclusion, dn-c-Jun appears to trigger two opposing events in mice that affect plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels as follows: one results in apoE overexpression and triggers dyslipidemia and the other results in inhibition of Scd-1 and offsets dyslipidemia.
Mattis I, Mona L, Müller D, Pappalardo G, Alados-Arboledas L, D'Amico G, Amodeo A, Apituley A, Baldasano JM, Böckmann C. EARLINET correlative measurements for CALIPSO. Lidar Technologies, Techniques, and Measurements for Atmospheric Remote Sensing III. 2007;6750:67500Z.
OBJECTIVES: To report on recent efforts in the field of consumer health informatics (CHI) and education.
METHODS: A review of the literature we selected on using search engines and Medline with terms from consumer health informatics and education. Twenty two articles match these criteria.
RESULTS: A great diversity of work spans the field of CHI. This relatively new field now faces challenges due to rapidly advancing technologies and the increasing empowerment of citizens connected over the worldwide web.
CONCLUSION: The benefits of enhancing CIH components within existing medical curricula are already being noted. Additionally, updated recommendations on health and medical informatics should incorporate CHI.
The rationale of this magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study was the quest for temporal aspects of the fMRI-characterized hemispheric asymmetries of auditory cortex functions during the processing of simple linearly frequency-modulated (FM) tones. We searched for parameters which distinguish a stimulus-related task condition—the categorical discrimination of direction (upward versus downward) of frequency modulation—from mere exposure to the same FM tones. We found that the M100-peak latency after FM tones was significantly shorter in the task condition than in the exposure condition, in the left but not in the right hemisphere.
OBJECTIVES: Aim of this study is the evaluation of the impact of a multimedia CD (MCD) on preoperative anxiety and postoperative recovery of patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).
METHODS: Sixty consecutive candidates for elective LC were randomly assigned to four groups. Group A included 15 patients preoperatively informed regarding LC through the MCD presented by Registered Nurse (RN). Patients in group B (n = 15) were informed through a leaflet. Patients in group C (n = 15) were informed verbally from a RN. Finally, the control Group D included 15 patients informed conventionally by the attending surgeon and anesthesiologist, as every other patient included in groups A, B, and C. Preoperative assessment of knowledge about LC was performed after each informative session through a questionnaire. Evaluation of preoperative anxiety was conducted using APAIS scale. Postoperative pain and nausea scores were measured using an NRS scale, 16 hours after the patient had returned to the ward.
RESULTS: Statistical processing of the results (single linear regression) showed that patients in groups A, B, and C achieved a higher knowledge score, less preoperative anxiety score and less postoperative pain and nausea, compared to Group D. In multiple regression analysis, group A had a higher knowledge score compared to the four groups (p < 0.001 r(2) = 0.41).
CONCLUSION: Informative sessions using MCD is an effective means of improving patient's preoperative knowledge, especially in day-surgery cases, like LC.
Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and bortezomib have been recently used in the management of patients with both newly diagnosed and relapsed/ refractory multiple myeloma. Except of their direct anti-myeloma effect, these agents also alter the interactions between myeloma cells and marrow microenvironment. Several recent studies have investigated their potential effect on myeloma bone disease. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that IMiDs reduce osteoclast formation and function in vitro. Clinical studies have confirmed that thalidomide reduces markers of bone resorption, while lenalidomide induces osteoclast arrest in myeloma patients. However, IMiDs seem to have no effect on osteoblast exhaustion present in myeloma. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib restores abnormal bone remodeling through the inhibition of osteoclast function and the increase in osteoblast differentiation and activity in vitro. In myeloma patients, bortezomib reduces biochemical markers of bone resorption and normalizes the RANKL/osteoprotegerin ratio, while at the same time increases bone formation markers reducing levels of dickkopf-1 protein. Whether these effects are direct and not only a consequence of the agents' antimyeloma activity is not totally clear. This review summarizes all available data for these attractive agents that combine potent anti-myeloma activity with beneficial effects on bone and may alter the way of management of myeloma-related bone disease.
BACKGROUND: A 9-month course of isoniazid monotherapy is currently recommended for the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and has been shown to be effective in both children and adults. Reduced compliance with this regimen has forced physicians to explore shorter regimens. The aim of this study was to compare 3- and 4-month combination regimens of isoniazid plus rifampin with a 9-month regimen of isoniazid monotherapy for the treatment of LTBI in children. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted over an 11-year period (1995-2005). In period 1 (1995-1998), 232 patients received isoniazid therapy for 9 months (group A), and 238 patients received isoniazid and rifampin for 4 months (group B). In period 2 (1999-2002), 236 patients were treated with isoniazid and rifampin for 4 months (group C), and 220 patients received the same regimen for 3 months (group D). All patients were observed for > or = 3 years. RESULTS: Overall compliance with treatment was good, but patients who received isoniazid monotherapy were less compliant than were those who received short-course combination therapy (P=.011, for group A vs. group B; P=.510, for group C vs. group D). No patient in any group developed clinical disease during the follow-up period. New radiographic findings suggestive of possible active disease were more common in patients who received isoniazid monotherapy (24%) than in those treated with shorter regimens (11.8%, 13.6%, and 11% for groups B, C, and D, respectively; P=.001 for group A vs. group B; P=.418 for group C vs. group D). Serious drug-related adverse effects were not detected. CONCLUSIONS: Short-course treatment with isoniazid and rifampin for 3-4 months is safe and seems to be superior to a 9-month course of isoniazid monotherapy.
BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle wasting commonly occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been associated with the presence of systemic inflammation. This study investigated whether rehabilitative exercise training decreases the levels of systemic or local muscle inflammation or reverses the abnormalities associated with muscle deconditioning.
METHODS: Fifteen patients with COPD (mean (SE) forced expiratory volume in 1 s 36 (4)% predicted) undertook high-intensity exercise training 3 days/week for 10 weeks. Before and after the training programme the concentration of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in plasma was determined by ELISA, and vastus lateralis mRNA expression of TNFalpha, IL-6, total insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its isoform mechanogrowth factor (MGF) and myogenic differentiation factor D (MyoD) were assessed by real-time PCR. Protein levels of TNFalpha, IGF-I and MyoD were measured by Western blotting.
RESULTS: Rehabilitation improved peak exercise work rate by 10 (2%) (p = 0.004) and mean fibre cross-sectional area from 4061 (254) microm(2) to 4581 (241) microm(2) (p = 0.001). Plasma inflammatory mediators and vastus lateralis expression of TNFalpha and IL-6 were not significantly modified by training. In contrast, there was a significant increase in mRNA expression of IGF-I (by 67 (22)%; p = 0.044), MGF (by 67 (15)%; p = 0.002) and MyoD (by 116 (30)%; p = 0.001). The increase observed at the mRNA level was also seen at the protein level for IGF-I (by 72 (36)%; p = 0.046) and MyoD (by 67 (21)%; p = 0.012).
CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary rehabilitation can induce peripheral muscle adaptations and modifications in factors regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy and regeneration without decreasing the levels of systemic or local muscle inflammation.
{This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of two different off-season, short-term basketball training programs on physical and technical abilities of young basketball players. Twenty-seven adolescent basketball players (14.7 ± 0.5 years; Tanner stage: 3.5 ± 0.5) were randomly divided into a specialized basketball training group (SP
{This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of two different off-season, short-term basketball training programs on physical and technical abilities of young basketball players. Twenty-seven adolescent basketball players (14.7 ± 0.5 years; Tanner stage: 3.5 ± 0.5) were randomly divided into a specialized basketball training group (SP
The Leonardo project under the name European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN) in health and social care, has been dealing with the challenges of Interprofessional Education (IPE). The EIPEN project tries to develop a transnational network of universities and employers in the six participating countries and at the same time to promote good practices in Interprofessional LearningTeaching in healthsocial care. IPE provides opportunities for students and practitioners to learn with, from and about each other during qualifying and post-qualifying training and in their practice. IPE in health and social care includes the education and training of practitioners in human and animal medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and all other health professions including public and environmental health and health promotion, and social work. The outcomes of the EIPEN Project will provide means, material and guidelines for the enhancement of professional education in the multidisciplinary field of Health Informatics.
The present work demonstrates the first application of Brillouin light scattering (BLS) to probe film-guided elastic waves in transparent-substrate supported polymer thin films. In comparison with earlier BLS studies that were restricted to films either free-standing or supported on opaque substrates, the progress made in this work substantially extends the applicability of BLS and permits direct access to the elastic properties of thin films lying on transparent substrates, which is of important practical relevance. A series of thin supported polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) films with thickness in the range of 40−500 nm were explored, and no noticeable trend in elastic properties with thickness has been found, in conformity with earlier BLS results. The first measurement of glass transition temperature, Tg, of supported polymer thin films by BLS is also reported. We observed that the ultrathin (40 nm) films for both polymers exhibit a clear reduction in Tg.
