We present 110 times of minima of 23 eclipsing binaries.

BACKGROUND: 18-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) scan is useful for diagnosis of osteoarticular infections. Whether (18)F-FDG PET/CT scanning may be used for therapeutic monitoring is not clear. The objective of this study was to develop (18)F-FDG PET/CT scanning for monitoring therapeutic response to antimicrobials in experimental Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis. METHODS: A total of 22 rabbits were studied. In 20 animals, the right tibia was inoculated intraoperatively with S. aureus. Two control animals were inoculated with normal saline. A needle was placed in the tibia as a foreign body. Infection was allowed to develop for 21 days when (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed, the needle was removed, and bone specimens were cultured to confirm infection. Antimicrobial therapy with daptomycin was initiated in all successfully infected animals for 1, 3, or 6 weeks. Following completion of treatment, a second (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed, animals were euthanized, and infected tibias were harvested for quantitative cultures and histology. A positive scan was defined as (18)F-FDG signal activity greater in the infected tibia than that of the contralateral non-infected control tibia. Therapeutic response was measured by the change of (18)F-FDG signal activity in the infected tibia. RESULTS: All successfully infected animals (n = 14), with microbiologically and/or histologically confirmed osteomyelitis, had positive (18)F-FDG PET/CT scans, while the two control animals had negative scans despite the presence of the foreign body [mean maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) (±SD) values 2.96 (±0.80) vs. 1 (±1.10), respectively, P = 0.04]. In the 14 successfully infected animals, the mean SUVmax was significantly higher in the infected compared to the uninfected tibia (P < 0.0001). A SUVmax of 1.4, when used as a cutoff for infection, yielded a diagnostic accuracy of 93 %. At the end of treatment, successfully treated animals and saline controls had a negative (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan (n = 4), while animals with persistent infection despite treatment (n = 12) had a positive (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan (SUVmax 1.0-3.0) (p < 0.001). SUVmax values were significantly reduced after 42 days of treatment from 3.15 ± 0.5 (day 7) to 1.71 ± 0.37 (day 42) (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan is a sensitive and specific tool in therapeutic monitoring of experimental foreign-body osteomyelitis.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertensive patients with CKD present an increased risk for cardiovascular mortality. Among the proteins synthesized and released from adipose tissue, resistin is a cytokine whose physiologic role has been the subject of much research and controversy. We and others have demonstrated that serum resistin levels are higher in patients with CKD and correlate directly with inflammatory markers, including TNF-α and hsCRP. Since inflammation has been consistently linked to atherosclerosis, death, and cardiovascular (CV) events, our goal was to investigate the interaction between resistin levels and long term all-cause and CV mortality in elderly non-obese and non-diabetic with hypertension. DESIGN AND METHOD: We studied 80 patients (52 men/28 women) 70.9 ± 8.6 years of age with hypertension and CKD. Exclusion criteria was obesity and diabetes mellitus, active infection, acute illness, chronic inflammatory disease or cancer, and immunosuppresive, anti-inflammatory or anti-lipidemic drugs. Demographic data, clinical information and blood samples were collected prospectively. The patients were observed for 5 years. RESULTS: During the follow-up 28 of 80 (35%) patients died: 16 (57%) deaths due to CV events and 12 (43%) of other causes. Patients who died were older and had higher DBP, compared to survivors, but had no differences in BMI, smoking, SBP and HR. Deceased patients had higher WBC, hsCRP, BUN, creatinine, cystatin C, phosphate, magnesium and potassium levels and lower eGFR, Hct/Hg, T3, T4, total cholesterol, LDL-C, albumin and sodium levels compared to survivors. No significant differences in platelet count, TNF-α, fibrinogen, oxLDL, ADMA, HgA1C and HOMA-index were revealed between the groups. eceased patients had significantly higher resistin levels than survivors at baseline (p = 0.025), but adiponectin, visfatin and leptin did not differ between the two groups. Five variables, namely resistin, sodium, cholesterol, T3 and WBC remained significantly associated with survival and were used in the multivariate Cox regression analysis, which revealed that only resisitin, cholesterol and WBC maintained their discriminatory ability, as independent predictors of mortality both by forward and backward stepwise analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum resistin was a significant independent biomarker of CV and all-cause mortality in elderly, non-diabetic CKD patients with hypertension.

A model that contains a massive BH binary was proposed to explain the double peaked quasi-periodical (roughly about 12 years) outbursts of the blazar OJ287.

Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Despite the advances in the treatment of OC with combinatorial regimens, including surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy, patients generally exhibit poor prognosis due to high chemotherapy resistance. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that DNA damage response (DDR) pathways are involved in resistance of OC patients to platinum chemotherapy. Selected DDR signals were evaluated in two human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, one sensitive (A2780) and one resistant (A2780/C30) to platinum treatment as well as in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from OC patients, sensitive (n = 7) or resistant (n = 4) to subsequent chemotherapy. PBMCs from healthy volunteers (n = 9) were studied in parallel. DNA damage was evaluated by immunofluorescence ãH2AX staining and comet assay. Higher levels of intrinsic DNA damage were found in A2780 than in A2780/C30 cells. Moreover, the intrinsic DNA damage levels were significantly higher in OC patients relative to healthy volunteers, as well as in platinum-sensitive patients relative to platinum-resistant ones (all P <0.05). Following carboplatin treatment, A2780 cells showed lower DNA repair efficiency than A2780/ C30 cells. Also, following carboplatin treatment of PBMCs ex vivo , the DNA repair efficiency was significantly higher in healthy volunteers than in platinum-resistant patients and lowest in platinum-sensitive ones (t1/2 for loss of ãH2AX foci: 2.7± 0.5h, 8.8±1.9h and 15.4±3.2h, respectively; using comet assay, t1/2 of platinum-induced damage repair: 4.8±1.4h, 12.9±1.9h and 21.4±2.6h, respectively; all P<0.03). Additionally, the carboplatin-induced apoptosis rate was higher in A2780 than in A2780/C30 cells. In PBMCs, apoptosis rates were inversely correlated with DNA repair efficiencies of these cells, being significantly higher in plati-num-sensitive than in platinum-resistant patients and lowest in healthy volunteers (all P< 0.05). We conclude that perturbations of DNA repair pathways as measured in PBMCs from OC patients correlate with the drug sensitivity of these cells and reflect the individualized response to platinum-based chemotherapy. © 2015 Stefanou et al.

We present the results of a spectroscopic, photometric and orbital period variation analysis of the detached eclipsing binary V482 Per. We derived the absolute parameters of the system (M1 = 1.51 M⊙, M2 = 1.29 M⊙, R1 = 2.39 R⊙, R2 = 1.45 R⊙, L1 = 10.15 L⊙, L2 = 3.01 L⊙) for the first time in literature, based on an analysis of our own photometric and spectroscopic observations. We confirm the nature of the variations observed in the system's orbital period, suggested to be periodic by earlier works. A light time effect due to a physically bound, star-sized companion (M3 = 2.14 M⊙) on a highly eccentric (e = 0.83) orbit, seems to be the most likely cause. We argue that the companion can not be a single star but another binary instead. We calculated the evolutionary states of the system's components, and we found that the primary is slightly evolving after the main sequence, while the less massive secondary lies well inside it.

In this chapter, we focus on recommender systems that are enhanced with social information in the form of trust statements between their users. The trust information may be processed in a number of ways, including the random walks in the social graph, where every step in the walk is chosen almost uniformly at random from the available choices. Although this strategy yields satisfactory results in terms of the novelty and the diversity of the produced recommendations, it exhibits poor accuracy because it does not fully exploit the similarity information among users and items. Our work tries to model user-to-user and user-to-item relation as a probability distribution using a novel approach based on Rejection Sampling in order to decide its next step (biased random walk). Some initial results on reference datasets indicate that a satisfying trade-off among accuracy, novelty, and diversity is achieved.

Higher body mass index and adiposopathy have been associated with increased risk of hematologic malignancies such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, myeloproliferative disorders, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Adiponectin is a multimeric protein of the white adipose tissue presenting anti-inflammatory, insulin-sensitizing, anti-atherogenic, cardioprotective, and anti-neoplastic properties. Its anti-neoplastic actions are manifested via two mechanisms: (i) direct action on tumor cells by enhancing receptor-mediated signaling pathways and (ii) indirect action by regulating inflammatory responses, influencing cancer angiogenesis, and modulating insulin sensitivity at the target tissue site. In the bone marrow milieu, adiponectin and its main receptors are expressed by the majority of bone marrow stromal cell populations influencing hematopoietic stem cells function. Adiponectin may represent a molecular mediator relating adiposopathy with leukemogenesis and myelomagenesis. Several epidemiological studies conducted to date relate hypoadiponectinemia to the risk of myeloid-derived hematopoietic cancer and multiple myeloma. Adiponectin may be a promising biomarker with potential diagnostic and prognostic utility in determining the likelihood of myeloma and leukemia progression in certain cohorts of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance patients and in myeloid hematologic malignancies, respectively. This review summarizes experimental and epidemiologic data regarding the role of adiponectin in hematologic malignancies in the context of adiposopathy. Enhancement of endogenous adiponectin, adiponectin replacement, or manipulation of adiponectin receptor sensitivity may be an attractive goal for prevention and an effective therapeutic strategy against hematopoietic cancer, specifically in overweight/obese individuals. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of the bone marrow microenvironment adiponectin in complex interactions involved in preleukemic and leukemic states.

In two short-term diary studies, conducted in an educational and a sport context, we investigated whether adolescents' domain-specific and situation-specific self-determined motivation, along with future time perspective, could explain intrapersonal variation of and interpersonal differences in psychological functioning. In both studies intrapersonal fluctuation of self-determined motivation related positively to desired outcomes, with perceived autonomy operating as a predictor of situation-specific self-determined motivation (Study 2). Moreover, in both Study 1 ( N = 57 high-school students) and Study 2 ( N = 63 athletes participating in a three-week basketball camp) we found interpersonal differences in domain-specific autonomous motivation and future time perspective to predict positively mean levels of most of the positive outcomes. These results underscore the key role of self-determined motivation and future time perspective in the prediction of psychological functioning and the importance of looking not only at the interpersonal differences but also at the underlying motivational dynamics operating at the within-person level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology is the property of Guilford Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This meta-analysis aimed to examine the association between alcohol consumption and multiple myeloma (MM) risk. Eligible publications were sought in PubMed to 31 December 2013. Separate analyses were performed by study design, gender, alcoholic beverages and levels of consumption. Sixteen case-control studies (3921 cases and 19 594 controls) and 10 cohort studies (3167 incident cases in total cohort of 2 557 649 subjects) were eligible. Ever consumption of alcohol was associated with reduced MM risk (pooled relative risk [RR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79-0.99) and especially consumption of wine correlated with reduced MM risk (pooled RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67-0.89 for ever drinkers). MM risk was not affected by beer or liquor intake. A protective association was observed among females (pooled RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.69-0.89 for ever drinkers), whereas the association among males seemed null. In conclusion, contrary to most solid tumors, alcohol intake may confer protection in terms of MM risk among females, with wine being particularly beneficial. © 2014 Informa UK, Ltd.

It is a great consensus in the scientific community that environmental factors, such as weather conditions and ambient air pollution, have vital impacts on respiratory diseases. Further, these factors imply the potential to have many significant impacts on aeroallergens, and therefore related diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. The impacts are more pronounced in sensitive groups of population, such as children and elderly, living in urbanized areas. Over the last three decades, studies have shown changes in production, dispersion and allergen content of pollen and spores, which may be region- and species-specific. In addition, these changes may have been influenced by air pollutants interacting directly with pollen. It is not easy to evaluate the impact of climate change and air pollution on the prevalence of asthma in general and on the timing of asthma exacerbations. However, the global rise in asthma prevalence and severity suggests that air pollution and climate changes could be contributing. The objective of this review is to summarize the environmental impacts on pulmonary diseases in children based on recent literature over the world. © 2015, Frontiers in Bioscience. All rights reserved.

In contrast to the upfront setting in which the role of high-dose therapy with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as consolidation of a first remission in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is well established, the role of high-dose therapy with autologous or allogeneic HCT has not been extensively studied in MM patients relapsing after primary therapy. The International Myeloma Working Group together with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation convened a meeting of MM experts to: (1) summarize current knowledge regarding the role of autologous or allogeneic HCT in MM patients progressing after primary therapy, (2) propose guidelines for the use of salvage HCT in MM, (3) identify knowledge gaps, (4) propose a research agenda, and (5) develop a collaborative initiative to move the research agenda forward. After reviewing the available data, the expert committee came to the following consensus statement for salvage autologous HCT: (1) In transplantation-eligible patients relapsing after primary therapy that did NOT include an autologous HCT, high-dose therapy with HCT as part of salvage therapy should be considered standard; (2) High-dose therapy and autologous HCT should be considered appropriate therapy for any patients relapsing after primary therapy that includes an autologous HCT with initial remission duration of more than 18 months; (3) High-dose therapy and autologous HCT can be used as a bridging strategy to allogeneic HCT; (4) The role of postsalvage HCT maintenance needs to be explored in the context of well-designed prospective trials that should include new agents, such as monoclonal antibodies, immune-modulating agents, and oral proteasome inhibitors; (5) Autologous HCT consolidation should be explored as a strategy to develop novel conditioning regimens or post-HCT strategies in patients with short (less than 18 months remissions) after primary therapy; and (6) Prospective randomized trials need to be performed to define the role of salvage autologous HCT in patients with MM relapsing after primary therapy comparing it to "best non-HCT" therapy. The expert committee also underscored the importance of collecting enough hematopoietic stem cells to perform 2 transplantations early in the course of the disease. Regarding allogeneic HCT, the expert committee agreed on the following consensus statements: (1) Allogeneic HCT should be considered appropriate therapy for any eligible patient with early relapse (less than 24 months) after primary therapy that included an autologous HCT and/or high-risk features (ie, cytogenetics, extramedullary disease, plasma cell leukemia, or high lactate dehydrogenase); (2) Allogeneic HCT should be performed in the context of a clinical trial if possible; (3) The role of postallogeneic HCT maintenance therapy needs to be explored in the context of well-designed prospective trials; and (4) Prospective randomized trials need to be performed to define the role salvage allogeneic HCT in patients with MM relapsing after primary therapy. © 2015 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Aretaeus of Cappadocia did not deal systematically with the study of anatomy, as it can be assumed from the thorough study of his remaining work, as well as the references to the topics and the fragments of his lost treatises. We could also extract useful information on anatomy through his analytical descriptions about the various diseases in his remaining work. A perfect example is the anatomy of the upper and inferior vena cava exposed in his work on acute diseases.

We present results from the application of Kopal's method for eclipsing binaries to the analysis of the transit light curve of exoplanet HD 209458, using very accurate photometric observations made with the Hubble Space Telescope. The fitting of the model parameters to the data was achieved by use of the Simulated Annealing algorithm. Furthermore, we utilized a transformation of the limb darkening coefficients that negates the need to specify limits for their values (uninformative sampling), yet still yield physically plausible results.

Although several studies have shown the efficacy of third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in women with breast cancer, the role of such molecules remains elusive in male breast cancer patients. It is also unknown whether the addition of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues to AIs would be a superior strategy or not. This pooled analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. All studies that examined the efficacy of AIs in metastatic male breast cancer were considered eligible. Overall, 15 studies (105 cases) were eligible for this pooled analysis. The mean age of the study sample was 62.8 years. ER status was positive in all eligible cases. AI was given as first line in 61.5 % of cases. GnRH analogue was co-administered with AI in 37.1 % of cases (n = 39). CR, PR, SD and PD were achieved in 5.7, 23.8, 37.2 and 33.3 % of cases, respectively. The median PFS and OS were equal to 10.0 and 39.0 months, respectively. Co-administration of GnRH analogues was associated with more than threefold increase in rates of clinical benefit (OR = 3.37, 95 % CI 1.30–8.73) but did not seem to correlate with better PFS or OS. No statistically significant associations between the examined outcomes and the other parameters were noted. Available data suggest that AIs may potentially play a promising role in the optimal therapeutic strategy for metastatic male breast cancer patients. Especially, co-administration of AI with a GnRH analogue seems to increase the rate of clinical benefit and could be more effective, warranting further consideration. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Nowadays, Early Warning Systems (EWSs) are of great importance for urban seismic risk and emergency management. In this work, we describe the development and combination of a series of approaches for constructing a database of earthquake spatial effects towards creating a EWS for the Lefkada old town, situated in one of the most seismically active areas of the Mediterranean region. The geospatial information presented regards the earthquake damage probability at the target site and it is derived from seismic scenarios developed by combining seismic sources, vulnerability of buildings and site effects.Vulnerability was assessed empirically for individual buildings through a field survey.Site effects were determined using dense ambient noise HVSR measurements atselected points in Lefkada old town and available data from geotechnical boreholes.1D viscoelastic soil models were determined for each point by inverting the HVSRcurves using a Monte Carlo approach. Peak ground acceleration was assessed at each point using the point-source stochastic simulation scheme, by applying the siteamplification deduced from the 1D viscoelastic models. Seismic risk scenarios weredeveloped assuming two seismic sources (a) the earthquake on August 14th 2003 with M6.2 at a distance of 13 km from Lefkada old town and (b) a future nearest maximum credible earthquake with M7 at the same distance.The discrete damage probability was resolved by formulating a beta distribution of an average damage grade related to the vulnerability and the simulated PGA through empirical equations. The obtained models are found to be comparable with co-seismic observations during the 2003 earthquake and hence they are likely appropriate for preparing future emergency plans for the target site. An adaptable Arc-GIS automated procedure to map earthquake damage scenarios is currently being developed by implementing the above mentioned methods.

