Publications by Year: 2013

Background: The plant genus Fallopia is well-known in Chinese traditional medicine and includes many species that contain bioactive compounds, namely phytoestrogens. Consumption of phytoestrogens may be linked to decreased incidence of breast and prostate cancers therefore discovery of novel phytoestrogens and novel sources of phytoestrogens is of interest. Although phytoestrogen content has been analyzed in the rhizomes of various Fallopia sp., seeds of a Fallopia sp. have never been examined for phytoestrogen presence.Methods: Analytical chemistry techniques were used with guidance from an in vitro estrogen receptor bioassay (a stably transfected human ovarian carcinoma cell line) to isolate and identify estrogenic components from seeds of Fallopia convolvulus. A transiently transfected human breast carcinoma cell line was used to characterize the biological activity of the isolated compounds on estrogen receptors (ER) α and β.Results: Two compounds, emodin and the novel flavan-3-ol, (-)-epiafzelechin-3-O-p-coumarate (rhodoeosein), were identified to be responsible for estrogenic activity of F. convolvulus seed extract. Absolute stereochemistry of rhodoeosein was determined by 1 and 2D NMR, optical rotation and circular dichroism. Emodin was identified by HPLC/DAD, LC/MS/MS, and FT/ICR-MS. When characterizing the ER specificity in biological activity of rhodoeosein and emodin, rhodoeosein was able to exhibit a four-fold greater relative estrogenic potency (REP) in breast cells transiently-transfected with ERβ as compared to those transfected with ERα, and emodin exhibited a six-fold greater REP in ERβ-transfected breast cells. Cell type-specific differences were observed with rhodoeosein but not emodin; rhodoeosein produced superinduction of reporter gene activity in the human ovarian cell line (> 400% of maximum estradiol [E2] induction) but not in the breast cell line.Conclusion: This study is the first to characterize the novel flavan-3-ol compound, rhodoeosein, and its ability to induce estrogenic activity in human cell lines. Rhodoeosein and emodin may have potential therapeutic applications as natural products activating ERβ, and further characterization of rhodoeosein is necessary to evaluate its selectivity as a cell type-specific ER agonist. © 2013 Brennan et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

In the collapsar model of long GRBs the jet is formed at the center of the progenitor star, propagates in its interior, and produces the observed gamma rays much after its breakout from the star. The loss of pressure support during breakout induces a strong rarefaction wave that propagates inside the jet and causes its bulk acceleration. This mechanism has been already studied using axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations assuming a prescribed shape for the surface between the jet and its environment, as well as using simple rarefaction waves in planar geometry. Trying to improve over these works, we solve the steady-state, axisymmetric, relativistic MHD equations using the method of characteristics. In this way the jet boundary is found self-consistently and the rarefaction wave is studied in the axisymmetric geometry. In this poster we present our first results and a comparison with previous works.

This article presents the results of a three year research conducted by the author based on an educational project which was implemented in a Greek Secondary school for two years (2009-11). ‘We organise a conference’ was a project that presented students with an open-ended key evaluative question which they were required to answer. It was based upon enquiry based learning and it used the methods and techniques of applied theatre. Over the school year students researched an issue through role play (related to the process of organizing and taking part in a conference), which led to improvements in their cognitive skills while at the same time gaining greater insight into the issue and their own attitudes and practices. This is the educational way of ‘making sense of’ and ‘giving meaning to’ an issue related to students’ lives. The author discusses the learning outcomes of the process and the educational importance and value of the method in the larger context of educational design. Empirical methods such as texts and by-products of the project, a research journal and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observation provided the basis for the hermeneutical analysis method which was used in the quantitative and qualitative survey, the findings and results of which are presented in the article.

The occurrence of non-fatal acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is examined in relation with the local bioclimatic conditions in the Ierapetra area, in the southernmost part of Crete Island, Greece, during the period 2004-2007. Daily ACS counts and corresponding meteorological parameters, such as maximum and minimum air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and cloudiness, were analyzed. Besides, the daily values of the human thermal index, physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) was evaluated. Pearson's 2 test and generalized linear models (GLM) with Poisson distribution were applied. The ACS syndromes present a multiple variation within the year, with the primary maximum in August and the secondary in May, while relative high ACS frequencies exist in early winter time. The impact of the weather variability on the ACS incidence is not statistically significant (C.L. 95%). © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Psoriasis has been lately seen as a potential systemic inflammatory disease associated with a range of co-morbidities exhibiting an overlapping pathology and presenting a great social health impact such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic diseases, including obesity. Adipose tissue is considered a genuine endocrine organ producing a variety of bioactive adipocytokines, such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin and visfatin, participating in physiological and pathological processes, such as energy balance, insulin sensitivity and resistance, immunity, inflammation, hematopoiesis and angiogenesis. Adipocytokines could serve as a missing link in the association between psoriasis, obesity and metabolic co-morbidities. In chronic inflammatory disease states such as psoriasis, adipocytokines may be implicated in psoriasis onset, progression, severity as well as in the pathogenesis of co-morbidities. Measuring serum adipocytokine levels in the future may be useful in predicting psoriasis severity, progression, treatment outcome and risk of any co-morbidities. Interventions to decrease pro-inflammatory adipocytokine levels could offer preventive and therapeutic options for improving psoriasis severity and protecting against its co-morbidities. Candidate strategic interventions incorporate increased physical activity, weight control and pharmacologic approaches such as metformin. However, the mechanisms underlying the actions of adipocytokines in psoriasis as well as their potential diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic utility require further investigation with larger prospective, longitudinal and mechanistic studies.

The topic of this paper seems perhaps over-ambitious, touching as it does on several questions which have become serious theoretical issues over the last decades and some of them over several centuries. The controversy on the nature of grammatical categories has marked Philosophy and Linguistics throughout the twentieth century; the more modest controversy on aspect and its relationship to the disputed category Aktionsart, as well as its relationship to tense, has been dealt with in a vast amount of literature.This short paper cannot provide a definitive answer; it has the more modest aim of showing     a) that Greek aspect and Aktionsart form a continuum     b) that the two categories remain nevertheless distinctand thus hopefully contribute to the broader discussion on gradience, in particular intersective gradience, as defined by Aarts (2007).

A method to predict the gas permeability of supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) was established, using as input the pore structure characteristics of asymmetric ceramic membrane supports and the physicochemical properties of the bulk ionic liquid (IL) phase. The method was applied to investigate the effect of IL nanoconfinement on the CO2 and N 2 permeability/selectivity properties of novel SILMs developed on nanofiltration (NF) membranes employing for the first time the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium and the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ILs as pore modifiers. The selected ILs exhibit low viscosity, which allows for faster gas solvation rates and ease of synthesis/purification that makes them attractive for large-scale production. In parallel, the use of ceramic supports instead of polymeric ones presents the advantage of operation at elevated temperatures and pressures and offers the possibility to study the "real" permeability of the confined IL phase, avoiding additional contributions from the gas diffusion through the surrounding solid matrix. The developed SILMs exhibited enhanced CO2 permeability together with high CO2/N2 separation capacity, though with distinct variations depending on the alkyl chain length of the 1-alkyl-3- methylimidazolium cation. Application of the developed methodology allowed discriminating the contribution of the NF pore structural characteristics on the SILM performance and unveiled the subtle interplay of diverse IL confinement effects on the gas permeability stemming from the specific layering of ion pairs on the nanoporous surface and the phase transition of the IL at room temperature, dictated by small variations of the IL cation size. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

The number of patients with allergic diseases in Europe, and thus relevant demand for health care, is continuously increasing. In this EAACI-UEMS position paper, a rationale is given for the medical specialty of allergology. General practitioners and general paediatricians usually cannot elucidate and address all causative factors. Throughout Europe, therefore, the expertise of allergologists (allergists) is required. In collaboration with other medical professionals, they take care of allergic patients, in private practices or in specialized public centres. A well-structured collaboration between allergists and allergy centres offers the possibility of rapid signalling of new trends developing in the population of allergic patients (e.g. in food and drug allergy). Allergy centres also can perform clinical (and basic) research, teach medical students, future allergists and provide postgraduate training. To prevent that the quality of care in one or several countries within Europe lags behind developments in other countries, the UEMS Section and Board on Allergology together with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology advocates the status of a full specialty of allergology in each European country, with a further intention to align their activities (blueprint, curriculum and centre visitation) with the UEMS Section of Paediatrics.

The seismic history of the centre of Athens may be revealed through the response of its classical andneo-classical columns to ambient noise and earthquake shaking. Detailed ambient vibration surveys in two casesare presented: a) the two choragic columns on the south slope of the Acropolis, above the Monument ofThrasyllos, constructed in the late classical-early Hellenistic era (3rd–1st century B.C.), with an original designand a high constructive quality (13 April – 10 May 2011) b) the statue of Apollo (mid-19th century), on the rightside of the Academy of Athens building prostyle, mounted on a column in the Ionian rhythm (5-13 March 2008).In the first (Acropolis) case, ambient noise measurements were performed with seven digital 3-componentseismographs at the top and the base of each column, as well as at three nearby reference sites. In addition,forced vibration tests at the top of each column were also conducted. In the second (Academy) case, fiveinstruments of the same type were installed at the base of the column, the base of the statue, with reference sitesat the two corners of the Academy building and the garden at the back side of the building. For both cases, the response spectra and amplitude ratios were computed, providing information on the soil-column interaction, as well as the characteristic frequencies of spectral ratios peaks.

OBJECTIVES: Time rate of blood pressure (BP) variation is a measure of the speed of BP fluctuations derived from a computerized analysis of ambulatory BP monitoring. The aim of this study was to identify pathophysiological differences in the time rate of BP variation between stroke subtypes, on the basis of the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria, in the acute phase and to examine the impact of time rate of BP variation on outcome at 1 year after stroke. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of 109 first-ever stroke patients, who fulfilled our inclusion criteria, underwent 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring within 24 h after the onset of stroke. On the basis of the patients' Modified Rankin Scale score at 1 year after stroke, the study population was divided into two groups: patients with a positive (n=73) and those with a negative outcome (n=36). RESULTS: The 24-h rate of systolic BP variation is higher in patients with large artery atherosclerosis [0.692 mmHg/min; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.627-0.757] compared with those with lacunar strokes (0.609 mmHg/min; 95% CI 0.579-0.640) or strokes of unknown etiology (0.586 mmHg/min; 95% CI 0.522-0.649). Moreover, patients with higher 24-h rates of systolic BP variation were more likely to have a negative outcome at 1 year (odds ratio 1.96; 95% CI 1.16-3.32). Moreover, each 0.1 mmHg/min increase in the 24-h rate of SBP variation was associated with a 1.96-fold increase in the odds of a negative outcome (95% CI 1.16-3.32). CONCLUSION: Time rate of BP variation shows significant differences between stroke subtypes in the acute phase of the event, and it is associated with outcome at 1 year. Lowering the time rate of BP variation, in the acute phase, might lead to better outcomes in patients who have had a cerebrovascular incident. © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

The objective of this study is to compare and analyze satellite precipitation extremes of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission level 3 output (TRMM 3B42) over Mediterranean region against the respective high resolution gridded precipitation datasets (0.25. ×. 0.25) based on the E-OBS project, for the period 2000-2011.The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint U.S.-Japan satellite mission to monitor tropical and subtropical precipitation and to estimate its associated latent heating. The E-OBS data set (a European daily high-resolution gridded dataset of surface temperature and precipitation) was developed as part of the European Union Framework 6 ENSEMBLES project, with the aim being to use it for validation of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) and for climate change studies.The indices used in the analysis can be divided in three categories: percentile, absolute and duration indices. The percentile indices concern: very wet days (the number of days with daily precipitation amount above the 95th percentile from the examined period) and extremely wet days (the number of days with daily precipitation amount above the 99th percentile from the examined period). The absolute threshold indices concern: number of heavy precipitation days (number of days with daily precipitation amount above 10. mm), number of very heavy precipitation days (number of days with daily precipitation amount above 20. mm) and simple daily intensity index (daily precipitation amount on wet days in a period per number of wet days in the period). The duration indices concern consecutive dry days (the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount below 1. mm) and consecutive wet days (the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount above 1. mm).The spatial distribution of the differences between the two datasets along with the spatial distribution of the correlation coefficients are presented and analyzed. Results show considerable regional differences of precipitation indices over the Mediterranean Region. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Ovarian Cancer represents the most fatal type of gynecological malignancies. A number of processes are involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer, especially within the tumor microenvironment. Angiogenesis represents a hallmark phenomenon in cancer, and it is responsible for tumor spread and metastasis in ovarian cancer, among other tumor types, as it leads to new blood vessel formation. In recent years angiogenesis has been given considerable attention in order to identify targets for developing effective anti-tumor therapies. Growth factors have been identified to play key roles in driving angiogenesis and, thus, the formation of new blood vessels that assist in "feeding" cancer. Such molecules include the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), the fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and the angiopoietin/Tie2 receptor complex. These proteins are key players in complex molecular pathways within the tumor cell and they have been in the spotlight of the development of anti-angiogenic molecules that may act as stand-alone therapeutics, or in concert with standard treatment regimes such as chemotherapy. The pathways involved in angiogenesis and molecules that have been developed in order to combat angiogenesis are described in this paper. © 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Background: Symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) evolves from an asymptomatic precursor state termed monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering myeloma (SMM). Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathogenesis of MM but there are very limited data for angiogenesis in SMM. Material/Methods: We measured the circulating levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiogenin in 54 patients with SMM. The results were compared with those of 27 MGUS patients, 55 MM patients, and 22 healthy controls. The expression of VEGF-A gene was also evaluated in 10 patients with SMM, 10 with symptomatic MM, and 10 with MGUS. Results: The ratio of circulating Ang-1/Ang-2 was reduced in MM patients with symptomatic disease due to a dramatic increase of Ang-2 (p<0.001), but not in patients with SMM or MGUS, in whom it did not differ compared to controls. VEGF and angiogenin were increased in all patients compared to controls. However, circulating VEGF was higher in symptomatic MM compared to SMM and MGUS, while angiogenin was reduced. There were no differences in the expression of VEGF-A among the 3 patients categories. Conclusions: SMM has a circulating angiogenic cytokine profile similar to that of MGUS, but has altered profile compared to symptomatic MM. Thus, in the progression of MGUS to SMM, circulating angiogenic cytokines seem to be the same. On the contrary, in symptomatic myeloma, the alterations of angiopoietins along with VEGF contribute to myeloma cell growth, supporting the target of these molecules for the development of novel anti-myeloma agents. © Med Sci Monit, 2013.

Innovative sol-gel synthesis based on the self-assembling template method has been applied to synthesize mesoporous anion-doped TiO2 with N-F, S and C atoms using suitable surfactants and reagents, to improve simultaneously the structural, morphological, and electronic properties of TiO2 nanomaterials and achieve anion doping of titania with high visible light photoinduced reactivity. The incorporation of anion species in the titania structure resulted in the effective extension of TiO2 optical absorption in the visible range through the formation of intragap energy states. The anion-doped titania materials immobilized in the form of nanostructured thin films on glass substrates exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of the microcystin-LR (MC-LR) cyanotoxin, a hazardous water pollutant of emerging concern, under visible light irradiation. The development of these visible light-activated nanocatalysts has the potential of providing environmentally benign routes for water treatment. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Using first-principles methods we explore the anisotropy of the spin relaxation and transverse transport properties in bulk metals with respect to the real-space direction of the spin-quantization axis in paramagnets or of the spontaneous magnetization in ferromagnets. Owing to the presence of the spin-orbit coupling the orbital and spin character of the Bloch states depends sensitively on the orientation of the spins relative to the crystal axes. This leads to drastic changes in quantities which rely on interband mixing induced by the spin-orbit interaction. The anisotropy is particularly striking for quantities which exhibit spiky and irregular distributions in the Brillouin zone, such as the spin-mixing parameter or the Berry curvature of the electronic states. We demonstrate this for three cases: (i) the Elliott-Yafet spin-relaxation mechanism in paramagnets with structural inversion symmetry; (ii) the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect in ferromagnets; and (iii) the spin Hall effect in paramagnets. We discuss the consequences of the pronounced anisotropic behavior displayed by these properties for spin-polarized transport applications.

Self-assembled highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were grown on Ti foils in NH4F ethylene glycol electrolyte under mild anodic oxidation conditions. The effect of annealing post-treatment on their structural properties was systematically investigated with respect to their electrical characteristics and photoelectrochemical performance in back-side illuminated dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). A variety of parameters was controlled and optimized including the annealing temperature, the heating rate and duration of the thermal treatment. The obtained results confirmed a correlation between the crystalline/structural properties of the TiO2 nanotubes and their electrical characteristics, thus revealing the close interplay of crystal size, grain boundaries and crystallite interconnectivity with the electron dynamics (transport/ recombination) governing the DSC operation and efficiency. The high importance of a barrier layer at the interface between the nanotubes and the Ti foil was also highlighted. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steels are promising candidates for structural applications in future nuclear fusion power plants. Oxide dispersion strengthened ODS-Eurofer and Eurofer 97 steels were cold rolled to 80% reduction in thickness and annealed in vacuum for 1 h from 200 to 1350 degrees C to evaluate both their thermal stability and magnetic behavior. The microstructural changes were followed by magnetic measurements, in particular the corresponding variation of the coercive field (H-c), as a function of both annealing and tempering treatments. Results show that Y2O3 nanoparticles strongly affect the mechanical properties of ODS-Eurofer steel but leave their magnetic properties fairly unchanged when compared with Eurofer-97 steel. (C) 2012 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.

The objective of the study was to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of three denture adhesives toward Streptococcus oralis, mutans, Prevotella oralis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Adhesives used were Corega Ultra(®), Fixodent Pro Original(®) and Biotene(®) Denture Grip. For Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus mutans, four tubes of Trypticase Soy Broth 10 mL and 1 g denture of adhesive were used. In addition four tubes of Trypticase Soy Broth 10 mL without any denture adhesive was employed as control. For Prevotella oralis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, four tubes of thioglycolate 10 mL and 1 g denture adhesive were used for each one, while four tubes of thioglycolate 10 mL without adhesive served as control. All samples were incubated for 48 h at 37°C. After 48 h, the number of colonies was counted and the mean was extracted as cfu/mL. The results were evaluated with ANOVA on ranked data and Tukey's post hoc test at α = 0.05. Streptococcus oralis, mutans, Prevotella oralis and Fusobacterium nucleatum showed decreased number of colonies for each denture adhesive compared to the control. Under the conditions of this in vitro study, all the tested denture adhesives showed antimicrobial efficacy. However, in contrast to the hypothesis, there were differences among them. Corega Ultra(®) and Biotene(®) Denture Grip were more effective for all the tested oral malodor-related microbes than Fixodent Pro Original(®).

The healthcare researchers', academics' and practitioners' interest concerning the development of Healthcare Information Systems has been on a steady rise for the last decades. Fueling this steady rise has been the healthcare professional need of quality information, in every healthcare provision incident, whenever and wherever this incident may take place. In order to address this need a truly mobile health care system is required, one that will be able to provide a healthcare provider with accurate patient-related information regardless of the time and place that healthcare is provided. In order to fulfill this role the present study proposes the architecture for a Healthcare Smartcard system, which provides authenticated healthcare professionals with remote mobile access to a Patient's Healthcare Record, through their Smartphone. Furthermore the research proceeds to develop a working prototype system.

Young stellar object observations suggest that some jets rotate in the opposite direction with respect to their disk. In a recent study, we have shown that this can be well in agreement with the magnetocentrifugal mechanism that is believed to launch such outflows. Here, we extend this analytical derivation to relativistic jets demonstrating that under rather general conditions counterrotation can indeed take place. We also illustrate the involved mechanism by performing relativistic magnetohydrodynamic jet simulations.

BACKGROUND: The behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD) can be burdensome to informal/family caregivers, negatively affecting mental health and expediting the institutionalization of patients. Because the dementia patient-caregiver relationship extends over long periods of time, it is useful to examine how BPSD impact caregiver depressive symptoms at varied stages of illness. The goal of this study was to assess the association of BPSD that occur during early stage dementia with subsequent caregiver depressive symptoms. METHODS: Patients were followed from the early stages of dementia every six months for up to 12 years or until death (n = 160). Caregiver symptoms were assessed on average 4.5 years following patient's early dementia behaviors. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) extension of the logistic regression model was used to determine the association between informal caregiver depressive symptoms and BPSD symptoms that occurred at the earliest stages dementia, including those persistent during the first year of dementia diagnosis. RESULTS: BPSD were common in early dementia. None of the individual symptoms observed during the first year of early stage dementia significantly impacted subsequent caregiver depressive symptoms. Only patient agitation/aggression was associated with subsequent caregiver depressive symptoms (OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.04-2.97) after controlling for concurrent BPSD, although not in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent agitation/aggression early in dementia diagnosis may be associated with subsequent depressive symptoms in caregivers. Future longitudinal analyses of the dementia caregiving relationship should continue to examine the negative impact of persistent agitation/aggression in the diagnosis of early stage dementia on caregivers.

Background:Data regarding the safety and effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) as monotherapy or combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue in male breast cancer are scarce. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, cases of male breast cancer patients treated with AIs with or without a GnRH analogue were evaluated. Results: Twenty-three men were included into this case series. Aromatase inhibitors in combination with or without a GnRH analogue were given as first-line therapy in 60.9% and as second-line therapy in 39.1% of patients, respectively. All patients had visceral metastases, whereas in five of them bone lesions coexisted. In all cases AIs were tolerated well, and no case of grade 3 and 4 adverse events was reported. A partial response was observed in 26.1% of patients and stable disease in 56.5%. Median overall survival (OS) was 39 months and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13 months. Regarding OS and PFS, no significant effects of GnRH analogue co-administration or type of AI were noted.Conclusion:Our study shows that AIs with or without GnRH analogues may represent an effective and safe treatment option for hormone-receptor positive, pretreated, metastatic, male breast cancer patients. © 2013 Cancer Research UK. All rights reserved.

We investigated the role of all arrestin-like proteins of Aspergillus nidulans in respect to growth, morphology, sensitivity to drugs and specifically for the endocytosis and turnover of the uric acid-xanthine transporter UapA. A single arrestin-like protein, ArtA, is essential for HulA(Rsp) (5) -dependent ubiquitination and endocytosis of UapA in response to ammonium or substrates. Mutational analysis showed that residues 545-563 of the UapA C-terminal region are required for efficient UapA endocytosis, whereas the N-terminal region (residues 2-123) and both PPxY motives are essential for ArtA function. We further show that ArtA undergoes HulA-dependent ubiquitination at residue Lys-343 and that this modification is critical for UapA ubiquitination and endocytosis. Lastly, we show that ArtA is essential for vacuolar turnover of transporters specific for purines (AzgA) or l-proline (PrnB), but not for an aspartate/glutamate transporter (AgtA). Our results are discussed within the frame of recently proposed mechanisms on how arrestin-like proteins are activated and recruited for ubiquitination of transporters in response to broad range signals, but also put the basis for understanding how arrestin-like proteins, such as ArtA, regulate the turnover of a specific transporter in the presence of its substrates.