The book is a detailed study on the structure and the topics of Ovid’s compedium of the Trojan Saga in Metamorphoses 12.1-13.622, the section also referred to as the “Little Iliad”. It explores the motives and the objectives behind the selected narrative moments from the Epic Cycle that found their way into the Ovidian version of the Trojan War. By thoroughly mastering and inspiringly refashioning a vast amount of literary material, Ovid generates a systematic reconstruction of the archetypal hero, Achilles. Thus, he projects himself as a worthy successor of Homer in the epic tradition, a master epicist, and a par to his great Latin predecessor, Vergil.
Hydatid disease, although endemic mostly in sheep-farming countries, remains a public health issue worldwide, involving mainly the liver. Intrabiliary rupture is the most frequent complication of the hepatic hydatid cyst. Endoscopy is advocated, preoperatively, to alleviate obstructive jaundice caused by intracystic materials after a frank rupture and is also a useful and well-established adjunct in locating postoperative biliary fistulas. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with sphincterotomy has been successful as the sole and definitive means of treatment of intrabiliary ruptured hydatid cysts. A case of an elderly woman with frank rupture is presented, where the rupture was definitively managed endoscopically in conjunction with sphincterotomy to remove the intrabiliary obstructive daughter cysts and to achieve decontamination of the biliary tree. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography provided an excellent diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the present case and, thus, it should be considered as definitive treatment in similar cases especially if surgical risk is anticipated to be high.
In this work we study the transport properties of hybrids that consist of exchange biased ferromagnets (FMs) combined with a low-T-c superconductor (SC). Not only different FMs but also various structural topologies have been investigated: results for multilayers of La1-xCaxMnO3 combined with Nb in the form of [La0.33Ca0.67MnO3/La0.60Ca0.40MnO3](15)/Nb, and for more simple Ni80Fe20/Nb/Ni80Fe20 trilayers and Ni80Fe20/Nb bilayers are presented. The results obtained in all hybrid structures studied in this work clearly uncover that the exchange bias mechanism promotes superconductivity. Our findings assist the understanding of the contradictory results that have been reported in the recent literature regarding the transport properties of relative FM/SC/FM spin valves.
We have studied the spatial and temporal variation of the surface longwave radiation (downwelling and net) over a 21-year period in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean (40 S-40 N, 90 E-75 W). The fluxes were computed using a deterministic model for atmospheric radiation transfer, along with satellite data from the ISCCP-D2 database and reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR (acronyms explained in main text), for the key atmospheric and surface input parameters. An excellent correlation was found between the downwelling longwave radiation (DLR) anomaly and the Niño-3.4 index time-series, over the Niño-3.4 region located in the central Pacific. A high anti-correlation was also found over the western Pacific (15-0 S, 105-130 E). There is convincing evidence that the time series of the mean downwelling longwave radiation anomaly in the western Pacific precedes that in the Niño-3.4 region by 3-4 months. Thus, the downwelling longwave radiation anomaly is a complementary index to the SST anomaly for the study of ENSO events and can be used to asses whether or not El Niño or La Niña conditions prevail. Over the Niño-3.4 region, the mean DLR anomaly values range from +20 Wm-2 during El Niño episodes to -20 Wm-2 during La Niña events, while over the western Pacific (15-0 S, 105-130 E) these values range from -15 Wm-2 to +10 Wm-2, respectively. The long- term average (1984-2004) distribution of the net downwelling longwave radiation at the surface over the tropical and subtropical Pacific for the three month period November-December-January shows a net thermal cooling of the ocean surface. When El Niño conditions prevail, the thermal radiative cooling in the central and south-eastern tropical Pacific becomes weaker by 10 Wm-2 south of the equator in the central Pacific (7-0 S, 160-120 W) for the three-month period of NDJ, because the DLR increase is larger than the increase in surface thermal emission. In contrast, the thermal radiative cooling over Indonesia is enhanced by 10 Wm-2 during the early (August-September-October) El Niño phase.
INTRODUCTION: Taking into consideration the need for an updated survey on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Greece, we conducted the HELIOS study (HELlenic Infarction Observation Study), aiming to recruit a cohort of AMI patients that would be representative of the total AMI population.
METHODS: The HELIOS study is a countrywide registry of AMI, conducted during 2005-2006 by the Prevention Working Group of the Hellenic Cardiological Society. We enrolled 1840 AMI pts from 31 hospitals (mean age 68 +/- 13 years, 75% men, 1096 ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] patients), with a proportional representation of all types of hospitals and of all geographical areas. The study recruited 10% of the total number of AMI cases that occur per year on a countrywide basis, taking into consideration the seasonal variations of the population in each geographical area.
RESULTS: Despite demographic changes, there is still a male predominance among AMI patients and an increasing prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, (obesity, diabetes, hypertension) compared to previous AMI studies in the Greek population. Almost 60% of STEMI patients received reperfusion therapy, but the median value of the pain-to-door time was 180 minutes. The rates of administration of evidence-based medications during hospitalisation or upon discharge and the short-term mortality rates were in accordance with those observed in other international AMI registries.
CONCLUSIONS: The HELIOS study provided valuable insights into the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, management and outcome of patients with AMI in the Greek population. Although there are notable advances compared to previous reports, there is still considerable room for improvement and we should particularly focus on minimising the time delay between arrival at the emergency department and performance of reperfusion, by either pharmacological or catheter-based approaches.
BACKGROUND: Inhibition of lung cell apoptosis in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of septic patients may have a prognostic value for the severity of sepsis. The present study evaluated apoptosis in the nasal and buccal mucosa of septic patients as an alternative and less invasive approach for studying the cells involved in bronchial inflammation.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was designed. Nasal and buccal mucosa brushings were obtained from 20 consecutive septic patients who were admitted to two intensive care units. Twenty-four patients scheduled to undergo surgery for colorectal cancer or laparascopic cholocystectomy were the control group. Apoptosis was evaluated using a TUNEL assay, while BCL-2 and BAX expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS: Significantly reduced apoptosis in the nasal mucosa of septic patients compared to the control group (p=0.043) was detected only by the TUNEL assay.
CONCLUSION: Reduced apoptosis was found during sepsis in the nasal mucosa in accordance with the reduced apoptosis in the lungs of septic patients. In contrast to septic lungs the underlying mechanism leading to apoptosis in the nasal mucosa was unrelated to the expression of two apoptosis-related genes BCL-2 and BAX.
Saddam Hussein’s execution on Saturday December 31, 2006 and its broadcast over the internet in the form of video footage “leaked” by one of the bystanders constitutes a milestone of important geostrategic developments in the Middle East, mainly as a multiplier of the Shia-Sunni tension, between the followers of Moktanta al Sadr and the Sunnis, between the Shiites of Tehran and the Lebanese Muslims (Shiites and Sunnis). The execution also triggered a chain reaction of the Kurdish ethnic pockets in the area, starting with Iraqi Kurdistan. This reaction engages Turkey in the issue of geostrategic reshuffling in the area and provides its military regime with the opportunity to use this threat to achieve EU tolerance as regards the country’s accession process without having to implement the necessary adjustments stipulated by the “acquis communautaire” and without trying to clear the “Cyprus hurdle” in the course of the entry talks. Greece and Cyprus must adopt a coordinated approach at all levels to deal with this situation, in which even “hot conflict provocations” by Turkey against Greece, but also an increase of pressure from across the Atlantic directed against Levkosia and Athens, cannot be ruled out.
The Paros Island (Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece) is characterized by a Mediterranean type of climate, while the Tihany Peninsula (Trans Danubian Middle Range Mountains, Lake Balaton, Hungary) is characterized by a Sub-Mediterranean type of climate. The Paros Island has abrupt rainfalls and lower temperatures during winters and long term sunshine accompanied by dry periods during the summer. The situation is similar in the Tihany Peninsula, except that there is snowfall in the winter and very intensive but short rainfalls in the summertime. These circumstances constitute a tough environment for the land. The low or sparse vegetation and steep slopes of the investigated areas leaves the ground exposed and very vulnerable to erosion. The recent change to the activities of the local people from agricultural to touristic ones and especially the abandonment of the agricultural terraces during the last 50 years has influenced the soil cover of the island, leading to total soil lossand exposure of the bedrock in many areas. The increase of tourist activities caused the same results however the agricultural activities have not ceased but increased a little. The slopes of the examined areas are high in general terms thus making soil regeneration almost impossible. The soil that is transferred is either moving towards the small alluvial plains of the island and inside the peninsula in Hungary. We try to compare the situation of the investigated Greek island and Hungarian peninsula bypointing out the areas that still appear to be in a high risk for erosion and to estimate the average amount of soil loss. For the later the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was tested on the data of the island. The application of the USLE took place with the use of MapInfo and ArcGIS Tools. We wish to give some details about the experiences of using the USLE model on these two territories.