OBJECTIVES: Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae are increasing worldwide, especially in ICUs, and have been associated with high mortality rates. However, unequivocally demonstrating causality of such infections to death is difficult in critically ill patients because of potential confounding and competing events. Here, we quantified the effects of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae carriage on patient outcome in two Greek ICUs with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae endemicity. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING: Two ICUs with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae endemicity. PATIENTS: Patients admitted to the ICU with an expected length of ICU stay of at least 3 days were included. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization was established through screening in perineum swabs obtained at admission and twice weekly and inoculated on chromogenic plates. Detection of carbapenemases was performed phenotypically, with confirmation by polymerase chain reaction. Risk factors for ICU mortality were evaluated using cause-specific hazard ratios and subdistribution hazard ratios, with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization as time-varying covariate. One thousand seven patients were included, 36 (3.6%) were colonized at admission, and 96 (9.5%) acquired carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization during ICU stay, and 301 (29.9%) died in ICU. Of 132 carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates, 125 (94.7%) were Klebsiella pneumoniae and 74 harbored K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (56.1%), 54 metallo-β-lactamase (40.9%), and four both (3.0%). Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization was associated with a statistically significant increase of the subdistribution hazard ratio for ICU mortality (subdistribution hazard ratio=1.79; 95% CI, 1.31-2.43), not explained by an increased daily hazard of dying (cause-specific hazard ratio for death=1.02; 95% CI, 0.74-1.41), but by an increased length of stay (cause-specific hazard ratio for discharge alive=0.73; 95% CI, 0.51-0.94). Other risk factors in the subdistribution hazard model were Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (subdistribution hazard ratio=1.13; 95% CI, 1.11-1.15), female gender (subdistribution hazard ratio=1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.62), presence of solid tumor (subdistribution hazard ratio=1.54; 95% CI, 1.15-2.06), hematopoietic malignancy (subdistribution hazard ratio=1.61; 95% CI, 1.04-2.51), and immunodeficiency (subdistribution hazard ratio=1.59; 95% CI, 1.11-2.27). CONCLUSIONS: Patients colonized with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae have on average a 1.79 times higher hazard of dying in ICU than noncolonized patients, primarily because of an increased length of stay.

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) refers to an indolent cutaneous lymphoma. The association of prognostic clinicopathological risk factors with a second hematologic malignancy has not yet been determined. We investigated the prognostic effect of clinicopathological characteristics on the occurrence of a second lymphoma, as well as the first-line treatment, in 24 patients diagnosed with LyP using logistic regression models. We showed that lymphoma occurrence was associated with a lower mean age at onset of LyP symptoms, histological types B and C, head-located LyP lesions and a higher frequency of LyP recurrences. In multivariate analyses, histologic type A was associated with a lower risk of second lymphoma (odds ratio [OR] = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.014-0.98; p = 0.045) adjusting for age of LyP first symptomatology, and an important increased lymphoma-free survival rate (long-rank test; p = 0.06). Clinicopathological characteristics are important in defining the clearance or persistence of LyP lesions and may predict the occurrence of a second lymphoma.

The new research initiative APAPES (http://apapes.physics.uoc.gr/) has already established a new experimental station with a beam line dedicated for atomic collisions physics research, at the 5 MV TANDEM accelerator of the National Research Centre "Demokritos" in Athens, Greece. A complete zero-degree Auger projectile spectroscopy (ZAPS) apparatus has been put together to perform high resolution studies of electrons emitted in ion-atom collisions. A single stage hemispherical spectrometer with a 2-dimensional Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) combined with a doubly-differentially pumped gas target will be used to perform a systematic isoelectronic investigation of K-Auger spectra emitted from collisions of preexcited and ground state He-like ions with gas targets using novel techniques. Our intention is to provide a more thorough understanding of cascade feeding of the 1s2s2p 4 P metastable states produced by electron capture in collisions of He-like ions with gas targets and further elucidate their role in the non-statistical production of excited three-electron 1s2s2p states by electron capture, recently a field of conflicting interpretations awaiting further resolution. At the moment, the apparatus is being completed and the spectrometer will soon be fully operational. Here we present the project progress and the recent high resolution spectrum obtained in collisions of 12 MeV C 4+ on a Neon gas target.

© 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Study Objective: Precocious pseudopuberty in girls occurs as a result of peripheral estrogen production, most commonly through an autonomous ovarian cyst or in patients with McCune Albright syndrome. Current management is either conservative or surgical. The aim of this study was to identify available literature on presentation, course and treatment of such cases. Design: We performed a medline literature search using the key words 'ovarian autonomous cyst' and 'pseudopuberty'. We included articles published in English, from 1980 to date relating to females aged 2 to 8 years. We excluded papers on other endocrine conditions resulting in premature puberty. Outcome Measures: Type of management, time of resolution, recurrence, progression to Central Precocious Puberty and McCune Albright Syndrome. Results: We identified 9 articles referring to 26 cases of autonomous ovarian cysts. All patients had suppressed LHRH testing and had simple ovarian cysts producing estradiol. Median age of patients was 5 years (range 2.2-8) and size of cyst was 41.5mm (9-60). Ten patients underwent cystectomy or oophorectomy, three were given cyproterone acetate and 13 were managed conservatively. Nine of 13 patients that were managed conservatively and two of those that had a cystectomy had a recurrence. There were three cases that progressed to central precocious puberty (CPP) and one case that was then identified to have McCune Albright (MCA) syndrome. One further case with multiple recurrences was given long term treatment with letrozole. Conclusion: We conclude that although a conservative approach should always be proposed in the first instance, one should be aware of the risk of recurrence and progression to CPP or MCA. Antiestrogen treatment appears promising; however data comparing it with surgical options and particularly long term consequences with regards to future reproductive outcomes are not available.

The Barremian and Aptianwere times of global plate reconfiguration and profound changes in the ocean–climate system, culminating in the worldwide deposition of lower Aptian black shale layers (OAE 1a). Based on high resolution lithostratigraphic and micropaleontological analyses, precursor conditions and timing of the anoxia are here reconstructed along a 33.06 m thick section in the proposed Barremian/Aptian boundary GSSP stratotype at Gorgo a Cerbara (Umbria–Marche Basin, Italy). A non-uniform history of benthic foraminiferal diversification is interrupted by the Selli Level (= OAE 1a) and by three turnover points for both benthic and planktic organisms, each highlighted by prominent breaks in lithology and outcrop morphology. The first two points, at ~1.1 Myr and ~20–50 kyr prior to the onset of the OAE 1a, correspond respectively to the nannoconid (=bathypelagic calcareous nannofossils) ‘decline’ and ‘crisis’ events, and separate: (a) pelagic limestone/chert-claystone lithological cycles of the uppermost Maiolica Formation, showing frequencies reminiscent of orbital eccentricity and containing an oligotrophic Barremian benthic and planktic assemblage, dominated by k-selected nannoconids and Rhizammina; (b) greenish-grey cherty marls of the lowermost Marne a Fucoidi Formation, associated to declining sedimentation rates and eutrophic early Aptian assemblages dominated by radiolarians and lituolid benthic foraminifera; and (c) anoxic radiolarites and shales of the carbonate-free Selli Level. High magnitude and frequency assemblage fluctuations occur between the nannoconid crisis (~25 cm below the lowermost OAE 1a black shale layer) and the Selli Level base, with suggestions of bottom-water acidification. At ~800 kyr after the OAE 1a end, a third turnover point in the basal reddish member of the Marne a Fucoidi highlights ‘middle’ Aptian assemblages characterized by a bloom of early macroperforate planktic foraminifera (Hedbergella spp.) and appearances of new benthic species, marking a shift towards better oxygenation. OAE 1a oxygen and pelagic carbonate factory crises are here suggested to have been step-wise and linked to global warming conditions.

We present the spectral signatures of the Bethe-Heitler pair production (pe) process on the spectral energy distribution (SED) of blazars, in scenarios where the hard γ-ray emission is of photohadronic origin. If relativistic protons interact with the synchrotron blazar photons producing γ rays through photopion processes, we show that, besides the ∼2-20 PeV neutrino emission, the typical blazar SED should have an emission feature due to the synchrotron emission of pe secondaries that bridges the gap between the low- and high-energy humps of the SED, namely in the energy range 40 keV-40 MeV. We first present analytical expressions for the photopion and pe loss rates in terms of observable quantities of blazar emission. For the pe loss rate in particular, we derive a new approximate analytical expression for the case of a power-law photon distribution, which has an excellent accuracy with the numerically calculated exact one, especially at energies much above the threshold for pair production. We show that for typical blazar parameters, the photopair synchrotron emission emerges in the hard X-ray/soft γ-ray energy range with a characteristic spectral shape and non-negligible flux, which may even be comparable to the hard γ-ray flux produced through photopion processes. We argue that the expected `pe bumps' are a natural consequence of leptohadronic models, and as such, they may indicate that blazars with a three-hump SED are possible emitters of high-energy neutrinos.

We present the spectral signatures of the Bethe-Heitler pair production (pe) process on the spectral energy distribution (SED) of blazars, in scenarios where the hard γ-ray emission is of photohadronic origin. If relativistic protons interact with the synchrotron blazar photons producing γ rays through photopion processes, we show that, besides the ∼2-20 PeV neutrino emission, the typical blazar SED should have an emission feature due to the synchrotron emission of pe secondaries that bridges the gap between the low- and high-energy humps of the SED, namely in the energy range 40 keV-40 MeV. We first present analytical expressions for the photopion and pe loss rates in terms of observable quantities of blazar emission. For the pe loss rate in particular, we derive a new approximate analytical expression for the case of a power-law photon distribution, which has an excellent accuracy with the numerically calculated exact one, especially at energies much above the threshold for pair production. We show that for typical blazar parameters, the photopair synchrotron emission emerges in the hard X-ray/soft γ-ray energy range with a characteristic spectral shape and non-negligible flux, which may even be comparable to the hard γ-ray flux produced through photopion processes. We argue that the expected `pe bumps' are a natural consequence of leptohadronic models, and as such, they may indicate that blazars with a three-hump SED are possible emitters of high-energy neutrinos.

Big Events are processes like macroeconomic transitions that have lowered social well-being in various settings in the past. Greece has been hit by the global crisis and experienced an HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs. Since the crisis began (2008), Greece has seen population displacement, inter-communal violence, cuts in governmental expenditures, and social movements. These may have affected normative regulation, networks, and behaviors. However, most pathways to risk remain unknown or unmeasured. We use what is known and unknown about the Greek HIV outbreak to suggest modifications in Big Events models and the need for additional research.

Big Events are processes like macroeconomic transitions that have lowered social well-being in various settings in the past. Greece has been hit by the global crisis and experienced an HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs. Since the crisis began (2008), Greece has seen population displacement, inter-communal violence, cuts in governmental expenditures, and social movements. These may have affected normative regulation, networks, and behaviors. However, most pathways to risk remain unknown or unmeasured. We use what is known and unknown about the Greek HIV outbreak to suggest modifications in Big Events models and the need for additional research.

Bone defects can be congenital or acquired resulting from trauma, infection, neoplasm and failed arthroplasty. The osseous reconstruction of these defects is challenging. Unfortunately, none of the current techniques for the repair of bone defects has proven to be fully satisfactory. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is the field of regenerative medicine (RM) that focuses on alternative treatment options for bone defects that will ideally address all the issues of the traditional techniques in treating large bone defects. However, current techniques of BTE is laborious and have their own shortcomings. More recently, 2D and 3D bone printing has been introduced to overcome most of the limitations of bone grafts and BTE. So far, results are extremely promising, setting new frontiers in the management of bone defects.

BACKGROUND: Current clinical guidelines consider regimens consisting of either ritonavir-boosted atazanavir or ritonavir-boosted lopinavir and a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbone among their recommended and alternative first-line antiretroviral regimens. However, these guidelines are based on limited evidence from randomized clinical trials and clinical experience. METHODS: We compared these regimens with respect to clinical, immunologic, and virologic outcomes using data from prospective studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals in Europe and the United States in the HIV-CAUSAL Collaboration, 2004-2013. Antiretroviral therapy-naive and AIDS-free individuals were followed from the time they started a lopinavir or an atazanavir regimen. We estimated the 'intention-to-treat' effect for atazanavir vs lopinavir regimens on each of the outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 6668 individuals started a lopinavir regimen (213 deaths, 457 AIDS-defining illnesses or deaths), and 4301 individuals started an atazanavir regimen (83 deaths, 157 AIDS-defining illnesses or deaths). The adjusted intention-to-treat hazard ratios for atazanavir vs lopinavir regimens were 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], .53-.91) for death, 0.67 (95% CI, .55-.82) for AIDS-defining illness or death, and 0.91 (95% CI, .84-.99) for virologic failure at 12 months. The mean 12-month increase in CD4 count was 8.15 (95% CI, -.13 to 16.43) cells/µL higher in the atazanavir group. Estimates differed by NRTI backbone. CONCLUSIONS: Our estimates are consistent with a lower mortality, a lower incidence of AIDS-defining illness, a greater 12-month increase in CD4 cell count, and a smaller risk of virologic failure at 12 months for atazanavir compared with lopinavir regimens.

© 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Introduction: Minor breast concerns in childhood and adolescence are common and lead to increased anxiety among young patients and their families, particularly due to high correlation with breast cancer. However, most breast services aim at managing adults and triaging patients with breast cancer, whereas adolescent medicine specialists or pediatricians are usually not appropriately trained to identify and treat breast pathology. Methods: We reviewed hospital records of all patients attending a pediatric and adolescent gynecology or breast clinic of a tertiary referral hospital, with a breast related symptom, between January 2009 and December 2011. We collected information regarding age at presentation, age at menarche, diagnosis, management and outcome. Results: We identified 81 patients of which 11 presented with an abnormal nipple or areolar secretion, 33 had a palpable lump, 20 had mastitis, and 16 had unequal breast development. One patient presented with virginal breast hypertrophy. Three out of 11 of the patients with an abnormal secretion had a cyst identified on ultrasonography. Out of the palpable lumps 12 were fibroadenomas, 3 were phyllodes tumors, and 14 were cystic in nature. The phyllodes tumors and half of the fibroadenomas were removed. The remaining fibroadenomas remain under regular ultrasonographic follow-up. All cases of mastitis were treated conservatively and resolved with broad spectrum antibiotic treatment. Conclusion: In our series, no malignancies were identified. Although 8 patients required surgical treatment, the majority of cases were treated conservatively.

BACKGROUND: Aside from the known role of common bacteria, there is a paucity of data regarding the possible role of atypical bacteria and viruses in exacerbations of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. OBJECTIVE: To explore the possible role of atypical bacteria (namely, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as causative agents of bronchiectasis exacerbations. METHODS: A cohort of 33 patients was studied over a two-year period (one year follow-up for each patient). Polymerase chain reaction for the detection of M pneumoniae, C pneumoniae and RSV in bronchoalveolar lavage samples were performed during all visits. Antibody titres (immunoglobulin [Ig]M and IgG) against the aforementioned pathogens were also measured. In addition, cultures for common bacteria and mycobacteria were performed from the bronchoalveolar lavage samples. RESULTS: Fifteen patients experienced a total of 19 exacerbations during the study period. Although RSV was detected by polymerase chain reaction during stable visits in four patients, it was never detected during an exacerbation. M pneumoniae and C pneumoniae were never detected at stable visits or during exacerbations. IgM antibody titres for these three pathogens were negative in all patient visits. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical pathogens and RSV did not appear to be causative agents of bronchiectasis exacerbations.

Copyright © 2015 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. Purpose/Aim: To evaluate the association between the Bsm1 vitamin D receptor polymorphism and the calcium-vitamin D-parathormone axis following bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 86 morbidly obese patients, who underwent either gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, with a mean follow-up of four years. Calcium metabolism indices and bone turnover markers were assessed according to the presence of secondary hyperparathyroidism and the Bsm1 vitamin D receptor genotypes. Results: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (42.2% of sample) was associated with lower levels of 25hydroxyvitamin D and elevated markers of bone turnover. In subjects without secondary hyperparathyroidism, presence of the unfavorable B allele resulted in higher levels of parathormone (Bb and BB vs. bb genotype: 50.3 ± 8.2 pg/dl vs. 44.4 ± 10.7 pg/dl, p = .011, adjusted for weight loss, baseline body mass index, 25hydroxyvitamin D, surgical procedure, and duration after surgery). In the whole sample, patients bearing the unfavorable B allele exhibited lower weight loss, a parameter that was negatively associated with markers of bone resorption. Conclusions: Secondary hyperparathyroidism is highly prevalent after bariatric surgery. Bsm1 vitamin D receptor polymorphism may have an effect in early stages of calcium metabolism imbalance, while no association is detected in patients who have already developed secondary hyperparathyroidism. Moreover, vitamin D receptor polymorphism is associated with post-surgery weight loss, a process related to bone turnover.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant calcium signaling is considered one of the key mechanisms contributing to arrhythmias, especially in the context of heart failure. In human heart failure, there is significant down-regulation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) protein junctin, and junctin deficiency in mice is associated with stress-induced arrhythmias. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the increased SR Ca(2+) leak and arrhythmias associated with junctin ablation may be associated with increased calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity and phosphorylation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and whether pharmacologic inhibition of CaMKII activity may prevent these arrhythmias. METHODS: Using a combination of biochemical, cellular, and in vivo approaches, we tested the ability of KN-93 to reverse aberrant CaMKII phosphorylation of RyR2. Specifically, we performed protein phosphorylation analysis, in vitro cardiomyocyte contractility and Ca(2+) kinetics, and in vivo ECG analysis in junctin-deficient mice. RESULTS: In the absence of junctin, RyR2 channels displayed CaMKII-dependent hyperphosphorylation. Notably, CaMKII inhibition by KN-93 reduced the in vivo incidence of stress-induced ventricular tachycardia by 65% in junctin null mice. At the cardiomyocyte level, KN-93 reduced the percentage of junctin null cells exhibiting spontaneous Ca(2+) aftertransients and aftercontractions under stress conditions by 35% and 37%, respectively. At the molecular level, KN-93 blunted the CaMKII-mediated hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 and phospholamban under stress conditions. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that CaMKII inhibition is effective in preventing arrhythmogenesis in the setting of junctin ablation through modulation of both SR Ca(2+) release and uptake. Thus, it merits further investigation as promising molecular therapy.