Objective: The metabolic dysfunction accompanying the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although menopause per se may be an additional risk factor of CVD, the association between PCOS in postmenopausal women and cardiovascular risk has not been adequately investigated. We aimed to evaluate the effect of PCOS on markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in nondiabetic postmenopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 286 postmenopausal women with intact ovaries. PCOS phenotype was defined if three of the following were present: insulin resistance, current hyperandrogenism or history of clinical androgen excess, history of infertility, central obesity and history of irregular menses. Traditional CVD risk factors, as well as indices of arterial structure (intima - media thickness, atheromatous plaques presence) and function [flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index] were compared between women with a PCOS phenotype and the rest of the sample, who served as controls. Results: Women with the PCOS phenotype (N=43) had higher SBP and triglycerides and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol than controls. Mean values of PWV differed significantly between PCOS cases and controls (9.46±1.74 vs. 8.60±1.51 m/s, P=0.001, univariate). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the PCOS phenotype, age and SBP were the only independent predictors of PWV. Conclusion: Arterial stiffness is increased in asymptomatic, nondiabetic women with a putative PCOS phenotype, independently of age, BMI or blood pressure. This might present one mechanism through which PCOS increases the risk of CVD and hypertension later in life. © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

It is disputed whether recurrent episodes of wheeze in preschool-aged children comprise a distinct asthma phenotype.|We sought to prospectively assess airflow limitation and airway inflammation in children 4 to 6 years old with episodic virus-induced wheeze.|Ninety-three children 4 to 6 years old with a history of mild, virus-induced episodes of wheeze who were able to perform acceptable fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (Feno) maneuvers and spirometry (with forced expiratory time ≥0.5 seconds) were followed prospectively. Lung function and Feno values were measured every 6 weeks (baseline) within the first 48 hours of an acute wheezing episode (day 0) and 10 and 30 days later. Symptom scores and peak flow measurement were recorded daily.|Forty-three children experienced a wheezing episode. At day 0, Feno values were significantly increased, whereas forced expiratory volume at 0.5 seconds (FEV(0.5)) significantly decreased compared with baseline (16 ppb [interquartile range {IQR}, 13-20 ppb] vs 9 ppb IQR, 7-11 ppb] and 0.84 L [IQR, 0.75-0.99 L] vs 0.99 L [IQR, 0.9-1.07 L], respectively; both P < .001). Airflow limitation at day 0 was reversible after bronchodilation. FEV(0.5) and Feno values were significantly associated with each other and with lower and upper respiratory tract symptoms when assessed longitudinally but not cross-sectionally at all time points independently of atopy. Feno and FEV(0.5) values returned to baseline levels within 10 days.|Mild episodes of wheeze in preschoolers are characterized by enhanced airway inflammation, reversible airflow limitation, and asthma-related symptoms. Feno values increase significantly during the first 48 hours and return to personal baseline within 10 days from the initiation of the episode. Longitudinal follow-up suggests that symptoms, inflammation, and lung function correlate well in this phenotype of asthma.

The present study examines nitrate contamination and groundwater quality in the Megara basin of Attica Prefecture (Greece). Hydrochemical data were assessed using descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis to (1) classify the data into hydrochemically similar groups, and (2) to investigate geochemical and human-related factors responsible for the observed groundwater quality. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to incorporate both thematic (landuse) data and groundwater chemistry to study the extent and variation of nitrate contamination and to establish spatial relationships with specific landuse types. The results indicate that more than 70% of the groundwater samples located around the national highway had nitrate concentrations that exceeded acceptable levels according to international legislation and guidelines (Directive 98/83/EC, EPA, WHO). The combined spatial analysis and statistical hydrochemical evaluation show that nitrate contamination in groundwater is closely associated with specific landuse classes and activities (e.g. agriculture, pasture, industries, urban effluents).

The surface ozone is a pollutant of major concern due to its impact on receptors, at currently occurring ambient levels in many regions of the world. The aim of this work is to present the results derived from an analysis of hourly surface ozone concentrations, measured at the urban station of Volos, a coastal medium-sized city at the eastern seaboard of Central Greece, during the 8-year period 2001-2008. The regional climate that is characterized by hot and dry summers with intense sunshine plays an important role in the observed exceedances of the air quality ozone limits. The analysis showed that, ozone diurnal patterns depict daytime photochemical ozone built up, during the sunlight hours of the day. It is remarkable that the maximum daily 8-h averages often exceeded the standard value that is assigned by the EU Directive for human health protection, during almost the warm period of the year, mainly at noon and afternoon hours. © 2013 Global NEST Printed in Greece. All rights reserved.

The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) biomedical informatics educational recommendations of 2010 provided an excellent guide for institutions across the world in updating their curricula or establishing new programs. IMIA subsequently decided to offer an accreditation process, guided by the earlier recommendations, to assess existing educational programs in the field of biomedical informatics. This paper presents an overview and SWOT analysis of the accreditation process based on a two-year trial period at three sites across continents. Because other sites are now requesting similar accreditation visits by IMIA, the lessons learned by the committee that performed the assessments during trial period will provide useful guidance for both IMIA and those educational institutions.

This study investigates the contagion effects of the 2007-2009 global financial crisis across multiple asset markets and different regions. It uses daily return data of six asset classes: stocks, bonds, commodities, shipping, foreign exchange and real estate. A robust analysis of financial contagion is provided by estimating and comparing asymmetric conditional correlations among asset markets during stable and turmoil periods. Results provide evidence on the existence of a correlated-information channel as a contagion mechanism among the U.S. stocks, real estate, commodities and emerging Brazilian bond index. The findings also support the decoupling of BRIC equity markets from the crisis, the diversification benefits of shipping and foreign exchange value of the U.S. dollar indices, and the existence of a flight to quality mechanism from risky U.S. assets to German bonds. This evidence has important implications for portfolio diversification strategies and the future work of policymakers.

Introduction: Autotaxin (ATX) is a lysophospholipase D enzyme that hydrolyzes lysophosphatidylcholine to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and choline. LPA is a bioactive lipid mediator that activates several transduction pathways, and is involved in migration, proliferation and survival of various cells. Thus, ATX is an attractive medicinal target. Areas covered: The aim of this review is to summarize ATX inhibitors, reported in patents from 2006 up to now, describing their discovery and biological evaluation. Expert opinion: ATX has been implicated in various pathological conditions, such as cancer, chronic inflammation, neuropathic pain, fibrotic diseases, etc. Although there is an intensive effort on the discovery of potent and selective ATX inhibitors in order to identify novel medicinal agents, up to now, no ATX inhibitor has reached clinical trials. However, the use of ATX inhibitors seems an attractive strategy for the development of novel medicinal agents, for example anticancer therapeutics.

The purpose of the study was to compare bilateral deficit in jumping (i.e. when the sum of left and right leg jump height is greater than the two-leg jump) between pre-pubertal boys and girls. One hundred and seventy two children (83 boys and 89 girls between) were divided into two groups (10 and 12 years old) and performed oneleg and two-leg counter movement jumps without arm swing on a contact mat. The bilateral jump deficit index was calculated as: 1-(right+left leg jump height)/two-leg jump height x 100. Peak leg power output during jumping was also calculated and was scaled with body mass. Jump height and relative leg peak power were similar in boys and girls of both age groups. However, the bilateral jump deficit index was always greater and positive in boys compared with girls, indicating that the two-legged jump performance was better than the sum of right and left leg jumps. This difference between boys and girls remained even when training history was taken into account (trained vs. untrained children), indicating that it is independent of training status. Also, when differences in bilateral deficit were examined with analysis of covariance, with maturity offset (an index of biological maturation) as the covariate, boys still had greater values than girls (12.9±2.0 vs. -1.6±2.3%, p<0.01). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the there was no bilateral deficit for vertical jumping for boys at this age range. In contrast, girls had a bilateral index that was close to zero, indicating equal two-leg and sum of two legs jumps. These differences between boys and girls may be explained by a reduced ability to activate motor units during pre-puberty and/or superior motor skill ability (i.e. balance on one leg and jump) of girls over boys at that age. © JPES.

The purpose of the study was to compare bilateral deficit in jumping (i.e. when the sum of left and right leg jump height is greater than the two-leg jump) between pre-pubertal boys and girls. One hundred and seventy two children (83 boys and 89 girls between) were divided into two groups (10 and 12 years old) and performed oneleg and two-leg counter movement jumps without arm swing on a contact mat. The bilateral jump deficit index was calculated as: 1-(right+left leg jump height)/two-leg jump height x 100. Peak leg power output during jumping was also calculated and was scaled with body mass. Jump height and relative leg peak power were similar in boys and girls of both age groups. However, the bilateral jump deficit index was always greater and positive in boys compared with girls, indicating that the two-legged jump performance was better than the sum of right and left leg jumps. This difference between boys and girls remained even when training history was taken into account (trained vs. untrained children), indicating that it is independent of training status. Also, when differences in bilateral deficit were examined with analysis of covariance, with maturity offset (an index of biological maturation) as the covariate, boys still had greater values than girls (12.9±2.0 vs. -1.6±2.3%, p<0.01). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the there was no bilateral deficit for vertical jumping for boys at this age range. In contrast, girls had a bilateral index that was close to zero, indicating equal two-leg and sum of two legs jumps. These differences between boys and girls may be explained by a reduced ability to activate motor units during pre-puberty and/or superior motor skill ability (i.e. balance on one leg and jump) of girls over boys at that age. © JPES.

The purpose of the study was to compare bilateral deficit in jumping (i.e. when the sum of left and right leg jump height is greater than the two-leg jump) between pre-pubertal boys and girls. One hundred and seventy two children (83 boys and 89 girls between) were divided into two groups (10 and 12 years old) and performed oneleg and two-leg counter movement jumps without arm swing on a contact mat. The bilateral jump deficit index was calculated as: 1-(right+left leg jump height)/two-leg jump height x 100. Peak leg power output during jumping was also calculated and was scaled with body mass. Jump height and relative leg peak power were similar in boys and girls of both age groups. However, the bilateral jump deficit index was always greater and positive in boys compared with girls, indicating that the two-legged jump performance was better than the sum of right and left leg jumps. This difference between boys and girls remained even when training history was taken into account (trained vs. untrained children), indicating that it is independent of training status. Also, when differences in bilateral deficit were examined with analysis of covariance, with maturity offset (an index of biological maturation) as the covariate, boys still had greater values than girls (12.9±2.0 vs. -1.6±2.3%, p<0.01). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the there was no bilateral deficit for vertical jumping for boys at this age range. In contrast, girls had a bilateral index that was close to zero, indicating equal two-leg and sum of two legs jumps. These differences between boys and girls may be explained by a reduced ability to activate motor units during pre-puberty and/or superior motor skill ability (i.e. balance on one leg and jump) of girls over boys at that age. © JPES.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate breast cancer characteristics in women aged 25 years and younger. METHODS: This was a retrospective, nested, within-cases matched study. The study design was based on a two-phase protocol. In the first phase, stage, grade, histologic subtype, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status were compared between 28 patients (aged 25 years and younger) and 685 older premenopausal women (aged older than 25 years) with breast cancer. The second phase aimed to determine whether young patients exhibited worse prognosis when compared with older premenopausal women. RESULTS: Young patients presented at a more advanced stage (P=.012) and exhibited a higher grade (P=.018). No significant differences were noted regarding histologic subtype, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor status. Genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations was performed in 12 of 28 young patients and mutations were found in 25% of them. Moreover, young women presented poorer overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] 4.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-17.03) than their older counterparts, matched by histologic subtype, stage, and grade; a similar pattern was noted regarding relapse-free survival (HR 8.28, 95% CI 2.24-30.60). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer diagnosis in women aged 25 years and younger is uncommon; however, these patients present at a more advanced stage, with a higher grade, and exhibit poorer survival. © 2013 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

A subset of ultraluminous X-ray sources (those with luminosities of less than 1040 erg s-1 ref. 1) are thought to be powered by the accretion of gas onto black holes with masses of ~5-20, probably by means of an accretion disk. The X-ray and radio emission are coupled in such Galactic sources; the radio emission originates in a relativistic jet thought to be launched from the innermost regions near the black hole, with the most powerful emission occurring when the rate of infalling matter approaches a theoretical maximum (the Eddington limit). Only four such maximal sources are known in the Milky Way, and the absorption of soft X-rays in the interstellar medium hinders the determination of the causal sequence of events that leads to the ejection of the jet. Here we report radio and X-ray observations of a bright new X-ray source in the nearby galaxy M 31, whose peak luminosity exceeded 1039 erg s-1. The radio luminosity is extremely high and shows variability on a timescale of tens of minutes, arguing that the source is highly compact and powered by accretion close to the Eddington limit onto a black hole of stellar mass. Continued radio and X-ray monitoring of such sources should reveal the causal relationship between the accretion flow and the powerful jet emission.

Valid risk stratification for carotid atherosclerotic plaques represents a crucial public health issue toward preventing fatal cerebrovascular events. Although motion analysis (MA) provides useful information about arterial wall dynamics, the identification of motion-based risk markers remains a significant challenge. Considering that the ability of a motion estimator (ME) to handle changes in the appearance of motion targets has a major effect on accuracy in MA, we investigated the potential of adaptive block matching (ABM) MEs, which consider changes in image intensities over time. To assure the validity in MA, we optimized and evaluated the ABM MEs in the context of a specially designed in silico framework. ABM(FIRF2), which takes advantage of the periodicity characterizing the arterial wall motion, was the most effective ABM algorithm, yielding a 47% accuracy increase with respect to the conventional block matching. The in vivo application of ABM(FIRF2) revealed five potential risk markers: low movement amplitude of the normal part of the wall adjacent to the plaques in the radial (RMA(PWL)) and longitudinal (LMA(PWL)) directions, high radial motion amplitude of the plaque top surface (RMA(PTS)), and high relative movement, expressed in terms of radial strain (RSI(PL)) and longitudinal shear strain (LSSI(PL)), between plaque top and bottom surfaces. The in vivo results were reproduced by OF(LK(WLS)) and ABM(KF-K2), MEs previously proposed by the authors and with remarkable in silico performances, thereby reinforcing the clinical values of the markers and the potential of those MEs. Future in vivo studies will elucidate with confidence the full potential of the markers.

AIM: To present the 18 year survival and the clinical and radiological outcomes of the Müller straight stem, cemented, total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: Between 1989 and 2007, 176 primary total hip arthroplasties in 164 consecutive patients were performed in our institution by the senior author. All patients received a Müller cemented straight stem and a cemented polyethylene liner. The mean age of the patients was 62 years (45-78). The diagnosis was primary osteoarthritis in 151 hips, dysplasia of the hip in 12 and subcapital fracture of the femur in 13. Following discharge, serial follow-up consisted of clinical evaluation based on the Harris Hip Score and radiological assessment. The survival of the prosthesis using revision for any reason as an end-point was calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-four (15%) patients died during the follow-up study, 6 (4%) patients were lost, while the remaining 134 patients (141 hips) were followed-up for a mean of 10 years (3-18 years). HSS score at the latest follow-up revealed that 84 hips (59.5%) had excellent results, 30 (22.2%) good, 11 (7.8%) fair and 9 (6.3%) poor. There were 3 acetabular revisions due to aseptic loosening. Six (4.2%) stems were diagnosed as having radiographic definitive loosening; however, only 1 was revised. 30% of the surviving stems showed no radiological changes of radiolucency, while 70% showed some changes. Survival of the prosthesis for any reason was 96% at 10 years and 81% at 18 years. CONCLUSION: The 18 year survival of the Müller straight stem, cemented THA is comparable to those of other successful cemented systems.

PURPOSE: We present a study comparing the insertion of central vascular catheter (CVC) and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) by an anesthesia nurse at 2 Greek University Hospitals. METHODS: Eighty patients, aged 20-80 years, were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. In group A (41 patients), a CVC was inserted in the internal jugular vein. In group B (39 patients), a pressure-injectable PICC was inserted in the basilica vein. RESULTS: Correlations between the methods applied, the patients' characteristics, the procedures' characteristics and the overall satisfaction scores for each procedure were examined. The final results show that the patients of group B (PICC method) were more satisfied with the procedure than the patients of group A (CVC method), at the statistical significance level of a=0.01. Also, according to the results of the analysis, the PICC method offers significantly more comfort and relative satisfaction than the CVC method, at the statistical significance level of a=0.01. The satisfaction scores of "physicians" were statistically more significant, at a=0.01, for the patients of group A (classic CVCs) mainly because of the insufficient flow rate of the PICCs when compared with the CVCs and especially if one considers the fact that the physicians did not have any experience with the PICC method at all. CONCLUSIONS: PICCs under ultrasound guidance constitute the solution of choice for patients and they definitely surpass the CVCs focusing mainly on the improvement of the quality of life and the satisfaction of patients.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer occurring anytime during gestation, lactation or within one year after delivery. The optimal management of pregnant women with breast cancer is challenging and not well established; the main concern is the effect of the drugs on the developing fetus and long-term complications after in utero exposure to anti-cancer drugs. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for early breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Modified radical mastectomy is standard of care in first trimester, whereas breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy with lymph node dissection) can be performed preferably in the second and third trimester. Of note, breast-conserving surgery is not contraindicated per se during the first trimester, but owing to the potential impact of delaying radiotherapy. Radiation therapy is not favored during pregnancy. Moreover, tamoxifen is contraindicated during pregnancy; the agent has been associated with birth defects in up to 20% of exposures. Chemotherapy is generally contraindicated during the first trimester because of the possible damage to organogenesis. Anthracyclines-based regimens are the most widely used is breast cancer treatment and were been shown to be associated with favourable safety profile when administered during pregnancy. As for taxanes, more limited data is available. The use of trastuzumab is contraindicated during pregnancy, given the apparent risk of oligo- and/or anhydramnios as well as the unknown long-term sequelae on the fetus. It is obvious that, diagnosis of breast cancer during pregnancy adds complexity to cancer treatment recommendations. In all cases, a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach among obstetricians, gynaecologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pediatricians and hematologists is clearly warranted © Pioneer Bioscience Publishing Company.

Objectives: A high body mass index (BMI) in middle-age or a decrease in BMI at late-age has been considered a predictor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, little is known about the BMI change close to or after AD onset. Methods: BMI of participants from three cohorts, the Washington Heights and Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP; population-based) and the Predictors Study (clinic-based), and National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC; clinic-based) were analyzed longitudinally. We used generalized estimating equations to test whether there were significant changes of BMI over time, adjusting for age, sex, education, race, and research center. Stratification analyses were run to determine whether BMI changes depended on baseline BMI status. Results: BMI declined over time up to AD clinical onset, with an annual decrease of 0.21 (p=0.02) in WHICAP and 0.18 (p=0.04) kg/m2 in NACC. After clinical onset of AD, there was no significant decrease of BMI. BMI even increased (b=0.11, p=0.004) among prevalent AD participants in NACC. During the prodromal period, BMI decreased over time in overweight(BMI ≥25 and <30) WHICAP participants or obese (BMI≥30)NACC participants. After AD onset, BMI tended to increase in underweight/normal weight (BMI<25) patients and decrease in obese patients in all three cohorts, although the results were significant in NACC study only. Conclusions: Our study suggests that while BMI declines before the clinical AD onset, it levels off after clinical AD onset, and might even increase in prevalent AD. The pattern of BMI change may also depend on the initial BMI.

Ongoing studies suggest an important role for iPLA2β in a multitude of biological processes and it has been implicated in neurodegenerative, skeletal and vascular smooth muscle disorders, bone formation, and cardiac arrhythmias. Thus, identifying an iPLA2β inhibitor that can be reliably and safely used in vivo is warranted. Currently, the mechanism-based inhibitor bromoenol lactone (BEL) is the most widely used to discern the role of iPLA2β in biological processes. While BEL is recognized as a more potent inhibitor of iPLA2 than of cPLA2 or sPLA2, leading to its designation as a “specific” inhibitor of iPLA2, it has been shown to also inhibit non-PLA2 enzymes. A potential complication of its use is that while the S and R enantiomers of BEL exhibit preference for cytosol-associated iPLA2β and membrane-associated iPLA2γ, respectively, the selectivity is only 10-fold for both. In addition, BEL is unstable in solution, promotes irreversible inhibition, and may be cytotoxic, making BEL not amenable for in vivo use. Recently, a fluoroketone (FK)-based compound (FKGK18) was described as a potent inhibitor of iPLA2β. Here we characterized its inhibitory profile in beta-cells and find that FKGK18: (a) inhibits iPLA2β with a greater potency (100-fold) than iPLA2γ, (b) inhibition of iPLA2β is reversible, (c) is an ineffective inhibitor of α-chymotrypsin, and (d) inhibits previously described outcomes of iPLA2β activation including (i) glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, (ii) arachidonic acid hydrolysis; as reflected by PGE2 release from human islets, (iii) ER stress-induced neutral sphingomyelinase 2 expression, and (iv) ER stress-induced beta-cell apoptosis. These findings suggest that FKGK18 is similar to BEL in its ability to inhibit iPLA2β. Because, in contrast to BEL, it is reversible and not a non-specific inhibitor of proteases, it is suggested that FKGK18 is more ideal for ex vivo and in vivo assessments of iPLA2β role in biological functions.

Objectives: The estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in multiple myeloma (MM) is based on equations that use serum creatinine (sCr), such as the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. However, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) group has suggested that eGFR based on both sCr and cystatin C (CKD-EPI-sCr-CysC) is more accurate than other formulae for the estimation of kidney dysfunction. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate, for the first time in the literature, the CKD-EPI-sCR-CysC formula in newly diagnosed patients with symptomatic MM. Methods: We studied 220 newly diagnosed, previously untreated, patients with symptomatic myeloma and calculated eGFR using the MDRD, the CKD-EPI-sCR, the CKD-EPI-CysC, and the CKD-EPI-sCr-CysC equations. Results: CKD-EPI-sCr-CysC equation detected more myeloma patients with stage 3-5 renal impairment than the MDRD, CKD-EPI, or CKD-EPI-CysC equations: 45% vs. 39.5%, 42.2%, and 43.1%, respectively (P < 0.01). This was also observed in the elderly patients (>70 yrs), while in patients ≤70 yrs, the CKD-EPI-CysC equation managed to identify higher number of patients with stage 3-5 renal impairment (RI) than the other equations. Furthermore, 63 (28.6%) patients with eGFR values by the MDRD formula were reclassified to higher CKD stages according to CKD-EPI-CysC equation. The median overall survival for all patients was 52 months. In the multivariate analysis, that included International Staging System stage, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≥300 U/L and eGFR for each different equation (as a continuous variable), only eGFR that included CysC, but not sCr had independent prognostic value (P = 0.013) along with high LDH (P = 0.029). Conclusions: Our results suggest that equations based on CysC reveal higher number of MM patients with RI compared with equations based only in sCr. Furthermore, the CKD-EPI-CysC formula independently predicted for survival. Based on these data, we suggest that CKD-EPI equations based on CysC should substitute MDRD, as it has been suggested for patients with several other renal disorders. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Angiogenesis is involved in several diseases, including hematological malignancies and solid tumors as an essential step of disease progression. In Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) the bone marrow microvessel density is increased in 30%-40% of patients with symptomatic disease, but not in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance of IgM type (IgM-MGUS) and in patients with asymptomatic WM. The serum levels of angiogenic cytokines such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF-A, basic fibroblast growth factor, angiogenin and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) are markedly elevated in WM patients, while Ang-1 levels and the corresponding Ang-1 to Ang-2 ratio are significantly decreased, indicating an angiogenic shift. Circulating angiogenin and angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio correlate with disease activity and clinical features of WM. Ang-2 may also have a prognostic significance for WM patients as high levels of Ang-2 were found to be associated with significantly shorter progression-free survival. The chemokine C-C motif ligand 3 (CCL3) is a chemo-attractant for macrophages and mast-cells and was found to be elevated in the serum of patients with WM. CCL3 is produced by WM cells and correlates with inferior overall survival. In turn, activated inflammatory cells synthesize angiogenic regulators and modulate angiogenesis. This paper summarizes all available data for the role of angiogenic cytokines and supporting cells in the biology of WM and their correlation with clinical and laboratory features of the disease. © 2013 Bentham Science Publishers.