The paper studies changes in daily precipitation records at the National Observatory, Athens, during the period 1891-2004. This is the longest available time series of precipitation for Greece. The results show that both the shape and scale parameter of a fitted two parameter gamma distribution for the last two decades do show a significant difference of these parameters, when compared to any previous period from the 1890s through the 1970s. Also important changes are observed in daily precipitation totals exceeding various thresholds such as 10, 20, 30 and 50 mm. More specifically, a negative trend in the number of wet days (remarkable after 1968) and a positive trend in extreme daily precipitation are evident. The changes of heavy and extreme precipitation events in this part of SE Europe have significant environmental consequences which cause considerable damage and loss of life.
This paper investigates the correlation between control and finiteness in Greek subjunctive clauses. It is shown that the main control pattern is Partial Control (PC) and that Exhaustive Control (EC) is very limited and occurs only with Anaphoric Subjunctives. On the basis of evidence from distribution and case agreement, it is claimed that Greek subjunctive T is finite, so that it always checks nominative case on the subject, even in EC constructions. It is therefore argued that control in Greek subjunctives cannot be accounted for by a PRO or a movement/Agree approach, because (i) the attested control pattern does not exhibit the properties of control as predicted by these approaches and (ii) their licensing conditions are not met. Additional crucial evidence is presented from constructions where control is attested over a lexical (either pronoun or DP) subject or even an object clitic. Thus, it is claimed that control in Greek subjunctive clauses is not the result of the licensing of the properties of their subject, but it derives from the licensing of their special temporal properties and from the semantic requirements of the main predicate.
{The authors determine from first principles the Curie temperature T-C for bulk Co in the hcp, fcc, bcc, and body-centered-tetragonal (bct) phases, for FeCo alloys, and for bcc and bct Fe. For bcc Co
Kumar KRR, Rokkas T, Varoutas D, Kind M, Von Hugo D, Harno J, Smura T, Heikkinen M. Fixed-Mobile Convergence: An Integrated Operator Case Study. In: Telecommunication Techno-Economics, 2007. CTTE 2007. 6th Conference on. IEEE; 2007. pp. 1–6.
FR258900 has been discovered as a novel inhibitor of human liver glycogen phosphorylase a and proved to suppress hepatic glycogen breakdown and reduce plasma glucose concentrations in diabetic mice models. To elucidate the mechanism of inhibition, we have determined the crystal structure of the cocrystallized rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b-FR258900 complex and refined it to 2.2 angstrom resolution. The structure demonstrates that the inhibitor binds at the allosteric activator site, where the physiological activator AMP binds. The contacts from FR258900 to glycogen phosphorylase are dominated by nonpolar van der Waals interactions with Gln71, Gln72, Phe196, and Val45' (from the symmetry-related subunit), and also by ionic interactions from the carboxylate groups to the three arginine residues (Arg242, Arg309, and Arg310) that form the allosteric phosphate-recognition subsite. The binding of FR258900 to the protein promotes conformational changes that stabilize an inactive T-state quaternary conformation of the enzyme. The ligand-binding mode is different from those of the potent phenoxy- phthalate and acyl urea inhibitors, previously described, illustrating the broad specificity of the allosteric site.
Stournaras G, Migiros G, Stamatis G, Evelpidou N, Botsialas C, Antoniou B, Vassilakis E. The fractured rocks. International Association of Hydrogeologists - IAH, SP (Special Publication) the Groundwater in Fractured Rocks International Conference. 2007:133-149.Abstract
The present contribution is dealing with the outcrops and the hydrogeological behaviour of the fractured rocks (mainly igneous, metamorphic and not karstified carbonate rocks, as they have been defined by the I.A.H Commission of the Hardrock Hydrogeology). The presentation starts with the description of the geotectonic regime of the Hellenic territory into the adopted different geotectoniczones. For each zone a general lithological and structural description is attempted accompanied by the description of the main aquifers and the general directions of the groundwater flow related to the formation of the rock mass fractures. Finally, an analytical description of some case studies is presented.
Stournaras G, Migiros G, Stamatis G, Evelpidou N, Botsialas K, Antoniou B, Vassilakis E. The fractured rocks in Hellas. In: Krasny J, Sharp J GROUNDWATER IN FRACTURED ROCKS. Vol. 9. Taylor & Francis; 2007. pp. 133-149. Publisher's Version
Free Choice Items (FCIs), such as French n’importe qui, Greek opjosdhipote and English anyone, are well known for their limited distributional properties. Most former analyses have been influenced by the polarity sensitivity tradition, accounting for the distribution of FCIs in terms of the conditions of licensing and antilicensing by the semantics of a given context. Based on French, Greek and English data, this study proposes that FCIs occur in all contexts as long as their lexical semantics is compatible with both the semantics and the pragmatics of the context.Data, mostly extracted from the Free Choice Item Database constructed by the author, show that the majority of FCIs are grammatical in veridical contexts. Consequently, the condition of licensing does not apply to FCIs. FCIs express widening, indiscriminacy, indistinguishability, ignorance, indifference and lowlevel. These readings can be pragmatically blocked in all contexts. Widening, indiscriminacy, indifference and ignorance can be semantically blocked too. An FCI is ungrammatical if and only if all its readings are blocked. Consequently, the condition of antilicensing does not apply to FCIs either, because it does not take into account the pragmatics of the context. The distribution of FCIs is, then, entirely free with the exception of certain cases in which semantic blocking is expected.This dissertation is of interest to researchers concerned with the study of FCIs, indefinites, definites and quantifiers, scholars working on more general issues concerning the semanticspragmatics interface, and linguists interested in crosslinguistic and typological studies.
Early genetic and physiological work in bacteria and fungi has suggested the presence of highly specific nucleobase transport systems. Similar transport systems are now known to exist in algae, plants, protozoa and metazoa. Within the last 15 years, a small number of microbial genes encoding nucleobase transporters have been cloned and studied in great detail. The sequences of several other putative proteins submitted to databases are homologous to the microbial nucleobase transporters but their physiological functions remain largely undetermined. In this review, genetic, biochemical and molecular data are described concerning mostly the nucleobase transporters of Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the two model ascomycetes from which the great majority of data come from. It is also discussed as to what is known on the nucleobase transporters of the two most significant pathogenic fungi: Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Apart from highlighting how a basic process such as nucleobase recognition and transport operates, this review intends to highlight features that might be applicable to antifungal pharmacology.
BACKGROUND: Although General Practice (GP) was recognized as a medical specialty in Greece in 1986, the number of GPs is insufficient to cover needs and only few medical graduates choose GP as a career option. In the present study we investigated the profile of medical students in terms of their decisions regarding specialization and the possible association of career choices different from GP with the status of undergraduate training regarding GP.
METHODS: The sample consisted of final year students in the Medical School of the University of Athens, Greece. Students filled in a self-reported questionnaire focusing on medical specialization, and GP in particular.
RESULTS: Response rate was 82.5% with 1021 questionnaires collected, out of 1237 eligible medical students. Only 44 out of the 1021 (4.3%) respondents stated that GP is -or could be- among their choices for specialty. The most popular medical specialty was General Surgery (10.9%), followed by Cardiology (9.6%), Endocrinology (8.7%) and Obstetrics-Gynaecology (8.3%). The most common criterion for choosing GP was the guaranteed employment on completion of the residency (54.6%) while a 56.6% of total respondents were positive to the introduction of GP/FM as a curriculum course during University studies.
CONCLUSION: Despite the great needs, GP specialty is currently not a career option among undergraduate students of the greater Medical University in Greece and is still held in low esteem. A university department responsible for undergraduate teaching, promotion and research in GP (where not available) is essential; the status of undergraduate training in general practice/family medicine seems to be one of the most important factors that influence physician career choices regarding primary care specialties.
Korissia lagoon located in the southwest end of Corfu separated from the open Ionian Sea by a narrow (<250 m) stip of land. It has a surface of 4,2 km2 and depths <2m, communicating with the sea via an artificial-dredged channel. The bed of the lagoon consists of fine-grainned sediment (sandy silt – silty sand). Its drainage basin covers an area of 16 km2 and is characterized by low relief. It receives the freshwater inputs form a low relief (maximum elevation 319 m) of the drainage basin. The influx of fresh water is surficial includes also an underground flow, as indicated by the presence of a phreatic aquifer and a large number of wells at its nearby surrounding area. The water budget of the lagoon is characterised by a wet (October-March) and a dry (April-September) period. During the wet period the incoming volume of fresh water (5,3x106 m3 ) is much larger than its total volume (2,5 x 106 m3 ); this implies an outflow of lagoonal waters whilst lagoonal waters are characterised by relatively lower salinity values (<20 ppt) compare to those of the Ionian Sea (38 ppt). In contrast, during the dry period, the fresh water influx (1,2 x106 m3 ) is smaller than the volume of the lagoon; this induces an influx of sea water, which in association with the high levels of evaporation moduled hyper-saline (>50 ppt) hydrologic conditions within the lagoonal basin.