Membranes consisting of ultrathin, oriented, single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) micropores with a diameter of ∼4 Å were developed. c-Oriented AFI-type aluminophosphate (AlPO) films (AlPO4-5 and CoAPO-5), consisting of parallel channels 7.3 Å in diameter, were first fabricated by seeded growth on macroporous alumina supports, and used as templates for synthesis of CNTs inside the zeolitic channels by thermal treatment, utilizing the structure directing agent (amine) occluded in the channels as carbon source. Incorporation of CNTs inside the AFI channels altered the transport mechanism of all permeating gases tested, and imposed a substantial increase in their permeation rates, in comparison to the AlPO4-5 membrane, despite the pore size reduction due to nanotube growth. The enhancement of the permeation rates is attributed to repulsive potentials between gas molecules and occluded nanotubes, which limit adsorption strength and enhance diffusivity, coupled to the smooth SWCNT surface that enables fast diffusion through the nanotube interior. Separation ability, evaluated with respect to H2 and CO2 gases, was enhanced by using polysterene as defect-blocking medium on both AlPO and CNT/AlPO membranes and was preserved after CNT growth. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

AIMS: H2S is known to confer cardioprotection; however, the pathways mediating its effects in vivo remain incompletely understood. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the contribution of cGMP-regulated pathways in the infarct-limiting effect of H2S in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Anaesthetized rabbits were subjected to myocardial ischaemia (I)/reperfusion (R), and infarct size was determined in control or H2S-exposed groups. The H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, an agent that generates H2S) increased cardiac cGMP and reduced the infarct size. The cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)-I inhibitor DT2 abrogated the protective effect of NaHS, whereas the control peptide TAT or l-nitroarginine methyl ester (l-NAME) did not alter the effect of NaHS. Moreover, the KATP channel inhibitor, glibenclamide, partially reversed the effects of NaHS, whereas inhibition of mitochondrial KATP did not modify the NaHS response. NaHS enhanced phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLN), in a PKG-dependent manner. To further investigate the role of PLN in H2S-mediated cardioprotection, wild-type and PLN KO mice underwent I/R. NaHS did not exert cardioprotection in PLN KO mice. Unlike what was observed in rabbits, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of eNOS abolished the infarct-limiting effect of NaHS in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate (i) that administration of NaHS induces cardioprotection via a cGMP/PKG/PLN pathway and (ii) contribution of nitric oxide to the H2S response is species-specific.

While survival times have increased over the last decade, most patients with multiple myeloma (MM) eventually relapse and become refractory to therapy. The treatment of patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM is frequently further complicated by the presence of pre-existing comorbidities that arise from an advanced disease state and of toxicities stemming from prior antimyeloma treatment. Carfilzomib and pomalidomide have recently been approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory MM. While these agents represent important additions to the available treatment options, the identification of patients who may best benefit from the use of each of therapy is still being investigated. A number of patient-related and disease-related factors may impact treatment efficacy and/or tolerability, and the clinical presentation and medical history of each patient must be carefully considered to optimize treatment. Here, we review results from carfilzomib and pomalidomide clinical trials in patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM who also have baseline comorbidities or treatment-induced or disease-induced complications (including the presence of renal impairment, cardiac risk factors, peripheral neuropathy, or high-risk chromosomal abnormalities) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the two agents in these difficult-to-treat patients and to provide treatment recommendations specific to each scenario. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Background Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone is a reference treatment for relapsed multiple myeloma. The combination of the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib with lenalidomide and dexamethasone has shown efficacy in a phase 1 and 2 study in relapsed multiple myeloma. Methods We randomly assigned 792 patients with relapsed multiple myeloma to carfilzomib with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (carfilzomib group) or lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone (control group). The primary end point was progression-free survival. Results Progression-free survival was significantly improved with carfilzomib (median, 26.3 months, vs. 17.6 months in the control group; hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 0.83; P = 0.0001). The median overall survival was not reached in either group at the interim analysis. The Kaplan-Meier 24-month overall survival rates were 73.3% and 65.0% in the carfilzomib and control groups, respectively (hazard ratio for death, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.99; P = 0.04). The rates of overall response (partial response or better) were 87.1% and 66.7% in the carfilzomib and control groups, respectively (P<0.001; 31.8% and 9.3% of patients in the respective groups had a complete response or better; 14.1% and 4.3% had a stringent complete response). Adverse events of grade 3 or higher were reported in 83.7% and 80.7% of patients in the carfilzomib and control groups, respectively; 15.3% and 17.7% of patients discontinued treatment owing to adverse events. Patients in the carfilzomib group reported superior health-related quality of life. Conclusions In patients with relapsed multiple myeloma, the addition of carfilzomib to lenalidomide and dexamethasone resulted in significantly improved progression-free survival at the interim analysis and had a favorable risk-benefit profile. (Funded by Onyx Pharmaceuticals; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01080391.) Copyright © 2015 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene variants are a major contributor to pigmentation characteristics and the modulation of sporadic basal cell carcinoma (BCC) risk. This is a hospital-based, case-control study to investigate the association of MC1R variants and pigmentary characteristics with the risk of BCC development in a Southern European population in Greece. In total, 141 patients with BCC and 166 controls were studied. Increased BCC risk was found for the presence of 2 or more MC1R variants (OR:3.07, 95% CI:1.13-8.34), or 2 or more variants of which at least 1 was major function (OR:7.15, 95% CI:1.37-5.52), after adjustment for the 'red hair colour' (RHC) phenotype. Increased BCC risk persisted in the presence of 2 or more MC1R variants (OR:4.15, 95% CI:1.35-12.72), after adjustment for potential confounding factors including skin color (P:0.237) and atypical nevi (OR:9.57, 95% CI:2.19-41.81, P:0.003). MC1R genotype is a risk factor for the development of BCC in Greek patients independently of pigmentary characteristics, and the combination of MC1R variants may modulate this risk.

We consider estimation and goodness–of–fit tests in GARCH models with innovations following a heavy–tailed and possibly asymmetric distribution. Although the method is fairly general and applies to GARCH models with arbitrary innovation distribution, we consider as special instances the stable Paretian, the variance gamma and the normal inverse Gaussian distribution. Exploiting the simple structure of the characteristic function of these distributions we propose minimum distance estimation based on the empirical characteristic function of properly standardized GARCH–residuals. The finite–sample results presented facilitate comparison with existing methods, while the new procedures are also applied to real data from the financial market.

Abstract The operation of a phosphate fertilizer industry in Drapetsona, near Piraeus port (Greece), resulted in the deposition of 10 million tons of phosphogypsum (PG) into an old limestone quarry, in the period 1979-1989. The whole deposit has been recently remediated using geomembranes and thick soil cover with vegetation. The purpose of the present study was to characterize representative samples of that phosphogypsum, using diffraction (powder-XRD), microscopic (SEM-EDS), analytical (ICP-MS), and spectroscopic techniques (High-resolution γ-ray spectrometry and XRF). The material contains crystalline gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) and Ca-Si-Al-S-F (chukhrovite-type/meniaylovite) phases. The natural radioactivity is mainly due to the $^{238}$U series and particularly $^{226}$Ra (average: 462 Bq/kg), which is relatively low compared to PG from the rest of the world. Furthermore, leaching experiments using local (Attica) rainwater, together with ICP-MS, were performed to assess the potential release of elements in the environment.

© 2015 International Menopause Society. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the association between circulating androgens and the presence of psychological symptoms in a sample of healthy middle-aged women. Methods Psychological and depressive symptoms were evaluated in a total of 207 postmenopausal women, using the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90R) and the Zung Depression Scale, respectively. We investigated the associations between the SCL-90R and Zung Scale scores, and anthropometric, lifestyle parameters, as well as serum levels of androgens. Results The free androgen index was positively associated with scores of depression (b-coefficient ± standard error (SE) = 0.2 ± 0.2, p = 0.040), anxiety (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.2 ± 0.2, p = 0.028), anger/aggressiveness (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.3 ± 0.2, p = 0.026), psychotism (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.3 ± 0.1, p = 0.013) as well as with the global index of the SCL-90R scale (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.2 ± 0.1, p = 0.036), while sex hormone binding globulin was negatively associated with depression (b-coefficient ± SE = -0.2 ± 0.0, p = 0.046) and psychotism (b-coefficient ± SE = -0.2 ± 0.0, p = 0.047). These associations were independent of vasomotor symptomatology, smoking and hormone therapy intake and were more pronounced in younger (≤ 5.5 years) compared to older postmenopausal women. Levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were positively associated with interpersonal sensitivity (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.3 ± 0.3, p = 0.042), psychotism (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.4 ± 0.2, p = 0.007) and the global index (b-coefficient ± SE = 0.3 ± 0.2, p = 0.040) in women < 5.5 years postmenopausal. No significant associations were observed between the Zung or Greene Scale scores and levels of androgens. Conclusion Higher androgenicity was positively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in postmenopausal women. These associations were stronger in women closer to the menopausal transition, a finding which may suggest that menopause rather than aging may mediate the association of androgens with mood disorders.

The main objective of this study is to investigate the variability of the thermohaline characteristics of the deep-water masses in the Aegean Sea and the possible impact of the regional atmospheric forcing variability by analyzing the available oceanographic and atmospheric datasets for the period of 1960–2012. During this period the variability of the deep water characteristics of the Aegean sub-basins is found to be very large as well as the diversity of the deep water characteristics among the sub-basins. The Central Aegean seems to play the key role in the Aegean deep water formation processes. Due to its small size, the Aegean Sea surface responds rapidly to the meteorological changes and/or the variability of the lateral fluxes and this variability propagates in the thermohaline characteristics of the deep water masses of the basin through deep water formation processes. There are many episodes characterized by a tight coupling of the atmosphere and the ocean during the examined period, with the Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) being the most prominent case. We suggest that deep water formation is triggered mostly by the combination of preconditioning during early winter and/or previous winters together with the number of subsequent extreme events during present winter and not only by the total amount of the extreme heat loss winter days.

The goal of this study is to contribute to the climatology of upper air temperature in the Mediterranean region, during the period 1965-2011. For this purpose, both radiosonde recordings and gridded reanalysis datasets of upper air temperature from National Center for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) were used for seven barometric levels at 850. hPa, 700. hPa, 500. hPa, 300. hPa, 200. hPa, 150. hPa and 100. hPa. Trends and variability of upper air temperature were analyzed on annual and seasonal basis. Further, the impact of atmospheric circulation, by means of correlation between upper air temperature at different barometric levels and specific climatic indices such as Mediterranean Oscillation Index (MOI), North Sea Caspian Pattern Index (NCPI) and North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), was also quantified. Our findings have given evidence that air temperature is increasing at a higher rate in lower/middle troposphere against upper, and this is very likely due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Although survival outcomes have improved over the last decade for patients with multiple myeloma (MM), few patients remain free of disease and most inevitably relapse. Selecting a treatment for patients with relapsed MM is challenging given the number and diversity of regimens patients may have previously received, which can affect subsequent therapeutic choices. Importantly, a number of patient- and disease-related factors can also have an effect on treatment choice, treatment efficacy, and tolerability; thus, an understanding of the heterogeneity of patients in the setting of relapsed MM is important for appropriate treatment selection. Here, we review select patient and disease characteristics reported in key interventional and observational studies in relapsed MM (including age, sex, race, and the presence of high-risk disease, renal impairment, or peripheral neuropathy at baseline) to examine common and disparate features of patients with relapsed MM. As therapeutic regimens can have varying efficacy and/or tolerability in patients depending on these factors, we also provide treatment recommendations for patients with select baseline characteristics. © 2015 The Authors.

We document surface coccolithophore species composition along a N-S transect from New Zealand to the Ross Sea, across the fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Emiliania huxleyi is the most abundant coccolithophore species throughout, with high concentration in the northernmost samples, in the Polar Frontal Zone and at the Polar Front. Three E. huxleyi morphotypes, A, B/C and O were recognized and show different biogeographic distributions along the investigated transect. Coccolithophore distribution appears to be strongly controlled by the location of oceanographic fronts, with minor species (Calcidiscus leptoporus, Syracosphaera spp., Acanthoica quattrospina, Umbellosphaera tenuis, Corisphaera strigilis and other holococcolithophores) largely restricted to the northern Sub-Antarctic Zone, only showing minor occurrence in the southern Sub-Antarctic Zone and being very rare in the Polar Frontal Zone. Our data confirm previous findings and add new information on the biogeography of minor coccolithophore species in relation with oceanographic features. Overall, integration with previous data on the southern extent distribution of E. huxleyi showed no significant temporal shifts in the polar dynamic perspective of the species since early observations.

Numerous specimens of coccolithophore combination coccospheres in water samples collected from the North Aegean and Tyrrhenian (Mediterranean Sea) have been photographed using the scanning electron microscope.As a consequence a series of taxonomic revisions are proposed, in which the names of the heterococcolithophores and holococcolithophores involved in the same life-cycle are synonymized. This has resulted in synonymizing the genus Coronosphaera with Syracosphaera and establishing one new combination; Syracosphaera arethusae (Kamptner 1941) comb. nov.

In 2012 Markarian 421 underwent the largest flare ever observed in this blazar at radio frequencies. In the present study, we start exploring this unique event and compare it to a less extreme event in 2013. We use 15 GHz radio data obtained with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory 40-m telescope, 95 GHz millimetre data from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy, and GeV γ-ray data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The radio light curves during the flaring periods in 2012 and 2013 have very different appearances, in both shape and peak flux density. Assuming that the radio and γ-ray flares are physically connected, we attempt to model the most prominent sub-flares of the 2012 and 2013 activity periods by using the simplest possible theoretical framework. We first fit a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model to the less extreme 2013 flare and estimate parameters describing the emission region. We then model the major γ-ray and radio flares of 2012 using the same framework. The 2012 γ-ray flare shows two distinct spikes of similar amplitude, so we examine scenarios associating the radio flare with each spike in turn. In the first scenario, we cannot explain the sharp radio flare with a simple SSC model, but we can accommodate this by adding plausible time variations to the Doppler beaming factor. In the second scenario, a varying Doppler factor is not needed, but the SSC model parameters require fine-tuning. Both alternatives indicate that the sharp radio flare, if physically connected to the preceding γ-ray flares, can be reproduced only for a very specific choice of parameters.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations have differed nationally and internationally with respect to the best time to start antiretroviral therapy (ART). We compared effectiveness of three strategies for initiation of ART in high-income countries for HIV-positive individuals who do not have AIDS: immediate initiation, initiation at a CD4 count less than 500 cells per μL, and initiation at a CD4 count less than 350 cells per μL. METHODS: We used data from the HIV-CAUSAL Collaboration of cohort studies in Europe and the USA. We included 55,826 individuals aged 18 years or older who were diagnosed with HIV-1 infection between January, 2000, and September, 2013, had not started ART, did not have AIDS, and had CD4 count and HIV-RNA viral load measurements within 6 months of HIV diagnosis. We estimated relative risks of death and of death or AIDS-defining illness, mean survival time, the proportion of individuals in need of ART, and the proportion of individuals with HIV-RNA viral load less than 50 copies per mL, as would have been recorded under each ART initiation strategy after 7 years of HIV diagnosis. We used the parametric g-formula to adjust for baseline and time-varying confounders. FINDINGS: Median CD4 count at diagnosis of HIV infection was 376 cells per μL (IQR 222-551). Compared with immediate initiation, the estimated relative risk of death was 1·02 (95% CI 1·01-1·02) when ART was started at a CD4 count less than 500 cells per μL, and 1·06 (1·04-1·08) with initiation at a CD4 count less than 350 cells per μL. Corresponding estimates for death or AIDS-defining illness were 1·06 (1·06-1·07) and 1·20 (1·17-1·23), respectively. Compared with immediate initiation, the mean survival time at 7 years with a strategy of initiation at a CD4 count less than 500 cells per μL was 2 days shorter (95% CI 1-2) and at a CD4 count less than 350 cells per μL was 5 days shorter (4-6). 7 years after diagnosis of HIV, 100%, 98·7% (95% CI 98·6-98·7), and 92·6% (92·2-92·9) of individuals would have been in need of ART with immediate initiation, initiation at a CD4 count less than 500 cells per μL, and initiation at a CD4 count less than 350 cells per μL, respectively. Corresponding proportions of individuals with HIV-RNA viral load less than 50 copies per mL at 7 years were 87·3% (87·3-88·6), 87·4% (87·4-88·6), and 83·8% (83·6-84·9). INTERPRETATION: The benefits of immediate initiation of ART, such as prolonged survival and AIDS-free survival and increased virological suppression, were small in this high-income setting with relatively low CD4 count at HIV diagnosis. The estimated beneficial effect on AIDS is less than in recently reported randomised trials. Increasing rates of HIV testing might be as important as a policy of early initiation of ART. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of prophylactic single fixed dose of pegfilgrastim and daily administration of filgrastim on febrile neutropenia (FN), severe neutropenia, treatment delay, and dose reduction in patients with breast cancer receiving dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study with 1058 breast cancer patients matched by age and chemotherapy was conducted. The primary endpoints were FN, severe (grade 3, 4) neutropenia, dose reduction (>10 % reduction of the dose planned), and treatment delay (dose given more than 2 days later). Results: Eighteen episodes of FN (3.4 %) in the filgrastim group and 23 (4.3 %) in the pegfilgrastim group (p = 0.500) were recorded. More than half of the total episodes (27/41) occurred during the first 4 cycles of treatment. Patients who received filgrastim were almost three times more likely to experience a severe neutropenia episode and were significantly more likely to experience a dose reduction (18.5 %) compared to those who received pegfilgrastim (10.8 %) (p < 0.001). The percentage of patients, who received their planned dose on time, was significantly lower in patients receiving filgrastim (58 %) compared to those receiving pegfilgrastim (72.4 %, p < 0.001). Conclusions: No significant difference was detected on FN rate between daily administration of filgrastim and single administration of pegfilgrastim. However, patients receiving pegfilgrastim had a significantly lower rate of severe neutropenia, as well as dose reduction and treatment delay, thus, achieving a higher dose density. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Inflammatory responses and muscle damage indices were compared between four popular team sports at an elite level. Seventy two male elite players of four team sports: soccer (n = 18), basketball (n = 18), volleyball (n = 18) and handball (n = 18), completed an official match, while 18 non-athletes served as controls. Blood samples were drawn before, immediately after and 13 and 37 h post-match. Soccer produced the greatest increase in inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6), which were increased by 3-4 fold immediately after the game, as well as in C-reactive protein, which was increased by threefold in the next morning after the match. Metabolic stress (urea, ammonia and cortisol) and muscle damage indices (creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) were also higher after soccer, with creatine kinase responses being almost 2-3 times higher than the other sports. Volleyball showed the smallest increase in inflammation and muscle damage markers compared with the other three sports. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis.