We review the first results of a dedicated, on-going monitoring project for supersoft X-ray source (SSS) states of classical novae (CNe) in the central region of the Andromeda galaxy (M 31). So far, during three high-cadence observation campaigns with the X-ray telescopes XMM-Newton and Chandra from 2006 until 2009 we detected 21 CNe, only four of which were seen in X-rays before. This increased the total number of known CNe with X-ray counterparts in M 31 to 60, which is significantly larger than for any other galaxy, including the Milky Way. We compiled a catalog of X-ray and optical properties for these 60 sources which allowed us to perform source statistics and population studies of CNe with SSS state in M 31 for the first time. Here we review the results of this analysis: (i) several correlations between X-ray and optical parameters, (ii) an analysis of the intrinsic fraction of CNe with SSS state, and (iii) the first nova population study in X-rays. Our first results are promising, however a continuing monitoring of the unique target M 31 is strongly needed to extend this valuable data base and to refine the early statements and predictions.

Recent changes of the thermohaline circulation in the Eastern Mediterranean (i.e. the Eastern Mediterranean Transient) and older observations of the thermohaline structure of the Aegean-Levantine region (with events of dramatic changes of deep water characteristics) reveal the very sensitive character of the regional thermohaline circulation pattern. This and the long term variability of seawater characteristics in various Mediterranean basins show that the deep water mass formation processes in the region can be greatly affected by climate variability and the characteristics of the extreme atmospheric forcing events. Theoretical work and modeling experiments point out the effectiveness of extreme events and periods of abnormal atmospheric conditions to produce deep waters of different characteristics and different equilibrium depth. Studying the mechanisms involved in the air-sea interaction under extreme event conditions, with available observations and modeling techniques, and monitoring important sites of water mass formation becomes very important for understanding the regional dynamics of the water cycle and their effect on the climate of the whole Mediterranean Sea region.

Lenalidomide has significant antimyeloma activity but it is associated with a significant risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In this study, we assessed clinical and genetic risk factors that may predispose for VTE in myeloma patients who were treated with lenalidomide-based regimens. We analyzed common clinical and selected genetic factors in 200 consecutive, unselected myeloma patients who were treated with lenalidomide-based regimens in a single institution. Twelve patients (6%) developed a VTE (nine deep venous thrombosis and three pulmonary embolism). All VTEs occurred in patients who were receiving aspirin prophylaxis; no patient who received LMWH or acenocoumarol had a VTE. The frequency of VTEs was 9.4% in previously untreated and 4.5% in previously treated patients. VTEs were more frequent in patients >65 years (8.1% vs. 1.6%) especially among patients receiving aspirin as prophylaxis (10.4% vs. 1.8% for patients ≤65 years). In patients who received prophylaxis with low dose aspirin a single-nucleotide polymorphism in NFκB1 (rs3774968) gene was associated with increased risk of VTE (OR 3.76, 95%CI 1-16, P=0.051). None of the patients who developed VTEs had common genetic variations that are associated with increased risk of VTEs in the general population, such as FVLeiden and FIIG20210A. Our data indicated that LMWH or vitamin K antagonists (with a target INR 2-3) effectively reduce the risk of VTEs. In patients who received prophylaxis with aspirin genetic variants of genes that are involved directly or indirectly in inflammatory response may be associated with increased risk of VTE. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The phenotype and function of cells enriched in tumor-propagating activity and their relationship to the phenotypic architecture in multiple myeloma (MM) are controversial. Here, in a cohort of 30 patients, we show that MM composes 4 hierarchically organized, clonally related subpopulations, which, although phenotypically distinct, share the same oncogenic chromosomal abnormalities as well as immunoglobulin heavy chain complementarity region 3 area sequence. Assessed in xenograft assays, myeloma-propagating activity is the exclusive property of a population characterized by its ability for bidirectional transition between the dominant CD19-CD138+ plasma cell (PC) and a low frequency CD19-CD138- subpopulation (termed Pre-PC); in addition, Pre-PCs are more quiescent and unlike PCs, are primarily localized at extramedullary sites. As shown by gene expression profiling, compared with PCs, Pre-PCs are enriched in epigenetic regulators, suggesting that epigenetic plasticity underpins the phenotypic diversification of myeloma-propagating cells. Prospective assessment in paired, pretreatment, and posttreatment bone marrow samples shows that Pre-PCs are up to 300-fold more drug-resistant than PCs. Thus, clinical drug resistance in MM is linked to reversible, bidirectional phenotypic transition of myeloma-propagating cells. These novel biologic insights have important clinical implications in relation to assessment of minimal residual disease and development of alternative therapeutic strategies in MM. © 2013 by The American Society of Hematology.

In this paper we present a combination of several near surface geophysicalΒ investigation techniques with high resolution remote sensingΒ image interpretations, in order to define the groundwater flow pathsΒ and whether they can be affected by future seismic events. A seasonalΒ spring (Amvrakia) located at the foot of Meteora pillars near the villageΒ of Kastraki (Greece) was chosen as a test site. The Meteora conglomeraticΒ formations crop out throughout the study area and areΒ characterized by large discontinuities caused by post Miocene till presentΒ tectonic deformation [Ferriere et al. 2011, Royden and PapanikolaouΒ 2011]. A network of groundwater pathways has been developedΒ above the impermeable marls underlying the conglomeratic strata. OurΒ research aims to define these water pathways in order to investigate andΒ understand the exact mechanism of the spring by mapping the exposedΒ discontinuity network with classic field mapping and remote sensingΒ image interpretation and define their underground continuity with theΒ contribution of near surface geophysical techniques. Five Very Low FrequencyΒ (VLF) profiles were conducted with different directions aroundΒ the spring aiming to detect possible conductive zones in the conglomeraticΒ formations that the study area consists of. Moreover, two ElectricalΒ Resistivity Tomography (ERT) sections of a total length of 140m wereΒ carried out parallel to the VLF profiles for cross-checking and verifyingΒ the geophysical information. Both techniques revealed important conductiveΒ zones (<200 Ohm m) within the conglomerate strata, which weΒ interpret as discontinuities filled with water supplying the spring, whichΒ are quite vulnerable to displacements as the hydraulic connections betweenΒ them might be easily disturbed after a future seismic event.

In this paper we present a combination of several near surface geophysical investigation techniques with high resolution remote sensing image interpretations, in order to define the groundwater flow paths and whether they can be affected by future seismic events. A seasonal spring (Amvrakia) located at the foot of Meteora pillars near the village of Kastraki (Greece) was chosen as a test site. The Meteora conglomeratic formations crop out throughout the study area and are characterized by large discontinuities caused by post Miocene till present tectonic deformation [Ferriere et al. 2011, Royden and Papanikolaou 2011]. A network of groundwater pathways has been developed above the impermeable marls underlying the conglomeratic strata. Our research aims to define these water pathways in order to investigate and understand the exact mechanism of the spring by mapping the exposed discontinuity network with classic field mapping and remote sensing image interpretation and define their underground continuity with theΒ contribution of near surface geophysical techniques. Five Very Low Frequency (VLF) profiles were conducted with different directions around the spring aiming to detect possible conductive zones in the conglomeratic formations that the study area consists of. Moreover, two Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) sections of a total length of 140m were carried out parallel to the VLF profiles for cross-checking and verifying the geophysical information. Both techniques revealed important conductive zones (<200 Ohm m) within the conglomerate strata, which we interpret as discontinuities filled with water supplying the spring, which are quite vulnerable to displacements as the hydraulic connections between them might be easily disturbed after a future seismic event.

Our recent ground-based BVRI CCD observations of the eclipsing binary system EL Aqr provide the most accurate photometric light variation obtained so far for this system. In addition to the photometric observations, a revision of all existing spectroscopic data is carried out and a new mass ratio is derived. The combined photometric and spectroscopic data are analyzed using the Wilson- Devinney light curve synthesis code and new geometric and photometric elements are calculated. EL Aqr is found to be in contact configuration, showing partial eclipses, and one of the smallest mass ratios ever found on contact binaries.

A conventional PCR and a real-time PCR for detecting Bacteroides fragilis were evaluated against clinical specimens. Analytical sensitivities were 100 and 40 fg of DNA, respectively. Detection limits were 100 and 10 CFU/ml, respectively. A total of six culture-negative specimens were positive by PCR. Altering the gold standard from "positive culture" to "positive culture or both PCR assays positive" resulted in sensitivities of 91.7% and 100%, respectively, and in specificities of 100% and 98.6%, respectively.

The association between perinatal factors and asthma inception is under rigorous investigation. Nevertheless, evidence of a correlation between asthma, conception via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and delivery through Caesarean section (C-section) is inconclusive.|We aimed to assess the relation of asthma incidence with IVF and C-section, after controlling for several potential confounding factors.|Parent-reported wheeze in the last 12 months (current), wheeze ever, physician-diagnosed asthma, method of conception, and type of delivery were recorded from questionnaires filled in by the parents of 2016 Greek children aged 9-13, (the Healthy Growth Study population). Some perinatal data were recorded from children's medical records and others were reported by parents; anthropometric measurements were also conducted in children.|IVF was correlated with physician-diagnosed asthma (OR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.11-4.56), but not with current/ever wheeze after adjustment for potential confounding factors. After adjustment, C-section was also associated with asthma (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.04-1.87), but not with current/ever wheeze. When the association of both IVF and C-section with asthma was examined in the same multivariate logistic regression model, it was weakened to borderline significance (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1-4.15 and OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1-1.81 respectively).|Conception via IVF and delivery by C-section may predispose children to future asthma development. Either variable could also exert a confounding effect on the link of the other to asthma; this may partially be accountable for inconsistencies in the findings of pertinent studies.

A series of observations performed with Swift/XRT (Target ID 33042) in the SMC detected a relatively bright X-ray source at the edge of the field of view. The source is consistent with XMMU J010429.4-723136. It is classified as a high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) candidate in the XMM-Newton point-source catalogue of the SMC (Sturm et al.

El presente artículo se centra en algunos aspectos del conocimiento receptivo y productivo del vocabulario de LE. Primero, en base a las diversas definiciones de los conceptos propuestas por los especialistas en el léxico de LE, se constata que todavía no existe una definición conclusiva de los dos tipos de conocimiento. Segundo, se pretende aclarar su relación exponiendo algunos de los modelos explicativos de dicha relación propuestos desde la década de los años noventa.

We present the recent photometric monitoring of blazar Mrk421, obtained from the Gerostathopouleio Observatoty at University of Athens. Follow-up observations have been performed on this source after a highly energetic flare which occurred on 13 April, 2013. The flare was observed in X- rays by Nustar & Swift and in GeV - TeV gamma-rays by the Fermi satellite and MAGIC/VERITAS telescopes respectively. Continuous photometric monitoring in the optical BVRI bands during 3 months after the flaring activity reveals a quasi-periodic light variation. This is one of the few times that Mrk 421 was observed for such a long period without large observational gaps. We perform Fourier analysis of the almost uninterrupted 3-months-long dataset in order to get insight on the characteristic timescales of the system. We discuss also possible origins of the optical variability by performing cross-correlation analysis of the optical and of the simultaneous X-ray emission detected with XRT onboard the SWIFT orbital satellite.

Background Early treatment of breast cancer patients with loco-regional relapse or contralateral disease has been shown to improve survival. There is no current consensus on the optimal follow-up strategy. This study estimates the risk of isolated contralateral relapse (CR) after breast cancer surgery and its change over time, together with the efficacy of clinical examination, self-examination and mammography in the detection of CR. Methods Data from patients treated for early breast cancer at Guy's Hospital between 1990 and 1997 were collected and those with isolated contralateral recurrences were analysed. Life table analysis was performed and CR, CR-free and cumulative CR rates were calculated. Correlations were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results One thousand one hundred and forty-three women were included in the study and 23 patients had isolated CR. The median probability of CR was a constant 0.24% per year. Only one recurrence was found clinically at follow up, while the majority was detected through mammography and self-palpation. Conclusions The risk of CR is low and constant with time. Contralateral mammography is useful and can detect the vast majority of contralateral recurrences. These findings may have practical implications especially on the planning of postmastectomy follow up. Linked Comment: Fentiman. Int J Clin Pract 2013; 67: 1071-2. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

BACKGROUND: Renal function may be a major determinant of resistin levels, since most studies revealed association between elevated resistin levels and decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis whether serum resistin is associated with markers of malnutrition and inflammation in elderly non-diabetic adults in different stages of CKD including hemodialysis. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 80 elderly patients divided in four groups of 20 patients each according to eGFR and matched for age (+/- 5 years) and gender. Patients with eGFR more than 1.5 mL/second served as controls. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the association of resistin with eGFR, demographic, metabolic and inflammatory markers, and insulin resistance. Hematological, biochemical, and immunochemical analyses were performed using commercially available enzyme immunoassays. RESULTS: Our results showed that: 1) serum resistin levels were two times higher in patients with advanced CKD especially those undergoing hemodialysis compared to controls, 2) in univariate analysis, resistin levels correlated directly with Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), high sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), and serum phosphate and inversely correlated with albumin, eGFR, and hematocrit levels. We failed to reveal any relationship between resistin levels and Homeostasis Model Assessment Score of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), body mass index (BMI), cholesterol and leptin levels, 3) in multivariate analysis, only TNF-alpha (p < 0.001) and hsCRP (p = 0.032) were the most important independent determinants of serum resistin levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that resistin increases as GFR declines and may be involved in the malnutrition-inflammation state and the reverse epidemiology phenomenon present in elderly, non-diabetic patients with CKD.

Ειρήνη Καμπερίδου (2013). «Η κρίση στο γυναικείο αθλητισμό: η μοντελοποίηση των αθλητών/τριών», κεντρική ομιλήτρια  στην ενότητα «Η συμμετοχή των Γυναικών στον Πολιτισμό και στον Αθλητισμό»,  Διημερίδα του Δήμου Αθηναίων  με θέμα: «8 Μαρτίου-Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Γυναίκας: Νέες Δράσεις του Δήμου Αθηναίων για τις Γυναίκες» 07 & 08 Μαρτίου 2013 Τεχνόπολις  Δήμου Αθηναίων.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Αυτή η εισήγηση συγκρίνει την προβολή του γυναικείου αθλητισμού στα MME  των ΗΠΑ, της Αυστραλίας και της Ελλάδας, εντοπίζοντας τον εξωραϊσμός των ανδρικών επιτευγμάτων και την υποβάθμιση των γυναικείων. Στη συνέχεια εξετάζει τις κοινωνικές επιπτώσεις της προβολής των εμπορευματοποιημένων-μοντελοποιημένων ή εικονικά κατασκευασμένων αθλητών/τριών στα Μ.Μ.Ε., όπως για παράδειγμα το «σύνδρομο του Άδωνη» που πλήττει τον ανδρικό πληθυσμό σήμερα. Δηλαδή την κρίση των αρρένων με το σώμα τους. Η  «κρίση στο γυναικείο αθλητισμό» (Messner et al. 2010), που αναφέρεται στην ελάχιστη τηλεοπτική κάλυψη του γυναικείου αθλητισμού, επισημαίνεται ειδικά στις Η.Π.Α., όπου η τηλεοπτική προβολή των γυναικείων αγώνων το 2009 (1.6%)  είναι λιγότερη από ότι ήταν πριν από 20 χρόνια (5.0%) και δεν υπάρχει καμία ένδειξη ή λόγος να πιστεύουμε ότι αυτή η τάση θα αλλάξει, εκτός αν οι τηλεοπτικοί παραγωγοί αποφασίσουν ότι κάτι τέτοιο θα ήταν προς όφελός τους.  Το κύριο εμπόδιο που αντιμετωπίζει ο γυναικείος αθλητισμός και η αθλήτρια σήμερα είναι η ορατότητα (προβολή) στα ΜΜΕ και ειδικά η προβολή της αθλητικης ταυτότητας, δηλαδή η προβολή της αθλήτριας στον αθλητικό της ρόλο.  Τέλος, πραγματευόμαστε εναλλακτικά αθλητικά μοντέλα, μια ολιστική προσέγγιση, ενόψει της εμπορικής παγκοσμιοποίησης του αθλητισμού και της αθλητικής ταυτότητας. Ιδιαίτερη ανησυχία προκαλούν οι νέες αθλητικές ταυτότητες που προβάλλονται στα ΜΜΕ, όπως οι μεταμορφώσεις-μετασχηματισμοί του ανθρώπινου σώματος (genetic doping) και η μοντελοποίηση των αθλητών/τριών, το ανθρώπινο εμπόριο του καταναλωτισμού, της ψυχαγωγίας και του θεάματος. Μολονότι στην κοινωνική περιοχή του αθλητισμού των επιδόσεων δεν τίθεται το ερώτημα εάν μία επίδοση προσεγγίστηκε με «θηλυπρέπεια» ή με «ανδροπρέπεια», εντούτοις οφείλουμε να επισημάνουμε ότι παρατηρείται, ως αποτέλεσμα των μεθόδων προπόνησης σε συγκεκριμένα αθλήματα, μια θηλυκοποίηση του αθλητή και μια αρσενικοποίηση-ανδροποίηση της αθλήτρια, οδηγώντας έτσι αργά και αθόρυβα στην εμφάνιση στα ΜΜΕ μιας καινούργιας αθλητικής αισθητικής, όσον αφορά την αισθητική τους σώματος. Εν ολίγοις, στην προβολή στα ΜΜΕ μιας άφυλης ρευστότητας (gender fluidity): ο άφυλος αθλητής και η άφυλη αθλήτρια (genderless athletes).  Ωστόσο, αναδυκνείεται ότι οι 'κλωνοποιημένοι' αθλητές/αθλήτριες που προβάλλονται στα ΜΜΕ δεν εκπροσωπούν την πλειονότητα των ανδρών και των γυναικών της κοινωνικής περιοχής του αθλητισμού. Ένας αυξανόμενος αριθμός αθλητών/τριών, γυμναστών/στριών, ερευνητών/τριών, ακτιβιστών/τριών, δουλεύοντας έξω από τη δεσπόζουσα τάση της εποχής, αγωνίζονται για τη δημιουργία καινούργιων αθλητικών μοντέλων και προτύπων, για την προστασία και την ακεραιότητα του αθλητή  και της αθλήτριας,  και της αθλητικής δεοντολογίας, την προστασία του περιβάλλοντος, την εξάλειψη της διεθνικής σωματεμπορίας (human trafficking), κ.ά. (Heywood and Dworkin 2003, Creedon 2006, Messner & Raewyn 2007, Καμπερίδου 2005, 2012).

Background: A cross sectional study to investigate HPV prevalence according to age and cytology.Methods: Women presenting to a gynaecological outpatient clinic for a Pap smear test were included in the study (n=3177). All women had cervical cytology and HPV testing.Results: Overall prevalence of any 24 HPV type analysed was 33.1{%} (95{%} CI 31.5{%} to 34.7{%}) and HPV 16 and HPV 42 were the most frequent (6.7{%} (95{%} CI 5.8{%} to 7.6{%}), 6.8{%} (95{%} CI 5.9{%} to 7.6{%})), in total samples. Multiple HPV infection rate was 12.9{%} (95{%} CI 11.8{%} to 14.1{%}). High risk HPV (hrHPV) types were present in 27.4{%} (95{%} CI 25.8{%} to 28.9{%}) of the samples.HPV prevalence was highest among 14 to 19 y.o (46.6{%} (95{%} CI 40.7{%}-52.4{%})) and second highest among 30-34 y.o. (39.7{%}, 95{%} CI 35.4{%}-44{%}). HPV 16 was highest among 20-24 (9.0{%} (95{%} CI 6.4{%}-11.6{%})) and second highest among 50 to 54 y.o. (6.3{%} (95{%} CI 2.9{%} to 9.8{%}).In Low-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LgSIL) cytology samples, the most frequently detected hrHPV types were: 16 (14.5{%} (95{%} CI 12.1{%} to 16.9{%})), 51 (13.0{%} (95{%} CI 10.7{%} to 15.3{%})) and 53 (9.1{%} (95{%} CI 7.2{%} to 11.1{%})) and in High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HgSIL) were: HPV 16 (37.2{%} (95{%} CI 26.5{%} to 47.9{%})), HPV 51 (17.9{%} (95{%} CI 9.4{%} to 26.5{%})) and HPV 18 (12.8{%} (95{%} CI 5.4{%} to 20.2{%})).Conclusions: In the population studied, HPV 16 and 51 were the most frequent detected hrHPV types. HPV positivity, hrHPV and multiple HPV types infections were higher in young women, while HPV prevalence declined with increasing age and presented two peaks a higher (14-19 y.o.) and a lower one (30-34 y.o.) These results may contribute to the creation of a national screening programme. © 2013 Argyri et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Apoptosis and necrosis are the two major modes of cell death, the molecular mechanisms of which have been extensively studied. Although initially thought to constitute mutually exclusive cellular states, recent findings reveal cellular contexts that require a balanced interplay between these two modes of cellular demise. Several death initiator and effector molecules, signaling pathways and subcellular sites have been identified as key mediators in both processes, either by constituting common modules or alternatively by functioning as a switch allowing cells to decide which route to take, depending on the specific situation. Importantly, autophagy, which is a predominantly cytoprotective process, has been linked to both types of cell death, serving either a pro-survival or pro-death function. Here we review the recent literature that highlights the intricate interplay between apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy, focusing on the relevance and impact of this crosstalk in normal development and in pathology. This article is part of a Special Section entitled: Cell Death Pathways.