This chapter concerns the application of computing technologies in Geoarchaeology. The main issue is the combination of GIS and remote sensing technologies with on-site observations of the archaeological, geomorphological and geological characteristics of the area. This combination involves gathering all the necessary information of the spatial structures: geological, topographical, geomorphological and archaeological data. The main target is the composition of the palaeolandscape in order to reveal the paleotopography of Thera and the archaeological site of Akrotiri before the Minoan eruption. GIS analytical tools may help to recreate the different phases of landform evolution of Thera before the Minoan era till nowadays. Thus, 3D models before the Minoan, during the Minoan and after the Minoan phase were produced. Furthermore, the chapter focuses on the geomorphology of Akrotiri site, the most important archaeological site on Thera. The geological formations and the dominant erosion and deposition processes were mapped in order to understand the geomorphological evolution of the area. The extensive reworking and adaptation of the geomorphology from sustained volcanic activity over a long period has resulted in huge physical changes: loss of a central area of the island, coastline modifications, soil loss, deposition and abandonment of valleys and settlement sites. This abrupt evolution have played a major role to the land use change and land cultivation, strongly affecting the local communities, perhaps emphasising and coinciding with distinctive periods of cultural expansion and contraction.
In this paper we investigate the relations between the landforms and thediscontinuous tectonism. A multistep methodology has been adopted. Thus, first westudy the topography of a given area and by proper procedures we classify thegeoforms. We next examine the geological formations of the area, the drainagesystem, the landuse, the vegetation and the human impact.Finally, we study the tectonic zones of this area (faults and fractures zones). Datahas also been obtained by airphotos and satellite images. All the above information is analyzed in a G.I.S platform using expert system methodology. This procedure has been applied to some selected places of the Greek territory.
The Lebanon II war required the utmost attention, in foreign policy terms, from both Greece and Cyprus. This is because the conflict between Israel and Lebanon resulted in obvious dangers for the flaring up of all the national-state and ethnic actors in the region.
This paper is a geopolitical and geostrategic analysis of the Israel-Hezbollah asymmetric war. It also unveils how Iran and Syria influence the Middle East geostrategic subsystem and the Lebanon case.
This paper examines the lessons learned from the IsraelHezbollah war at a political and military level. It demonstrates the political benefits for Israel in security terms, and its military weak points. It also unveils how Iran and Syria influence the Middle East geostrategic subsystem and the Lebanon case, and suggests that a US attack against Iran is not realistic. It draws on valid evidence and statements by political figures from all involved parties.
Hovelynck J, Vanden Auweele Y, Mouratidis A. Group development in the physical education class. In: Liukkonen J, Vanden Auweele Y, Vereijken B, Alfermann D, Theodorakis Y Psychology for physical educators. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2007. pp. 101-119.
Despite the long lasting research the ideal method of reconstructing the ACL has not been found so far. The last year's attention has shifted to the use of the multistrand hamstring tendon grafts. High ultimate tensile load, multiple-bundle replacement that better approximates the anatomy of the normal ACL and low donor site morbidity are the main advantages of this ACL replacement graft. These theoretical advantages have been multiplied when surprisingly studies have shown that semitendinosus and gracilis tendons actually regenerate after harvesting for use as ACL autografts. In this review article we summarize the current knowledge concerning the hamstring regeneration and we focus on issues that have clinical relevance or issues that have not been answered so far.
Depressed cardiac Ca cycling by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) has been associated with attenuated contractility, which can progress to heart failure. The histidine-rich Ca-binding protein (HRC) is an SR component that binds to triadin and may affect Ca release through the ryanodine receptor. HRC overexpression in transgenic mouse hearts was associated with decreased rates of SR Ca uptake and delayed relaxation, which progressed to hypertrophy with aging. The present study shows that HRC may mediate part of its regulatory effects by binding directly to sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase type 2 (SERCA2) in cardiac muscle, which is confirmed by coimmunostaining observed under confocal microscopy. This interaction involves the histidine- and glutamic acid-rich domain of HRC (320-460 aa) and the part of the NH(2)-terminal cation transporter domain of SERCA2 (74-90 aa) that projects into the SR lumen. The SERCA2-binding domain is upstream from the triadin-binding region in human HRC (609-699 aa). Specific binding between HRC and SERCA was verified by coimmunoprecipitation and pull-down assays using human and mouse cardiac homogenates and by blot overlays using glutathione S-transferase and maltose-binding protein recombinant proteins. Importantly, increases in Ca concentration were associated with a significant reduction of HRC binding to SERCA2, whereas they had opposite effects on the HRC-triadin interaction in cardiac homogenates. Collectively, our data suggest that HRC may play a key role in the regulation of SR Ca cycling through its direct interactions with SERCA2 and triadin, mediating a fine cross talk between SR Ca uptake and release in the heart.
We give an overview of [1], in collaboration with G. Skandalis, where we construct the holonomy groupoid and the C*-algebras associated with any singular foliation (in the sense of Stefan and Sussmann).
A cross-sectional study was carried out in healthy company employees from Greece with the aim of assessing the prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and identifying risk factors for this herpesviral infection. Serum samples obtained from 955 subjects were tested for antibodies to HHV-8 by the K8.1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Associations between HHV-8 serostatus and potential risk factors were examined using t-test, chi square test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. HHV-8 prevalence was 7.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.0%, 9.5%) and it increased with age from 6.5% among <30 years old to 13.8% among > or =50 years old subjects (P = 0.006). HHV-8 seropositivity was independently associated with endoscopic examination (odds ratio (OR): 2.01; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.70; P = 0.026), HBsAg positivity (OR: 5.16; 95% CI: 2.02, 13.20; P = 0.001) and age (OR > or =50 years old vs. <50 years old: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.23, 3.52; P = 0.006). No statistically significant associations between HHV-8 positive status and gender, occupational status, surgery, transfusion, tattoos/body piercing, multiple sex partners, weakness/fatigue, HCV status were observed. HHV-8 is prevalent in Greece. The strong association between HBV infection and HHV-8 positive status supports the hypothesis of an association between these two viral infections. The association between HHV-8 seropositivity and endoscopic examination requires further investigation.
New BVRI CCD observations of the contact binary system HV~Aqr are presented. The new light curves are analyzed with the WD code and new geometric and photometric elements are derived. These elements are combined with the available spectroscopic data to yield the physical parameters of the system. The agreement between the spectroscopically and photometrically determined mass ratios of eclipsing binaries is also discussed.
The phononic band structure of two binary colloidal crystals, at hypersonic frequencies, is studied by means of Brillouin light scattering and analyzed in conjunction with corresponding dispersion diagrams of the single colloidal crystals of the constituent particles. Besides the acoustic band of the average medium, the authors’ results show the existence of narrow bands originating from resonant multipole modes of the individual particles as well as Bragg-type modes due to the (short-range) periodicity. Strong interaction, leading to the occurrence of hybridization gaps, is observed between the acoustic band and the band of quadrupole modes of the particles that occupy the largest fractional volume of the mixed crystal; the effective radius is either that of the large (in the symmetric NaCl-type crystalline phase) or the small (in the asymmetric NaZn13 -type crystalline phase) particles. The possibility to reveal a universal behavior of the phononic band structure for different single and binary colloidal crystalline suspensions, by representing in the dispersion diagrams reduced quantities using an appropriate length scale, is discussed.
In June 2005, the work of the EU Integrated Project EuroPrevall was started. EuroPrevall is the largest research project on food allergy ever performed in Europe. Major aims of the project are to generate for the first time reliable data on the prevalence of food allergies across Europe and on the natural course of food allergy development in infants. Improvement of in vitro diagnosis of food allergies is another important aim of the project. The present review summarizes current knowledge about the clinical presentation of food allergy and critically reviews available diagnostic tools at the beginning of the project period. A major problem in diagnosis is a relatively poor 'clinical specificity', i. e. both positive skin tests and in vitro tests for specific IgE are frequent in sensitized subjects without food allergy symptoms. So far, no in vitro test reliably predicts clinical food allergy. EuroPrevall aims at improving the predictive value of such tests by proceeding from diagnosis based on allergen extracts to purified allergen molecules, taking into account the affinity of the IgE-allergen interaction, and evaluating the potential of biological in vitro tests such as histamine release tests or basophil activation tests including assays performed with permanently growing cell lines.
OBJECTIVE: To characterize deficits in nonverbal recognition memory and functional brain changes associated with these deficits in Alzheimer disease (AD).
METHODS: Using O-15 PET, we studied 11 patients with AD and 17 cognitively intact elders during the combined encoding and retrieval periods of a nonverbal recognition task. Both task conditions involved recognition of line drawings of abstract shapes. In both conditions, subjects were first presented a list of shapes as study items, and then a list as test items, containing items from the study list and foils. In the titrated demand condition, the shape study list size (SLS) was adjusted prior to imaging so that each subject performed at approximately 75% recognition accuracy; difficulty during PET scanning in this condition was approximately matched across subjects. A control task was used in which SLS = 1 shape.
RESULTS: During performance of the titrated demand condition, SLS averaged 4.55 (+/-1.86) shapes for patients with AD and 7.53 (+/-4.81) for healthy elderly subjects (p = 0.031). However, both groups of subjects were closely matched on performance in the titrated demand condition during PET scanning with 72.17% (+/-7.98%) correct for patients with AD and 72.25% (+/-7.03%) for elders (p = 0.979). PET results demonstrated that patients with AD showed greater mean differences between the titrated demand condition and control in areas including the left fusiform and inferior frontal regions (Brodmann areas 19 and 45).