The aim of this study was to compare the inflammatory responses between male and female soccer players for a period of 48 hours after an official match. Blood samples were taken from 83 subjects (22 elite male and 21 elite female soccer players and 20 male and 20 female inactive individuals) in the morning of the game day, immediately after the soccer game and 24 and 48 hours after the match. Average relative exercise intensity during the match was similar in male and female players, as indicated by mean heart rate that was 86.9 ± 4.3 and 85.6 ± 2.3% of maximal heart rate (p 0.23), respectively. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) increased 2- to 4-fold above resting values, peaking immediately after the match. C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatine kinase peaked 24 hours after the match. Interleukin 6, CRP, and creatine kinase responses were similar in male and female players, but the peak in TNF-α was 18% higher in male players. Interleukin 6, TNF-α, and CRP at rest were lower in male and female players compared with the control subjects, suggesting a protective effect of regular exercise training regarding the inflammatory profile. The results of this study show that a soccer match induces significant inflammatory responses in both male and female players, with only TNF-α peak values being lower in females. Because of the effects of inflammatory responses on performance and health of the players, it is suggested that coaches and trainers should adjust exercise training programs after a match to promote recovery and protect the athletes' health. © 2015 National Strength and Conditioning Association.

The aim of this study was to compare the inflammatory responses between male and female soccer players for a period of 48 hours after an official match. Blood samples were taken from 83 subjects (22 elite male and 21 elite female soccer players and 20 male and 20 female inactive individuals) in the morning of the game day, immediately after the soccer game and 24 and 48 hours after the match. Average relative exercise intensity during the match was similar in male and female players, as indicated by mean heart rate that was 86.9 ± 4.3 and 85.6 ± 2.3% of maximal heart rate (p 0.23), respectively. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) increased 2- to 4-fold above resting values, peaking immediately after the match. C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatine kinase peaked 24 hours after the match. Interleukin 6, CRP, and creatine kinase responses were similar in male and female players, but the peak in TNF-α was 18% higher in male players. Interleukin 6, TNF-α, and CRP at rest were lower in male and female players compared with the control subjects, suggesting a protective effect of regular exercise training regarding the inflammatory profile. The results of this study show that a soccer match induces significant inflammatory responses in both male and female players, with only TNF-α peak values being lower in females. Because of the effects of inflammatory responses on performance and health of the players, it is suggested that coaches and trainers should adjust exercise training programs after a match to promote recovery and protect the athletes' health. © 2015 National Strength and Conditioning Association.

© 2015 by John Wiley {&} Sons Ltd. All rights reserved. Female genital reconstruction remains a highly controversial and emotive topic. Whilst short-term surgical complications of such procedures occur and are important to manage correctly, it is the long-term complications that have caused such concern and debate. Correlation of any particular surgical procedure to its later success or failure can be almost impossible. Complications of genital surgery such as vaginal stenosis may make intercourse painful or impossible, but the pediatric surgeon responsible for the initial vaginal reconstruction will never have the opportunity to follow patients into adult life when such complications become apparent. The success of genital reconstruction in sexual function and reproduction is often not tested until many years after the procedure. Surgeons and procedures change and adult patients may have had operations that have long been modified or abandoned in favor of something else.

This study presents the species composition of living coccolithophore communities in the Aegean Sea (northeastern Mediterranean), investigating their spatial and temporal variations in various environmental conditions from mesotrophic to ultra- oligotrophic regions. Coccolithophores of the photic zone in the Aegean Sea are relatively diverse (65 heterococcolithophores and 34 holococcolithophores) and dominated mostly by Emiliania huxleyi, Syracosphaera spp., Rhabdosphaeraceae and holococcolithophores. Hierarchical classification using R-mode cluster analysis distinguished five coccolithophore groups: Group Ia (Emiliania huxleyi, Syracosphaera molischii and Syracosphaera ossa) prevails in the high cell density and low diversity assemblages during the winter and early spring, when low temperatures and high nutrient concentrations are prevailing. Particularly in the north Aegean, E. huxleyi is dominating the upper photic zone being affected by the Black Sea Water inflow and the associated control on the water column stratification. Group Ib (Florisphaera profunda, Algirosphaera robusta, Syracosphaera anthos and Syracosphaera lamina) becomes important in the lower photic zone, making up the typical deep assemblages, whereas Group Ic (mainly Helicosphaera carteri and Gephyrocapsa oceanica) implies an opportunistic behavior in distinctly polluted neritic regions. Group IIa (Rhabdosphaera clavigera, Syracosphaera protrudens, Syracosphaera halldalii and numerous holococcolithophores) dominates the late spring-early autumn low cell density and high diversity assemblages, mainly in the thermally-stratified south Aegean and/or shallow, coastal environments with normal/ oligotrophic conditions, while Group IIb (Umbellosphaera tenuis and Syracosphaera pulchra) dominates the coccolithophore assemblages mainly during the early autumn in the north Aegean, thus reflecting the influence of Levantine Intermediate Water masses in the middle-lower photic zone. Our results suggest that abundance and variability in Aegean Sea coccolithophore assemblages are primarily controlled by surface water circulation and the associated water column stratification,with the sea temperature gradient affecting species composition.

In this paper we take as our point of departure Kostas Gavroglu and Yorgos Goudaroulis’s insight that, in the process of describing and explaining novel phenomena, scientific concepts are taken “out of” their original theoretical context, acquire additional meaning, and become relatively autonomous. We first present their account of how concepts are re-contextualized and, in the process, extended and/or revised. We then situate it within its philosophical context, and discuss how it broke with a long-standing philosophical tradition about concepts. Finally, we argue that recent developments in science studies can flesh out and vindicate the “concepts out of contexts” idea. In particular, historical and philosophical studies of experimentation and cognitive-historical studies of modeling practices indicate various ways in which concepts are formed and articulated “out of context”.

   

We present a method of constraining the properties of the γ-ray emitting region in flat spectrum radio quasars in the one-zone proton synchrotron model, where the γ-rays are produced by synchrotron radiation of relativistic protons. We show that for low enough values of the Doppler factor δ, the emission from the electromagnetic (EM) cascade which is initiated by the internal absorption of high-energy photons from photohadronic interactions may exceed the observed ∼GeV flux. We use that effect to derive an absolute lower limit of δ; first, an analytical one, in the asymptotic limit where the external radiation from the broad-line region (BLR) is negligible, and then a numerical one in the more general case that includes BLR radiation. As its energy density in the emission region depends on δ and the region's distance from the galactic centre, we use the EM cascade to determine a minimum distance for each value of δ. We complement the EM cascade constraint with one derived from variability arguments and apply our method to the FSRQ 3C 273. We find that δ ≳ 18-20 for B ≲ 30 G and ∼day time-scale variability; the emission region is located outside the BLR, namely at r ≳ 10RBLR ∼ 3 pc; the model requires at pc-scale distances stronger magnetic fields than those inferred from core shift observations; while the jet power exceeds by at least one order of magnitude the accretion power. In short, our results disfavour the proton synchrotron model for the FSRQ 3C 273.

Contact binaries are the most frequently observed type of eclipsing star system. They are small, cool, low-mass binaries belonging to a relatively old stellar population. They follow certain empirical relationships that closely connect a number of physical parameters with each other, largely because of constraints coming from the Roche geometry. As a result, contact binaries provide an excellent test of stellar evolution, specifically for stellar merger scenarios. Observing campaigns by many authors have led to the cataloging of thousands of contact binaries and enabled statistical studies of many of their properties. A large number of contact binaries have been found to exhibit extraordinary behavior, requiring follow-up observations to study their peculiarities in detail. For example, a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system consisting of a contact binary and a detached binary is a highly constrained system offering an excellent laboratory to test evolutionary theories for binaries. A new observing project was initiated at the University of Athens in 2012 in order to investigate the possible lower limit for the orbital period of binary systems before coalescence, prior to merging.

Purpose: Continuous therapy (CT) prolongs progression-free survival 1 (PFS1; time from random assignment until the first progression or death), but chemotherapy-resistant relapse may negatively impact overall survival (OS). Progression-free survival 2 (PFS2; time from random assignment until the second progression or death) may represent an additional tool to estimate outcome. This study evaluates the benefit of novel agent-based CT versus fixed duration of therapy (FDT) in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. Methods: We included patients enrolled onto three phase III trials that randomly assigned patients to novel agent-based CT versus FDT. Primary analyses were restricted to the intent-to-treat population eligible for CT (patients progression free and alive at 1 year after random assignment). Primary end points were PFS1, PFS2, and OS. All hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were adjusted for several potential confounders using Cox models. Results: In the pooled analysis of the three trials, 604 patients were randomly assigned to CT and 614 were assigned to FDT. Median follow-up was 52 months. In the intent-to-treat CT population, CT (n = 417), compared with FDT (n = 410), significantly improved PFS1 (median, 32 v 16 months, respectively; HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.56; P < .001), PFS2 (median, 55 v 40 months, respectively; HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.75; P < .001), and OS (4-year OS, 69% v 60%, respectively; HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.88; P = .003). Conclusion: In this pooled analysis, CT significantly improved PFS1, PFS2, and OS. The improvement in PFS2 suggests that the benefit reported during first remission is not cancelled by a shorter second remission. PFS2 is a valuable end point to estimate long-term clinical benefit and should be included in future trials. Copyright © 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Impaired mitochondrial maintenance in disparate cell types is a shared hallmark of many human pathologies and ageing. How mitochondrial biogenesis coordinates with the removal of damaged or superfluous mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis is not well understood. Here we show that mitophagy, a selective type of autophagy targeting mitochondria for degradation, interfaces with mitochondrial biogenesis to regulate mitochondrial content and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that DCT-1 is a key mediator of mitophagy and longevity assurance under conditions of stress in C. elegans. Impairment of mitophagy compromises stress resistance and triggers mitochondrial retrograde signalling through the SKN-1 transcription factor that regulates both mitochondrial biogenesis genes and mitophagy by enhancing DCT-1 expression. Our findings reveal a homeostatic feedback loop that integrates metabolic signals to coordinate the biogenesis and turnover of mitochondria. Uncoupling of these two processes during ageing contributes to overproliferation of damaged mitochondria and decline of cellular function.

A number of genetic mutations is associated with cardiomyopathies. A mutation in the coding region of the phospholamban (PLN) gene (R14del) is identified in families with hereditary heart failure. Heterozygous patients exhibit left ventricular dilation and ventricular arrhythmias. Here we generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient harbouring the PLN R14del mutation and differentiate them into cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs). We find that the PLN R14del mutation induces Ca(2+) handling abnormalities, electrical instability, abnormal cytoplasmic distribution of PLN protein and increases expression of molecular markers of cardiac hypertrophy in iPSC-CMs. Gene correction using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) ameliorates the R14del-associated disease phenotypes in iPSC-CMs. In addition, we show that knocking down the endogenous PLN and simultaneously expressing a codon-optimized PLN gene reverses the disease phenotype in vitro. Our findings offer novel strategies for targeting the pathogenic mutations associated with cardiomyopathies.

Nikolaos Patsantaras (2015) Cosmopolitanism: An alternative way of thinking in the contemporary Olympics, European Journal for Sport and Society, 12:2, 215-238, DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2015.11687963   ......................................ABSTRACT:      This contribution offers an alternative theoretical approach in examining the modern Olympics, using a cosmopolitan perspective. The vast literature and repeated discussions on cosmopolitanism are supplementary reactions to globalisation. The development of Olympic sport is closely linked to globalisation. A great number of controversial issues affecting the Olympics have already been analysed using globalisation concepts and theories that tend to ignore the potential cosmopolitan effects that the contemporary Olympics could have as a global phenomenon and as a common global culture. This paper endeavours to rethink the relationship between the Olympics and cosmopolitanism today, using a cosmopolitan lens. Keywords: Olympics, cosmopolitanism, cosmopolitanisation, environment, Olympic competition                         

Maintenance of mitochondrial function and energy homeostasis requires both generation of newly synthesized and elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria. Impaired mitochondrial function and excessive mitochondrial content are major characteristics of aging and several human pathophysiological conditions, highlighting the pivotal role of the coordination between mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy. However, the cellular and molecular underpinnings of mitochondrial mass homeostasis remain obscure. In our recent study, we demonstrate that DCT-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of mammalian BNIP3 and BNIP3L/NIX, is a key mediator of mitophagy promoting longevity under stress. DCT-1 acts downstream of the PINK-1-PDR-1/Parkin pathway and is ubiquitinated upon mitophagy-inducing conditions to mediate the removal of damaged mitochondria. Accumulation of damaged mitochondria triggers SKN-1 activation, which initiates a bipartite retrograde signaling pathway stimulating the coordinated induction of both mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy genes. Taken together, our results unravel a homeostatic feedback loop that allows cells to adjust their mitochondrial population in response to environmental and intracellular cues. Age-dependent decline of mitophagy both inhibits removal of dysfunctional or superfluous mitochondria and impairs mitochondrial biogenesis resulting in progressive mitochondrial accretion and consequently, deterioration of cell function.

In the last decades, many superconductor-based devices have been utilized in practical applications that refer to the production/sensing of ultra-high/low magnetic fields, resistive storage of data, etc. The superconducting magnetoresistance effect (sMRE) observed in ferromagnetic/superconducting/ferromagnetic trilayers (TLs) has been widely studied in the literature. Here, we investigate Ni80Fe20/Nb/Ni80Fe20 and Co/Nb/Co TLs on a comparative basis and we provide technical guidelines that empower us to design magnetic field sensors and magnetic field-controlled supercurrent switches for cryogenic applications. The performance of these TLs has been studied in great detail. It turned out that Ni80Fe20-based TLs are applicable in the regime of low magnetic fields (on the order of a few hundred Oe) due to their magnetically soft character, while Co-based ones are effective at relatively higher magnetic fields (on the order of a few thousand Oe) owing to their magnetically harder behavior. The Ni80Fe20-based TLs exhibit a sMRE magnitude, (R-max - R-min)/R-nor x 100 %, on the order of 30-50 % and a field sensitivity, dR(H)/dH, on the order of 4.0-6.0 mOhm/Oe. The Co-based TLs have higher sMRE magnitude on the order of 30-100 %; however, they exhibit lower field sensitivity on the order of 0.3-0.6 mOhm/Oe. Finally, the Co-based TLs exhibit an abnormal behavior of the upper critical field line, H-c2(T), at low magnetic fields. This feature is absent in the Ni80Fe20-based TLs. Due to the differences outlined above, the Ni80Fe20-based and Co-based TLs can be possibly utilized in two distinct categories of devices, namely magnetic field sensors and magnetic field-controlled supercurrent switches, respectively.

List of contributions from the CTA Consortium presented at the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 30 July - 6 August 2015, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Recent developments in the treatment of multiple myeloma have led to improvements in response rates and to increased survival; however, relapse is inevitable in almost all patients. Recurrence of myeloma is typically more aggressive with each relapse, leading to the development of treatment-refractory disease, which is associated with a shorter survival. Several phase II and III trials have demonstrated the efficacy of recently approved agents in the setting of relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma, including immunomodulatory agents, such as lenalidomide and pomalidomide, and proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib and carfilzomib. Currently, however, there is no standard treatment for patients with relapsed and/or refractory disease. This Review discusses the current treatment landscape for patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma and highlights disease-related and patient-related factors - such as pre-existing comorbidities or toxicities - that are important considerations for clinicians when selecting an appropriate treatment regimen.

Patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who no longer receive benefit from novel agents have limited treatment options and short expected survival. del(17p) and t(4;14) are correlated with shortened survival. The phase 3 MM-003 trial demonstrated significant progression-free and overall survival benefits from treatment with pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone compared to high-dose dexamethasone among patients in whom bortezomib and lenalidomide treatment had failed. At an updated median follow-up of 15.4 months, the progression-free survival was 4.0 versus 1.9 months (HR, 0.50; P<0.001), and median overall survival was 13.1 versus 8.1 months (HR, 0.72; P=0.009). Pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone, compared with highdose dexamethasone, improved progression-free survival in patients with del(17p) (4.6 versus 1.1 months; HR, 0.34; P <0.001), t(4;14) (2.8 versus 1.9 months; HR, 0.49; P=0.028), and in standard-risk patients (4.2 versus 2.3 months; HR, 0.55; P<0.001). Although the majority of patients treated with high-dose dexamethasone took pomalidomide after discontinuation, the overall survival of patients treated with pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone or highdose dexamethasone was 12.6 versus 7.7 months (HR, 0.45; P=0.008) in patients with del(17p), 7.5 versus 4.9 months (HR, 1.12; P=0.761) in those with t(4;14), and 14.0 versus 9.0 months (HR, 0.85; P=0.380) in standard-risk subjects. The overall response rate was higher in patients treated with pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone than in those treated with high-dose dexamethasone both among standard-risk patients (35.2% versus 9.7%) and those with del(17p) (31.8% versus 4.3%), whereas it was similar in patients with t(4;14) (15.9% versus 13.3%). The safety of pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone was consistent with initial reports. In conclusion, pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone is efficacious in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and del(17p) and/or t(4;14). This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01311687 and with EudraCT as 2010-019820-30. © 2015 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

The evolution of hepatitis B virus (HBV), particularly its origins and evolutionary timescale, has been the subject of debate. Three major scenarios have been proposed, variously placing the origin of HBV in humans and great apes from some million years to only a few thousand years ago (ka). To compare these scenarios, we analyzed 105 full-length HBV genome sequences from all major genotypes sampled globally. We found a high correlation between the demographic histories of HBV and humans, as well as coincidence in the times of origin of specific subgenotypes with human migrations giving rise to their host indigenous populations. Together with phylogenetic evidence, this suggests that HBV has co-expanded with modern humans. Based on the co-expansion, we conducted a Bayesian dating analysis to estimate a precise evolutionary timescale for HBV. Five calibrations were used at the origins of F/H genotypes, D4, C3 and B6 from respective indigenous populations in the Pacific and Arctic and A5 from Haiti. The estimated time for the origin of HBV was 34.1ka (95% highest posterior density interval 27.6-41.3ka), coinciding with the dispersal of modern non-African humans. Our study, the first to use full-length HBV sequences, places a precise timescale on the HBV epidemic and also shows that the "branching paradox" of the more divergent genotypes F/H from Amerindians is due to an accelerated substitution rate, probably driven by positive selection. This may explain previously observed differences in the natural history of HBV between genotypes F1 and A2, B1, and D.

Public companies were classified according to whether they remain public or they have been delisted voluntarily or not. Proxy variables were separated according to accounting and/or market information and an ordered polytomous logit model was then applied in order to estimate the probability of delisting. Companies with poor liquidity, high leverage, big stock price decline and lack of interest from investors’ point of view (low trading activity) have higher probability to be delisted, voluntarily or not.

AIMS: To (i) describe an intervention implemented in response to the HIV-1 outbreak among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in Greece (ARISTOTLE programme), (ii) assess its success in identifying and testing this population and (iii) describe socio-demographic characteristics, risk behaviours and access to treatment/prevention, estimate HIV prevalence and identify risk factors, as assessed at the first participation of PWIDs. DESIGN: A 'seek, test, treat, retain' intervention employing five rounds of respondent-driven sampling. SETTING: Athens, Greece (2012-13). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3320 individuals who had injected drugs in the past 12 months. INTERVENTION: ARISTOTLE is an intervention that involves reaching out to high-risk, hard-to-reach PWIDs ('seek'), engaging them in HIV testing and providing information and materials to prevent HIV ('test') and initiating and maintaining anti-retroviral and opioid substitution treatment for those testing positive ('treat' and 'retain'). MEASUREMENTS: Blood samples were collected for HIV testing and personal interviews were conducted. FINDINGS: ARISTOTLE recruited 3320 PWIDs during the course of 13.5 months. More than half (54%) participated in multiple rounds, resulting in 7113 visits. HIV prevalence was 15.1%. At their first contact with the programme, 12.5% were on opioid substitution treatment programmes and the median number of free syringes they had received in the preceding month was 0. In the multivariable analysis, apart from injection-related variables, homelessness was a risk factor for HIV infection in male PWIDs [odds ratio (OR) yes versus no = 1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.41, 2.52] while, in female PWIDS, the number of sexual partners (OR for > 5 versus one partner in the past year = 4.12, 95% CI = 1.93, 8.77) and history of imprisonment (OR yes versus no = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.43, 5.31) were associated with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: In Athens, Greece, the ARISTOTLE intervention for identifying HIV-positive people among people who inject drugs (PWID) facilitated rapid identification of a hidden population experiencing an outbreak and provided HIV testing, counselling and linkage to care. According to ARISTOTLE data, the 2011 HIV outbreak in Athens resulted in 15% HIV infection among PWID. Risk factors for HIV among PWID included homelessness in men and history of imprisonment and number of sexual partners in women.

AIMS: To (i) describe an intervention implemented in response to the HIV-1 outbreak among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in Greece (ARISTOTLE programme), (ii) assess its success in identifying and testing this population and (iii) describe socio-demographic characteristics, risk behaviours and access to treatment/prevention, estimate HIV prevalence and identify risk factors, as assessed at the first participation of PWIDs. DESIGN: A 'seek, test, treat, retain' intervention employing five rounds of respondent-driven sampling. SETTING: Athens, Greece (2012-13). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3320 individuals who had injected drugs in the past 12 months. INTERVENTION: ARISTOTLE is an intervention that involves reaching out to high-risk, hard-to-reach PWIDs ('seek'), engaging them in HIV testing and providing information and materials to prevent HIV ('test') and initiating and maintaining anti-retroviral and opioid substitution treatment for those testing positive ('treat' and 'retain'). MEASUREMENTS: Blood samples were collected for HIV testing and personal interviews were conducted. FINDINGS: ARISTOTLE recruited 3320 PWIDs during the course of 13.5 months. More than half (54%) participated in multiple rounds, resulting in 7113 visits. HIV prevalence was 15.1%. At their first contact with the programme, 12.5% were on opioid substitution treatment programmes and the median number of free syringes they had received in the preceding month was 0. In the multivariable analysis, apart from injection-related variables, homelessness was a risk factor for HIV infection in male PWIDs [odds ratio (OR) yes versus no = 1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.41, 2.52] while, in female PWIDS, the number of sexual partners (OR for > 5 versus one partner in the past year = 4.12, 95% CI = 1.93, 8.77) and history of imprisonment (OR yes versus no = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.43, 5.31) were associated with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: In Athens, Greece, the ARISTOTLE intervention for identifying HIV-positive people among people who inject drugs (PWID) facilitated rapid identification of a hidden population experiencing an outbreak and provided HIV testing, counselling and linkage to care. According to ARISTOTLE data, the 2011 HIV outbreak in Athens resulted in 15% HIV infection among PWID. Risk factors for HIV among PWID included homelessness in men and history of imprisonment and number of sexual partners in women.

© 2015 Andreas Alexandrou et al. Objective. Nutritional deficiencies are common after bariatric surgery. We aimed to assess the prevalence and possible predictors of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in bariatric patients. Methods. A total of 95 patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) were assessed after a median of 3 years after surgery. Anthropometric/demographic and weight-loss parameters were compared according to the presence of SHPT, independently for men/premenopausal women and postmenopausal women. Results. SHPT was highly prevalent (men/premenopausal women, 52.1%; postmenopausal women, 31.9%). Among men/premenopausal women, multivariate analysis indicated that SHPT was predicted by (a) 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (Exp(B) = 0.869, P-value = 0.037), independently of age, sex, smoking; (b) calcium (Exp(B) = 0.159, P-value = 0.033) and smoking, independently of age and sex; (c) magnesium (Exp(B) = 0.026, P-value = 0.046) and smoking, independently of age and sex. Among postmenopausal women, SHPT was predicted by menopausal age independently of age, smoking, and levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D or calcium. The development of SHPT was not associated with the type of surgery. Conclusions. RYGB and SG exhibited similar effects regarding the regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-parathyroid axis after surgery. Vitamin D status and menopausal age appear to determine SHPT on the long term. SHPT should be sought and vigorously treated with calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Over the past few years, the use of electronic sources for studies by students and teaching staff has been rapidly increased. The digital information gives the opportunity of personal and interactive information. Nevertheless, much of health information is unable to be identified from existing search tools. The aim of this paper is to propose a system which enables academic members of the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Athens to immediate access information that improves patient care and the daily nursing practice. First of all, in order to achieve this goal, an on-line research was conducted on Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar. Afterwards, the appropriate digital library software package was selected. This work presents the institutional repository "Ariadne". This repository is a new service which intends to establish new conditions to archiving of graduate and doctoral dissertations. The "Ariadne" repository is not just a tool for strengthening the educational process but also a tool for further progress of nursing science.

BACKGROUND: Collagen XI is a key structural component of the extracellular matrix and consists of three alpha chains. One of these chains, the alpha1 (XI), is encoded by the COL11A1 gene and is transcribed to four different variants at least (A, B, C and E) that differ in the propensity to N-terminal domain proteolysis and potentially in the way the extracellular matrix is arranged. This could affect the ability of tumor cells to invade the remodeled stroma and metastasize. No study in the literature has so far investigated the expression of these four variants in breast cancer nor does a method for their accurate quantitative detection exist. METHODS: We developed a conventional PCR for the general detection of the general COL11A1 transcript and real-time qPCR methodologies with dual hybridization probes in the LightCycler platform for the quantitative determination of the variants. Data from 90 breast cancer tissues with known histopathological features were collected. RESULTS: The general COL11A1 transcript was detected in all samples. The developed methodologies for each variant were rapid as well as reproducible, sensitive and specific. Variant A was detected in 30 samples (33 %) and variant E in 62 samples (69 %). Variants B and C were not detected at all. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the presence of variant E and lymph nodes involvement (p = 0.037) and metastasis (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: With the newly developed tools, the possibility of inclusion of COL11A1 variants as prognostic biomarkers in emerging multiparameter technologies examining tissue RNA expression should be further explored

The present work constitutes the first part of a multi-parametric research for the representation of damage scenarios in Lefkada old town. The study area lies in the most seismically active zone of Greece and has suffered several devastating earthquakes. Most of its old buildings were built by local practices incorporating elements of earthquake resistance and have been designated as particular earthquake resistant constructions by the European Council Cultural Heritage Unit. The most recent earthquake of {\$}{\$}{\backslash}hbox {\{}M{\}}{\_}{\backslash}mathrm{\{}w{\}}=6.2{\$}{\$}Mw=6.2that occurred on 14 August 2003, located about 10 km from the town, caused moderate damage to its buildings and substantial geotechnical failures. Investigations on the coseismic effects yielded extensive literature information, which initially motivated our investigations. This paper deals with the empirical vulnerability assessment of the buildings in Lefkada old town based on basic structural characteristics such as the type and material of the structural system, the period of construction, the number of storeys, etc. Those characteristics, primarily available from the most recent available census were further exploited by an in-situ survey, during which all 1,420 buildings in the old town were inspected. Following, each building was indexed with an EMS-98 vulnerability class. Expert decisions on the damage scale due to the 14 August 2003 event were reassessed and converted into damage grades of EMS-98. The full data set was also analysed in ArcGIS producing detailed maps of the 14 August 2003 earthquake damage distribution by structural typology and vulnerability class in Lefkada old town.

© 2014 Informa UK Ltd. The phenotype of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is known to worsen with weight gain, increased ingestion of carbohydrates and a sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to assess the dietary habits in a group of adolescent girls with PCOS. Adolescents with PCOS were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire on their eating habits and a recall dietary diary, from which their caloric and macronutrient intake was calculated. Results were compared with those from a group of normal controls. Thirty-five women with PCOS and 46 controls were included. Girls with PCOS were less likely to have cereals for breakfast (20.7 versus 66.7{%}) and as a result consumed less fibre than controls. They were more likely to eat an evening meal (97.1 versus 78.3{%}) and eat this over an hour later when compared to controls. Despite having comparable body mass indexes, girls with PCOS ate a daily surplus calorie average of 3{%} versus controls that had a negative calorie intake of 0.72{%} (p=0.047). Ameliorating eating habits early in adolescence in girls with PCOS may improve future metabolic concerns related to a genetic predisposition and worsened by an unhealthy lifestyle.

An ever growing number of medical organizations, societies, working groups and governmental agencies issue algorithms i.e. guidelines, of decision making flowcharts in diagnosis and treatment in a variety of diseases. In the field of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, a large number of guidelines are available both from medical associations and national health departments. Among the most appreciated and utilized comprehensive guides is the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Breast Cancer Guidelines and from the other side of the Atlantic the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines in Breast Cancer. Although there is much concordance between the guidelines from these two organizations, it is intriguing to locate their discrepancies also. The aim of this report is to present a number of different points between ESMO and NCCN in the whole spectrum of breast cancer management, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and follow up. This systematic review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines using a predefined search strategy and summarizes in detail, the differences between ESMO and NCCN guidelines regarding genetic risk evaluation and screening, surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine treatment, targeted biological agents, radiotherapy, pregnancy and fertility and follow-up. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

In the course of a photometric campaign undertaken at the University of Athens Observatory, the target 1SWASP J093010.78+533859.5 was observed and found to be a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system. This system was known as a contact binary since 2013, with an orbital period of 0.2277 days, and a detached binary lies along the same direction. Hipparcos astrometric observations confirm this finding, showing two stars with a common proper motion and an angular separation of only 1.7 arcsec. This favors the scenario of a true quadruple system, making 1SWASP J093010.78+533859.5 one of the very rare doubly-eclipsing quadruple systems known to date.

We report cm-size dynamic displacements of continuous GPS stations onshore the island of Cephalonia, Ionian Sea, Greece, following the passage of seismic waves from two (2) shallow earthquakes on Jan 26, 2014 and Feb 3, 2014, respectively. First, we estimated the displacements from the high-rate GPS data collected at NOA station VLSM, near to the epicenters, by using state-of-art data processing strategies. The time series of displacements were analyzed both in time and frequency domains. From the dynamic analysis of 1Hz data it is shown that the second event was recorded at station VLSM with higher amplitudes on both horizontal components, despite its smaller (22 %) moment magnitude, possibly due to its shallower depth. The static field of deformation is characterized by cm-size permanent motion in opposing directions between stations KIPO (western Cephalonia) and VLSM (eastern Cephalonia), in agreement with the right-lateral kinematics of both ruptures. The 7.4 cm northward motion of station KIPO implies that the western peninsula of Cephalonia island (Paliki) belongs to a separate crustal block with respect to the rest of the island. The northward motion of KIPO also implies that the Cephalonia Transform Fault (CTF) did not rupture during the 2014 events, because KIPO is located at the hanging wall of CTF. It is possible that the amount of accumulated strain along CTF since 1983 (M=6.8) can be released by a seismic event of M6.5-6.7, at any time.

Abstract The formation of iron sulphide minerals exerts significant control on the behaviour of trace elements in sediments. In this study, three short sediment cores, retrieved from the remote Antinioti lagoon (N. Kerkyra Island, \{NW\} Greece), are investigated concerning the solid phase composition, distribution, and partitioning of major (Al, Fe) and trace elements (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn). According to $^{210}$Pb, the sediments sampled correspond to depositions of the last 120 years. The high amounts of organic carbon (4.1–27.5%) result in the formation of Fe sulphides, predominantly pyrite, already at the surface sediment layers. Pyrite morphologies include monocrystals, polyframboids, and complex FeS–FeS$_2$ aggregates. According to synchrotron-generated micro X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra, authigenically formed, Mn-containing, Fe(III) oxyhydroxides (goethite type) co-exist with pyrite in the sediments studied. Microscopic techniques evidence the formation of galena, sphalerite and CuS, whereas sequential extractions show that carbonates are important hosts for Mn, Cd, and Zn. However, significant percentages of non-lattice held elements are bound to Fe/Mn oxyhydroxides that resist reductive dissolution (on average 60% of Pb, 46% of Cd, 43% of Zn and 9% of Cu). The partitioning pattern changes drastically in the deeper part of the core that is influenced by freshwater inputs. In these sediments, the post-depositional pyritization mechanism, illustrated by overgrowths of Fe monosulphides on pre-existing pyrite grains, results in relatively high degree of pyritization that reaches 49% for Cd, 66% for Cu, 32% for Zn and 7% for Pb.

This paper examines the effects of quantitative easing (QE) announcements by the European Central Bank (ECB), the Bank of England (BoE) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ) on the intraday volatility transmissions among EUR, GBP and JPY. The empirical results indicate: (i) an increased volatility transmission from EUR to JPY and GBP around the ECB announcements, and from GBP to EUR over the BoE announcements, (ii) the ECB and BoE announcements significantly increase the volatility of EUR and JPY, and (iii) a ‘‘calming down’’ impact on the volatility of EUR and GBP from the BoJ and the ECB announcements, respectively.