Compilation of CTA contributions to the proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2013), which took place in 2-9 July, 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Compilation of CTA contributions to the proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2013), which took place in 2-9 July, 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Introduction: Renal impairment (RI) is a common complication of symptomatic myeloma; 20-40% of newly diagnosed patients present with moderate or severe RI and 10% of them may require dialysis. Immediate initiation of specific antimyeloma therapy is crucial in order to improve RI. Areas covered: There has been a significant improvement in the outcome of patients with RI over the past 15 years. The authors review current data on the role of antimyeloma therapy on the improvement or resolution of RI and the importance of novel regimens, especially those based on bortezomib. IMiDs-based regimens, conventional chemotherapy and high-dose therapy is also reviewed. The role of extrarenal free light chain removal, by means of plasma exchange or extended hemodialysis with the use of high cutoff dialysis membranes, is also discussed. Expert opinion: Bortezomib/dexamethasone-based regimens are the preferred regimens for most patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who present with RI, especially for newly diagnosed patients; however, other novel agents (thalidomide, lenalidomide) in combination with dexamethasone may also improve RI in several patients. Further investigation is needed for the clarification of the role of plasma exchange or extended high cutoff dialysis. Carfilzomib, which was recently approved, may also be a treatment choice for selected patients with relapsed MM and RI. © 2013 Informa UK, Ltd.

We consider series of M/M/m queues with strategic customer behavior. Customers arrive to the first queue and decide whether to enter the system or balk and, if they enter, up to which queue to proceed before departing. Each customer makes an independent decision, with the objective of maximizing her total net benefit, which is equal to the value of service minus a cost due to expected delay. We formulate the customer decision as a game and identify the unique symmetric Nash equilibrium strategy, which is expressed in a backward recursive form. We also analyze the problem of maximizing the total customer welfare and establish the relationship between the equilibrium and the welfare maximizing strategies. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

The origin of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in humans and other primates remains largely unresolved. Understanding the origin of HBV is crucial because it provides a framework for studying the burden, and subsequently the evolution, of HBV pathogenicity with respect to changes in human population size and life expectancy. To investigate this controversy we examined the relationship between HBV phylogeny and genetic diversity of modern humans, investigated the timescale of global HBV dispersal, and tested the hypothesis of HBV-human co-divergence. We find that the global distribution of HBV genotypes and subgenotypes are consistent with the major prehistoric modern human migrations. We calibrate the HBV molecular clock using the divergence times of different indigenous human populations based on archaeological and genetic evidence and show that HBV jumped into humans around 33,600 years ago; 95% higher posterior density (HPD): 22,000-47,100 years ago (estimated substitution rate: 2.2 × 10(-6) ; 95% HPD: 1.5-3.0 × 10(-6) substitutions/site/year). This coincides with the origin of modern non-African humans. Crucially, the most pronounced increase in the HBV pandemic correlates with the global population increase over the last 5,000 years. We also show that the non-human HBV clades in orangutans and gibbons resulted from cross-species transmission events from humans that occurred no earlier than 6,100 years ago. CONCLUSION: Our study provides, for the first time, an estimated timescale for the HBV epidemic that closely coincides with dates of human dispersals, supporting the hypothesis that HBV has been co-expanding and co-migrating with human populations for the last 40,000 years. (HEPATOLOGY 2013).

PURPOSE: Acute appendicitis within a femoral hernia is a rare condition that was first described by Rene Jacques de Garengeot. In the present study, we summarize the existing evidence on de Garengeot's hernia, with special emphasis on its clinical presentation and diagnostic approach. METHODS: A thorough search of the English-language literature published between 1980 and 2011 was performed. Studies reporting cases of de Garengeot's hernia were selected using specific inclusion criteria (description of femoral hernia appendicitis, statement of patient demographics and symptoms, and statement of diagnostic tests performed). RESULTS: Thirty-one studies that encompassed 36 patients (28 women, mean age 71.5 years) with de Garengeot's hernia were included in our analysis. Patients presented with a right groin mass in 35 (97 %) cases. The mass was almost always painful (n = 35, 97 %), while 14 (39 %) of the patients were febrile. Mean duration of symptoms was 5.17 days. Fifty-six percent of the groin masses were erythematous. Leukocytosis was present in 67 % of the patients, and 25 patients underwent imaging investigation with X-ray (n = 11), Ultrasound (n = 5) or Computed Tomography (CT, n = 9). Twenty percent of the Ultrasound and 44 % of the CT studies were diagnostic, leading to an overall rate of 14 % of femoral hernia appendicitis preoperative diagnosis. Eighty-one percent of the patients underwent herniorrhaphy with sutures while a mesh was used in 19 %. Mean hospital stay was 6.23 days. CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnosis of de Garengeot's hernia is difficult due to its atypical clinical presentation. Further surgical treatment depends on the surgeon's sound clinical judgment.

We introduce a theoretical model to scrutinize the conductivity of small polarons in 1D disordered systems, focusing on two crucial – as will be demonstrated – factors: the density of states and the spatial extent of the electronic wave function. The investigation is performed for any temperature up to 300 K and under electric field of arbitrary strength up to the polaron dissociation limit. To accomplish this task, we combine analytical work with numerical calculations.

Electrolysis of ultrapure water in a two-electrode cell with silver anode and conductive substrate (Si wafer) as a cathode leads to the formation of nanostructured silver layers deposited on cathode. In the process, the silver anode is electrochemically dissolved to silver cations, which react with water (or OH• radicals derived from water electrolysis) forming silver oxide nanoparticles, which fill the interelectrode space by electrophoretic movement, diffusion and convection induced by temperature effects of electrolysis. During the process the silver oxide nanoparticles are partially transformed into silver nanoparticles. On the cathode, silver cations and silver/silver oxide nanoparticles undergo reduction to form nanostructured silver film. The results of the present study open a new, extremely simple and ultra-low cost way to prepare nanostructured silver films on conducting and semiconducting substrates. The prepared nanosilver coated silicon substrates exhibit high performances as amperometric sensors for hydrogen peroxide and also as SERS substrates. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society.

EU is developing a 1 MW cylindrical cavity gyrotron. In the last year the design of the components of the new gyrotron has been finalized while the technological design of the new tube has been defined. In the present paper, the main characteristics of the new EU gyrotron for ITER are presented.

In this paper we aim to contribute to the process of networking between theoretical frames in mathematics education by means of forging connections between Constructionism and Instrumental Theory to discuss a design for instrumentalisation. We specifically focus on instrumentalisation, i.e. the ways in which students make changes to digital artifacts and generate meanings in reference to these, as something which will not inevitably happen during activity with digital media. We discuss the issue of designing artifacts and corresponding activities in order to facilitate an instrumentalisation process which will be rich in the generation of mathematical meanings. We report findings from research aimed at shedding light on the meanings of angle in 3D space generated by 13 year olds students while using a specially designed Turtle Geometry microworld. The analysis indicates that connections between the two theories on the issue of designing for instrumentalisation enhances our efficiency to explore the instrumental genesis in technology-rich environments.

Limited information is available to describe the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Bulgaria. To better understand the genetic diversity and the epidemiologic dynamics of HIV-1 we analyzed 125 new polymerase (pol) sequences from Bulgarians diagnosed through 2009 and 77 pol sequences available from our previous study from persons infected prior to 2007. Epidemiologic and demographic information was obtained from each participant and phylogenetic analysis was used to infer HIV-1 evolutionary histories. 120 (59.5%) persons were infected with one of five different HIV-1 subtypes (A1, B, C, F1 and H) and 63 (31.2%) persons were infected with one of six different circulating recombinant forms (CRFs; 01_AE, 02_AG, 04_cpx, 05_DF, 14_BG, and 36_cpx). We also for the first time identified infection with two different clusters of unique A-like and F-like sub-subtype variants in 12 persons (5.9%) and seven unique recombinant forms (3.5%), including a novel J/C recombinant. While subtype B was the major genotype identified and was more prevalent in MSM and increased between 2000-2005, most non-B subtypes were present in persons ≥45 years old. CRF01_AE was the most common non-B subtype and was higher in women and IDUs relative to other risk groups combined. Our results show that HIV-1 infection in Bulgaria reflects the shifting distribution of genotypes coincident with the changing epidemiology of the HIV-1 epidemic among different risk groups. Our data support increased public health interventions targeting IDUs and MSM. Furthermore, the substantial and increasing HIV-1 genetic heterogeneity, combined with fluctuating infection dynamics, highlights the importance of sustained and expanded surveillance to prevent and control HIV-1 infection in Bulgaria.

The study of atmospheric concentration levels at a local scale is one of the most important topics in environmental sciences. Multivariate analysis, fuzzy logic, and neural networks have been introduced in forecasting procedures in order to elaborate operational techniques for level characterization of specific atmospheric pollutants at different spatial and temporal scales. Particularly, approaches based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been proposed and successfully applied for forecasting concentration levels of PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3. The present study explores the development and application of ANN models for forecasting, 24 h ahead, not only the daily concentration levels of PM10 but also the number of hours exceeding the PM10 concentration threshold during the day in five different regions within the greater Athens area (GAA). The ANN modeling was based on measurements and estimates of the mean daily PM10 concentration, the maximum hourly NO2 concentration, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and the mode daily value of wind direction from five different monitoring stations for the period 2001-2005. The evaluation of the model performance showed the risk of daily PM10 concentration levels exceeding certain thresholds as well as the duration of the exceedances can be successfully predicted. Despite the limitations of the model, the results indicate that ANNs, when adequately trained, have considerable potential to be used for 1 day ahead PM10 concentration forecasting and the duration within the GAA. © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013.

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection is a usually severe type of viral hepatitis associated with increased mortality and rapid evolution to cirrhosis. Currently, treatment is limited to extended interferon administration and measurement of HDV RNA blood levels is essential to judge the response. The aim of this study was to develop a highly sensitive and reproducible real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) for the quantitation of circulating HDV RNA of all clades (1-8), and assess its usefulness in the follow-up of patients. The amplification was combined with molecular beacon technology using the LightCycler 2.0 system. The assay was specific and showed linearity over a wide range from 13 to 13 x 10(10) copies/mL. The 95% detection limit was 43.2 copies/mL. Intra-assay reproducibility, as expressed by the coefficient of variation, ranged from 1.84 to 18.61%, whereas the corresponding estimates for the inter-assay variability ranged from 0.57 to 10.18%. Finally, the dynamic profiles of six patients regarding virological (HDV RNA, HBV DNA), biochemical and serological data were constructed. We were able to observe that most patients who were treated with an interferon-based regime showed a significant reduction in delta viremia. In conclusion, our real-time RT-PCR for HDV RNA quantification combines high sensitivity and reproducibility in a high dynamic range, can provide important information for patient management and can be a useful tool for monitoring the response to antiviral therapies.

Background:Accurate prediction of outcome for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients receiving targeted therapy is essential. Most of the available models have been developed in patients treated with cytokines, while most of them are fairly complex, including at least five factors. We developed and externally validated a simple model for overall survival (OS) in mRCC. We also studied the recently validated International Database Consortium (IDC) model in our data sets.Methods:The development cohort included 170 mRCC patients treated with sunitinib. The final prognostic model was selected by uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Risk groups were defined by the number of risk factors and by the 25th and 75th percentiles of the model's prognostic index distribution. The model was validated using an independent data set of 266 mRCC patients (validation cohort) treated with the same agent.Results:Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS), time from diagnosis of RCC and number of metastatic sites were included in the final model. Median OS of patients with 1, 2 and 3 risk factors were: 24.7, 12.8 and 5.9 months, respectively, whereas median OS was not reached for patients with 0 risk factors. Concordance (C) index for internal validation was 0.712, whereas C-index for external validation was 0.634, due to differences in survival especially in poor-risk populations between the two cohorts. Predictive performance of the model was improved after recalibration. Application of the mRCC International Database Consortium (IDC) model resulted in a C-index of 0.574 in the development and 0.576 in the validation cohorts (lower than those recently reported for this model). Predictive ability was also improved after recalibration in this analysis. Risk stratification according to IDC model showed more similar outcomes across the development and validation cohorts compared with our model.Conclusion:Our model provides a simple prognostic tool in mRCC patients treated with a targeted agent. It had similar performance with the IDC model, which, however, produced more consistent survival results across the development and validation cohorts. The predictive ability of both models was lower than that suggested by internal validation (our model) or recent published data (IDC model), due to differences between observed and predicted survival among intermediate and poor-risk patients. Our results highlight the importance of external validation and the need for further refinement of existing prognostic models. © 2013 Cancer Research UK. All rights reserved.

PURPOSE: In the Greek population of Epirus, exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) occur at a high prevalence. In this study, we validate a novel lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) genotyping method, investigate the previously reported association of LOXL1 with XFS/XFG, and evaluate apolipoprotein E (APOE) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms as genetic risk factors for both conditions in our population. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 82 patients with XFG, 69 patients with XFS, 52 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and 107 controls. APOE and MTHFR 677C>T genotyping was performed from extracted genomic DNA with established methods. A novel methodology of real-time PCR and melting curve analysis was developed and validated to accurately genotype the LOXL1 G153D and R141L polymorphisms by using two different fluorescent channels of the LightCycler instrument (Roche) examining each SNP separately. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed for the APOE and MTHFR polymorphisms between the patients with XFS, the patients with XFG, and the control subjects. The APOE epsilon2 allele appears to be associated with elevated risk of POAG in our population. Our novel LOXL1 genotyping method was easy to perform, fast, and accurate. A statistically significant association was found for the LOXL1 gene with XFS/XFG in this Greek population. The association of XFS and XFG with G153D appeared to be less powerful in this population (XFS: odds ratio [OR]=2.162, p=0.039, XFG: OR=2.794, p=0.002) compared to other populations, and for R141L, the association was proven only with XFG (OR=3.592, p<0.001). Neither of the two LOXL1 SNPs was significantly associated with POAG. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the association between LOXL1 and XFS/XFG, but the APOE and MTHFR polymorphisms are not significant risk factors for the development of XFS/XFG in our population of patients from Epirus (Greece)

Despite the available prevention and early detection strategies, advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix remains a major concern for public health. Systemic treatment with cisplatin, either in combination with external beam irradiation for locally advanced disease, or as monotherapy for recurrent/metastatic disease has been the cornerstone of treatment for more than two decades. Cisplatin has been also combined with a number of agents including paclitaxel, topotecan, gemcitabine, vinorelbine and ifosfamide, leading to encouraging response rates and increases in progression-free survival in a series of randomized phase III trials. Platinum-based triplets have been also tested, albeit at the cost of substantial toxicity. More recently, combinations with molecular agents targeting critical pathways in cervical malignant transformation are being assessed in clinical trials. In the current review, we discuss all recent advances in the systemic treatment of metastatic cervical cancer with emphasis on the results of large randomized phase III trials. Concerns regarding treatment-related toxicity in the context of co-morbidities and the need for potent predictive biomarkers for individualized treatment are also addressed. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Despite the available prevention and early detection strategies, squamous-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is still diagnosed as locally advanced disease in a large proportion of patients. Treatment with cisplatin, in combination with external beam irradiation, has been the cornerstone of treatment in this setting for more than two decades. Induction chemotherapy strategies followed by concurrent chemo-radiation or surgery and pre-operative concurrent chemo-radiation have been recently implemented in clinical trials in an effort to optimize both local control and the occurrence of distant metastases. More recently, combinations of chemotherapy or radiotherapy with molecular agents targeting critical pathways in cervical malignant transformation are being assessed in clinical trials. In this paper, we review the role of cisplatin in the disease in the context of other potent radiosensitizers. We also discuss all recently implemented therapeutic modalities for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer with emphasis on the novel induction strategies. Concerns regarding treatment-related toxicity in the context of co-morbidities and the need for potent predictive biomarkers for individualized therapeutic approach are also addressed.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability and mortality. Mounting evidence from observational studies suggests that among lifestyle factors, diet may be playing an important role for the prevention of stroke. Neuroimaging markers, particularly white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume and brain infarcts (BI) are more sensitive measurements of cerebrovascular disease than clinical assessments. We reviewed published observational and clinical studies that evaluate the association between dietary factors and WMH and BI. The few existing studies examined only a handful individual nutrients or foods (dietary intake of alcohol, B vitamins, fish, choline, serum markers of antioxidants, and a few food groups, Mediterranean-style diet, and nutrient biomarker patterns. Findings from these studies are inconclusive either due to conflicting results from different studies or due to lack of replication. Further studies are necessary to replicate the existing findings. Many other foods or nutrients or dietary patterns may worth of investigation and longitudinal studies are needed.

Advanced glycation end product (AGE)-modified proteins are formed by the nonenzymatic glycation of free amino groups of proteins and, along with lipofuscin (a highly oxidized aggregate of covalently cross-linked proteins, sugars, and lipids), have been found to accumulate during aging and in several age-related diseases. As the in vivo effects of diet-derived AGEs or lipofuscin remain elusive, we sought to study the impact of oral administration of glucose-, fructose-, or ribose-modified albumin or of artificial lipofuscin in a genetically tractable model organism. We report herein that continuous feeding of young Drosophila flies with culture medium enriched in AGEs or in lipofuscin resulted in reduced locomotor performance and in accelerated rates of AGE-modified proteins and carbonylated proteins accumulation in the somatic tissues and hemolymph of flies, as well as in a significant reduction of flies health span and life span. These phenotypic effects were accompanied by reduced proteasome peptidase activities in both the hemolymph and the somatic tissues of flies and higher levels of oxidative stress; furthermore, oral administration of AGEs or lipofuscin in flies triggered an upregulation of the lysosomal cathepsin B, L activities. Finally, RNAi-mediated cathepsin D knockdown reduced flies longevity and significantly augmented the deleterious effects of AGEs and lipofuscin, indicating that lysosomal cathepsins reduce the toxicity of diet-derived AGEs or lipofuscin. Our in vivo studies demonstrate that chronic ingestion of AGEs or lipofuscin disrupts proteostasis and accelerates the functional decline that occurs with normal aging. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

OBJECTIVE: The behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD) are highly burdensome to caregivers. While BPSD consist of a wide variety of patient behaviors including depression, physical aggression, and paranoid delusions, it remains unclear whether specific symptoms have a differential impact on caregivers. The aims of this study were 1) to assess how individual BPSD, categorized based on how they may affect caregivers, impact depressive symptoms for dementia patient caregivers and 2) to test the pathways by which BPSD clusters impact caregiver depressive symptoms. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a longitudinal study of patients with Alzheimer disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. SETTING: Multiple U.S. dementia clinics. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty patient-caregiver dyads. METHODS: Using multivariate generalized estimating equation logistic models, we analyzed the relationship between four BPSD clusters (patient depressive symptoms, accusatory/aggressive behaviors, nonthreatening psychotic symptoms, and difficult to manage behaviors) and caregiver depressive symptoms and assessed mediators of these relationships. RESULTS: Only the presence of patient depressive symptoms was associated with caregiver depression (odds ratio: 1.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.1). This relationship was mediated by caregiver report of both the symptom's impact on the patient and perceived burden to caregivers. CONCLUSION: Patient depressive symptoms may be the most important driver of the relationship between BPSD and caregiver depression. Research in this field should further test the effects of individual BPSD and also consider how symptoms may negatively impact caregivers by increasing burden and evoking empathy for the patient.

Proteasome is central to proteostasis maintenance, as it degrades both normal and damaged proteins. Herein, we undertook a detailed analysis of proteasome regulation in the in vivo setting of Drosophila melanogaster. We report that a major hallmark of somatic tissues of aging flies is the gradual accumulation of ubiquitinated and carbonylated proteins; these effects correlated with a ~50% reduction of proteasome expression and catalytic activities. In contrast, gonads of aging flies were relatively free of proteome oxidative damage and maintained substantial proteasome expression levels and highly active proteasomes. Moreover, gonads of young flies were found to possess more abundant and more active proteasomes than somatic tissues. Exposure of flies to oxidants induced higher proteasome activities specifically in the gonads, which were, independently of age, more resistant than soma to oxidative challenge and, as analyses in reporter transgenic flies showed, retained functional antioxidant responses. Finally, inducible Nrf2 activation in transgenic flies promoted youthful proteasome expression levels in the aged soma, suggesting that age-dependent Nrf2 dysfunction is causative of decreasing somatic proteasome expression during aging. The higher investment in proteostasis maintenance in the gonads plausibly facilitates proteome stability across generations; it also provides evidence in support of the trade-off theories of aging. © FASEB.

New variable stars were discovered at the University of Athens Observatory, during data reduction in the frame of BVRI CCD observations of the eclipsing variable stars between August 2012 and June 2013. The photometric data were used in order to classify the new variables and calculate their principle photometric properties, such as their orbital period and amplitude of variation. All new discoveries are classified as contact eclipsing binaries of W UMa-type. New times of minimum light are determined and the astronomical ephemeris is calculated for each individual system.

RX J0520.5-6932 is a recently confirmed Be/X-ray binary system in the LMC (see ATel #4748).

With these comments on the paper "Attitude of Physicians Towards Automatic Alerting in Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems", written by Martin Jung and co-authors, with Dr. Elske Ammenwerth as senior author [1], the journal wants to stimulate a broad discussion on computerized physician order entry systems. An international group of experts have been invited by the editor of Methods to comment on this paper. Each of the invited commentaries forms one section of this paper.

Extensive variation in land snail shell morphology has been widely documented, although few studies have attempted to investigate the ecological and evolutionary drivers of this variation. Within a comparative phylogenetic framework, we investigated the temporal and spatial evolution of the shell morphology of the Greek endemic land snail genus Codringtonia. The contribution of both inter- and intraspecies shell differentiation in the overall shell variability is assessed. The effect of climate, space, and evolutionary history on the shell variability was inferred using a variance partitioning framework. For Codringtonia species, intraspecies divergence of shell traits contributes substantially to the overall shell variability. By decomposing this variability, it was shown that the overall shell size of Codringtonia clades is phylogenetically constrained, related to early speciation events, and strongly affected by large-scale spatial variability (latitudinal gradient). The effect of climate on shell size cannot be disentangled from phylogeny and space. Shell and, to a larger extent, aperture shape are not phylogenetically constrained, and appear to be mostly related to conspecific populations divergence events. Shell shape is substantially explained by both climate and space that greatly overlap. Aperture shape is mainly interpreted by medium to small-scale spatial variables. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, ●●, ●●–●●.