CONCLUSIONS: Relative fusiform and inferior frontal differences may reflect the Alzheimer disease (AD) patients' compensatory engagement of alternate brain regions. The strategy used by patients with AD is likely to be a general mechanism of compensation, rather than task-specific.
OBJECTIVES: Health informatics is a well established and important multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary field that not only involves informatics but also medicine, nursing, engineering, biology and other-related subjects. The program has been organized on the basis of an inter-university approach with the participation of five Greek universities. The paper aims at providing a current description of the academic program and a preliminary evaluation of the implementation phase.
METHODS: The paper presents a case study of a curriculum implementation from the phase of curriculum development to the phase of implementation and evaluation. Due to the interdisciplinary character of the course appropriate procedures were undertaken to ensure that mixed backgrounds can assimilate the broad spectrum of the teaching material taught. In the first stages of the implementation international students mainly from Europe attended the course. In addition, local graduates provided an extra dimension to the multi-layered difficulties and challenges of such a course implementation.
RESULTS: The students registered in the course were from different backgrounds and disciplines. They were mainly from health sciences and engineering schools. The interdisciplinary arrangement of the course facilitated the proper exchange of thoughts, skills, and knowledge among and between students and teachers.
CONCLUSIONS: The postgraduate course in health informatics at the University of Athens has now been running for more than fifteen consecutive years and is one of the first and longest standing courses in Europe. Continuous evaluation and adaptation is required to fit within the changing and evolving amazing field of biomedical and health informatics.
The in vitro utilization of biocompatible ferromagnetic nanoparticles (BFNs) in hemodialysis (HD), routinely used today for the treatment of end stage renal disease (ESRD), is introduced in this work. The proposed strategy is termed magnetically assisted hemodialysis (MAHD) and it aims to become a more efficient development of conventional HD. The method is based on the production of biocompatible ferromagnetic nanoparticles-targeted binding substances conjugates (BFNs-TBSs Cs) constructed of BFNs and specifically designed TBSs that should have high affinity and binding capacity for target toxic substances (TTSs) which must be removed from the ESRD patient subjected to HD. Antibodies or even specific proteins could serve as the TBS of the desired BFNs-TBSs Cs. The BFNs-TBSs Cs should be administered to the patient timely prior to the MAHD session so as to bind with the desired TTSs during their free circulation in the vascular network. Eventually, the complete BFNs-TBSs-TTSs structure can be selectively removed during the MAHD session by means of an external inhomogeneous magnetic field that is applied either at the dialyzer or at other collection point(s) along the blood circulation line of the dialysis machine. The advantages of MAHD over conventional HD regarding the patient's comfort and overall health status are discussed in detail among practical issues. To examine this proposition we employed Fe3O4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the BFN and the TBS constituents respectively, since they are both highly biocompatible. By means of x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism spectropolarimetry, UV-vis spectrophotometry, SQUID magnetometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance we evaluated (i) the structural/morphological characteristics, (ii) the magnetic retraction efficiency, and most importantly (iii) the toxin binding affinity and capacity of both bare Fe3O4 BFNs and Fe3O4-BSA Cs by performing in vitro experiments on specific TTSs. Homocysteine and p-cresol were chosen as representative TTSs and were investigated in great detail. The results obtained prove the in vitro applicability of the proposed MAHD method.
BACKGROUND: In North America and Europe, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection has typically been dominated by subtype B transmission. More recently, however, non-B subtypes have been increasingly reported in Europe. METHODS: We analyzed 1158 HIV-1-infected individuals in Greece by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of protease and partial reverse-transcriptase regions. RESULTS: We found that the prevalence of non-B subtypes has increased over time and that this significant trend can be mainly attributed to subtype A, which eventually surpassed subtype B in prevalence in 2004 (42% and 33%, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that the year of HIV diagnosis was independently associated with subtype A infection (odds ratio for being infected with subtype A for a 10-year increase in the time period of diagnosis, 2.09 [95% confidence interval, 1.36-3.24]; P<.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the subtype A epidemic in Greece is the result of a single founder event. The date of the most recent common ancestor of the subtype A in Greece was estimated to be 1977.9 (95% highest posterior density interval, 1973.7-1981.9). CONCLUSIONS: Subtype A circulates among the long-term residents of Greece. This is in contrast to the situation in most European countries, in which infection with non-B genetic forms is associated either with being an immigrant or heterosexual or with intravenous drug use.
The synthesis of the C5' tert-butyl ketone of thymidine 1a and 2'-deoxyguanosine 2 is achieved by reaction of 5'-C-cyano derivatives with tert-butyl lithium followed by acid hydrolysis. The 5'R configuration is assigned by X-ray crystal structure determination of an opportunely protected derivative of 1a. The (5'S)-isomers of both nucleosides are not stable, and a complete decomposition occurs in the reaction medium. The photochemistry of 1a and 2 effectively produced the thymidin-5'-yl radical and the 2'-deoxyguanosin-5'-yl radical, respectively. In the thymidine system, the C5' radical is fully quenched in the presence of a physiological concentration of thiols. In the 2'-deoxyguanosine system, the C5' radical undergoes intramolecular attack onto the C8-N7 double bond of guanine leading ultimately to the 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine derivative. The cyclization of the 2'-deoxyguanosin-5'-yl radical occurs with a rate constant of ca. 1 x 10(6) s(-1) and is highly stereoselective affording only the (5'S)-diastereomer.
Helmis CG a, Tzoutzas J b, Flocas HA a, Halios CH a, Stathopoulou OI a, Assimakopoulos VD c, Panis V b, Apostolatou M a, Sgouros G a, Adam E b. Indoor air quality in a dentistry clinic. Science of the Total Environment [Internet]. 2007;377:349-365. WebsiteAbstract
Helmis CG, Tzoutzas J, Flocas HA, Halios CH, Stathopoulou OI, Assimakopoulos VD, Panis V, Apostolatou M, Sgouros G, Adam E. Indoor air quality in a dentistry clinic. Science of the Total Environment [Internet]. 2007;377:349-365. Website
Santamouris M, Argiroudis K, Georgiou M, Pavlou K, Assimakopoulos M, Sfakianaki K. Indoor air quality in fifty residences in Athens. In: IAQVEC 2007 Proceedings - 6th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings: Sustainable Built Environment. Vol. 2. ; 2007. pp. 107-114. Website
Santamouris M, Argiroudis K, Georgiou M, Livada I, Doukas P, Assimakopoulos MN, Sfakianaki A, Pavlou K, Geros V, Papaglastra M. Indoor air quality in fifty residences in Athens. International Journal of Ventilation [Internet]. 2007;5:367-380. Website
The vortex matter phase diagrams of aluminum doped Mg1-xAlxB2 crystals, deduced from local Hall ac-susceptibility (for H parallel to c axis) and bulk dc-magnetization measurements (for H parallel to c axis and ab plane) are reported. As in pristine and carbon doped MgB2, aluminum substituted crystals display the peak effect in the critical current. The peak effect is located very close to the H-c2(c)(T) line, while it disappears below a characteristic magnetic field H-* that depends on Al content. The absence of significant bulk pinning below the onset of the peak effect implies that the Bragg glass phase is present there. In some of the crystals the peak effect is not present as a sharp negative peak of the real part of the local ac susceptibility, but it appears as a negative double-peak feature. This observation may be related with the miscibility gap that occurs for 0.05 <= x <= 0.5. For low aluminum content the H-c2(c)(T) line lies slightly above the corresponding one of the pristine MgB2, but for higher aluminum content, T-c, H-c2(ab,c)(0), and anisotropy parameter gamma=H-c2(ab)(0)/H-c2(c)(0) take lower values when compared to pristine MgB2. Similarly with the pristine MgB2 crystals for the superconducting aluminum substituted crystals, the anisotropy parameter decreases monotonously as temperature increases as well. All the experimental observations could be qualitatively explained within the clean two-band approximation.
We present the initial results from a deep HST survey of the nearby spiral galaxy M81 with the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys. The survey consists of B and V band observations of 29 ACS fields, totaling to 38 orbits. These observations, together with archival I-band ACS data, provide complete, deep coverage of the D25 area of the galaxy, down to 26-27 mag. This detection limit probes the bulk of early-type (O,B) stars and the population of star-clusters. The main goal of this survey is to characterize the X-ray source population of M81 in the context of its stellar populations and star-formation history. We discuss the analysis of the ACS data (mosaicing, astrometric registration, photometric analysis) and we present high quality images of the galaxy. We also discuss the initial results from the identification of optical counterparts to the X-ray sources detected in deep Chandra observations of M81, and the preliminary study of the stellar populations in individual fields of the galaxy. This work is supported by HST grant HST-GO-10584.01-A and NASA LTSA grant NAG-5-13056.