Background: Elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are thought to receive suboptimal treatment mainly due to concerns for poor compliance and/or excessive toxicity. Patients and Methods: Using the age of 70. years as the pre-defined cut-off, we compared elderly patients with advanced NSCLC suitable for first line chemotherapy with their younger counterparts in terms of: i) diagnosis and disease characteristics ii) adherence to treatment schedule, including dose intensity (DI), and relative dose intensity (RDI), iii) toxicity, tolerance, and efficacy outcomes. Results: Among 292 eligible patients, data were available for 245, of whom 107 (43.7%) belonged to the elderly group. This group was more likely to present with co-morbidities, non-smoking current status and diagnosis based on cytology alone. As compared to the non-elderly, elderly patients were more likely to receive single-agent therapy (8.0% vs. 29.2% respectively, p<. 0.001) and less likely to receive platinum-based chemotherapy (80.3% vs. 57.9%, p<. 0.001). Elderly patients also received docetaxel (24.3% vs. 40.4%), and bevacizumab (7.5% vs. 21.3%) significantly less often and received oral vinorelbine (24.3% vs. 11.8%) more frequently. Non-elderly patients were more likely to receive any of the cytotoxic drugs with RDI. >. 0.8 (49.6% vs. 33.0%, p=. 0.012) and RDI. >. 0.9 (29.6% vs. 16%, p=. 0.015). Substantial toxicity, as well as median overall survival did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: Only one third of the elderly patients received at least 80% of the scheduled treatment intensity. Nearly half received diagnosis based on cytology alone, which may deprive them from new, histology-driven, therapeutic approaches. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial unexplained geographical and surgeon-to-surgeon variation in rates of surgery. One would expect surgeons to treat patients and themselves similarly based on best evidence and accounting for patient preferences. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Are surgeons more likely to recommend surgery when choosing for a patient than for themselves? (2) Are surgeons less confident in deciding for patients than for themselves? METHODS: Two hundred fifty-four (32%) of 790 Science of Variation Group (SOVG) members reviewed 21 fictional upper extremity cases (eg, distal radius fracture, De Quervain tendinopathy) for which surgery is optional answering two questions: (1) What treatment would you choose/recommend: operative or nonoperative? (2) On a scale from 0 to 10, how confident are you about this decision? Confidence is the degree that one believes that his or her decision is the right one (ie, most appropriate). Participants were orthopaedic, trauma, and plastic surgeons, all with an interest in treating upper extremity conditions. Half of the participants were randomized to choose for themselves if they had this injury or illness. The other half was randomized to make treatment recommendations for a patient of their age and gender. For the choice of operative or nonoperative, the overall recommendation for treatment was expressed as a surgery score per surgeon by dividing the number of cases they would operate on by the total number of cases (n = 21), where 100% is when every surgeon recommended surgery for every case. For confidence, we calculated the mean confidence for all 21 cases per surgeon; overall score ranges from 0 to 10 with a higher score indicating more confidence in the decision for treatment. RESULTS: Surgeons were more likely to recommend surgery for a patient (44.2% ± 14.0%) than they were to choose surgery for themselves (38.5% ± 15.4%) with a mean difference of 6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1%-9.4%; p = 0.002). Surgeons were more confident in deciding for themselves than they were for a patient of similar age and gender (self: 7.9 ± 1.0, patient: 7.5 ± 1.2, mean difference: 0.35 [CI, 0.075-0.62], p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons are slightly more likely to recommend surgery for a patient than they are to choose surgery for themselves and they choose for themselves with a little more confidence. Different perspectives, preferences, circumstantial information, and cognitive biases might explain the observed differences. This emphasizes the importance of (1) understanding patients' preferences and their considerations for treatment; (2) being aware that surgeons and patients might weigh various factors differently; (3) giving patients more autonomy by letting them balance risks and benefits themselves (ie, shared decision-making); and (4) assessing how dispassionate evidence-based decision aids help inform the patient and influences their decisional conflict. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study.

We carry out density functional theory calculations which demonstrate that the electron dynamics in the Skyrmion phase of Fe-rich Mn1-xFexGe alloys is governed by Berry phase physics. We observe that the magnitude of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction directly related to the mixed space-momentum Berry phases, changes sign and magnitude with concentration x in direct correlation with the data of Shibata et al. {[}Nat. Nanotechnol. 8, 723 (2013)]. The computed anomalous and topological Hall effects in FeGe are also in good agreement with available experiments. We further develop a simple tight-binding model able to explain these findings. Finally, we show that the adiabatic Berry phase picture is violated in the Mn-rich limit of the alloys.

Background. To evaluate the effect of timing of management and intervention on outcomes of bile duct injury. Materials and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 92 patients between 1991 and 2011. Data concerned patient’s demographic characteristics, type of injury (according to Strasberg classification), time to referral, diagnostic procedures, timing of surgical management, and final outcome. The endpoint was the comparison of postoperative morbidity (stricture, recurrent cholangitis, required interventions/dilations, and redo reconstruction) and mortality between early (less than 2 weeks) and late (over 12 weeks) surgical reconstruction. Results. Three patients were treated conservatively, two patients were treated with percutaneous drainage, and 13 patients underwent PTC or ERCP. In total 74 patients were operated on in our unit. 58 of them underwent surgical reconstruction by end-to-side Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, 11 underwent primary bile duct repair, and the remaining 5 underwent more complex procedures. Of the 56 patients, 34 patients were submitted to early reconstruction, while 22 patients were submitted to late reconstruction. After a median follow-up of 93 months, there were two deaths associated with BDI after LC. Outcomes after early repairs were equal to outcomes after late repairs when performed by specialists. Conclusions. Early repair after BDI results in equal outcomes compared with late repair. BDI patients should be referred to centers of expertise and experience.

Purpose: Maximizing the response rate to first-line therapy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is important because it leads to improved outcome. Gene-expression studies have identified prognostic gene sets in patients receiving bortezomib-based therapy. Comparison of the lists of genes derived from two gene-expression-based models (GEP70, GEP80) showed that they overlap in three genes, namely PSMD4, BIRC5, and KIAA1754. An unanswered question is whether early gene-expression changes can be used as predictors of the response to first-line bortezomib. In this study we aimed to examine the predictive value of gene expression changes for the depth of response after bortezomib-based therapy in newly diagnosed MM. Methods: We prospectively assessed the relation between early PSMD4, BIRC5, and KIAA1754 gene expression changes (before therapy and one week later) and the response rate after bortezomib-based therapy in 25 patients with newly diagnosed MM. Gene expression was studied by RT-PCR on CD138-selected plasma cells, and changes were recorded as upregulation, downregulation, or unchanged. Results: Whereas baseline prognostic factors including genetic lesions and stage were not predictive of the response rate, we found that early BIRC5 and KIAA1754 gene-expression changes were significantly associated with the depth of response to bortezomib (p=0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). PSMD4 was not predictive of the depth of response. KIAA1754 upregulation was linked to complete remission (CR) or very good partial remission (VGPR). BIRC5 upregulation was linked to stable disease (SD) or progressive disease (PD). We also observed that BIRC5 upregulation was associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS). Conclusions: Our results suggest that BIRC5 and KIAA1754 gene-expression changes may predict the response to bortezomib-based therapy. These data may have relevance for the stratification and early adaptation of first-line treatment in patients with newly diagnosed MM.

   "It also may be said that in our travels we saw only the bright side of Islam. Well! That is just what we desired to see; … The fact of it is, we had heard quite enough of the dark side of Islam, so we determined to pursue our studies on the side looking to the sun … Is it right, fair, or just, to visit other people in their homes, or in their countries, wherever they dwell, and come away to decry them? No! It is not right!" argues Emilie Hayacinthe Loyson, after her travels in Oriental lands in the years 1894-1896. Women travellers from Great Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and America explored, visited, worked and resided in regions of the East that were considered “proper and safe for dynamic men only” (Smith, 1887). The mammoth body of writings by women travellers of the 18th and 19th centuries, that claim to be eyewitness descriptions of the female microcosmos, provide a rich and detailed interpretation of the Orient, including a feminine version, a female gaze. European and American women identified with the so-called Other, expressed their solidarity and participated in Muslim women’s daily domestic life, customs, female social gatherings, religious celebrations and feasts. As a result, they accused male travellers- who had written about domestic manners in the East and the position of women in Islam of misinforming or mis or misleading their readers, stressing that their accounts were based on second or third-hand information, their unrestrained imagination and exotic fantasies.  

This analysis, using data from the bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone (VMP) arm of the Phase III VISTA study, investigated whether increased cumulative bortezomib dose could improve overall survival (OS) in transplant-ineligible patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma. Median cumulative bortezomib dose received by the 340 patients was 39 mg/m2; this was selected as the cut-off for defining the dose groups to be compared for OS. Patient characteristics were well balanced between dose groups except for age. OS was significantly longer in the higher (≥39 mg/m2) versus lower (<39 mg/m2) cumulative bortezomib dose group (median 66.3 vs. 46.2 months; hazard ratio (HR) 0.533, P<0.0001; age-adjusted HR 0.561, P=0.0002). To overcome confounding effects of early discontinuations/deaths, which were more common in the lower cumulative dose group (27 vs. 4% of patients discontinued due to adverse events (AEs) in the lower and higher cumulative dose groups, respectively), a landmark analysis was conducted at 180 days, eliminating patients who died or discontinued before this time from the analysis. OS from this landmark remained significantly longer in the higher dose group (median 60.4 vs. 50.3 months; HR 0.709, P=0.0372). Thus, higher cumulative bortezomib dose, reflecting prolonged treatment duration and/or dose intensity, appears associated with improved OS. Approaches to achieve higher cumulative doses could include subcutaneous bortezomib administration, dose/schedule modifications, continuing therapy in responding patients, and proactive AE management. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Living on islands entails numerous challenges for animals, among which resource scarcity stands out. In order to survive, animals have to optimize energy acquisition. We examined the impact of insularity on digestion comparing a series of physiological and morphological traits of adult males between insular and mainland populations of the Balkan green lizard. Island lizards had longer gastrointestinal tracts and gut passage times and higher digestive efficiencies. The dissection of the hindgut revealed an unexpected finding, the presence of cecal valves that were more frequent in island lizards. Thanks to all above islanders retain food for longer periods and thus maximize energy income and increase the amount of the extracted nutrients. That way, they secure energy income from the limited, in time and quantity, food resources of the islands.

El objeto del presente trabajo es buscar las diferencias en la transferencia léxica de la producción escrita en dos grupos de estudiantes griegos de español diferentes que tienen el mismo nivel lingüístico en lengua extranjera pero siguen un enfoque educativo distinto: aprendizaje tradicional de lengua extranjera frente al aprendizaje integrado de contenido. Para ello, han realizado una prueba de producción escrita, y después se han localizado sus errores léxicos (formales y semánticos) debidos a la transferencia léxica. El método de investigación que se ha utilizado para identificar dichos errores es el Análisis de Errores. Los resultados han mostrado que la producción escrita del grupo que sigue un acercamiento integrado de contenido presenta menos errores léxicos formales debidos a la transferencia léxica que la del grupo que sigue el enfoque tradicional. Mientras que los errores léxicos semánticos generados por la transferencia léxica tienen una presencia más fuerte en la producción escrita del grupo que sigue el aprendizaje integrado de contenido. La explicación se basa en el tipo y la cantidad de exposición a la lengua extranjera.  

e-learning systems are advanced systems that are used to improve students learning capabilities as well as their accessibility by utilizing information and communication technology tools. The objective of this paper is to describe the methods which are used for the process of e-learning education in the program of distance learning at the National University of Athens for the course "Hospital Information Systems". These methods include the designing of the program, the development of the courses and the exercises and finally the availability of the courses to the students through the Rea education management system. The study also outlines the difficulties and the limitations occurred during the development of the program and suggests alternative options for future improvements.

ELNAIS is a dynamic online information platform aiming to collect and report spatial information on Aquatic Alien Species in Greek waters. It covers freshwater, marine and estuarine waters, including not only established aliens but also casual records and cryptogenic species. The ELNAIS system includes: News, List of Greek experts, Literature of findings in Greece, List of species with information on their first introduction date and source as well as photos and distribution maps. Data providers are the scientific community (publications, grey literature, and databases) as well as citizen scientists. ELNAIS provides a useful tool towards national obligations and commitments under both the European and global frameworks in respect to Non Indigenous Species (CBD, WFD, MSFD).

Background: Elotuzumab, an immunostimulatory monoclonal antibody targeting signaling lymphocytic activation molecule F7 (SLAMF7), showed activity in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in a phase 1b-2 study in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Methods: In this phase 3 study, we randomly assigned patients to receive either elotuzumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (elotuzumab group) or lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone (control group). Coprimary end points were progression-free survival and the overall response rate. Final results for the coprimary end points are reported on the basis of a planned interim analysis of progression-free survival. Results: Overall, 321 patients were assigned to the elotuzumab group and 325 to the control group. After a median follow-up of 24.5 months, the rate of progression-free survival at 1 year in the elotuzumab group was 68%, as compared with 57% in the control group; at 2 years, the rates were 41% and 27%, respectively. Median progression-free survival in the elotuzumab group was 19.4 months, versus 14.9 months in the control group (hazard ratio for progression or death in the elotuzumab group, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.57 to 0.85; P<0.001). The overall response rate in the elotuzumab group was 79%, versus 66% in the control group (P<0.001). Common grade 3 or 4 adverse events in the two groups were lymphocytopenia, neutropenia, fatigue, and pneumonia. Infusion reactions occurred in 33 patients (10%) in the elotuzumab group and were grade 1 or 2 in 29 patients. Conclusions: Patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who received a combination of elotuzumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone had a significant relative reduction of 30% in the risk of disease progression or death. Copyright © 2015 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.

This book is an introductory handbook to the historical and ethnomusicological study of the musical traditions of the Islamic world. The aim of the book is to introduce its readers to the role and status of music in societies where Islam has historically been the predominant religion. The book is structured around three basic themes: Sources, Perspectives, Practices. Among the topics that are being explored is the relation between music, religion and ritual, the ways music is transmitted, musical orality and literacy, philosophical approaches to music and its conception as science and as art, its performative nature etc. Music is approached in relation to other forms of art (literature, iconography, architecture etc.) and to the various fields in which creativity is expressed in the Islamic world. Overall, the book aims to to contribute to a deeper and broader understanding of Islamic culture.

Multidimensionnelle, l’histoire de la formation des francisants en Grècel’est incontestablement. Elle n’est pas que hellénique : elle articule lenational et l’international.Elle déborde également le cadre d’un simple épisode d’histoire universitaireet allie inextricablement le culturel au politique, le symbolique au matériel.C’est encore une histoire d’hommes et de femmes, de passeurs de cultureaussi. Relevant le défi posé, ce livre s’engage dans les méandres despéripéties d’une institution en devenir.Quelque cent cinquante ans d’une histoire de la formation des francisantsen Grèce sont ici explorés et analysés, au fi l d’une étude qui dépasse le seulcadre pédagogique, et s’étend aux champs de la politique, de la diplomatieou encore du genre. Fruit d’un long travail de recherche, de documentationet de synthèse, cet essai, rigoureux et exemplaire dans sa progression, authème inédit et inspirant, interroge avec perspicacité les phases, acteurs ettensions d’une histoire méconnue.Comptes rendus1. https://journals.openedition.org/dhfles/42542. https://journals.openedition.org/histoire-education/4074

The aim of the current paper is the imparting of useful information to both patients and people in general regarding the development of mental conditions based on drug addictions, through e-health. It will provide all related information in order to achieve the empowerment of the selected sample regarding their conditions in terms of conceptualizing their health status. The general part is consisting of an overview on patient empowerment and e-health. The special part refers to the details of developing and presenting the above mentioned website. The information presented in the web site is addressing the general population and not only patients suffering a mental condition or addiction. The website contains the related articles and information obtained from the related bibliographical search. The main goal of the website is to impart concise information on the related issues.

Διερευνώντας συστηματικά τις θεματικές διαμεσολάβησης, πρόσληψης, ποικιλόμορφων επιρροών και αλληλεπιδράσεων, οι εργασίες του συλλογικού αυτού τόμου  θέτουν ως στόχο τη μελέτη των ελληνογαλλικών πολιτισμικών ανταλλαγών από την αρχαιότητα έως τη σύγχρονη εποχή, στις διάφορες εκφάνσεις αυτών, προτείνουν γόνιμους προβληματισμούς και ενθαρρύνουν περαιτέρω την επιστημονική έρευνα σχετικά με τον διάλογο των πολιτισμών Ελλάδας και Γαλλίας.

BACKGROUND: A significant increase in HIV-1 diagnoses was reported among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in the Athens (17-fold) and Bucharest (9-fold) metropolitan areas starting 2011. METHODS: Molecular analyses were conducted on HIV-1 sequences from IDUs comprising 51% and 20% of the diagnosed cases among IDUs during 2011-2013 for Greece and Romania, respectively. Phylodynamic analyses were performed using the newly developed birth-death serial skyline model which allows estimating of important epidemiological parameters, as implemented in BEAST programme. RESULTS: Most infections (>90%) occurred within four and three IDU local transmission networks in Athens and Bucharest, respectively. For all Romanian clusters, the viral strains originated from local circulating strains, whereas in Athens, the local strains seeded only two of the four sub-outbreaks. Birth-death skyline plots suggest a more explosive nature for sub-outbreaks in Bucharest than in Athens. In Athens, two sub-outbreaks had been controlled (Re<1.0) by 2013 and two appeared to be endemic (Re approximately 1). In Bucharest one outbreak continued to expand (Re>1.0) and two had been controlled (Re<1.0). The lead times were shorter for the outbreak in Athens than in Bucharest. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced molecular surveillance proved useful to gain information about the origin, causal pathways, dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics of the outbreaks that can be useful in a public health setting.