Oncogenic stimuli trigger the DNA damage response (DDR) and induction of the alternative reading frame (ARF) tumor suppressor, both of which can activate the p53 pathway and provide intrinsic barriers to tumor progression. However, the respective timeframes and signal thresholds for ARF induction and DDR activation during tumorigenesis remain elusive. Here, these issues were addressed by analyses of mouse models of urinary bladder, colon, pancreatic and skin premalignant and malignant lesions. Consistently, ARF expression occurred at a later stage of tumor progression than activation of the DDR or p16 INK4A, a tumor-suppressor gene overlapping with ARF. Analogous results were obtained in several human clinical settings, including early and progressive lesions of the urinary bladder, head and neck, skin and pancreas. Mechanistic analyses of epithelial and fibroblast cell models exposed to various oncogenes showed that the delayed upregulation of ARF reflected a requirement for a higher, transcriptionally based threshold of oncogenic stress, elicited by at least two oncogenic 'hits', compared with lower activation threshold for DDR. We propose that relative to DDR activation, ARF provides a complementary and delayed barrier to tumor development, responding to more robust stimuli of escalating oncogenic overload. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Background: Significant controversy exists in the literature regarding the role of pregnancy in the prognosis of breast cancer. We designed a matched case-case study, matching pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) cases with breast cancer cases for stage, age, and year of diagnosis. Patients and Methods: 39 consecutive cases of PABC were matched with 39 premenopausal cases of breast cancer. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses followed by adjustment for stage, grade, estrogen receptor status, and age at diagnosis, were performed. Results: Regarding overall survival (OS), univariate analysis pointed to longer OS in non-PABC cases vs. PABC cases. Accordingly, a more advanced stage predicted shorter survival. In the multivariate analysis, the independent aggravating effect mediated by pregnancy persisted. Interestingly, a post hoc nested analysis within PABC cases indicated that the 3rd trimester pointed to shorter OS. The aforementioned results on OS were also replicated during the examination of relapse-free survival. Conclusion: Implementing a matched case-case design, the present study points to pregnancy as a poor prognostic factor for breast cancer. © 2013 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Background: In hemodialysis (HD) patients, anemia relates to three main factors: insufficient production of erythropoietin; impaired management of iron; and decreased lifespan of red blood cells (RBCs). The third factor can relate to structural deterioration of RBCs due to extrinsic (extracorporeal circuit; biochemical activation and/or mechanical stress during dialysis) and intrinsic (uremic milieu; biochemical interference of the RBC membrane constituents with toxins) mechanisms. Herein, we evaluate information accessed with advanced imaging techniques at the cellular level. Methods: Atomic force and scanning electron microscopes were employed to survey intact RBCs (iRBCs) of seven HD patients in comparison to seven healthy donors. The extrinsic factor was investigated by contrasting pre- and post-HD samples. The intrinsic environment was investigated by comparing the microscopy data with the clinical ones. Results: The iRBC membranes of the enrolled HD patients were overpopulated with orifice-like (high incidence; typical size within 100-1,000 nm) and crevice-like (low incidence; typical size within 500-4,000 nm) defects that exhibited a statistically significant (P < 0.05) relative increase (+55% and +350%, respectively) in respect to healthy donors. The relative variation of the orifice and crevice indices (mean population of orifices and crevices per top membrane surface) between pre- and post-HD was not statistically significant (-3.3% and +4.5%, respectively). The orifice index correlates with the concentrations of urea, calcium, and phosphorus, but not, however, with that of creatinine. Conclusion: Extracorporeal circulation is not detrimental to the structural integrity of RBC membranes. Uremic milieu is a candidate cause of RBC membrane deterioration, which possibly worsens anemia.

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy from Kotaphi Hill section allowed not only the biostratigraphic zonation of the Miocene units but also provided evidence for a distinct warm phase known as the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO). Kotaphi Hill section is located in Agrokipia village (Nicosia region, Cyprus) and consists of cyclic marine deposits of the Pakhna Formation. High resolution sampling has been conducted and 84 samples were collected. Preliminary results indicated that several important calcareous nannofossil events can be consistently recognized along the studied section. High abundances of Discoaster druggii and Highest occurrence (HO) of Sphenolithus procerus suggest the presence of NN2 biozone while, LO of Sphenolithus belemnos has been used to recognize the base of biozone NN3. Upwards, Lowest Common Occurrence (LCO) of Sphenolithus heteromorphus marked the NN3-4 boundary-level. Biozone NN4 in Kotaphi Hill section is featured by high abundance of S. heteromorphus whereas total absence of the species together with the LO of Helicosphaera walbedorfensis mark the Paracme Beginning (PB) of S. heteromorphus interval. High abundance of warm indicators such as Discoasterids, S. heteromorphus, S. moriformis and Helicosphaera carteri observed in our material may partly reflect the warm phase of MMCO.

  -Kamberidou, I. (2013). The East in the Eyes of Western Women travellers of the 18th and 19th centuries: solidarity and understanding the East. Presentation (invited speaker) at The East in The Eyes of The West International Conference of the Faculty of Arts, Kuwait University.  C.2 in Apella -Themes conditions_of_the_conference-2013.pdf the_east_in_the_eyes_of_the_west._faculty_of_arts._kuwait_university_2013.pdf

1. **Invited speaker, one of ten (10) experts invited to participate in conference, the only one from Greece. C.2.1 in Apella ***Επιλέχτηκα ανάμεσα στους 10 experts απ΄ όλο τον κόσμο που συμμετείχαν στο συνέδριο στο Κουβείτ, μετά από ανακοίνωση του ΕΚΠΑ (υπ΄ αριθ. 39740/Β4/22-3-2013 έγγραφο του Υπουργείου Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων, Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού) σχετικά με την Συμμετοχή ελλήνων καθηγητών στο Διεθνές Συνέδριο "Η Ανατολή στα μάτια της Δύσης" στο Πανεπιστήμιο του Κουβεϊτ από 26 έως 28 Νοεμβρίου 2013] (βλ.folder DEP: Μάρτιος 29, 2013).]    C.2.1 in Apella *** Invited speaker, gratitude and appreciation certificate, Prof. dr. Hayaat Nasser al-Hajji, Dean of the Faculty of Arts Letter: The Faculty of Arts sponsoring travel tickets and hotel accommodation, etc.… C.2.2 and C.2.3 in Apella

BACKGROUND: During 2011, a dramatic increase (1600%) of reported HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) was noted in Athens, Greece. We herein assess the potential causal pathways associated with this outbreak. METHODS: Our study employed high resolution HIV-1 phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses. We examined also longitudinal data of ecological variables such as the annual growth of gross domestic product (GDP) of Greece in association with HIV-1 and HCV sentinel prevalence in IDUs, unemployment and homelessness rates and HIV transmission networks in Athens IDUs before and during economic recession (2008-2012). RESULTS: IDU isolates sampled in 2011 and 2012 suggested transmission networks in 94.6% and 92.7% of the cases in striking contrast with the sporadic networking (5%) during 1998-2009. The geographic origin of most HIV-1 isolates was consistent with the recently documented migratory waves in Greece. The decline in GDP was inversely correlated with annual prevalence rates of HIV and HCV and with unemployment and homelessness rates in IDUs (all p<0.001). The slope of anti-HCV prevalence in the sentinel populations of IDUs and in "new" drug injectors was found 120 and 1.9-fold (p = 0.007, p = 0.08 respectively) higher in 2008-2012 (economic recession) compared with 2002-2006. The median (25th, 75th) size of transmission networks were 34 (12, 58) and 2 (2, 2) (p = 0.057) in 2008-2012 and 1998-2007, respectively. The coverage of harm reduction services was low throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Scaling-up harm reduction services and addressing social and structural factors related to the current economic crisis should be urgently considered in environments where HIV-1 outbreaks may occur.

BACKGROUND: During 2011, a dramatic increase (1600%) of reported HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) was noted in Athens, Greece. We herein assess the potential causal pathways associated with this outbreak. METHODS: Our study employed high resolution HIV-1 phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses. We examined also longitudinal data of ecological variables such as the annual growth of gross domestic product (GDP) of Greece in association with HIV-1 and HCV sentinel prevalence in IDUs, unemployment and homelessness rates and HIV transmission networks in Athens IDUs before and during economic recession (2008-2012). RESULTS: IDU isolates sampled in 2011 and 2012 suggested transmission networks in 94.6% and 92.7% of the cases in striking contrast with the sporadic networking (5%) during 1998-2009. The geographic origin of most HIV-1 isolates was consistent with the recently documented migratory waves in Greece. The decline in GDP was inversely correlated with annual prevalence rates of HIV and HCV and with unemployment and homelessness rates in IDUs (all p<0.001). The slope of anti-HCV prevalence in the sentinel populations of IDUs and in "new" drug injectors was found 120 and 1.9-fold (p = 0.007, p = 0.08 respectively) higher in 2008-2012 (economic recession) compared with 2002-2006. The median (25th, 75th) size of transmission networks were 34 (12, 58) and 2 (2, 2) (p = 0.057) in 2008-2012 and 1998-2007, respectively. The coverage of harm reduction services was low throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Scaling-up harm reduction services and addressing social and structural factors related to the current economic crisis should be urgently considered in environments where HIV-1 outbreaks may occur.

STUDY DESIGN: Comparative biomechanical study. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an angular mismatch between the vertebral body replacement (VBR) endplate and the simulated foam vertebral endplate leads to accelerated subsidence in a cyclic compression model of the VBR-vertebra interface. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: One of the main complications of the VBR surgery is postoperative subsidence and collapse of the VBR implant into the adjacent vertebral bodies. Although numerous factors affecting intervertebral cage subsidence have been cited, few studies have proposed factors responsible for VBR cage subsidence. METHODS: Hardwood blocks at 0-30-degree angles and polyurethane foam blocs have been used as base for this experimental setting. One end of the Synex (Synthes) expandable cage was attached to a material testing machine. The endplate of the implant was placed at a similar spot on the block in such a manner that there was an exact match between the Synex endplate and the foam block at 0 degrees, subsequent angled blocks would tilt the foam endplates by the 10-, 20-, and 30-degree increments as needed. Cyclic axial loads were applied in 9 load-unload cycles. RESULTS: Five samples were tested at each mismatch angle (0, 10, 20, and 30 degrees), for a total of 20 trials. Implant subsidence significantly increased for each 10-degree increase in mismatch angle. This effect, however, did not follow a uniform trend at all angles. The curve appeared exponential at 0 degree of angular mismatch, became linear at 10-20 degrees of mismatch, and then demonstrated some ability to resist load at 30 degrees, leading to a plateau at the higher loads. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing mismatch angles are an important factor in leading to increased cage subsidence into polyurethane blocks. Consequently, the incidence of subsidence in the clinical setting could be reduced by paying careful attention to ensuring that both the prosthetic and bony endplates are well apposed at the end of surgery.

The present work investigates the decadal morphological evolution of a microtidal, perched beach and the effect that beach rock formations can have on coastal morphology. Using historical and recent morphological observations from Ammoudara Beach on the island of Crete, Greece, and numerical modeling, the interaction of beach rock formation and retreating coastline are investigated. The principal feature of the morphological evolution of the coastal zone under investigation has been the transformation of a beach rock formation, initially attached to the shoreface (1950s), to a submerged reef that is aligned subparallel to the present-day shoreline. At present, the beach rock is attached to the shoreface at sea level at the western part of the beach, but it has evolved to a submerged reef toward the east, being approximately 40moff the shoreline at the central part and \~{}70moff the coastline at the eastern part of the beach. This kind of beach evolution is attributed to the interplay of natural hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes (that have been changing as the beach rock formation evolved to an offshore submerged reef) and to human intervention. The latter is exhibited mainly as changes in the sediment supply to the coastal zone (e.g., reduction in terrestrial freshwater/ sediment influx, deterioration of sand dune field, and arbitrary abstraction of beach material). After a period of readjustment of the nearshore hydrodynamics to the changing morphology and vice versa, it seems that, at present, Ammoudara Beach has attained a new morphodynamic equilibrium where the shore-parallel reef acts as a submerged breakwater.

Body size shapes the overall biology of organisms. We assessed the impact of size on temperature regulation in populations of normal-sized and large-bodied insular Mediterranean lizards (Podarcis gaigeae, Lacertidae). We hypothesized that large lizards would achieve higher body temperatures and thermoregulate more effectively than their smaller kin. Large- and small-bodied lizards share the same thermoregulation pattern, achieving similar body temperatures in the field. Large lizards, however, prefer higher set-point temperatures. Lizards in both populations thermoregulate effectively, but large lizards thermoregulated less effectively than normal sized lizards. The particular conditions at the islet that harbors the large-bodied population (harsh intraspecific competition) seem to account for this pattern.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the coach’s coaching and athletic experience on the four dimensions of Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES). Methods: The initial sample comprised 289 Greek male coaches, aged 39-6+6.9 years, from five different team sports (basketball, volleyball, football, handball, waterpolo). Combining the coaches’ high or low level of athletic and coaching experience, they were divided into four levels of experience profile. All coaches answered the Greek version of the 24-item questionnaire of Coaching Efficacy Scale during the final stages of the competition year of 2008-2009. Results: The MANOVA model revealed a significant effect of coaching and athletic experience on the dimensions of motivation, strategy and technique. Motivation is influenced only by athletic experience, while the presence of either coaching or athletic experience is sufficient to improve the efficacy of strategy. Conversely, the efficacy of technique can be significantly improved only if the coach has both adequate coaching and athletic experience. Finally the dimension of character building is not influenced by either the coaching or athletic experience. Conclusion: In conclusion, the three dimensions of CES (motivation, strategy and technique) are moderated by the coaches’ experience profile, with coaching and athletic experience acting specifically on each of the three dimensions.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of 6 weeks strength vs. ballistic-power (Power) training on shot put throwing performance in novice throwers. Seventeen novice male shot-put throwers were divided into Strength (N = 9) and Power (n = 8) groups. The following measurements were performed before and after the training period: shot put throws, jumping performance (CMJ), Wingate anaerobic performance, 1RM strength, ballistic throws and evaluation of architectural and morphological characteristics of vastus lateralis. Throwing performance increased significantly but similarly after Strength and Power training (7.0-13.5% vs. 6.0-11.5%, respectively). Muscular strength in leg press increased more after Strength than after Power training (43% vs. 21%, respectively), while Power training induced an 8.5% increase in CMJ performance and 9.0 - 25.8% in ballistic throws. Peak power during the Wingate test increased similarly after Strength and Power training. Muscle thickness increased only after Strength training (10%, p < 0.05). Muscle fibre Cross Sectional Area (fCSA) increased in all fibre types after Strength training by 19-26% (p < 0.05), while only type IIx fibres hypertrophied significantly after Power training. Type IIx fibres (%) decreased after Strength but not after Power training. These results suggest that shot put throwing performance can be increased similarly after six weeks of either strength or ballistic power training in novice throwers, but with dissimilar muscular adaptations. Key pointsBallistic-power training with 30% of 1RM is equally effective in increasing shot put performance as strength training, in novice throwers, during a short training cycle of six weeks.In novice shot putters with relatively low initial muscle strength/mass, short-term strength training might be more important since it can increase both muscle strength and shot put performance.The ballistic type of power training resulted in a significant increase of the mass of type IIx muscle fibres and no change in their proportion. Thus, this type of training might be used effectively during the last weeks before competition, when the strength training load is usually reduced, in order to increase muscle power and shot put performance in novice shot putters.

This paper presents an on-line research in Greek universities websites and an international literature review on electronic learning in the field of Health Informatics. The results reveal that there are a lot of e-learning programs offered by universities in Greece, but unfortunately none of them related to Health Informatics domain. On the other hand, the finding of the international literature shows that other European universities conduct e-learning studies in Health Informatics field. Future actions for the enrichment of e-learning service in Greek Health Informatics education are necessary.

In this study, we investigated the lateral electrical transport and photocurrent mechanisms in multilayers of two-dimensional arrays of silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs), grown on quartz substrates by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) of Si and thermal oxidation. At low voltages, electrical conduction was ohmic, whereas at higher voltages, it was space charge limited in the presence of traps. At temperatures higher than 200 K both dark current and photocurrent were determined by thermal activation of carriers across the energy band gap, with an activation energy depending either on the applied voltage or on illumination. At temperatures lower than 200 K, the rate of current variation with temperature was smaller as transport was realized by carrier hopping, via phonons, between trapping states within the energy band gap, located near in energy and around the Fermi level. However, at the same temperature range, photocurrent was independent of temperature, as it was determined by carrier hopping from higher energy states to progressively lower ones. From this analysis, carrier concentration, an effective carrier mobility and trap density were extracted. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Few layer graphene (FLG) is grown on single crystal Cu(111) by Chemical Vapor Deposition, and the electronic valence band structure is imaged by Angle-Resolved Photo-Emission Spectroscopy. It is found that graphene essentially grows polycrystalline. Three nearly ideal Dirac cones are observed along the Cu Γ ̄ K ̄ direction in k-space, attributed to the presence of ∼4°twisted three layer graphene with negligible interlayer coupling. The number of layers and the stacking order are compatible with Raman data analysis demonstrating the complementarity of the two techniques for a more accurate characterization of FLG. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

High jumpers strive to maintain low body mass and may be at increased risk for inadequate nutrient intakes. Since there is no data on the nutritional status in this sport, this study aimed to evaluate the nutritional intake of elite high jumpers (7 males, 7 females). Athletes were in energy balance (energy intake was equal to energy expenditure and body mass was stable), but their energy intake was among the lowest reported for athletes (148±23 and 142±18 kJ/kg/day, for males and females). Carbohydrate intake of both males and females (3.6±0.8 g/kg/day) was low compared with recommended values, and diet was deficient in several micronutrients such as vitamin D (12% of dietary reference intake, DRI), vitamin E (34% DRI), folate (46% DRI), calcium (78% DRI) and iron (55% DRI, for females only). These low carbohydrate and micronutrient intakes may negatively affect training quality and adaptations and may jeopardize the athletes' health. © JPES.

High jumpers strive to maintain low body mass and may be at increased risk for inadequate nutrient intakes. Since there is no data on the nutritional status in this sport, this study aimed to evaluate the nutritional intake of elite high jumpers (7 males, 7 females). Athletes were in energy balance (energy intake was equal to energy expenditure and body mass was stable), but their energy intake was among the lowest reported for athletes (148±23 and 142±18 kJ/kg/day, for males and females). Carbohydrate intake of both males and females (3.6±0.8 g/kg/day) was low compared with recommended values, and diet was deficient in several micronutrients such as vitamin D (12% of dietary reference intake, DRI), vitamin E (34% DRI), folate (46% DRI), calcium (78% DRI) and iron (55% DRI, for females only). These low carbohydrate and micronutrient intakes may negatively affect training quality and adaptations and may jeopardize the athletes' health. © JPES.

High jumpers strive to maintain low body mass and may be at increased risk for inadequate nutrient intakes. Since there is no data on the nutritional status in this sport, this study aimed to evaluate the nutritional intake of elite high jumpers (7 males, 7 females). Athletes were in energy balance (energy intake was equal to energy expenditure and body mass was stable), but their energy intake was among the lowest reported for athletes (148±23 and 142±18 kJ/kg/day, for males and females). Carbohydrate intake of both males and females (3.6±0.8 g/kg/day) was low compared with recommended values, and diet was deficient in several micronutrients such as vitamin D (12% of dietary reference intake, DRI), vitamin E (34% DRI), folate (46% DRI), calcium (78% DRI) and iron (55% DRI, for females only). These low carbohydrate and micronutrient intakes may negatively affect training quality and adaptations and may jeopardize the athletes' health. © JPES.

Although frontier techniques have been used to measure healthcare efficiency, their utility in decision making process is limited by both methodological questions concerning their application. The present paper aims to examine the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) results in order to facilitate a common understanding about the adequacy of these methods. A two-stage bootstrap DEA method and the Translog formula of the SFA were performed. Multi-inputs and multi-outputs were used in both of the approaches assuming two scenarios either including environmental variables or not. Thirty-two Greek public hospital units constitute the sample. The main output of the analysis was that the efficiency scores increased with the incorporation of environmental variables. Moreover, environmental variables being hospital status and geographical position were found significantly correlating with inefficiency, while patient mobility was not found strongly correlating. DEA and SFA were found to yield divergent efficiency estimates due to the nature of the environmental variables and the measurement error. The analysis concludes that there is a need for careful attention by stakeholders since the nature of the data and its availability influence the measurement of the efficiency and thus it is necessary to be specific when choosing the mathematical form.

Το Κέντρον Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών συνεργάζεται τα τελευταία χρόνια με εθνοτοπικούς συλλόγους και φορείς της Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης προκειμένου να καταγράψει, διασώσει και προβάλει με δημοσιεύματα επιστημονικού κύρους στοιχεία του λαϊκού πολιτισμού των διαφόρων περιοχών του ελληνικού χώρου. Για τον σκοπόν αυτό έχει καθιερώσει την σειρά "Πηγές του Λαϊκού Πολιτισμού" η οποία φιλοξενεί πρωτογενές υλικό, το οποίο έχει συγκεντρωθεί κυρίως από ερευνητές του. Στη σειρά αυτή έχουν εκδοθεί ήδη επτά έργα και άλλα ευρίσκονται υπό δημοσίευσιν. Η δημοσίευση πρωτογενούς υλικού από τη Βυτίνα με την επιμέλεια του Κέντρου Λαογραφίας, το καθιστά προσιτό στους ερευνητές αλλά και στο ευρύτερο κοινό της περιοχής και τους απανταχού της γης Βυτινιώτες. Οι μουσικές ιδιαίτερα καταγραφές, πέραν της διασώσεως των τραγουδιών, συμβάλλουν στη διατήρησή τους στη ζωή μέσα από τους συλλόγους, οι οποίοι διαθέτουν μουσικοχορευτικές ομάδες, οργανώνουν πανηγύρια και φεστιβάλ και γενικά προσπαθούν να προβάλουν τον λαϊκό πολιτισμό. Η έκδοση των τραγουδιών της Βυτίνας ικανοποιεί ευγενές αίτημα του Κοινωνικού και Πολιτιστικού Ιδρύματος Τρύφωνος Θαλασσινού, βυτινιώτικου ιδρύματος που στοχεύει στη διατήρηση και προβολή της μουσικής παράδοσης της περιοχής, μέσω του Προέδρου του, Γιάννη Σακελλαρίου. Κυρίως όμως αξιοποιεί ανέκδοτο υλικό καταγεγραμμένο πριν από μισό περίπου αιώνα και συμβάλλει ουσιαστικά στην έρευνα και μελέτη του δημοτικού τραγουδιού της Αρκαδίας.Με την έκδοση αυτή η Βυτίνα αποκτά ένα βιβλίο αναφοράς για τον λαϊκό πολιτισμό της. (Από τον πρόλογο της έκδοσης)

We report our two-year experience in the endovascular treatment of brain aneurysms in relation to their parent artery wall. We prospectively recorded patients with intracranial aneurysms (107 ruptured - 38 unruptured) treated with coiling during a two-year period: 145 patients, 94 females and 51 males - mean age 56 years. The aneurysms were divided into side-wall (A) and bifurcation (B) groups. A total occlusion rate was noted in post-embolization angiograms in 101 aneurysms (70%) with a morbidity of 4%. No angiographic recurrence arose in the six-month follow-up. The two groups had a similar total occlusion rate (68.31% and 71.8% respectively), while the complication rate was 3% in group A and 4.7% in group B. Significant differences between the two groups were noted in the number of assisted coiling cases: 28 out of 60 cases (46.7%) in group A - 14 out of 85 cases (16.5%) in group B. Further statistical analysis showed strong dependencies for the type of endovascular procedure between the ruptured and unruptured aneurysms in both groups (p 0.000<0.05), but no dependencies between the aneurysm occlusion rate and the ruptured or non-ruptured aneurysms, or between the occlusion rate and the type of endovascular procedure (p 0.552>0.05 and 0.071>0.05 respectively). In conclusion, the anatomic relation of the aneurysm sac with the wall of the parent artery is important, as significant differences in endovascular practice, devices and techniques were noted between side-wall and bifurcation aneurysms.