Cerulli M, Georget J-P, Maracci M, Psycharis G, Trgalova J. Integrating research teams: the TELMA approach. In: Pitta-Pantazi D, Philippou G Proceedings of the Fifth Conference of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 5). ; 2007. pp. 1648-1657.cerme_5_2007b.pdf
We report a randomised prospective study comparing two implants, the Gamma trochanteric nail and the ACE trochanteric nail, in the treatment of intertrochanteric femoral fractures in the elderly. One hundred and twelve patients were randomised on admission into two treatment groups. Fifty-six patients were treated with Gamma nail implants, and 56 were treated with ACE trochanteric nail. The average age of these patients was 78 years. Twenty fractures were stable and 92 unstable. The mean follow-up time was 8 months (6 -12). Regular clinical and radiological review was done 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Operation time, fluoroscopy time, blood transfusion and complications were recorded. The mobility score was used to assess the pre-injury and postoperative mobility status. All the patients were treated within 36 h of their accident. There were no complications during surgery. All the patients were mobilised in the first 24 h postoperatively, regardless of the fracture type, and weight bearing was permitted as tolerated. Union of the fracture was achieved in all patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with regard to the studied parameters. There was no mechanical failure of the implants despite the early patient mobilisation. Early operation and early mobilisation resulted in a good functional outcome in all patients. Both the trochanteric gamma nail and ACE trochanteric nail provide effective methods of treatment for intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.
Because of the aging of the population, dementia has become a major public health problem. There has been growing evidence for a possible association between lipids and dementia. A large body of literature has demonstrated multiple hypothesized biologic links between lipids and neurodegenerative or other biologic pathways connected to dementing processes. However, the epidemiologic associations have been conflicting: dyslipidemia at middle age, but not in later life, seems to be associated with higher dementia risk in some but not all studies. Results from the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study reported by Saczynski et al. (Am J Epidemiol 2007;165:985-92) suggest that lipoprotein constituents, such as apolipoprotein A-I, a major component of the high density lipoprotein, may be more informative in enlightening the association between lipids and dementia. In this commentary, the epidemiology and biology of apolipoprotein A-I in relation to dementia is reviewed.
BACKGROUND: High rates of leisure activity have been associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer disease (AD).
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prediagnosis leisure activity modifies the rate of cognitive decline in patients with AD.
DESIGN: Inception cohort followed up longitudinally for a mean of 5.3 years (up to 13.9 years).
SETTING: Urban community.
PARTICIPANTS: A total of 283 patients with incident AD (mean age, 79 years; 56.2% Hispanic and 31.1% African American).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in a composite cognitive score from diagnosis on and during the entire study follow-up.
RESULTS: In multivariate-adjusted generalized estimating equation models of postdiagnosis change (n = 133), each leisure activity was associated with an additional yearly decline of 0.005 of a z-score unit in cognitive score (P = .17). In models expanded to include cognitive change during study follow-up, including evaluations before and after diagnosis (n = 283), each activity was associated with an additional yearly decline of 0.005 of a z-score unit in cognitive score (P = .03). The association was strongest for intellectual activities.
CONCLUSIONS: Greater participation in prediagnosis leisure activities, especially intellectual activities, was associated with faster cognitive decline, supporting the hypothesis that the disease course in AD may vary as a function of cognitive reserve.
Context: Classical novae are quite frequent in M 31. However, very few spectra of M 31 novae have been studied to date, especially during the early decline phase. Aims: Our aim is to study the photometric and spectral evolution of a M 31 nova event close to outburst. Methods: Here, we present photometric and spectroscopic observations of M31N 2005-09c, a classical nova in the disk of M 31, using the 1.3 m telescope of the Skinakas Observatory in Crete (Greece), starting on the 28th September, i.e. about 5 days after outburst, and ending on the 5th October 2005, i.e. about 12 days after outburst. We also have supplementary photometric observations from the La Sagra Observatory in Northern Andalucía, Spain, on September 29 and 30, October 3, 6 and 9 and November 1, 2005. The wavelength range covered by the spectra is from 3565 Å to 8365 Å. The spectra are of high S/N allowing the study of the evolution of the equivalent widths of the Balmer lines, as well as the identification of non-Balmer lines. Results: The nova displays a typical early decline spectrum that is characterized by many weak Fe II multiplet emissions. It is classified as a Pfe nova. From the nova light curve, we have also derived its speed class, t_2=14±2.5 days. As the nova evolved the Balmer lines became stronger and narrower. The early decline of the expansion velocity of the nova follows a power law in time with an exponent of ≃-0.2.
We present numerical simulations of axisymmetric, magnetically driven relativistic jets. Our special-relativistic, ideal-magnetohydrodynamics numerical scheme is specifically designed to optimize accuracy and resolution and to minimize numerical dissipation. In addition, we implement a grid-extension method that reduces the computation time by up to three orders of magnitude and makes it possible to follow the flow up to six decades in spatial scale. To eliminate the dissipative effects induced by a free boundary with an ambient medium we assume that the flow is confined by a rigid wall of a prescribed shape, which we take to be z ~ ra (in cylindrical coordinates, with a ranging from 1 to 3). We also prescribe, through the rotation profile at the inlet boundary, the injected poloidal current distribution: we explore cases where the return current flows either within the volume of the jet or on the outer boundary. The outflows are initially cold, sub-Alfvénic and Poynting flux-dominated, with a total-to-rest-mass energy flux ratio μ ~ 15. We find that in all cases they converge to a steady state characterized by a spatially extended acceleration region. The acceleration process is very efficient: on the outermost scale of the simulation as much as ~ 77 per cent of the Poynting flux has been converted into kinetic energy flux, and the terminal Lorentz factor approaches its maximum possible value (Γ∞ ~= μ). We also find a high collimation efficiency: all our simulated jets (including the limiting case of an unconfined flow) develop a cylindrical core. We argue that this could be the rule for current-carrying outflows that start with a low initial Lorentz factor (Γ0 ~ 1). Our conclusions on the high acceleration and collimation efficiencies are not sensitive to the particular shape of the confining boundary or to the details of the injected current distribution, and they are qualitatively consistent with the semi-analytic self-similar solutions derived by Vlahakis and Königl. We apply our results to the interpretation of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei: we argue that they naturally account for the spatially extended accelerations inferred in these sources (Γ∞ >~ 10 attained on radial scales R >~ 1017cm) and are consistent with the transition to the matter-dominated regime occurring already at R >~ 1016cm.
We present numerical simulations of axisymmetric, magnetically driven relativistic jets. Our special-relativistic, ideal-magnetohydrodynamics numerical scheme is specifically designed to optimize accuracy and resolution and to minimize numerical dissipation. In addition, we implement a grid-extension method that reduces the computation time by up to three orders of magnitude and makes it possible to follow the flow up to six decades in spatial scale. To eliminate the dissipative effects induced by a free boundary with an ambient medium we assume that the flow is confined by a rigid wall of a prescribed shape, which we take to be z ~ ra (in cylindrical coordinates, with a ranging from 1 to 3). We also prescribe, through the rotation profile at the inlet boundary, the injected poloidal current distribution: we explore cases where the return current flows either within the volume of the jet or on the outer boundary. The outflows are initially cold, sub-Alfvénic and Poynting flux-dominated, with a total-to-rest-mass energy flux ratio μ ~ 15. We find that in all cases they converge to a steady state characterized by a spatially extended acceleration region. The acceleration process is very efficient: on the outermost scale of the simulation as much as ~ 77 per cent of the Poynting flux has been converted into kinetic energy flux, and the terminal Lorentz factor approaches its maximum possible value (Γ∞ ~= μ). We also find a high collimation efficiency: all our simulated jets (including the limiting case of an unconfined flow) develop a cylindrical core. We argue that this could be the rule for current-carrying outflows that start with a low initial Lorentz factor (Γ0 ~ 1). Our conclusions on the high acceleration and collimation efficiencies are not sensitive to the particular shape of the confining boundary or to the details of the injected current distribution, and they are qualitatively consistent with the semi-analytic self-similar solutions derived by Vlahakis and Königl. We apply our results to the interpretation of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei: we argue that they naturally account for the spatially extended accelerations inferred in these sources (Γ∞ >~ 10 attained on radial scales R >~ 1017cm) and are consistent with the transition to the matter-dominated regime occurring already at R >~ 1016cm.
We examine a quantum dot (QD) illuminated in the near field with subwavelength spatial resolution, while simultaneously it is subjected to a magnetic field of variable orientation and magnitude. The magnetic field orientation can conserve or destroy the zero-magnetic-field ("structural") symmetry. The asymmetry induced by the magnetic field -except for specific orientations along symmetry axes- can be uncovered in the near-field (NF) but not in the far-field (FF) spectra. We predict that NF magnetoabsorption experiments of realistic spatial resolution could reveal the QD symmetry. This exceptional symmetry-resolving power of the near-field optics, is lost in the far field.