BACKGROUND: A significant increase in HIV-1 diagnoses was reported among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in the Athens (17-fold) and Bucharest (9-fold) metropolitan areas starting 2011. METHODS: Molecular analyses were conducted on HIV-1 sequences from IDUs comprising 51% and 20% of the diagnosed cases among IDUs during 2011-2013 for Greece and Romania, respectively. Phylodynamic analyses were performed using the newly developed birth-death serial skyline model which allows estimating of important epidemiological parameters, as implemented in BEAST programme. RESULTS: Most infections (>90%) occurred within four and three IDU local transmission networks in Athens and Bucharest, respectively. For all Romanian clusters, the viral strains originated from local circulating strains, whereas in Athens, the local strains seeded only two of the four sub-outbreaks. Birth-death skyline plots suggest a more explosive nature for sub-outbreaks in Bucharest than in Athens. In Athens, two sub-outbreaks had been controlled (Re<1.0) by 2013 and two appeared to be endemic (Re∼1). In Bucharest one outbreak continued to expand (Re>1.0) and two had been controlled (Re<1.0). The lead times were shorter for the outbreak in Athens than in Bucharest. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced molecular surveillance proved useful to gain information about the origin, causal pathways, dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics of the outbreaks that can be useful in a public health setting.

A model of floral reflectance of petals with conically-shaped epidermal cells is presented for Nerium oleander and Oxalis pes-caprae. The model was achieved by combined microscopic-scale structures and optical properties of petals; the model theory was based on concepts of physical laws, analytic geometry, vector analysis and micro-optics. The model is shown to fit experimental data of floral reflectance. Conically shaped, adaxial, epidermal cells of petals have focal regions, where incident light rays are focused on the centre of cells. Within tissues light is selectively channelled into sites containing light absorbing pigments. Particular attention was given to consequences of focusing of light within conical, epidermal cells of petals with respect to blossoming regulated by photoperiod, which acts to insure that flower opening occurs during suitable, environmental conditions.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy; consequently, there is a need for effective therapies. Epothilones are microtubule-stabilizing agents that inhibit cell growth. Currently, patupilone and its four synthetic derivatives ixabepilone, BMS-310705, sagopilone, 20-desmethyl-20-methylsulfanyl epothilone B and epothilone D, as well as its derivative KOS-1584, are under clinical evaluation. This is the first systematic review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses) guidelines that synthesizes all available data emerging from trials and evaluates the efficacy and safety of epothilones in epithelial ovarian, primary fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer. Despite the fact that epothilones have proven active in taxane-resistant settings in preclinical models, it is not yet clear from Phase II/III studies reviewed here that their clinical activity is superior to that of taxanes. Nevertheless, responses to epothilones have been observed in platinum-refractory/resistant ovarian cancer patients. Moreover, despite the shared mechanism of action of epothilones, their clinical profile seems clearly different, with diarrhea being the most common dose-limiting toxicity encountered with patupilone, whereas neutropenia and sensory neuropathy are the most common toxic effects observed with the other epothilones. In any case, randomized trials comparing epothilones with standard treatments seem warranted to define further the role of these agents, whereas biomarker analysis might further optimize patient selection. © 2015 Zagouri et al.

Accurate diagnosis and treatment rates for chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections are usually missing. Aim of this study was to estimate the HBV and HCV treatment cascade (proportion and absolute numbers of tested, aware/unaware, infected and treated) in Greek adults. A telephone survey was conducted in a sample representative of the Greek adult general population. Prevalence rates were age-standardized for the Greek adult population and corrected for high-risk individuals not included in the survey. Of the 9974 participants, 5255 (52.7%) had been tested for HBV and 2062 (20.7%) for HCV with the proportion varying according to age and being higher in middle-age groups (P < 0.001). HBsAg was reported positive in 111/5255 (2.11%) and anti-HCV in 26/2062 (1.26%) tested cases. The age-adjusted prevalence was estimated to be 2.39% for HBV and 1.79% for HCV. Taking into account individuals at high risk for viral hepatitis not included in the survey, the 'true' prevalence was estimated to be 2.58% for HBV and 1.87% for HCV. Anti-HBV and anti-HCV treatment had been taken by 36/111 (32.4%) chronic HBV and 15/26 (57.7%) chronic HCV patients. In conclusion, almost 50% of chronic HBV and 80% of chronic HCV patients in Greece may be unaware of their infection, while only 32% or 58% of diagnosed chronic HBV or HCV patients, respectively, have been ever treated. Therefore, intensive efforts are required to improve the efficacy of screening for HBV and particularly for HCV as well as to reduce the barriers to treatment among diagnosed patients.

The 17beta-estradiol (E2)/estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) signaling pathway is one of the most important pathways in hormone-dependent breast cancer. E2 plays pivotal roles in cancer cell growth, survival, and architecture as well as in gene expression regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we established stably transfected MCF-7 cells by knocking down the ERalpha gene (designated as MCF-7/SP10+ cells), using specific shRNA lentiviral particles, and compared them with the control cells (MCF-7/c). Interestingly, ERalpha silencing in MCF-7 cells strongly induced cellular phenotypic changes accompanied by significant changes in gene and protein expression of several markers typical of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Notably, these cells exhibited enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, ERalpha suppression strongly affected the gene and protein expression of EGFR and HER2 receptor tyrosine kinases, and various extracellular matrix (ECM) effectors, including matrix metalloproteinases and their endogenous inhibitors (MMPs/TIMPs) and components of the plasminogen activation system. The action caused by E2 in MCF-7/c cells in the expression of HER2, MT1-MMP, MMP1, MMP9, uPA, tPA, and PAI-1 was abolished in MCF-7/SP10+ cells lacking ERalpha. These data suggested a regulatory role for the E2/ERalpha pathway in respect to the composition and activity of the extracellular proteolytic molecular network. Notably, loss of ERalpha promoted breast cancer cell migration and invasion by inducing changes in the expression levels of certain matrix macromolecules (especially uPA, tPA, PAI-1) through the EGFR-ERK signaling pathway. In conclusion, loss of ERalpha in breast cancer cells results in a potent EMT characterized by striking changes in the expression profile of specific matrix macromolecules highlighting the potential nodal role of matrix effectors in breast cancer endocrine resistance.

The European Myeloma Network provides recommendations for the management of the most common complications of multiple myeloma. Whole body low-dose computed tomography is more sensitive than conventional radiography in depicting osteolytic disease and thus we recommend it as the novel standard for the detection of lytic lesions in myeloma (grade 1A). Myeloma patients with adequate renal function and bone disease at diagnosis should be treated with zoledronic acid or pamidronate (grade 1A). Symptomatic patients without lytic lesions on conventional radiography can be treated with zoledronic acid (grade 1B), but its advantage is not clear for patients with no bone involvement on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In asymptomatic myeloma, bisphosphonates are not recommended (grade 1A). Zoledronic acid should be given continuously, but it is not clear if patients who achieve at least a very good partial response benefit from its continuous use (grade 1B). Treatment with erythropoietic-stimulating agents may be initiated in patients with persistent symptomatic anemia (hemoglobin <10g/dL) in whom other causes of anemia have been excluded (grade 1B). Erythropoietic agents should be stopped after 6-8 weeks if no adequate hemoglobin response is achieved. For renal impairment, bortezomib-based regimens are the current standard of care (grade 1A). For the management of treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy, drug modification is needed (grade 1C). Vaccination against influenza is recommended; vaccination against streptococcus pneumonia and hemophilus influenza is appropriate, but efficacy is not guaranteed due to suboptimal immune response (grade 1C). Prophylactic aciclovir (or valacyclovir) is recommended for patients receiving proteasome inhibitors, autologous or allogeneic transplantation (grade 1A). © 2015 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

OBJECTIVES: In the past decade there have been extensive discussions on the potential utility of entheseal changes (EC) as activity markers. Nevertheless, no study to date has compared different EC recording protocols with respect to their correlation to activity patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This article records changes on fibrocartilaginous entheses of the upper limbs of 90 male skeletons from the documented Athens Collection using the Hawkey and Merbs (Int J Osteoarchaeol 5 (1995) 324-338), Mariotti et al. (Collegium Antropol 28 (2004) 145-159), and Villotte et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 142 (2010) 224-234) recording schemes in order to determine which one exhibits the highest correlation with activity. Activity is assessed by means of the recorded profession of each individual, as well as employing cross-sectional geometric properties. Generalized Linear Models are used to explore the impact of age, body mass, and activity on EC expression. RESULTS: Our results agree with previous studies that age is the primary factor determining EC, whereas body mass is the second most influential factor. In contrast, activity in the form of profession or cross-sectional geometry rarely showed a significant correlation to EC expression and no clear pattern could be discerned irrespective of the recording technique. However, bilateral differences in the impact of age and body mass in EC expression were traced and may relate to activity patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The differences found in the bilateral impact of age and body mass highlight the fact that the activity patterns of the individuals under examination must play an underlying role to EC expression, though current recording schemes for EC do not capture this, rendering further work in the direction of developing more elaborate recording standards imperative.

This work intends to psychometrically evaluate the newly developed Children’s Solitude Scale (CSS), a measure of voluntary aloneness in childhood. The scale assesses individual differences on what children prefer to do when they want to be alone, a rather neglected, although important developmental issue. Participants were 833 fourth and sixth graders from Athens, Greece. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated four factors, although with a less-than-optimal fit: Self-Reflection, Autonomy/Privacy, Activities and Concentration. The scale showed adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability as well as convergent and divergent validity (i.e., positive association with positive attitude towards aloneness and ability to be alone, no association with negative attitude towards aloneness, and low positive correlation with loneliness and social dissatisfaction). The results indicated the suitability of the CSS to assess reasons or motives for solitude during middle and late childhood and the necessity to further examine the structure of this type of solitude experiences in this age period.

OBJECTIVES: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising biomarker for acute kidney injury. NGAL can be measured in both blood and urine. Apart from kidney injury, NGAL levels in both plasma and urine can be influenced by various pathological situations. Accurate evaluation and comparison of results deriving from clinical studies require robust assays, appropriate specimen handling and reference intervals that will reflect its levels in a healthy population for both biological matrices. METHODS: We report the analytical validation of a latex particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA) aimed to measure NGAL in plasma and urine on an automated biochemistry analyzer (ABBOTT-Architect-8000). Assay performance characteristics were evaluated using standard protocols. Urine and plasma specimen storage requirements were determined and reference ranges for blood and urine were determined using healthy controls. RESULTS: The assay is precise (total CV%<4.8%), and sensitive (limit of quantification: 8.4 ng/mL for plasma and 9.0 ng/mL for urine), showing no hook effect. Calibration is stable for at least 30 days. The assay showed excellent linearity over the studied interval (20-4450 ng/mL). The analyte is stable at 4 degrees C for at least 5 days, and at 20 degrees C for 4h. Gender specific reference ranges for plasma (male: 38.7-157.6 ng/mL, female: 24.4-142.5 ng/mL) and unisex for urine (<9.0-49.41 ng/mL) are proposed. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that NGAL can be measured with adequate precision and sensitivity on automated biochemistry analyzers and its measurement could easily be added to a standard panel to screen kidney diseases

This study compares the differences in effectiveness of the five volleyball skills (serve, reception, attack, block, and dig) between men and women in high- level tournament games played at the last four consecutive Olympics. Results showed that men's and women's volleyball games are completely differentiated by two outcome measures. The first one is the higher proportion of faulty serves performed by men which is essentially attributable to the 19 cm difference in net height, while the second one derives from the fact that men outperform women at the execution of the attack.

Αντικείμενο του βιβλίου είναι η ανθρωπολογική μελέτη των κινητοποιήσεων στην πλατεία Συντάγματος το 2011, οι οποίες έγιναν γνωστές στον Τύπο ως το κίνημα των "Αγανακτισμένων". Σκοπός είναι η ανάδειξη της εμπειρίας των ανθρώπων που συμμετείχαν στην καθημερινότητα της ζωής στην Πλατεία και η σύνδεσή της με τα συναισθήματα και τη μουσική. Το βιβλίο βασίζεται στο εθνογραφικό υλικό που συλλέχθηκε από συνεντεύξεις και επιτόπια συμμετοχική παρατήρηση κατά τη διάρκεια των κινητοποιήσεων από τον Μάιο έως τον Αύγουστο του 2011.Η μουσική και τα συναισθήματα αποτελούν τους αναλυτικούς φακούς του βιβλίου. Ενισχύοντας σύγχρονες θεωρητικές τάσεις που υποστηρίζουν ότι τα συναισθήματα αποτελούν βασικό αντικείμενο έρευνας των κοινωνικών κινημάτων, το βιβλίο εστιάζει στην ποικιλία των συναισθημάτων που εκφράστηκαν στο Σύνταγμα και που δεν περιορίστηκαν στην "αγανάκτηση". Σε αντίθεση με τη σχετική βιβλιογραφία για τα κοινωνικά κινήματα που αποδίδει κυρίαρχο ρόλο στο τραγούδι, στο Σύνταγμα κυριάρχησε ο συλλογικός μουσικός και ρυθμικός αυτοσχεδιασμός.Η πλατεία Συντάγματος αποτελεί ξεκάθαρα μια "ζώνη πολιτισμικού αυτοσχεδιασμού", όπως την ορίζει ο ανθρωπολόγος Ντέιβιντ Γκραίμπερ, καθώς ετερόκλητοι άνθρωποι θέλησαν να βρουν τρόπους να συνυπάρξουν, παρά τις διαφορές τους, να "πειραματιστούν" και να "αυτοσχεδιάσουν" χωρίς να ταυτίζονται ιδεολογικά. Το πολιτικό συμπορεύτηκε με το μουσικό, συνθέτοντας μια νέα κουλτούρα κοινωνικής συνύπαρξης και εκφράζοντας μια νέα σχέση των ανθρώπων με τα κοινά. (Από την παρουσίαση στο οπισθόφυλλο του βιβλίου)

Background/aim: In light of the controversial published literature, this study aims to examine the potential prognostic role of AR immunohistochemical expression in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients and methods: Ninety patients with TNBC were included in this study; the associations between AR expression (Allred score), clinicopathological variables (stage, grade, histological subtype, tumor size, nodal status, age at diagnosis, Ki67 expression, and p53 expression), and overall survival were evaluated. Results: AR expression was not associated with stage, grade, histological subtype, tumor size, nodal status, age at diagnosis, Ki67 expression, and p53 expression. AR immunopositivity was not associated with overall survival either at the univariate or at the multivariate Cox regression analysis (multivariate hazard ratio =0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.26–1.70, P=0.393). Conclusion: AR expression does not seem to play a prognostic role in TNBC. © 2015 Giannos et al.

The fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) protein superfamily of metabolic enzymes comprises a diverse set of enzymatic functions, including ss-diketone hydrolases, decarboxylases, and isomerases. Of note, the FAH superfamily includes many prokaryotic members with very distinct functions that lack homologs in eukaryotes. A prokaryotic member of the FAH superfamily, referred to as Cg1458, was shown to encode a soluble oxaloacetate decarboxylase (ODx). Based on sequence homologies to Cg1458, we recently identified human FAH domain containing protein-1 (FAHD1) as the first eukaryotic oxaloacetate decarboxylase. The physiological functions of ODx in eukaryotes remain unclear. Here we have probed the function of fahd-1, the nematode homolog of FAHD1, in the context of an intact organism. We found that mutation of fahd-1 resulted in reduced brood size, a deregulation of the egg laying process and a severe locomotion deficit, characterized by a reduced frequency of body bends, reduced exploratory movements and reduced performance in an endurance exercise test. Notably, mitochondrial function was altered in the fahd-1(tm5005) mutant strain, as shown by a reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential and a reduced oxygen consumption of fahd-1(tm5005) animals. Mitochondrial dysfunction was accompanied by lifespan extension in worms grown at elevated temperature; however, unlike in mutant worms with a defect in the electron transport chain, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response was not upregulated in worms upon inactivation of fahd-1. Together these data establish a role of fahd-1 to maintain mitochondrial function and consequently physical activity in nematodes.

Employing first-principles electronic-structure calculations in conjunction with the frozen-magnon method, we calculate exchange interactions, spin-wave dispersion, and spin-wave stiffness constants in inverse-Heusler-based spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) compounds Mn2CoAl, Ti2MnAl, Cr2ZnSi, Ti2CoSi, and Ti2VAs. We find that their magnetic behavior is similar to the half-metallic ferromagnetic full-Heusler alloys, i.e., the intersublattice exchange interactions play an essential role in the formation of the magnetic ground state and in determining the Curie temperature T-c. All compounds, except Ti2CoSi, possess a ferrimagnetic ground state. Due to the finite energy gap in one spin channel, the exchange interactions decay sharply with the distance, and hence magnetism of these SGSs can be described considering only nearest-and next-nearest-neighbor exchange interactions. The calculated spin-wave dispersion curves are typical for ferrimagnets and ferromagnets. The spin-wave stiffness constants turn out to be larger than those of the elementary 3d ferromagnets. Calculated exchange parameters are used as input to determine the temperature dependence of the magnetization and Tc of the SGSs. We find that the Tc of all compounds is much above the room temperature. The calculated magnetization curve for Mn2CoAl as well as the Curie temperature are in very good agreement with available experimental data. This study is expected to pave the way for a deeper understanding of the magnetic properties of the inverse-Heusler-based SGSs and enhance the interest in these materials for application in spintronic and magnetoelectronic devices.