Absorption of carbon dioxide and water in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoliun tricyanomethanide ([C4C1im][TCM]) and 1-octyl-3- methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ([C8C1im][TCM]) ionic liquids (ILs) was systematically investigated for the first time as a function of the H2O content by means of a gravimetric system together with in-situ Raman spectroscopy, excess molar volume (VE), and viscosity deviation measurements. Although CO2 absorption was marginally affected by water at low H2O molar fractions for both ILs, an increase of the H2O content resulted in a marked enhancement of both the CO2 solubility (ca. 4-fold) and diffusivity (ca. 10-fold) in the binary [CnC1im][TCM]/H2O systems, in contrast to the weak and/or detrimental influence of water in most physically and chemically CO2-absorbing ILs. In-situ Raman spectroscopy on the IL/CO2 systems verified that CO2 is physically absorbed in the dry ILs with no significant effect on their structural organization. A pronounced variation of distinct tricyanomethanide Raman modes was disclosed in the [CnC1im][TCM]/H2O mixtures, attesting to the gradual disruption of the anion-cation coupling by the hydrogen-bonded water molecules to the [TCM]- anions, in accordance with the positive excess molar volumes and negative viscosity deviations for the binary systems. Most importantly, CO2 absorption in the ILs/H2O mixtures at high water concentrations revealed that the [TCM]- Raman modes tend to restore their original state for the heavily hydrated ILs, in qualitative agreement with the intriguing nonmonotonous transients of CO 2 absorption kinetics unveiled by the gravimetric measurements for the hybrid solvents. A molecular exchange mechanism between CO2 in the gas phase and H2O in the liquid phase was thereby proposed to explain the enhanced CO2 absorption in the hybrid [C nC1im][TCM]//H2O solvents based on the subtle competition between the TCM-H2O and TCM-CO2 interactions, which renders these ILs very promising for CO2 separation applications. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

A sol-gel method based on the self-assembly technique with a nonionic surfactant was employed to synthesize visible-light-active CNTiO2 films with rough surface for drinking water treatment. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity of CNTiO2 films on the degradation of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) was subsequently evaluated under visible light irradiation. The films were characterized by XRD, ESEM, AFM, HRTEM, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), FT-IR, XPS, and porosimetry analysis. The results revealed that the physicochemical properties of the films, such as BET surface area, porosity, crystallite size and pore size distribution, could be controlled by adjusting the calcination temperature. Higher surface area, smaller crystallite size, narrow pore size distribution, and very high surface roughness (360 nm) were obtained for CN-codoped TiO2 films calcined at 400 °C. DRS showed that as-prepared CNTiO2 films exhibited higher absorption in the visible light region and a red shift in the band gap transition due to CN-doping. CNTiO2 films effectively degraded MC-LR under visible light irradiation compared to the reference film. In particular, the film calcined at 400 °C showed high mechanical stability during three consecutive cycles for MC-LR degradation. The enhancement on the photocatalytic activity of the CNTiO2 films under visible light irradiation was attributed to the synergistic effects of carbon and nitrogen doping as well as the high surface roughness of the prepared films. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Treatment outcomes of patients with cardiac stage III light chain (AL) amyloidosis remain poorly studied. Such cases have been excluded from most clinical studies due to perceived dismal prognosis. We report treatment outcomes of 346 patients with stage III AL amyloidosis from the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Greece. Median overall survival (OS) was 7 months with OS at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months of 73%, 55%, 46%, and 29%, respectively; 42% died before first response evaluation. On an intention-to-treat basis, the overall hematologic response rate was 33%, including a complete response rate of 12%. OS rates at 12 and 24 months, respectively, for 201 response evaluable patients were 88% and 85% for complete responders, 74% and 53% for partial responders, and 39% and 22% for nonresponders. Forty-five percent of responders achieved an organ response. Amino-terminal fragment of brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) >8500 ng/L and systolic blood pressure (SBP) <100 mm Hg were the only factors that independently impacted OS and identified an especially poor prognosis subgroup of patients with a median OS of only 3 months. Outcome and organ function of stage III AL amyloidosis without very elevated NT-proBNP and low SBP is improved by a very good hematologic response to chemotherapy.

This paper presents a literature review on how health professionals are seeking health information using internet retrieval systems, databases. Publications present many attitude scales which evaluate the behavior of the users and the barriers that they face through the information research. On the following review are mentioned the characteristics that health professionals encounter on the use of computing. Also, is mentioned a number of problems which are associated with the information recourses such as reliability that were elicited and reviewed.

Estradiol (E2)-estrogen receptor (ER) actions are implicated in initiation, growth and progression of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Crosstalk between ERs, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and/or insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR) is critical for the observed resistance to endocrine therapies. Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are principal mediators of cancer cell properties and the E2-ER pathway as well as those activated by EGFR and IGFR have significant roles in regulating the expression of certain cell surface HSPGs, such as syndecan-2 (SDC-2), syndecan-4 (SDC-4) and glypican-1. In this study, we therefore evaluated the role of EGFR-IGFR signaling on the constitutive expression and E2-mediated expression of ERs and HSPGs as well as the effect of E2-ERs and IGFR/EGFR-mediated cell migration in ERalpha+ (MCF-7) and ERbeta+ (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells using specific intracellular inhibitors of EGFR and IGFR. We report that the expression of ERalpha is mainly enhanced by IGFR, whereas ERbeta expression is mainly coordinated by EGFR. Moreover, constitutive SDC-2 expression in ERalpha+ and ERbeta+ cells is mainly mediated through the IGFR, whereas in ERalpha+ E2-treated cells EGFR is the active one. In contrast, SDC-4 expression is regulated by IGFR in the presence and absence of E2. E2 also seems to diminish the inhibitory effect of EGFR and IGFR inhibitors in breast cancer cell migration. These data suggest that the coordinated action of ERs with EGFR and/or IGFR is of crucial importance, providing potential targets for designing and developing novel multi-potent agents for endocrine therapies.

Background: The HER2 gene has been established as a valid biological marker for the treatment of breast cancer patients with trastuzumab and probably other agents, such as paclitaxel and anthracyclines. The TOP2A gene has been associated with response to anthracyclines. Limited information exists on the relationship of HER2/TOP2A gene status in the presence of centromere 17 (CEP17) gain with outcome of patients treated with anthracycline-containing adjuvant chemotherapy.Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 1031 patients with high-risk operable breast cancer, enrolled in two consecutive phase III trials, were assessed in a central laboratory by fluorescence in situ hybridization for HER2/TOP2A gene amplification and CEP17 gain (CEP17 probe). Amplification of HER2 and TOP2A were defined as a gene/CEP17 ratio of >2.2 and ≥2.0, respectively, or gene copy number higher than 6. Additionally, HER2, TopoIIa, ER/PgR and Ki67 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and patients were classified according to their IHC phenotype. Treatment consisted of epirubicin-based adjuvant chemotherapy followed by hormonal therapy and radiation, as indicated.Results: HER2 amplification was found in 23.7% of the patients and TOP2A amplification in 10.1%. In total, 41.8% of HER2-amplified tumors demonstrated TOP2A co-amplification. The median (range) of HER2, TOP2A and CEP17 gain was 2.55 (0.70-45.15), 2.20 (0.70-26.15) and 2.00 (0.70-26.55), respectively. Forty percent of the tumors had CEP17 gain (51% of those with HER2 amplification). Adjusting for treatment groups in the Cox model, HER2 amplification, TOP2A amplification, CEP17 gain and HER2/TOP2A co-amplification were not associated with time to relapse or time to death.Conclusion: HER2 amplification, TOP2A amplification, CEP17 gain and HER2/TOP2A co-amplification were not associated with outcome in high-risk breast cancer patients treated with anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy.Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12611000506998 and ACTRN12609001036202. © 2013 Fountzilas et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Through this research relative sea level changes from Late Holocene until the present day were studied, in the area of Skopelos and Alonnisos Islands. The study was accomplished through methodical underwater geomorphological research in both islands and led to the location of six and seven distinct submerged fossil shorelines, in Skopelos and Alonnisos accordingly, along the islands' coastline. Both islands have been affected during the last millennia, by repeated subsidence events, often of coseimic origin. The amount of each subsidence displacement was generally limited to one or a few decimetres, with recurrence intervals of some centuries.

We explore the derivation of interatomic exchange interactions in ferromagnets within density-functional theory (DFT) and the mapping of DFT results onto a spin Hamiltonian. We delve into the problem of systems comprising atoms with strong spontaneous moments together with atoms with weak induced moments. All moments are considered as degrees of freedom, with the strong moments thermally fluctuating only in angle and the weak moments thermally fluctuating in angle and magnitude. We argue that a quadratic dependence of the energy on the weak local moments magnitude, which is a good approximation in many cases, allows for an elimination of the weak-moment degrees of freedom from the thermodynamic expressions in favor of a renormalization of the Heisenberg interactions among the strong moments. We show that the renormalization is valid at all temperatures accounting for the thermal fluctuations and resulting in temperature-independent renormalized interactions. These are shown to be the ones directly derived from total-energy DFT calculations by constraining the strong-moment directions, as is done, e. g., in spin-spiral methods. We furthermore prove that within this framework the thermodynamics of the weak-moment subsystem, and in particular all correlation functions, can be derived as polynomials of the correlation functions of the strong-moment subsystem with coefficients that depend on the spin susceptibility and that can be calculated within DFT. These conclusions are rigorous under certain physical assumptions on the measure in the magnetic phase space. We implement the scheme in the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method using the concept of spin-spiral states, considering applicable symmetry relations and the use of the magnetic force theorem. Our analytical results are corroborated by numerical calculations employing DFT and a Monte Carlo method.

INTRODUCTION: Sildenafil is the first effective oral treatment for male erectile dysfunction. Although it is generally accepted that its action is peripheral, it has been suggested that it influences central neural pathways that are involved in male sexual arousal. Recently, it was shown that local sildenafil administration enhances extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether sildenafil administration alters dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the NAcc and the medial preoptic area (mPOA) during a model of sexual arousal. METHODS: An acute (2 days) or chronic (21 days) sildenafil regimen (1 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to male rats. Thirty minutes after the last sildenafil injection, all males were exposed to noncontact erection sessions by the presentation of inaccessible estrous females. Half of the males had previous experience of noncontact sexual encounter and the other half were exposed for the first time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tissue levels of DA and its metabolites, 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), as well as serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite 5-HIAA, were measured in the mPOA and NAcc with high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detector. Dopamine ([DOPAC+HVA]/DA) and serotonin (5-HIAA/5-HT) turnovers were also calculated as indices of neurotransmission. RESULTS: In nontrained males, acute and chronic sildenafil treatment increased DA and 5-HT turnover rates in the mPOA and NAcc. In trained rats, acute sildenafil also increased DA and 5-HT turnover rates in both structures, whereas chronic treatment enhanced 5-HT turnover rate only in the mPOA and DA turnover rate only in the NAcc. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm that sildenafil enhances dopaminergic activity in the NAcc, extend these findings to the mPOA and furthermore, reveal sildenafil-induced effects on serotonergic activity in these brain regions as well. Therefore, present findings support an effect of sildenafil on central neural pathways that are involved in the control of sexual arousal.

INTRODUCTION: Sildenafil is the first effective oral treatment for male erectile dysfunction. Although it is generally accepted that its action is peripheral, it has been suggested that it influences central neural pathways that are involved in male sexual arousal. Recently, it was shown that local sildenafil administration enhances extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether sildenafil administration alters dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the NAcc and the medial preoptic area (mPOA) during a model of sexual arousal. METHODS: An acute (2 days) or chronic (21 days) sildenafil regimen (1 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to male rats. Thirty minutes after the last sildenafil injection, all males were exposed to noncontact erection sessions by the presentation of inaccessible estrous females. Half of the males had previous experience of noncontact sexual encounter and the other half were exposed for the first time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tissue levels of DA and its metabolites, 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), as well as serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite 5-HIAA, were measured in the mPOA and NAcc with high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detector. Dopamine ([DOPAC+HVA]/DA) and serotonin (5-HIAA/5-HT) turnovers were also calculated as indices of neurotransmission. RESULTS: In nontrained males, acute and chronic sildenafil treatment increased DA and 5-HT turnover rates in the mPOA and NAcc. In trained rats, acute sildenafil also increased DA and 5-HT turnover rates in both structures, whereas chronic treatment enhanced 5-HT turnover rate only in the mPOA and DA turnover rate only in the NAcc. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm that sildenafil enhances dopaminergic activity in the NAcc, extend these findings to the mPOA and furthermore, reveal sildenafil-induced effects on serotonergic activity in these brain regions as well. Therefore, present findings support an effect of sildenafil on central neural pathways that are involved in the control of sexual arousal.

In this paper, we present a patch antenna design and fabrication that uses a ferrimagnetic compound, Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG), as part of its substrate. It is proved via both numerical simulations and experimental measurements, that with suitable application of an external magnetic field, a reconfigurable behavior in terms of the polarization characteristics can be achieved. The antenna is reconfigured from a single band linear polarized to a dual band circular polarized one, with different polarization sense in each resonance band. Mixtures containing YIG and epoxy resin in various consistencies have been examined.

Electronic patient records are important in patient data management. Aim of this 2-year study was to investigate the effect of an e-documentation system on the ED length of stay. The study compared three length of stay parameters with and without the use of a prototype e-documentation system. 99 of trauma patients were monitored with the use of the electronic system and 101 patients (control group) were monitored with traditional methods. Time between the admission and completion of care was significantly lower in the e-documentation group (100±92 minutes, control group: 149±29 minutes). Similar effect was also found to the total ED length of stay (127±93 vs. 206±41 minutes) and time between completion of care and ED exit (26±10 vs. 57±23 minutes). LOS was reduced with the e-documentation system. This is important for the quality of trauma patient care, since saving time during the first hours after the accident usually determines the outcome of trauma patients.

Assessment of bioequivalence (BE) for highly variable drugs is challenging. As within-subject variability increases, it becomes more difficult to prove BE, unless a large number of subjects is recruited. In order to face this problem, several approaches have been proposed. Among them, scaled BE limits (BEL) have recently attracted special attention because the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration adopted scaled approaches. Scaled BELs expand with variability using specific mathematical functions while include additional regulatory criteria in some cases. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to provide a deeper insight into the dependence of scaled BELs on variability and (2) to unveil the underlying mathematical relationships. The comparative analysis of these BELs is implemented through algebraic manipulations and graphic illustrations. Special emphasis is placed on the ``absolute change{''} of each BEL and the ``relative change,{''} reflecting the portion of the relative to the maximum expansion of a BEL. This analysis reveals the causal differences between the different BELs on the mode of ``absolute{''} and ``relative{''} change. The results derived from this study are in agreement with the observed different performances of the various scaled BE approaches. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 102:296-301, 2013

Asymptomatic multiple myeloma (AMM) is characterized by a constant risk of progression to symptomatic myeloma. To evaluate previously recognized risk factors and to identify high-risk features we analyzed 96 patients with AMM and at least 18 months of follow-up. The progression rate at 1,2, and 3 years was 8%, 15% and 26%, respectively, and the projected 5-year progression rate was 38%. Extensive bone marrow (BM) infiltration, abnormal free light chain (FLC) ratio and serum monoclonal (M)-protein≥3 gr/dl were the most significant factors for progression, whereas the type of heavy (IgG vs IgA) or light chain or immunoparesis of the uninvolved immunoglobulins were not. Abnormal marrow signal of magnetic resonance imaging of the spine was associated with a significant risk of progression (median 15 months, P=0.001). Extensive BM infiltration ≥60% (hazard ratio, HR: 13.7, P<0.001) and FLC ratio≥100 (HR: 9, P=0.003) independently identified a 'very high-risk' group, which included 12.5% of patients with AMM and who progressed ≤18 months from initial diagnosis. Development of anemia and/or lytic bone lesions were the most common features of symptomatic progression. In conclusion, there is a subgroup of patients who have a substantial risk of progression to symptomatic disease that can be detected at diagnosis (either by extensive BM infiltration≥60% or FLC ratio≥100) and may be considered for immediate treatment. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.

Microvillus inclusion disease (MVID), a rare severe congenital enteropathy characterized by intracytoplasmic microvillous inclusions and variable brush border atrophy on intestinal epithelial cells histology, is associated with defective synthesis or abnormal function of the motor protein myosin Vb encoded by the MYO5B gene. Although MYO5B gene is expressed in all epithelial tissues, it is unclear so far whether organs other than intestine are affected in MVID patients. We report a case of an infant with MVID who presented liver dysfunction, hematuria, and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia during the course of the disease. It is discussed whether extraintestinal manifestations in this patient are secondary consequences of MVID or might be features of the disease associated with altered MYO5B function. Conclusions: MVID is classically included in the differential diagnosis of congenital diarrhea of secretory type. Recent advances in our knowledge regarding the role of myosin Vb in the pathophysiology of MVID is expected to clarify the clinical spectrum of the disease and the possible primary involvement of organs other than intestine.

In this paper we explore the interaction of discourse properties in the syntax of small clauses from a cross-linguistic perspective. In line with Chomsky’s (2007, 2008) idea that phasal properties should be extended to all phases, we argue for a strict parallelism between C-T and v-V, suggesting that v enters the derivation with both agreement and discourse features. These features may be inherited by V depending on the relevant language. Building on Miyagawa (2010) and Jimenez-Fernandez (2010), we claim that in Spanish and Greek, in contrast with English, both agreement and discourse features are inherited by V. This strategy accounts for the different order rearrangements detected in small clauses. The proposal can easily be extended to other languages such as Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Russian and Ukrainian, as opposed to French, Norwegian, Afrikaans and German.

INTRODUCTION: The First Aid Manual constitutes a detailed guide which contains useful information and suggested acts for potential pathogenic conditions in everyday life, given in an Android environment. AIM: The aim of the project is the capability of eliciting information regarding First Aid, by means of a widespread use device, such as smartphones. MATERIAL: For the conduction of the project a database was used, into which the information was incorporated, in order to be later reloaded into the Eclipse environment. It will there receive its final form as an executable file for android cellphones. RESULTS: The executable file axx.apk originated an application which, providing the user with 6 main categories (definition, epidemiological evidence, aggravating factors, symptoms, what to do, what to avoid, acts) gives them access to an easy navigation and enables them to provide first grade care, without the requirement of any previous experience. CONCLUSION: The more and more advanced needs of the modern lifestyle, combined with technological achievements have created a complex system of social fabric, having of course an effect also on the area of human accidents. Hence, First Aid information given in the environment of a mobile phone can prove to be a useful tool for anyone, in case of an accident.

New geomorphological investigations carried out in 2012 along the coasts of Corfu, Othonoi, Paxoi and Antipaxoi Islands have allowed the identification of recent fossil shorelines. Former sea-level positions were deduced from sea-level indicators, such as emerged and submerged notches. Notch geometries (height, inward depth and vertex depth) were measured. Due to the absence of tidal records at the closest tidegauge station during the period of fieldwork, an uncertainty of ±14 cm in depth measurements was taken into consideration. A “modern” tidal notch, submerged ca.-20 cm, was observed in all studied islands, at various sites. This notch is regarded to have been submerged by the global sealevel rise that occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries at a rate exceeding the possibilities of intertidal bioerosion. Its presence provides evidence that no vertical tectonic movements occurred since its formation. At Paxoi possible marks of erosion by waves, a few decimetres above sea level at two sites, may be interpreted as a still undetermined short-lived period of emergence. Below the “modern” notch, lower shorelines measured at –45±14 cm and-58±14 cm may correspond to the same fossil shoreline, apparently submerged by a coseismic vertical movement. At Antipaxoi, no evidence of emergence were found and Holocene vertical movements seem to have been only of subsidence; two submerged tidal notches have been distinguished at about -70 and -120 cm. On Corfu island impacts of ancient earthquakes have left some marks of emergence at about +20, +45, +110 and +140 cm, as well as marks of submergence at about -35 -50, -75, -100 and -180 cm. The emergence of +140 cm, which had been previously dated at or after 790-400 cal. B.C., was detected through erosion notches at various sites of the western part of Corfu and seems to continue even more west, at Othonoi Island.

Methane Hydrates are a new energy resource in the global energy market which has received extreme attention from a technological and geopolitical point of view. The reserve estimates exceed by far the overall estimates of all the other conventional energy reserves. With the existing technological know-how the exploitation of methane hydrates is expected to dominate the international energy market within the next 10-15 years. Methane hydrates have been mapped within the Hellenic Submarine Space and especially in the region of Kastellorizo, with whatever consequences it may have of geo-strategic nature for the political decisions of Greece and its relations with the neighboring countries and the delimitation of its EEZ.

Dental casts of 160 Greek subjects (80 males, 80 females) were scanned by a structured-light scanner. The upper and lower right first molar occlusal surface 3D meshes were processed using geometric morphometric methods. A total of 265 and 274 curve and surface sliding semilandmarks were placed on the upper and lower molar surfaces, respectively. Principal component analysis and partial least square analysis were performed to assess shape parameters. Molars tended to vary between an elongated and a more square form. The first two principal components (PCs), comprising almost 1/3 of molar shape variation, were related to mesiodistal-buccolingual ratios and relative cusp position. Distal cusps displayed the greatest shape variability. Molars of males were larger than those of females (2.8 and 3.2% for upper and lower molars respectively), but no shape dimorphism was observed. Upper and lower molar sizes were significantly correlated (r(2) = 0.689). Allometry was observed for both teeth. Larger lower molars were associated with shorter cusps, expansion of the distal cusp, and constriction of the mesial cusps (predicted variance 3.25%). Upper molars displayed weaker allometry (predicted variance 1.59%). Upper and lower molar shape covariation proved significant (RV = 17.26%, P < 0.0001). The main parameter of molar covariation in partial least square axis 1, contributing to 30% of total covariation, was cusp height, in contrast to the primary variability traits exhibited by PC1 and PC2. The aim of this study was to evaluate shape variation and covariation, including allometry and sexual dimorphism, of maxillary and mandibular first permanent molar occlusal surfaces.