Viral infections of the respiratory tract are the most common precipitants of acute asthma exacerbations. Exacerbations are only poorly responsive to current asthma therapies and new approaches to therapy are needed. Viruses, most frequently human rhinoviruses (RV), infect the airway epithelium, generate local and systemic immune responses, as well as neural responses, inducing inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Using in vitro and in vivo experimental models the role of various proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory mediators, antiviral responses and molecular pathways that lead from infection to symptoms has been partly unravelled. In particular, mechanisms of susceptibility to viral infection have been identified and the bronchial epithelium appeared to be a key player. Nevertheless, additional understanding of the integration between the diverse elements of the antiviral response, especially in the context of allergic airway inflammation, as well as the interactions between viral infections and other stimuli that affect airway inflammation and responsiveness may lead to novel strategies in treating and/or preventing asthma exacerbations. This review presents the current knowledge and highlights areas in need of further research.
BACKGROUND: We previously reported that the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) is related to lower risk for Alzheimer disease (AD). Whether MeDi is associated with subsequent AD course and outcomes has not been investigated.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between MeDi and mortality in patients with AD.
METHODS: A total of 192 community-based individuals in New York who were diagnosed with AD were prospectively followed every 1.5 years. Adherence to the MeDi (0- to 9-point scale with higher scores indicating higher adherence) was the main predictor of mortality in Cox models that were adjusted for period of recruitment, age, gender, ethnicity, education, APOE genotype, caloric intake, smoking, and body mass index.
RESULTS: Eighty-five patients with AD (44%) died during the course of 4.4 (+/-3.6, 0.2 to 13.6) years of follow-up. In unadjusted models, higher adherence to MeDi was associated with lower mortality risk (for each additional MeDi point hazard ratio 0.79; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.91; p = 0.001). This result remained significant after controlling for all covariates (0.76; 0.65 to 0.89; p = 0.001). In adjusted models, as compared with AD patients at the lowest MeDi adherence tertile, those at the middle tertile had lower mortality risk (0.65; 0.38 to 1.09; 1.33 years' longer survival), whereas subjects at the highest tertile had an even lower risk (0.27; 0.10 to 0.69; 3.91 years' longer survival; p for trend = 0.003).
CONCLUSION: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) may affect not only risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) but also subsequent disease course: Higher adherence to the MeDi is associated with lower mortality in AD. The gradual reduction in mortality risk for higher MeDi adherence tertiles suggests a possible dose-response effect.
BACKGROUND: Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) has been related to lower Alzheimer's disease risk. Some dietary factors have been studied in patients with essential tremor (ET), but the MeDi's effect has not been investigated.
METHODS: Adherence to the MeDi was calculated from a food frequency questionnaire administered in a case-control study of environmental epidemiology of ET in the New York Tri-State area. Logistic regression models were used to examine whether adherence to the MeDi predicted ET (vs. control) outcome. The models adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, education, caloric intake, body mass index, smoking, ethanol consumption, coffee intake and blood harmane concentrations.
RESULTS: 148 ET cases adhered less to MeDi (0-9 scale with higher scores indicating higher adherence) than 250 controls (mean 4.3 +/- 1.7 vs. 4.7 +/- 1.7; p = 0.03). Higher adherence to MeDi was associated with lower odds for ET [0.78 (0.61-0.99); p = 0.042]. As compared to subjects at the lowest MeDi adherence tertile, those at the middle tertile had lower ET odds [0.41 (0.16-1.05)], while subjects at the highest tertile had an even lower ET odds [0.29 (0.10-0.82); p for trend 0.021].
CONCLUSIONS: Compared to controls, ET cases adhered less to MeDi. The gradual reduction in ET odds with higher MeDi adherence tertiles suggests a possible dose-response effect. The mechanisms that underlie this association merit further study.
Dumbrajs O, Avramides KA, Piosczyk B. Mode competition in the 170 GHz coaxial gyrotron cavity for ITER. In: IRMMW-THz2007 - Conference Digest of the Joint 32nd International Conference on Infrared and Millimetre Waves, and 15th International Conference on Terahertz Electronics. ; 2007. pp. 48-49. Website
Observations of collimated outflows in young stellar objects indicate that several features of the jets can be understood by adopting the picture of a two-component outflow wherein a central stellar component around the jet axis is surrounded by an extended disk-wind. The precise contribution of each component may depend on the intrinsic physical properties of the YSO and also its evolutionary stage. In this context, we study a numerical model based on such a two-component outflow by using as an initial condition a combination of two prototypical models, each describing a meridionally self-similar and a radially self-similar exact solution of the steady-state, ideal hydromagnetic equations. These two classes of radially and meridionally self-similar solutions, have already been well studied and have been found to be related to the properties of disk- and stellar-wind, respectively. By properly mixing the two solutions, a variety of models is constructed with different contribution weights for each component in the initial set-up. The models are evolved in time by using the PLUTO code and the interaction and co-existence of the two components in the jet is investigated. It is found that a steady-state is always reached, independently of the mixing parameters of the two model ingredients. Moreover, the final outcome of the time evolution stays rather close to the initial analytical solutions. The results are compared and discussed along the lines of recent observational data.
Drug absorption is a complex process dependent upon drug properties such as solubility and permeability, formulation factors, and physiological variables including regional permeability differences, pH, luminal and mucosal enzymes, and intestinal motility, among others. Despite this complexity, various qualitative and quantitative approaches have been proposed for the estimation of oral drug absorption. These approaches are reviewed in this article with particular emphasis on drug dissolution modelling, dynamic systems for oral absorption and absorption models based on structure. The regulatory aspects of oral drug absorption and in particular the biopharmaceutic classification of drugs are also discussed. Models for drug dissolution and release describe adequately the in vitro data, and models for oral drug absorption provide reasonable results. The development of in vitro-in vivo correlations based on the official compendia specifications are facilitated using commercial computer packages.
We use Monte Carlo simulations in order to study diffusion controlled drug release from matrices consisting of random mixtures of high and low diffusivity areas (random mixing), and from matrices covered by a thin film of low diffusivity (ordered mixing). We compared our results with the Weibull model for drug release and found that it provides an adequate description of the release process in all cases of random mixing and most cases of ordered mixing. We have studied the dependence of the Weibull parameters on the diffusion coefficient and, in most cases, found a rather simple linear dependence. Moreover, our results indicate that a device covered by a thin film with diffusion coefficient three orders of magnitude lower that the coefficient of the rest of the device, will release drug at constant rate for most of the release process. This last result may have considerable practical applications. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION: Prediction of soft-tissue outline shape from skeletal remains is useful in forensics and archaeology. The inverse problem, the assessment of underlying skeletal relationships from the external appearance, is pertinent in orthodontics. The purposes of this study were to assess the correlation between craniofacial shape and shape of the soft-tissue profile outline and to determine the extent to which it might be possible to predict the latter from the former.
METHODS: Lateral cephalograms from 170 consecutive orthodontic patients were used, and 17 skeletal, 2 dental, and 22 soft-tissue landmarks were digitized and processed by using Procrustes superimposition and principal component analysis. The principal components of the skeletal and soft-tissue shapes were entered into the correlation analysis.
RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between the skeletal and the soft-tissue components. The use of 7 anterior skeletal landmarks (not including the nasal bone) resulted in a predictive power (coefficient of determination) of 38% of the variability of soft-tissue shape. This increased to almost 50% by adding nasal and incisor points but showed only a slight further improvement by incorporating posterior skeletal landmarks.
CONCLUSIONS: Anterior skeletal and dental landmarks can be used to predict soft-tissue profile shape with a 50% power in children and adolescents.
INTRODUCTION: Soft-tissue facial outline has been studied by conventional cephalometric methods, and differences between the 2 sexes have been identified, mainly related to size and timing of growth. However, shape per se was not sufficiently evaluated, especially regarding variability, age-related changes, and sexual dimorphism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate shape variability and sexual dimorphism of the soft-tissue outline by using morphometric methods.
METHODS: Pretreatment lateral cephalograms from 170 consecutive patients (82 male, 88 female) aged 7 to 17 years were used. Fifteen skeletal and 22 soft-tissue landmarks were digitized and processed with Procrustes superimposition and principal component analysis. The principal components (PCs) of the soft-tissue shape were analyzed in relation to age and sex.
RESULTS: The first 8 PCs explained approximately 90% of the total shape variability. The first coefficient (PC1) related to lip, nose, and chin prominence and included 36% of total shape variability. It was significantly correlated to age, but with a low coefficient of determination (r2 = 13%). The second coefficient (PC2) related to facial convexity and explained 18% of shape variability. The next 2 coefficients were mainly related to lower lip shape. Statistically significant sexual dimorphism was detected, but the overall shape differences between the average profiles of boys and girls were minor and barely detectable visually. Shape dimorphism was present both before and after the age of 12 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Shape variability related mainly to relative lip protrusion, convexity of the face, and lower lip shape. Shape differences between the sexes seemed to exist even before the pubertal growth spurt, but they were small. Age changes in shape appeared more significant.
Encouraged by the latest experimental developments as well as by the theoretical interest on the near‐field (NF) optics of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), we present our most recent theoretical results on the NF optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) of single and coupled III‐V QDs subjected additionally to an external magnetic field of variable orientation and magnitude. The zero‐magnetic‐field “structural” QD symmetry can be destroyed varying the magnetic field orientation. The asymmetry induced by the magnetic field ‐except for specific orientations along symmetry axes‐ can be uncovered in the near‐field but not in the far‐field spectra. Hence, we predict that NF magnetoabsorption experiments, of realistic spatial resolution, will be in the position to bring to light the QD symmetry.
BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have implicated neurogenesis in the hippocampus in animal models of depression, especially those related to controllability and learned helplessness. Here, we tested the hypothesis that uncontrollable but not controllable stress would reduce cell proliferation in the hippocampus of male and female rats and would relate to the expression of helplessness behavior.
METHODS: To manipulate controllability, groups of male and female rats were trained in one session (acute stress) or over seven sessions (repeated stress) to escape a footshock, whereas yoked control subjects could not escape but were exposed to the same amount of stress. Cell proliferation was assessed with immunohistochemistry of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and immunofluorescence of BrdU and neuronal nuclei (NeuN). Separate groups were exposed to either controllable or uncontrollable stress, and their ability to learn to escape during training on a more difficult task was used as a behavioral measure of helplessness.
RESULTS: Acute stress reduced cell proliferation in males but did not affect proliferation in the female hippocampus. When animals were given the opportunity to learn to control the stress over seven days, males produced more cells than the yoked males without control. Repeated training with controllable stress did not influence proliferation in females. Under all conditions, males were more likely than females to express helplessness behavior, even males that were not previously stressed.
CONCLUSIONS: The modulation of neurogenesis by controllability was evident in males but not in females, as was the expression of helplessness behavior, despite the fact that men are less likely than women to experience depression.
Previous research has shown that some associative learning tasks prevent the death of new neurons in the adult hippocampus. However, it is unclear whether it is mere exposure to the training stimuli that rescues neurons or whether successful learning of the task is required for enhanced neuronal survival. If learning is the important variable, then animals that learn better given the same amount of training should retain more of the new cells after learning than animals that do not learn as well. Here, we examined the effects of training versus learning on cell survival in the adult hippocampus. Animals were injected with BrdU to label a population of cells and trained one week later on one of two trace conditioning tasks, one of which depends on the hippocampus and one that does not. Increases in cell number occurred only in animals that acquired the learned response, irrespective of the task. There were significant correlations between acquisition and cell number, as well as between asymptotic performance and cell number. These data support the idea that learning and not simply training increases the survival of the new cells in the hippocampus.
AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the activation level of certain protagonist muscles of the upper and lower body during the shot-put with the shot-put performance in skilled athletes.
METHODS: Eight experienced right-handed shot-putters, performed the shot-put with the linear technique. They also performed a maximum (1RM) squat and a 1RM incline bench-press strength test. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the m. quadriceps vastus lateralis (VL), m. gastrocnemius internus, m. pectoralis major (PEC) and the m. triceps brachii (TRI) of the right side during all efforts. The level of EMG during the shot-put was normalized relatively to that measured during the respective maximum strength test.
RESULTS: Shot-put performance was significantly correlated with 1RM squat (r=0.76, P<0.05) and 1RM bench-press (r=0.75, P<0.05) as well as with the average EMG from VL and PEC after taking the power position (r=0.91, P<0.01 and r=0.75, P<0.05, respectively). A close negative relationship was also found between shot-put performance and the time to reach peak activation of right TRI during the explosive strike of the throwing arm (r=-0.70, P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, besides the importance of absolute muscle strength, an important parameter for shot-put performance is the level of activation of the VL and the PEC during the delivery phase. Furthermore, these data suggest that the TRI should be activated fast in order to be an effective contributor to the shot-put performance.
Social capital is a key component in understanding the relationship between European sport governing bodies and civil society. A core concept in sociology, political science, organizational behaviour and business, social capital is relatively new in the context of European sport governance. In exploring the boundaries of both sport and social capital in theory and practice, one can see sport as a form of positive social capital that promotes social cohesion, trust, social ties, etc. However, it could also be perceived as «dark» socialcapital since the politics of sport do not always deliver the social benefits they proclaim due to the «exclusionary» vs. inclusive factors: commercialization, doping, institutionalized gender personification, the leaky pipeline and the glassceiling in SGBs and in competitive sports. Sport has not yet evolved into a form of social capital which can be nurtured and reproduced to raise social cohesion and eliminate social exclusions.KEY WORDS: sport as social capital, «dark» social capital insports, social capital production/reproduction, gender personificationin sports, leaky pipeline and glass ceiling.
Social capital is a key component in understanding the relationship between European sport governing bodies and civil society. A core concept in sociology, political science, organizational behaviour and business, social capital is relatively new in the context of European sport governance. In exploring the boundaries of both sport and social capital in theory and practice, one can see sport as a form of positive social capital that promotes social cohesion, trust, social ties, etc. However, it could also be perceived as ・・dark・・ social capital since the politics of sport do not always deliver the social benefits they proclaim due to the ・・exclusionary・・ vs. inclusive factors: commercialization, doping, institutionalized gender personification, the leaky pipeline and the glass ceiling in SGBs and in competitive sports. Sport has not yet evolved into a form of social capital which can be nurtured and reproduced to raise social cohesion and eliminate social exclusions.
We report the discovery of an optical nova in M31 on four consecutive dithered R filter CCD images (each with 100 sec exposure) obtained on 2007 July 25.92564, 25.92714, 25.92865, 25.93015 with corresponding R magnitudes of 18.1, 18.2, 18.1, 18.1 obtained at the 1.3m f/7.5 telescope at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using an Andor DZ436-BV CCD Camera. The position obtained for the nova candidate is RA(2000) = 00 42 43.29 , Dec(2000) = +41 17 44.10 with an accuracy of 0.2".
We report the discovery of an optical nova candidate in M 31 on ten stacked R filter CCD images (each with 60 sec exposure) obtained on 2007 Aug 30.018 with an R magnitude of 17.8 obtained at the 60cm f/8 Ganymed telescope located at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using a ST10XME CCD Camera. The object is confirmed on CCD images with the same telescope using a broad H-alpha filter (4*120 s stacked, 17.7 mag) obtained on 2007 Aug 30.029.
We report the discovery of an optical nova candidate in the outer disk of M 31 on nine stacked R filter images (each with 60 sec exposure) and four stacked 12nm H-alpha filter images (each with 120 sec exposure) on 2007 Aug 24.081 and 24.093 with a magnitude of 18.7 in R and 18.1 in H-alpha, respectively. The images were obtained at the 60cm f/3 Ganymed telescope located at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using a STL11000M CCD Camera.
Pietsch W, Burwitz V, Hatzidimitriou D, Steinle H, Slowikowska A, Stefanescu A, Reig P, Papamastorakis G, Cikota S, Cikota A, et al.A new optical Nova in M31. [Internet]. 2007;1162:1. WebsiteAbstract
We report the discovery of an optical nova in M31 at RA(2000) = 00h 42m 59.49s , Dec(2000) = +41° 15' 06.5" with an accuracy of 0.2". The observations were obtained at the 1.3m Ritchey Chretien f/7.5 telescope at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using an Andor DZ436-BV CCD Camera (with a Marconi 2k x 2k chip with 13.5µm sq. pixels). The observations were taken through a Johnson standard R filter (4*100 s stacked) and a broad H- alpha filter (3*300 s stacked).
Burwitz V, Hatzidimitriou D, Stefanescu A, Steinle H, Pietsch W, Manousakis A, Reig P, Papamastorakis G, Cikota S, Cikota A, et al.A new optical Nova in M31. [Internet]. 2007;1146:1. WebsiteAbstract
We report the discovery of a optical nova in M31 on four consecutive dithered R filter CCD images obtained on (2007 July 19.00741, 19.00890, 19.01041, 19.01193, with corresponding R magnitudes of 18.8, 18.7, 18.8, 18.5) obtained at the 1.3m Ritchey Chretien f/7.5 telescope at Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece, using an Andor DZ436-BV CCD Camera (with a Marconi 2k x 2k chip with 13.5µm sq. pixels).
The Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green-function method for noncollinear magnetic structures was applied on Mn and Cr nanoclusters deposited on the Ni(111) surface. We consider various dimers, trimers, and tetramers. We obtain collinear and noncollinear magnetic solutions, brought about by the competition of antiferromagnetic interactions. It is found that the triangular geometry of the Ni(111) substrate, together with the intracluster antiferromagnetic interactions, is the main cause of the noncollinear states, which are secondarily affected by the cluster-substrate exchange interactions. The stabilization energy of the noncollinear, compared to the collinear, states is calculated to be typically of the order of 100 meV/atom, while multiple local-energy minima are found, corresponding to different noncollinear states, differing typically by 1-10 meV/atom. Open structures exhibit sizable total moments, while compact clusters tend to have very small total moments, resulting from the complex frustration mechanisms in these systems.