This investigation aimed to quantify craniofacial variation in a sample of modern humans. In all, 187 consecutive orthodontic patients were collected, of which 79 were male (mean age 13.3, SD 3.7, range 7.5-40.8) and 99 were female (mean age 12.3, SD 1.9, range 8.7-19.1). The male and female subgroups were tested for differences in mean shapes and ontogenetic trajectories, and shape variability was characterized using principal component analysis. The hypothesis of modularity was tested for six different modularity scenarios. The results showed that there were subtle but significant differences in the male and female Procrustes mean shapes. Males were significantly larger. Mild sexual ontogenetic allometric divergence was noted. Principal component analysis indicated that, of the four retained biologically interpretable components, the two most important sources of variability were (i) vertical shape variation (i.e. dolichofacial vs. brachyfacial growth patterns) and (ii) sagittal relationships (maxillary prognatism vs. mandibular retrognathism, and vice versa). The mandible and maxilla were found to constitute one module, independent of the skull base. Additionally, we were able to confirm the presence of an anterior and posterior craniofacial columnar module, separated by the pterygomaxillary plane, as proposed by Enlow. These modules can be further subdivided into four sub-modules, involving the posterior skull base, the ethmomaxillary complex, a pharyngeal module, and the anterior part of the jaws.

 This paper presents a systemic analysis of the Iran-SyriaLebanon geopolitical sub-system within the frame of the Wider Middle East geo-complex and in light of the geopolitical factor of the Shiite Islamist movement. We consider that the Shiite Islamist movement, which is represented by Hezbollah in Lebanon and by proxy Shiite organizations in Iraq (Kataeb Hezbollah and Asa’ib Ahl al Haq), has been transformed, under Tehran’s management and direction, into an important power redistribution factor in the region. Turkey’s foreign policy is evaluated as unsuccessful and dangerous for the security of the state of Israel and the stability of the Middle Eastern geopolitical system, particularly in relation to Ankara’s support of radical Islamist groups operating inside Syria. Ankara’s policy is also considered as a trigger mechanism for the acceleration of secessionist and state-formation ambitions, such as in the case of the gradual autonomy of an ethnically Kurdish zone in the northeastern Syrian territory. In addition, the US-Russian initiative for the destruction of the chemical arsenal of the Assad regime is evaluated as beneficial for the regional stability. Equally, we evaluate the US-Iranian negotiation process as a strategically agile diplomatic maneuver from Washington’s part.

This paper presents a systemic analysis of the Greater Middle East Geo-complex, in the light of the geopolitical factor of the Islamist movement –both Shiite and Sunnite. We consider that the geostrategy practiced by the Anglo-Saxon actors of the Super-system of this specific geocomplex aims at the containment strategy of the Russian and Chinese actors from the Mediterranean Sub-system, along with their ally states of Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some of the UAE (e.g. Abu Dhabi). Furthermore, with the rise to power of the Sunnite Islamist governments in the region, a “remote” threat is tried to be exerted against both of the aforementioned actors in order to increase the negotiating benefits of the dipole of the London-Washington Special Relationship, in view of the provoked redrawing of the borders of the former nation-state regime. Moreover, the US appear willing to create strong and permanent territorial strategic bases in the Middle East, in order to guarantee, both for Israel and the US, the strategic depth that is desirable for their security. We are making reference to the gradually developing strategic plan for the creation of an Independent Kurdistan, that would be able to serve Western security interests, as well as the energy-related interests of the Anglo-Saxon, and European oil consortia, but also Washington’s power projection to the Russian Near Abroad and the Chinese Northwest region of Xinjiang, increasing the power gap once again, in favor of the US, at the centre of the Rimland.

The geophysical and geological indications (pockmarks, gas chimneys, salt domes, etc.) that have been traced on the seabed using multi–beam echo–sounders and side–scan sonars, as well as the corresponding seismic surveys in the region South, South–west and South– east of Cyprus, as well as the corresponding international interest of investors, especially in the marine region of the Levantine Basin, lead to the conclusion that, from a geopolitical perspective, Greece must be urged to accelerate the consolidation of its sovereign rights and understand anew and in practical terms, that “Cyprus is not far away, not at all actually”. With respect to Kastellorizo and the submarine area of its EEZ, it is noted that de-tailed geophysical, bathymetric and sediment surveys have confirmed the fact that the region of the submarine Anaximander mountains presents active mud volcanoes, linked to the presence of gas hydrates. Samples of gas hydrates were collected using indicative samplings in mud volcanoes thoroughly mapped in sub–seabed layers of no more 1.5 m deep. Their form is “ice crystal”. New mud volcanoes were also discovered (“Athens” and “Thessaloniki”). Gas hydrates were found in samplings conducted on–board the M/V “Thessaloniki”. Based on preliminary assessments, the total capacity of the mud volcanoes of the Anaximander mountains complex is estimated between 2.56 6.40 c. km.1.

Back in 2010, during my presentation at the Conference of the Institute of Energy of South East Europe (ΙΕΝΕ) on 8 February 2010, I had stressed the importance for Greece to proclaim an EEZ, and clarified the pertinent diplomatic arguments, together with its geopolitical and geostrategic advantages. Later, this communication was published in the Press («Estia», 8 January 2011) and on the Internet (skai.gr). Also, the weekly Epikaira published a complete study, co–authored by me and Dr. G.–A. Sgouros, in the form of a special insert entitled The Greek EEZ and Kastellorizo: Principles of a Geopolitical Analysis (issue 82, 12–18.5.2011). There are comparative demarcations, using Turkey’s baseline, in two ways: one using the Voronoi method and one using the median line principle, as applied also by competent international organizations). The arguments expressed in these documents are still valid, considering there has been no change, on the part of Greece, on the practicalities of the EEZ. There have been, of course, many promises and declarations from politicians, as there have been “extremely good intentions”. In the meantime, many views were also circulated, which were extremely dangerous, on “how far is Kastellorizo located”, as well as relevant, equally unfortunate views. We tend to forget, as my colleague Th. Karyotis also points out, that “there are 137 states having a 200 nm EEZ”.

Europe’s “energy hunger” in the years to come will be such, as to oblige it to seek alternative fuel sources, far beyond the ones currently in use. A solution that presents itself as ideal is the supply of the continent with natural gas from the new reserves of Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey, a country outside this political game, reacts to such a perspective. However, the era does not seem to be favoring it.

We report a case of Azospirillum infection manifestating as granulomatous tenosynovitis of the right hand, in an immunocompetent middle-aged female. We highlight the unusual source of the infection, the diagnostic workup, as well as the treatment approach.

Grazing of goats on Mediterranean islets is a common practice. Its consequences on plant communities are well documented, although not on vertebrates. We aim to shed light on the effect of livestock farming on lizards by investigating five populations of the insular lizard, Podarcis gaigeae, differing in the duration and intensity of grazing. Data on grazing regime, invertebrate abundance, tick prevalence, infestation levels, gull nests and lizard densities were collected during a period of 6 consecutive years. Grazing had a negative impact on insect populations, thus decreasing food availability for lizards. Tick prevalence and infestation levels were higher in places of continuous grazing. Goat activity disturbed gulls, which avoid nesting, so depriving the islets of marine subsidies. As a consequence of all these factors, lizard densities were higher in ungrazed and lower in grazed biotopes. Grazing effects were more severe on islets communities than on the main island populations. Our data imply that management action should be taken to conserve the highly diverse islet populations.

The latest developments in the geopolitical complex of the Eastern Mediterranean and more in particular in the dipole of Greece and Turkey, correspond to the implementation stage for Turkey’s geostrategic goals. This is witnessed, inter alia, by the declarations of the Turkish Foreign Minister, A. Davutoğlu, during his latest visit in Greece, in March 2011. The sincerity of these declarations should be taken for granted, and should have been expected by the Greek diplomacy. This paper analyses the principles of a Geopolitical Analysis concerning the Greek EEZ.

Aims: To examine the biocontrol potential of multiactive Greek indigenous Streptomyces isolates carrying antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani that causes damping-off symptoms on beans.Methods and Results: A total of 605 Streptomyces isolates originated from 12 diverse Greek habitats were screened for antifungal activity against R. solani DSM843. Almost one-third of the isolates proved to be antagonistic against the fungus. From the above isolates, six were selected due to their higher antifungal activity, identified by analysing their 16S rRNA gene sequence and studied further. The obtained data showed the following: firstly, the isolates ACTA1383 and ACTA1557 exhibited the highest antagonistic activity, and therefore, they were selected for in vivo experiments using bean seeds as target; secondly, in solid and liquid culture experiments under optimum antagonistic conditions, the medium extracts from the isolates OL80, ACTA1523, ACTA1551 and ACTA1522 suppressed the growth of the fungal mycelium, while extracts from ACTA 1383 and ACTA1557 did not show any activity. Conclusions: These results corresponded important indications for the utility of two Greek indigenous Streptomyces isolates (ACTA1557 and ACTA1383) for the protection of the bean crops from R. solani damping-off symptoms, while four of them (isolates OL80, ACTA1523, ACTA1551 and ACTA1522) seem to be promising producers of antifungal metabolites. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study on the biocontrol of R. solani using multiactive Streptomyces isolates originated from ecophysiologically special Greek habitats. Our study provides basic information to further explore managing strategies to control this critical disease.

Background: The mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) pathway is frequently altered in tumours. The purpose of our study was to determine the prognostic value of tumour MET expression levels in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), in order to strengthen the rationale for targeted therapy of TNBC using MET inhibitors. Methods: We determined expression of MET in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical specimens of TNBC by immunohistochemistry. Recurrence-free and overall survival was analysed with Cox models adjusted for clinical and pathological factors.Results:Immunostaining for MET was classified as high in 89 of 170 (52%) tumours. MET expression was more frequently observed in G3 carcinomas (P=0.02) but was not significantly associated to any of the other clinical or pathological parameters. High MET expression predicted shorter survival of the patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses identified MET to be an independent prognostic factor for recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for recurrence 3.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65-7.12; P=0.001) and death (adjusted HR for death 3.74; 95% CI 1.65-8.46; P=0.002). Conclusion: These results provide further evidence that the MET pathway could be exploited as a target for TNBC. © 2013 Cancer Research UK. All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVE: Excess body weight has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We thus explored the role of serum fetuin-A reflecting ectopic hepatic fat deposition when storage capacity of adipocytes has been exceeded, free leptin reflecting overall fat mass and adiponectin reflecting visceral fat mass, all potential mediators of the effects of obesity on insulin resistance and, consequently, to MDS risk. MATERIALS & METHODS: In a hospital-based case-control study, we studied 101 cases with incident, histologically confirmed primary MDS and 101 controls matched on gender, age and date of diagnosis, between 2004 and 2007. Serum fetuin-A, adiponectin, leptin, leptin receptor, free leptin and insulin were determined. RESULTS: Higher serum fetuin-A, lower adiponectin and lower free leptin were all individually and independently associated with higher risk of MDS before and after controlling for matching and risk factors, such as age, gender, date of diagnosis, body mass index (BMI), family history of lymphohematopoietic cancer, smoking history and serum insulin. Interestingly, we have shown that these associations were prominent among overweight/obese individuals and persisted after controlling for BMI and serum insulin indicating that their effects are above and beyond insulinemia only. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum fetuin-A but lower adiponectin and free leptin are associated with higher risk of MDS particularly among overweight/obese individuals. These findings suggest that the association between excessive weight gain and the risk of MDS could be mediated by fetuin-A, adiponectin and free leptin, which may have potential clinical and preventive implications.

The dynamic and kinematic characteristics of surface explosive cyclones in the Mediterranean are examined and compared to those of ordinary cyclones. The cyclone detection is performed with the tracking algorithm developed in the University of Melbourne, using the 1° × 1° ERA-40 mean sea level pressure dataset for a 40 year period. It is verified that the explosive cyclogenesis in the Mediterranean is mainly a maritime phenomenon, occurring along the northern Mediterranean coast during the cold season. On the contrary, the ordinary cyclogenesis exhibits significant maxima in both continental and maritime environments throughout the year. The explosive cyclones are characterized by longer lifetime and greater propagation speed. They are larger and deeper in the eastern Mediterranean, whereas the ordinary cyclones are deeper in the western and larger in the eastern Mediterranean. The trend analysis revealed that both explosive and ordinary cyclones become less frequent in the Mediterranean basin, while there is a tendency for deeper ordinary cyclones over North Africa and shallower over the Aegean Sea and Cyprus. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

BACKGROUND: Understanding HIV-1 subtype distribution and epidemiology can assist preventive measures and clinical decisions. Sequence variation may affect antiviral drug resistance development, disease progression, evolutionary rates and transmission routes. RESULTS: We investigated the subtype distribution of HIV-1 in Europe and Israel in a representative sample of patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2005 and related it to the demographic data available. 2793 PRO-RT sequences were subtyped either with the REGA Subtyping tool or by a manual procedure that included phylogenetic tree and recombination analysis. The most prevalent subtypes/CRFs in our dataset were subtype B (66.1%), followed by sub-subtype A1 (6.9%), subtype C (6.8%) and CRF02_AG (4.7%). Substantial differences in the proportion of new diagnoses with distinct subtypes were found between European countries: the lowest proportion of subtype B was found in Israel (27.9%) and Portugal (39.2%), while the highest was observed in Poland (96.2%) and Slovenia (93.6%). Other subtypes were significantly more diagnosed in immigrant populations. Subtype B was significantly more diagnosed in men than in women and in MSM > IDUs > heterosexuals. Furthermore, the subtype distribution according to continent of origin of the patients suggests they acquired their infection there or in Europe from compatriots. CONCLUSIONS: The association of subtype with demographic parameters suggests highly compartmentalized epidemics, determined by social and behavioural characteristics of the patients.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal immune neutropenia (NIN) is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, disorder caused by maternal alloantibodies recognizing paternal neutrophil antigens on fetal cells. Alloantibodies directed against the human neutrophil alloantigen system (HNA)-1 located on Fcγ receptor IIIb (FcγRIIIb) are most frequently implicated in NIN. In this report, we describe two cases of NIN with alloantibodies against FcγRIIIb, which did not match one of the known HNA-1a, -1b, or -1c specificities, but define a new antigen, HNA-1d. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Neutrophil-reactive antibodies were detected by agglutination, microscopic immunofluorescence, and monoclonal antibody (MoAb)-specific immobilization of neutrophil antigens (MAIGA) assay. For epitope mapping of FcγRIIIb-reactive antibodies, recombinant chimeric variants of FcγRIIIb were used in the MAIGA assay. Genotyping of FCGR3B was performed by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Both mothers were typed FCGR3B*01+, *02-, *03+. Antibody screening revealed the presence of alloantibodies reactive with FcγRIIIb encoded by FCGR3B*02, but not with FcγRIIIb encoded by FCGR3B*03. MAIGA with recombinant, partly chimeric FcγRIIIb variants demonstrated that the antigen recognized by maternal antibodies is characterized by two amino acids, Ala78 and Asp82. Among the FCGR3B alleles, the sequence Ala78–-Asn82 is exclusively encoded by FCGR3B *02. CONCLUSION: A previously unrecognized second antigen, HNA-1d, is present on FcγRIIIb encoded by FCGR3B*02. This antigen is characterized by the sequence Ala78–-Asn82. It appears that only individuals carrying the HNA-1c phenotype can form anti-HNA-1d alloantibodies. The HNA-1 system now consists of four antigens encoded by three alleles.

Lenalidomide is a distinct second-generation immunomodulatory drug with multiple anticancer and immunomodulatory effects against hematologic malignancies, in particular multiple myeloma (MM). Dexamethasone synergistically enhances the anticancer effects of lenalidomide, and the combination of lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Len/Dex) is approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM. Results from pivotal phase III trials in this setting have demonstrated that Len/Dex extends overall survival compared with dexamethasone alone. Optimal clinical benefits are seen when Len/Dex is initiated at first relapse and continued, beyond best treatment response, until disease progression. Lenalidomide based regimens are also effective as induction therapy in patients with newly diagnosed MM. Importantly, lenalidomide has a predictable and manageable tolerability profile, with minimal neurotoxicity, allowing long-term administration. As the paradigm of myeloma disease continues to change, future studies will determine the efficacy of lenalidomide in novel combinations with potentially complimentary agents. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

PURPOSE: To address the factors that surgeons use to decide between 2 options for treatment when the evidence is inconclusive. METHODS: We tested the null hypothesis that the factors surgeons use do not vary by training, demographics, and practice. A total of 337 surgeons rated the importance of 7 factors when deciding between treatment and following the natural history of the disease and 12 factors when deciding between 2 operative treatments using a 5-point Likert scale between "very important" and "very unimportant." RESULTS: According to the percentages of statements rated very important or somewhat important, the most popular factors influencing recommendations when evidence is inconclusive between treatment and following the natural course of the illness were "works in my hands," "familiarity with the treatment," and "what my mentor taught me." The most important factors when evidence shows no difference between 2 surgeries were "fewer complications," "quicker recovery," "burns fewer bridges," "works in my hands" and "familiarity with the procedure." Europeans rated "works in my hands" and "cheapest/most resourceful" of significantly greater importance and "what others are doing," "highest reimbursement," and "shorter procedure" of significantly lower importance than surgeons in the United States. Observers with fewer than 10 years in independent practice rated "what my mentor taught me," "what others are doing" and "highest reimbursement" of significantly lower importance compared to observers with 10 or more years in independent practice. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons deciding between 2 treatment options, when the evidence is inconclusive, fall back to factors that relate to their perspective and reflect their culture and circumstances, more so than factors related to the patient's perspective, although this may be different for younger surgeons. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hand surgeons might benefit from consensus fallback preferences when evidence is inconclusive. It is possible that falling back to personal comfort makes us vulnerable to unhelpful commercial and societal influences.

Purpose: Pharmacological inhibition of Hsp90 shows great promise in breast cancer treatment. This is the first systematic review to synthesize all available data and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Hsp90 inhibitors in breast cancer. Methods: This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Eligible articles were identified by a search of MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov databases, using a predefined combination of the terms "breast", "cancer", "Hsp90", "inhibitors". Results: Overall, 19 articles (190 patients) were eligible. The greatest clinical activity has been observed on the field of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. However, accumulating data suggest that Hsp90 inhibitors may play a significant role in the treatment of triple negative and aromatase inhibitor-resistant breast cancer. Conclusion: In the last decade, the development of Hsp90 inhibitors has moved forward rapidly; however, no phase III trials have been conducted and none agent has been approved for use in the clinical practice. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

The objective of this work is the assessment of human thermal bioclimatic conditions in the Athens University Campus (AUC), including the Faculties and their respective Departments of the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. The analysis of bioclimate was carried out, using the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), which is based on the energy balance model of the human body. The meteorological data required for the calculation of PET concern hourly values of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and total solar radiation, for the time period 1999-2007. The recorded data sets were obtained from the meteorological station of the Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment of the University of Athens. The results revealed the hours of the day in which thermal comfort or stress prevails, as well as the trends and variability of PET, for the studied period. Finally, the intense heat waves occurred during summer 2007 along with extreme cold conditions during December 2003-February 2004 were analyzed in terms of PET classes and compared to the respective average bioclimatic conditions of the study period. © 2013 Panagiotis T. Nastos and Andreas Matzarakis.

The development of hybrid materials exhibiting the simultaneous action of photocatalysis and membrane filtration can lead to improved water treatment processes. Photocatalysis has the potential to solve problems related to the fouling of membranes, the generation of toxic condensates, and the existence of very small and harmful organic pollutants in the permeate effluent. On the other hand membranes, especially the ceramic ones, are appropriate supports for the deposition of thin photocatalytic layers due to their high affinity with the photocatalyst (e.g., TiO2) and the possibility to further stabilize and activate the deposit with calcination. In addition, membranes exhibit two surfaces that come into contact with the polluted water and can be exploited for the photocatalyst deposition. Thus, with appropriate design of the membrane module it is possible to illuminate both membrane surfaces and develop very efficient photocatalytic ultrafiltration processes. Such processes must involve "double sided active photocatalytic membranes", where the pollutant undergoes two sequential photodegradation steps, the first in contact with the feed surface and the second in contact with the permeate surface of the membrane. Moreover the asymmetric pore structure of ceramic membranes assures proper mixing of the fluid and better contact with the porous photocatalytic layers. In this work double side active photocatalytic ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were developed by means of different chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques. Their performance in the elimination of methyl orange from water was elucidated by means of a prototype photocatalytic membrane reactor under continuous flow, applying UV irradiation on both membrane surfaces. Important aspects of membrane technology such as the evolution of water permeability and the energy consumption were compared with the standard and highly efficient nanofiltration (NF) process and the results indicated the beneficial effects of the hybrid UF/photocatalytic process. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

OBJECTIVE: The constellation of obesity, insulin resistance, and serum adipocytokine levels is associated with the risk and prognosis of postmenopausal breast cancer (PBC). Altered secretion of resistin may underlie the association between overweight/obesity and PBC. We thus explored the association of serum resistin with PBC, taking into account established risk factors, including adipokines and anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory markers. METHODS: In a case-control study, we studied 102 postmenopausal women with pathologically confirmed, incident invasive breast cancer and 102 control participants matched on age and time of diagnosis between 2003 and 2010 at the Veterans' Administration General Hospital of Athens (NIMTS Hospital). Serum resistin, adiponectin, leptin, metabolic (homeostasis model assessment score of insulin resistance) and inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) parameters, and tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 15-3) were determined. RESULTS: The mean serum resistin level was significantly higher in case participants than in control participants (P < 0.001) in both univariate and multivariable analyses, adjusting for age, date of diagnosis, education, family history of cancer, use of exogenous hormones, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, reproductive markers, metabolic markers, anthropometric (body mass index and weight circumference) markers, inflammatory markers, and adipokines (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.34; P = 0.02). In case participants, resistin level correlated significantly with tumor markers and inflammatory parameters, but not with metabolic and anthropometric variables. CONCLUSIONS: Further prospective, longitudinal, and mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether hyperresistinemia is involved in the development of PBC or reflects changes during PBC progression and therefore could be used as a biomarker for PBC. Targeting resistin inhibition could be an effective therapeutic strategy in breast cancer by down-regulating the inflammatory microenvironment in breast tissue.

In human and experimental heart failure, the activity of the type 1 phosphatase is significantly increased, associated with dephosphorylation of phospholamban, inhibition of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+) transport ATPase (SERCA2a) and depressed function. In the current study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms controlling protein phosphatase-1 activity. Using recombinant proteins and complementary in vitro binding studies, we identified a multi-protein complex centered on protein phosphatase-1 that includes its muscle specific glycogen-targeting subunit GM and substrate phospholamban. GM interacts directly with phospholamban and this association is mediated by the cytosolic regions of the proteins. Our findings suggest the involvement of GM in mediating formation of the phosphatase-1/GM/phospholamban complex through the direct and independent interactions of GM with both protein phosphatase-1 and phospholamban. Importantly, the protein phosphatase-1/GM/phospholamban complex dissociates upon protein kinase A phosphorylation, indicating its significance in the beta-adrenergic signalling axis. Moreover, protein phosphatase-1 activity is regulated by two binding partners, inhibitor-1 and the small heat shock protein 20, Hsp20. Indeed, human genetic variants of inhibitor-1 (G147D) or Hsp20 (P20L) result in reduced binding and inhibition of protein phosphatase-1, suggesting aberrant enzymatic regulation in human carriers. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying fine-tuned regulation of protein phosphatase-1 and its impact on the SERCA2/phospholamban interactome in cardiac function.

Extensive ground fissures frequently occur within the eastern Thessaly basin, in central Greece and have been since 1989. This paper aims to give a preliminary explanation for their generation reasons by interpreting the results of a dense geophysical survey along the basin. This is combined with drilling data, as well as field work tectonic measurements, morphotectonic analysis and remote sensing data interpretation throughout the marginal areas of the basin. The gathering, homogenisation and organisation of different types of geo-data by using various GIS software packages led to the discovery of the alpine basement surface, which is covered by recent sediments, and possible structures that contributed to the development of the basin. The methodology of producing a 3D basement surface model and various lithology profiles across the basin, along with sediment isopach maps by combining surface with subsurface data, is described in this paper.

The development mechanisms of an explosive cyclone over Central Mediterranean are examined, by relating the cloud patterns in the infrared, water vapour and visible channels of the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite images, to the surface-upper air operational analyses and thermodynamic parameters, including potential and geostrophic vorticity analyses, potential and equivalent potential temperature, static stability and thermal heat fluxes. The specific case study derived from an updated climatology of Mediterranean explosive cyclones for the 2002-2010 period, being performed with the aid of the University of Melbourne Cyclone Tracking scheme (MS algorithm) and ERA-INTERIM datasets. It was found that during the ordinary cyclogenesis the increased mid-upper level relative humidity over Northern Algeria along with the enhanced moisture gradient in the area between Portugal and Spain; indicate the existence of a jet -streak, with the dry zone to be located on the cold side of the jet axis. The descent of the dry air is more pronounced within the left exit region of the jet streak in the poleward portion of an upper confluence zone. Six hours later, the eastward movement of the cloud pattern in the Northern African coasts significantly resembles the structure of a baroclinic leaf, being related to the early stages of surface frontogenesis, due to the deformation process within a strong wind field. During the time of rapid deepening, when the surface cyclone propagated from the Northern African coasts towards the area of Sicily - Gulf of Taranto, the development is characterised by the transition from the baroclinic leaf structure to the comma cloud one and finally the formation of a bent-back occlusion. © 2013 SPIE.

The development mechanisms of an explosive cyclone over Central Mediterranean are examined, by relating the cloud patterns in the infrared, water vapour and visible channels of the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite images, to the surface-upper air operational analyses and thermodynamic parameters, including potential and geostrophic vorticity analyses, potential and equivalent potential temperature, static stability and thermal heat fluxes. The specific case study derived from an updated climatology of Mediterranean explosive cyclones for the 2002-2010 period, being performed with the aid of the University of Melbourne Cyclone Tracking scheme (MS algorithm) and ERA-INTERIM datasets. It was found that during the ordinary cyclogenesis the increased mid-upper level relative humidity over Northern Algeria along with the enhanced moisture gradient in the area between Portugal and Spain; indicate the existence of a jet -streak, with the dry zone to be located on the cold side of the jet axis. The descent of the dry air is more pronounced within the left exit region of the jet streak in the poleward portion of an upper confluence zone. Six hours later, the eastward movement of the cloud pattern in the Northern African coasts significantly resembles the structure of a baroclinic leaf, being related to the early stages of surface frontogenesis, due to the deformation process within a strong wind field. During the time of rapid deepening, when the surface cyclone propagated from the Northern African coasts towards the area of Sicily - Gulf of Taranto, the development is characterised by the transition from the baroclinic leaf structure to the comma cloud one and finally the formation of a bent-back occlusion. © 2013 SPIE.

OBJECTIVES: Health informatics programs usually are evaluated by national accreditation committees. Not always are the members of these committees well informed about the international level of (education in) health informatics. Therefore, when a program is accredited by a national accreditation committee, this does not always mean that the program is of an international level. The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) has expertise in the field of education. The IMIA Recommendations on Education in Biomedical and Health Informatics guide curricula development. The goal of this article is to show that IMIA can also play the role of accreditation agency and to present the IMIA accreditation protocol and experiences obtained with it. METHODS: The accreditation procedure used in the Netherlands and Belgium was taken as a template for the design of the IMIA accreditation protocol. In a trial period of one and a half year the protocol is tested out on six health informatics programs. RESULTS: An accreditation protocol was designed. For judging the curriculum of a program the IMIA Recommendations are used. The institution has to write a self-assessment report and a site visit committee visits the program and judges its quality, supported by the self-assessment report and discussions with all stakeholders of the program. CONCLUSIONS: After having visited three programs it appears that the IMIA accreditation procedure works well. Only a few changes had to be introduced. Writing the self-assessment report already appears to be beneficial for the management of the program to obtain a better insight in the quality of their program.

A debate at the European Union Parliament was held on 13 November 2012 on the Impact of early diagnosis and control of chronic respiratory diseases on Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA). The debate was held under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the European Union (2012) and represents a follow-up of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the European Union (2011). It highlighted the importance of early life events on the occurrence of chronic respiratory diseases later in life and their impact on active and healthy ageing. Epidemiologic evidence was followed by actions that should be taken to prevent and manage chronic respiratory diseases in children. The debate ended by practical, feasible and achievable projects, demonstrating the strength of the political action in the field. Three projects will be initiated from this debate: The first will be a meeting sponsored by the Région Languedoc-Roussillon on the developmental origins of chronic diseases and ageing: from research to policies and value creation. The second project is being led by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Asthma and Rhinitis: Prevention of Asthma, Prevention of Allergy (PAPA). The third project is the GA(2)LEN sentinel network.

Abstract The overall biology of ectotherms is strongly affected by the thermal quality of the environment. The particular conditions prevailing on islands have a strong effect on numerous features of animal life. In this study we compared mainland and island populations of the lizard Lacerta trilineata and hypothesized that insularity would affect the thermoregulatory strategy. Continental habitats were of lower thermal quality, experiencing more intense fluctuations and had higher values of operative temperatures. Nevertheless mainland lizards selected for higher body temperatures in the lab and showed more effective thermoregulation during summer than their island peers. Lizards achieved similar body temperatures in the field in both types of habitat, underlining the importance of predation as a potential factor to mainland lizards that failed to reach their higher thermal preferences. Both island and mainland populations of L. trilineata have been adapted to their thermal environment, supporting the labile view on the evolution of thermal physiology for this species.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is associated with an increased risk for serious illness, hospitalization, and mortality in infants aged <6 months. However, influenza vaccines are not licensed for administration in this age group. The study evaluated the effectiveness of postpartum influenza vaccination of mothers and household members in infants. METHODS: The influenza vaccine was offered to mothers and household members of neonates born or hospitalized in 3 hospitals prior to the 2012-2013 season. Mothers were contacted every 2 weeks during the influenza season, and data regarding the onset of fever and/or respiratory symptoms in infants, healthcare seeking, hospitalization, and administration of antibiotics were collected. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 553 mothers who delivered 573 neonates. The influenza vaccine was administered to 841 of 1844 (45.6%) household contacts. Vaccination coverage rates ranged between 41.9% for neonates siblings and 49% for mothers. Five hundred thirty infants were analyzed for vaccine effectiveness. For outcomes in the infant, postpartum maternal vaccination had 37.7% effectiveness against acute respiratory illness (ARI), 50.3% against a febrile episode, 53.5% against influenza-like illness (ILI), 41.8% against related healthcare seeking, and 45.4% against administration of antibiotics. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that maternal influenza vaccination was significantly associated with a decreased probability for febrile episodes, ARIs, and/or ILIs in infants, related healthcare seeking, and/or administration of antibiotics during the influenza season. Vaccination of other household contacts had no impact. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal postpartum vaccination against influenza was associated with a significant reduction of influenza-related morbidity, healthcare seeking, and antibiotic prescription in infants during the influenza season.

MYCN is a well-known oncogene overexpressed in different human malignancies including neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, Wilms' tumor, and small cell lung cancer. While neuroblastoma is one of the most common childhood malignancies, in adults it is extremely rare and its treatment is based on pediatric protocols that take into consideration stage and genotypic features, such as MYCN amplification. Although neuroblastoma therapy has evolved, identification of early stage patients who need chemotherapy continues to pose a therapeutic challenge. The emerging prognostic role of MYCN phenotype of this disease is currently under investigation as it may redefine MYCN amplified subgroups. We describe an unusual case of adult neuroblastoma with MYCN amplification diagnosed incidentally and discuss possible therapeutic dilemmas.

Objective: The prognosis for patients with platinum-resistant advanced ovarian cancer remains poor. The impact of approved agents on survival has not been clarified during the last decade. We studied survival trends during the last 15 years in platinum-resistant patients treated with cytoreductive surgery followed by paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy. Methods: Patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian or peritoneal cancer, stages III/IV and platinum-resistant disease after first-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel/platinum were included. They were grouped according to the period of chemotherapy: group A 31/3/1995-31/12/2001 (n = 56) and Group B 1/1/2002-24/12/2008 (n = 57). In order to compensate for the difference in follow-up between the 2 groups, we performed minimum follow-up (MFU) analyses by considering as cases only women who had an event within 3 years of follow-up. Patients with no events for up to 3 years were censored at that time. Results: MFU analyses showed that median overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in group B: 12.3 vs. 17.5 months (p = 0.012). This was due to a doubling of the median OS after relapse: 5.7 vs. 10.9 months (p = 0.0180). Multivariate Cox regression indicated group and histology as factors statistically significantly associated with OS. Following relapse, patients in group B were predominantly treated with liposomal doxorubicin and gemcitabine, and patients in group A were treated with platinum compounds, docetaxel and oral etoposide (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The introduction of novel agents without cross-resistance to platinum or taxanes has improved the prognosis of platinum-resistant patients. © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The objective of this study is to present and analyse the indoor and outdoor temporal variability of the particulate matters of different sizes (namely: PM10, with diameter less than 10 μm; PM7, with diameter less than 7 μm; PM2.5, with diameter less than 2.5 μm and PM1, with diameter less than 1 μm) found in Athens, Greece. Four detectors were used for indoor and outdoor recordings. More specifically, the indoor recordings were performed in seminar rooms, full of students attending lectures, at the University of Athens and the Technological Education Institute of Piraeus. Findings of this research show that on one hand, the indoor particulate matter concentrations remained at lower levels than the thresholds set by the European Council Directives, but on the other hand, the outdoor particulate matter concentrations exceeded the thresholds many times. © The Author(s) 2012 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

The effect of the electrochemical anodization growth process on the development of self-organized TiO2 nanotube (NT) films and their efficiency as photoelectrodes in dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) has been comparatively investigated, by keeping constant the total anodization charge. Slow and rapid potentiostatic anodization processes were accordingly compared to the galvanostatic one, while a two step potentiostatic-galvanostatic technique was applied for the first time for the growth of TiO2 NT arrays, as a step forward in relation to the existing potentiostatic-potentiostatic (P-P) technique. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy verified the wide diversity in the morphological and structural characteristics of the TiO 2 NTs obtained by the different anodization modes. The novel approach of galvanostatic tube growth on a potentiostatically patterned Ti foil provided the most uniform TiO2 nanotubular films with clean top surface exempt of nanograss or cracks over extended areas. Evaluation of the TiO 2 NTs performance as photoelectrodes in DSC devices showed distinct differences of their electrical parameters that reflected finely the underlying structure/morphology variations of the different anodic oxidation conditions. Galvanostatic TiO2 NT films presented the most favorable (open-ordered) structure for DSC photoelectrodes with superior electrical performance, essentially impaired by a relatively low fill factor that requires improvement by appropriate post-treatment. Furthermore, despite the marked differences in morphology, the TiO2 NT photoelectrodes exhibited comparable overall performance (of the order of 4%), with only exception the P-P samples which presented slightly lower (about 25%) photovoltaic efficiency. These results indicate that the anodization charge is a critical factor that effectively controls the nanotubes behavior when they are used as photoelectrodes in DSCs. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Fruit and vegetable intake in children remains below recommendations in many countries. The long-term effects of early parental feeding practices on fruit and vegetable intake are not clearly established.|The purpose of the current study was to examine whether early feeding practices influence later fruit and vegetable intake in preschool children.|The study used data from 4 European cohorts: the British Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), the French Etude des Déterminants pre et postnatals de la santé et du développement de l'Enfant study, the Portuguese Generation XXI Birth Cohort, and the Greek EuroPrevall study. Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed in each cohort by food-frequency questionnaire. Associations between early feeding practices, such as breastfeeding and timing of complementary feeding, and fruit and/or vegetable intake in 2-4-y-old children were tested by using logistic regressions, separately in each cohort, after adjustment for infant's age and sex and maternal age, educational level, smoking during pregnancy, and maternal fruit and vegetable intake.|Large differences in early feeding practices were highlighted across the 4 European cohorts with longer breastfeeding duration in the Generation XXI Birth Cohort and earlier introduction to complementary foods in ALSPAC. Longer breastfeeding duration was consistently related to higher fruit and vegetable intake in young children, whereas the associations with age of introduction to fruit and vegetable intake were weaker and less consistent across the cohorts. Mothers' fruit and vegetable intake (available in 3 of the cohorts) did not substantially attenuate the relation with breastfeeding duration.|The concordant positive association between breastfeeding duration and fruit and vegetable intake in different cultural contexts favors an independent specific effect.

Knowledge, research, and innovation are of crucial importance for the competitiveness of an economy and a recipe for economic development not only for developed and developing countries, but also for entities surviving a political abnormality, such as the Palestinian territories. As Palestinians are currently planning for their future viable state, the policy and decision makers should formulate relevant science, technology, and innovation policies that encourage the different national sectors to utilize the available innovation potentials and the experience and support of other countries, for developing a competitive economy. Conducting and analyzing a community innovation survey on two major Palestinian industrial sectors, namely quarrying and stone fabrication and the food and beverages sector, brought about very promising indicators and showed high innovative potentials in both sectors. Employment, export, and revenues are clearly improved in innovative enterprises. Lack of cooperation between the industrial sector and the higher education and research and development institutions is found to be a major problem that should be tackled in order to strengthen the enterprises’ ability to innovate.

Knowledge, research, and innovation are of crucial importance for the competitiveness of an economy and a recipe for economic development not only for developed and developing countries, but also for entities surviving a political abnormality, such as the Palestinian territories. As Palestinians are currently planning for their future viable state, the policy and decision makers should formulate relevant science, technology, and innovation policies that encourage the different national sectors to utilize the available innovation potentials and the experience and support of other countries, for developing a competitive economy. Conducting and analyzing a community innovation survey on two major Palestinian industrial sectors, namely quarrying and stone fabrication and the food and beverages sector, brought about very promising indicators and showed high innovative potentials in both sectors. Employment, export, and revenues are clearly improved in innovative enterprises. Lack of cooperation between the industrial sector and the higher education and research and development institutions is found to be a major problem that should be tackled in order to strengthen the enterprises’ ability to innovate.

Nanostructured modified TiO2 (m-TiO2) was synthesized using the gel combustion method based on the calcination of an acidified alkoxide solution mixed with urea. The materials were characterized by Raman, FT-IR and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopies (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), in comparison with reference material untreated with urea (ref-TiO2). The effect of both the urea content and calcination temperature were optimized, providing the optimal absorption threshold of 2.19eV for solar light harvesting. The photocatalytic performance of the m-TiO2 powder was tested for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) azo dye under UVA (350-365nm), visible (440-460nm), and daylight (350-750nm) illumination. The hybrid inorganic/organic material shows exceptional physicochemical properties and significant photocatalytic activity, especially in the visible, attributed to sensitization of the TiO2 by a thin porous layer of carbonacious species in controlled core-shell morphology. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Unveil the properties of a two-stage design (TSD) for bioequivalence (BE) studies. A TSD with an upper sample size limit (UL) is described and analyzed under different conditions using Monte Carlo simulations. TSD was split into three branches: A, B1, and B2. The first stage included branches A and B1, while stage two referred to branch B2. Sample size re-estimation at B2 relies on the observed GMR and variability of stage 1. The properties studied were % BE acceptance, % uses and % efficiency of each branch, as well as the reason of BE failure. No inflation of type I error was observed. Each TSD branch exhibits different performance. Stage two exhibits the greatest % BE acceptances when highly variable drugs are assessed with a low starting number of subjects (N-1) or when formulations differ significantly. Branch A is more frequently used when variability is low, drug products are similar, and a large N-1 is included. BE assessment at branch A is very efficient. The overall acceptance profile of TSD resembles the typical pattern observed in single-stage studies, but it is actually different. Inclusion of a UL is necessary to avoid inflation of type I error.

In contrast to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), our nearest starforming galaxy with metallicity between the Galaxy and the SMC, has received little attention in X-rays so far. With the aim to compare the accreting X-ray binary (XRB) populations in two of our nearest star-forming galaxies, we recently compiled the most complete census of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in the LMC. We found 43 members of which 13 are XRB pulsars, while we also identified their most likely optical counterpart (previously, half of these sources lacked an identification). Using this census, we investigated the link between the young accreting XRBs and their parent stellar populations. It was known that HMXBs can be used as star-formation (SF) rate indicators, but these first studies have been focused only on bright systems (Galaxy: >1038 erg s-1, Magellanic Clouds: >1036 erg s-1) and SF values for the whole galaxy. By including Magellanic Cloud sources with X-ray luminosities at least two order of magnitudes fainter than the above limits and by utilizing the detailed, spatially resolved, SF history maps of these galaxies, we were able to provide observational constraints on ill-understood parameters related to their formation and evolution (such as the kick velocities imparted into the neutron star during the supernova explosion) and to derive their formation efficiency. This work was mainly supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX10AH47G issued through the Astrophysics Data Analysis Program.

The objective of INTIMATE is to reconstruct past abrupt and extreme climate changes over the period 60.000 to 8000 years ago, by facilitating INTegration of Ice core, MArine, and TErrestrial palaeoclimate records and using the combined data in climate models to better understand the mechanisms and impact of change, thereby reducing the uncertainty of future prediction. The project is organized in four working groups: WG-1 Dating and Chronological Modelling A reliable chronological framework is the basis of all studies of the past climate. WG1 is dedicated to developing and improving dating methods over the last 60,000 years and bringing scientists together to develop a coherent dating framework in which records can be compared at unprecedented detail. WG-2 Quantification of Past Climate The aim of WG-2 is to collect and quantify information of past climate from e.g. ice cores, tree rings, corals, stalagmites, and marine and lake sediments in order to draw a detailed picture of the highly variable climate evolution in the North Atlantic region. WG-3 Modelling Mechanisms of Past Change Our ability to forecast the rates and magnitudes of future change depends on numerical models. By using combined ice core, terrestrial, and marine data sets as targets, WG-3 will optimize methodologies to evaluate model simulations and make data-model comparisons. WG-4 Climate Impacts The aim of WG-4 is to gain insights into the impacts of past climatic changes on animal and human populations and the ecosystems of which they are part. WG-4 will quantify the magnitudes and rates of population, species, and ecosystem responses to climate events of different magnitudes in space and through time.

The epidemiology of chronic viral infections, such as those caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is affected by the risk group structure of the infected population. Risk groups are defined by each of their members having acquired infection through a specific behavior. However, risk group definitions say little about the transmission potential of each infected individual. Variation in the number of secondary infections is extremely difficult to estimate for HCV and HIV but crucial in the design of efficient control interventions. Here we describe a novel method that combines epidemiological and population genetic approaches to estimate the variation in transmissibility of rapidly-evolving viral epidemics. We evaluate this method using a nationwide HCV epidemic and for the first time co-estimate viral generation times and superspreading events from a combination of molecular and epidemiological data. We anticipate that this integrated approach will form the basis of powerful tools for describing the transmission dynamics of chronic viral diseases, and for evaluating control strategies directed against them.

The epidemiology of chronic viral infections, such as those caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is affected by the risk group structure of the infected population. Risk groups are defined by each of their members having acquired infection through a specific behavior. However, risk group definitions say little about the transmission potential of each infected individual. Variation in the number of secondary infections is extremely difficult to estimate for HCV and HIV but crucial in the design of efficient control interventions. Here we describe a novel method that combines epidemiological and population genetic approaches to estimate the variation in transmissibility of rapidly-evolving viral epidemics. We evaluate this method using a nationwide HCV epidemic and for the first time co-estimate viral generation times and superspreading events from a combination of molecular and epidemiological data. We anticipate that this integrated approach will form the basis of powerful tools for describing the transmission dynamics of chronic viral diseases, and for evaluating control strategies directed against them.

The aim of the International Myeloma Working Group was to develop practice recommendations for the management of multiple myeloma (MM) -related bone disease. An interdisciplinary panel of clinical experts on MM and myeloma bone disease developed recommendations based on published data through August 2012. Expert consensus was used to propose additional recommendations in situations where there were insufficient published data. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendations were assigned and approved by panel members. Bisphosphonates (BPs) should be considered in all patients with MM receiving first-line antimyeloma therapy, regardless of presence of osteolytic bone lesions on conventional radiography. However, it is unknown if BPs offer any advantage in patients with no bone disease assessed by magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Intravenous (IV) zoledronic acid (ZOL) or pamidronate (PAM) is recommended for preventing skeletal-related events in patients with MM. ZOL is preferred over oral clodronate in newly diagnosed patients with MM because of its potential antimyeloma effects and survival benefits. BPs should be administered every 3 to 4 weeks IV during initial therapy. ZOL or PAM should be continued in patients with active disease and should be resumed after disease relapse, if discontinued in patients achieving complete or very good partial response. BPs are well tolerated, but preventive strategies must be instituted to avoid renal toxicity or osteonecrosis of the jaw. Kyphoplasty should be considered for symptomatic vertebral compression fractures. Low-dose radiation therapy can be used for palliation of uncontrolled pain, impending pathologic fracture, or spinal cord compression. Orthopedic consultation should be sought for long-bone fractures, spinal cord compression, and vertebral column instability.

Excess body weight constitutes a worldwide health problem with epidemic proportions impacting on the risk and prognosis of several disease states including malignancies. It is believed that the metabolic changes associated with weight gain, particularly visceral obesity, and physical inactivity could lead to dysfunctional adipose and muscle tissues causing insulin resistance, low-grade chronic inflammation and abnormal secretion of adipokines and myokines. The complex paracrine and endocrine interconnection between adipokines and myokines reflects a yin-yang balance with important implications in processes such as lipolysis control, insulin sensitivity and prevention from obesity-driven chronic low-grade inflammation and cancer promotion through anti-inflammatory adipokines and myokines. Furthermore, the complex pathophysiology of cancer cachexia is based on the interplay between muscle and adipose tissue mediated by free fatty acids, various adipokines and myokines. The purpose of this editorial is to explore the role of the adipose and muscle tissue interplay in carcinogenesis, cancer progression and cachexia, and to examine the mechanisms underpinning their association with malignancy. Understanding of the mechanisms connecting the interplay of adipokines and myokines with cancer pathophysiology is expected to be of importance in the development of therapeutic strategies against cancer cachexia. Advances in the field of translational investigation may lead to tangible benefits to obese and inactive persons who are at increased risk of cancer as well as to cancer patients with cachexia.