The recent revision of ISO15189 has further strengthened its position as the standard for accreditation for medical laboratories. Both for laboratories and their customers it is important that the scope of such accreditation is clear. Therefore the European co-operation for accreditation (EA) demands that the national bodies responsible for accreditation describe the scope of every laboratory accreditation in a way that leaves no room for doubt about the range of competence of the particular laboratories. According to EA recommendations scopes may be fixed, mentioning every single test that is part of the accreditation, or flexible, mentioning all combinations of medical field, examination type and materials for which the laboratory is competent. Up to now national accreditation bodies perpetuate use of fixed scopes, partly by inertia, partly out of fear that a too flexible scope may lead to over-valuation of the competence of laboratories, most countries only use fixed scopes. The EA however promotes use of flexible scopes, since this allows for more readily innovation, which contributes to quality in laboratory medicine. In this position paper, the Working Group Accreditation and ISO/CEN Standards belonging to the Quality and Regulation Committee of the EFLM recommends using an approach that has led to successful introduction of the flexible scope for ISO15189 accreditation as intended in EA-4/17 in The Netherlands. The approach is risk-based, discipline and competence-based, and focuses on defining a uniform terminology transferable across the borders of scientific disciplines, laboratories and countries

In preclinical studies screening for novel antidepressants, male and female animals should be used. However, in a widely used antidepressant test, the forced swim test (FST), sex differences between males and females are not consistent. These discrepancies may discourage the inclusion of females in FST studies. In order to overcome this problem and provide a detailed insight regarding the use of female animals in the FST, we designed the following experiment and we performed a thorough analysis of the relevant literature. Male and female Wistar adult rats were subjected to the FST and sertraline was used as an antidepressant in two doses (10 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, 3 injections in 24 h). Rodents were subjected in the two FST sessions during all possible combinations of the estrous cycle stages. We found that females exhibited higher levels of immobility than males and this sex difference was alleviated following antidepressant treatment. Sertraline at both doses enhanced swimming in both sexes, but females appeared more responsive to lower sertraline doses regarding immobility levels. Surprisingly, the high sertraline dose enhanced climbing particularly in proestrous and diestrous. Marked sex differences were also observed in the frequency of head swinging, with females exhibiting lower counts than males. Conclusively, when screening for new antidepressants, it is recommended to use standard FST procedures and if possible to include females in all phases of the cycle. Using only one dose of an investigational drug in females in certain phases of the cycle could result to false negative results.

In preclinical studies screening for novel antidepressants, male and female animals should be used. However, in a widely used antidepressant test, the forced swim test (FST), sex differences between males and females are not consistent. These discrepancies may discourage the inclusion of females in FST studies. In order to overcome this problem and provide a detailed insight regarding the use of female animals in the FST, we designed the following experiment and we performed a thorough analysis of the relevant literature. Male and female Wistar adult rats were subjected to the FST and sertraline was used as an antidepressant in two doses (10 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, 3 injections in 24 h). Rodents were subjected in the two FST sessions during all possible combinations of the estrous cycle stages. We found that females exhibited higher levels of immobility than males and this sex difference was alleviated following antidepressant treatment. Sertraline at both doses enhanced swimming in both sexes, but females appeared more responsive to lower sertraline doses regarding immobility levels. Surprisingly, the high sertraline dose enhanced climbing particularly in proestrous and diestrous. Marked sex differences were also observed in the frequency of head swinging, with females exhibiting lower counts than males. Conclusively, when screening for new antidepressants, it is recommended to use standard FST procedures and if possible to include females in all phases of the cycle. Using only one dose of an investigational drug in females in certain phases of the cycle could result to false negative results.

© Springer-Verlag London 2015. Aim: To present the technique and the results of treatment of vaginal aplasia with the use of Frank's Dilators and to critically report its potential advantages and limitations.Brief description of the reviewed data: Vaginal dilation involves the insertion of graduated dilators in the vaginal dimple and applying pressure. It is recognized as the first line method for creating a vagina in women with Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser syndrome (MRKH) and Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS). An 80 {%} success rate is reported with improvement of sexual satisfaction and anxiety scores. There are only few complications reported in the literature making it a low risk and low cost method to create a vagina. Clinical implications: Vaginal dilation therapy should be offered to all women presenting with MRKH or CAIS prior to embarking on a surgical vaginoplasty. Adequate psychological support during the process is likely to improve success rates as well as the overall wellbeing of patients diagnosed with uterovaginal aplasia.Open issues for further research: More research is required on long term outcomes of vaginal dilation therapy as well as on the comparison between surgical and conservative methods to create a vagina.

Male breast cancer is an uncommon malignancy; little is known regarding hormonal manipulations for tamoxifen-resistant male breast cancer patients. This is the first pooled analysis of the literature to synthesize all available data and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fulvestrant in male breast cancer. This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. All studies that examined the efficacy of fulvestrant in male breast cancer, regardless of sample size, were considered eligible. The search strategy retrieved 31 articles; of these, five articles were eligible (23 patients) for this pooled analysis. The mean age of the study sample was 63.1 years. Adjuvant hormonal treatment was administered in 87.5 % of cases. Fulvestrant was given as first or second line in 40 % of patients, while as third line or beyond in 60 % of patients. 79.0 % of patients at fulvestrant administration had visceral metastases. Regarding best response, in 26.1 % PR was achieved, in 47.8 % of cases SD was recorded, whereas in 26.1 % of patients PD was noted. The median PFS was equal to 5 months. No grade 3 and 4 adverse events were recorded; of note, hot flashes were reported in 18.2 % of male breast cancer patients. Fulvestrant may potentially play a promising role in the optimal therapeutic strategy for male patients with breast cancer diagnosis. However, further clinical and pharmacokinetic investigations are more than warranted before fulvestrant use becomes a common practice in male breast cancer patients. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

In the scope of the France-Greek program PLATON n° 30409XH “EMerChanCy”, this work focuses on the beachrocks of Paros and Naxos Islands, in central Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece, in an attempt to study their geochemistry and interpret their palaeoenvironmental significance. Beachrocks are coastal sedimentary formations, consisting of beach sediments that are relatively quickly cemented through the precipitation of CaCO3. However, debate still exists concerning their depositional environment, and therefore, their use as indicators for sea-level changes. For the aim of the present study, representative bulk samples from both islands were analyzed for their mineralogical (XRD) and chemical compositition (SEM). Chemical analyses were performed by XRF . The cement agent and the fine sand/clay fraction of the samples mainly consist of authigenic magnesian calcite, which commonly precipitates in shallow marine environments, especially in high concentration of Ca2+(>4 mol% CaCO3 or 1.2 wt.%). Furthermore, a series of clastic silicate and alumino-silicate minerals are detected. The predominant coarse fragments hosted within cement material are quartz, albite and K-feldspar. The texture of the beachrock samples varies from almost homogeneous sandstone to a mixture of lithologies, such as massive gravel, sandstone and claystone. Most of the grains are flattened and only rarely angular pieces of siliceous rocks occur, hosted in the fine-grained Mg-calcite cement. This grain size and shape is indicative of the genetic environment of beachrocks, implying the maturity level of cementation from early stage to modern situation. The beachrock samples derived from various depositional periods and depths, from the front and end slabs. The beachrocks were also correlated with stratigraphical material from boreholes and archaeological remains from the study area in an attempt to understand the coastal changes during the late Holocene in Central Cyclades.

We conducted a pooled analysis of 869 individual newly diagnosed elderly patient data from 3 prospective trials. At diagnosis, a geriatric assessment had been performed. An additive scoring system (range 0-5), based on age, comorbidities, and cognitive and physical conditions, was developed to identify 3 groups: fit (score = 0, 39%), intermediate fitness (score = 1,31%), and frail (score ≥2, 30%). The 3-year overall survivalwas 84%in fit, 76% in intermediate-fitness (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; P = .042), and 57% in frail (HR, 3.57; P < .001) patients. Thecumulative incidence of grade ≥3 nonhematologic adverse events at 12 months was 22.2%in fit, 26.4%in intermediate-fitness (HR, 1.23; P = .217), and 34.0%in frail (HR, 1.74; P < .001) patients. The cumulative incidence of treatment discontinuation at 12months was 16.5%in fit, 20.8%in intermediate-fitness (HR, 1.41; P = .052), and 31.2% in frail (HR, 2.21; P < .001) patients. Our frailty score predicts mortality and the risk of toxicity in elderly myeloma patients. The International Myeloma Working group proposes this score for the measurement of frailty in designing future clinical trials. These trials are registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01093136 (EMN01), #NCT01190787 (26866138MMY2069), and #NCT01346787 (IST-CAR-506).

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype CRF01_AE originated in Africa and then passed to Thailand, where it established a major epidemic. Despite the global presence of CRF01_AE, little is known about its subsequent dispersal pattern. METHODS: We assembled a global data set of 2736 CRF01_AE sequences by pooling sequences from public databases and patient-cohort studies. We estimated viral dispersal patterns, using statistical phylogeographic analysis run over bootstrap trees estimated by the maximum likelihood method. RESULTS: We show that Thailand has been the source of viral dispersal to most areas worldwide, including 17 of 20 sampled countries in Europe. Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, and other Asian countries have played a secondary role in the viral dissemination. In contrast, China and Taiwan have mainly imported strains from neighboring Asian countries, North America, and Africa without any significant viral exportation. DISCUSSION: The central role of Thailand in the global spread of CRF01_AE can be probably explained by the popularity of Thailand as a vacation destination characterized by sex tourism and by Thai emigration to the Western world. Our study highlights the unique case of CRF01_AE, the only globally distributed non-B clade whose global dispersal did not originate in Africa.

Background: International collaborative research is a mechanism for improving the development of dis-ease- specific therapies and for improving health at the population level. However, limited data are available to assess the trends in research output related to orphan diseases. Methods and Findings: We used bibliometric mapping and clustering methods to illustrate the level of fragmentation in myeloma research and the development of collaborative efforts. Publication data from Thomson Reuters Web of Science were retrieved for 2005-2009 and followed until 2013. We created a database of multiple myeloma publications, and we analysed impact and coauthorship density to identify scientific collaborations, developments, and international key players over time. The global annual publication volume for studies on multiple myeloma increased from 1,144 in 2005 to 1,628 in 2009, which represents a 43% increase. This increase is high compared to the 24% and 14% increases observed for lymphoma and leukaemia. The major proportion (>90% of publications) was from the US and EU over the study period. The output and impact in terms of citations, identified several successful groups with a large number of intra-cluster collaborations in the US and EU. The US-based myeloma clusters clearly stand out as the most productive and highly cited, and the European Myeloma Network members exhibited a doubling of collaborative publications from 2005 to 2009, still increasing up to 2013. Conclusion and Perspective: Multiple myeloma research output has increased substantially in the past decade. The fragmented European myeloma research activities based on national or regional groups are progressing, but they require a broad range of targeted research investments to improve multiple myeloma health care. © 2015 Andersen et al.

This paper investigates two tense-based constructions in English and Greek and one complementation construction in Greek, whose import is to effect a deictic shift and allow narration to proceed from the point of view of the narrated events and a participant therein. In addition to the individual formal and discourse-pragmatic properties of the patterns at hand, I focus on properties of the embedding context, showing that these unrelated constructions impose similar formal and interpretational requirements. This, in turn, supports the statement of generalizations at the level of genre, in this case ‘empathetic narration’ as a special kind of narration that departs from the default past narrative deictically anchored to the narrator and the conversational coordinates. While the analysis adopts a bottom-up, language-driven approach to genre, it also refutes an exhaustive equation with linguistic conventions, arguing that a Bakhtinian view of genre, which includes both linguistic and socio-cultural dimensions, is more appropriate for the data at hand.

The aim of the current study was to compare the biological activities of total polar lipids (TPL) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) polar lipid fractions of sardine fillet and cod liver oil against atherogenesis. TPL and TLC polar lipid fractions obtained from these two sources were assessed for their ability to inhibit the platelet-activating-factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation (PAF-antagonists) or to induce platelet aggregation (PAF-agonists), since PAF plays a crucial role in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. This study focused on the polar lipids since previous studies have underlined that the antithrombotic properties of foodstuffs are mainly attributed to polar lipid micro-constituents. TPL of sardine fillet induced platelet aggregation, while TPL of cod liver had a bimodal effect on platelets. TLC polar lipid fractions of both samples exhibited in vitro aggregatory and inhibitory activity towards platelets. However, TLC sardine polar lipid fractions showed stronger in vitro antithrombotic activities than the cod liver oil ones. These data constitute evidence of the putative contribution of fish polar lipids against cardiovascular diseases, underling firstly the beneficial effect of fish and fish lipids as functional foodstuffs against atherogenesis and secondly the more important role of sardine polar lipids as opposed to cod liver oil.

This study aims to analyse the economic efficiency of Greek small and medium retail enterprises before and after the crisis that started in 2008. Based on the Accounting Equation, we use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate variable returns of scale efficiency scores and to conclude on specific characteristics that efficient companies have, for example, on capital structure. Our results from the DEA application show a high degree of inefficiency. We found that SMEs on the islands are more efficient than those on the mainland and that SMEs in the cities are the least efficient. Size seems to be important, more so on the islands and on the mainland than in the cities. We conclude that companies should act more conservatively in terms of operating cost when the first signs of a recession appear. In addition, during a recession period, companies that have evidences that their operations will continue positively should strengthen their operations by raising more own capital. Finally, our study clarifies four issues: the efficiency of retail companies in a period of growth and a period of recession, focusing on SMEs that operate in different regions, connecting Accounting Equation and DEA and adding acid ratio as an output in our model.

In recent years the costs of hospital care in developed countries absorbed a high proportion of total health resources. In Greece, after the establishment of the National Health System (NHS), funding for hospitals comes mainly from the state budget, and social insurance, therefore auditing of hospital cost is imperative to ensure their viability, especially at this time when the country is tested by economic crisis. Overtime many factors for the increase of hospital cost have been mentioned, such as the rapid development of medical technology, the low level of organization of the hospital system and the low productivity of human resources. The problem of rising health expenditure over the past decades is a worldwide phenomenon and it has brought about many changes in traditional retrospective methods for financing in the hospital sector, with prospective financial forms that combine patient composition and needs, and the productive activity of hospital need to the rationalization and contain expenditures. The system of Diagnosis Related Groups was a revolutionary success over the past decades and has now achieved worldwide recognition.

Factors associated with information retrieval have been tested in the present pilot project, suggested an appropriate instrument chosen from previous research. The purpose of this paper is to access the internal validity and the internal consistency reliability of the research instrument. The questionnaire determine the information needs, information seeking behavior, the adequacy of online information sources, examine access, training received, barriers in using information technology and research utilization. The pilot questionnaire was distributed to nurses and physicians working in Greek hospitals and was tested for its validity and reliability coefficients.

Despite the fact that several natural products (e.g. crude extracts or purified compounds) have been found to activate cell antioxidant responses and/or delay cellular senescence the effect(s) of small peptides on cell viability and/or modulation of protective mechanisms (e.g. the proteostasis network) remain largely elusive. We have thus studied a hexapeptide (Hexapeptide-11) of structure Phe-Val-Ala-Pro-Phe-Pro (FVAPFP) originally isolated from yeast extracts and later synthesized by solid state synthesis to high purity. We show herein that Hexapeptide-11 exhibits no significant toxicity in normal human diploid lung or skin fibroblasts. Exposure of fibroblasts to Hexapeptide-11 promoted dose and time-dependent activation of proteasome, autophagy, chaperones and antioxidant responses related genes. Moreover, it promoted increased nuclear accumulation of Nrf2; higher expression levels of proteasomal protein subunits and increased proteasome peptidase activities. In line with these findings we noted that Hexapeptide-11 conferred significant protection in fibroblasts against oxidative-stress-mediated premature cellular senescence, while at in vivo skin deformation assays in human subjects it improved skin elasticity. Finally, Hexapeptide-11 was found to induce the activity of extracellular MMPs and it also suppressed cell migration. Our presented findings indicate that Hexapeptide-11 is a promising anti-ageing agent.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of liver related morbidity and mortality. In many countries, there is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological data that are crucial in implementing disease control measures as new treatment options become available. Published literature, unpublished data and expert consensus were used to determine key parameters, including prevalence, viremia, genotype and the number of patients diagnosed and treated. In this study of 15 countries, viremic prevalence ranged from 0.13% in the Netherlands to 2.91% in Russia. The largest viremic populations were in India (8 666 000 cases) and Russia (4 162 000 cases). In most countries, males had a higher rate of infections, likely due to higher rates of injection drug use (IDU). Estimates characterizing the infected population are critical to focus screening and treatment efforts as new therapeutic options become available.

Objectives. We examined HIV prevalence and risk factors among injection drug users (IDUs) in Athens, Greece, during an HIV outbreak. Methods. We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 1404 IDUs to the Aristotle intervention in August to October 2012. We interviewed participants and tested for HIV. We performed bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results. Estimated HIV prevalence was 19.8% (RDS-weighted prevalence = 14.8%). Odds of infection were 2.3 times as high in homeless as in housed IDUs and 2.1 times as high among IDUs who injected at least once per day as among less frequent injectors (both, P < .001). Six percent of men and 23.5% of women reported transactional sex in the past 12 months, and condom use was low. Intercourse with non-IDUs was common (53.2% of men, 25.6% of women). Among IDUs who had been injecting for 2 years or less the estimated incidence rate was 23.4 new HIV cases per 100 person-years at risk. Conclusions. Efforts to reduce HIV transmission should address homelessness as well as scaling up prevention services, such as needle and syringe distribution and other risk reduction interventions.

Objectives. We examined HIV prevalence and risk factors among injection drug users (IDUs) in Athens, Greece, during an HIV outbreak. Methods. We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 1404 IDUs to the Aristotle intervention in August to October 2012. We interviewed participants and tested for HIV. We performed bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results. Estimated HIV prevalence was 19.8% (RDS-weighted prevalence = 14.8%). Odds of infection were 2.3 times as high in homeless as in housed IDUs and 2.1 times as high among IDUs who injected at least once per day as among less frequent injectors (both, P < .001). Six percent of men and 23.5% of women reported transactional sex in the past 12 months, and condom use was low. Intercourse with non-IDUs was common (53.2% of men, 25.6% of women). Among IDUs who had been injecting for 2 years or less the estimated incidence rate was 23.4 new HIV cases per 100 person-years at risk. Conclusions. Efforts to reduce HIV transmission should address homelessness as well as scaling up prevention services, such as needle and syringe distribution and other risk reduction interventions.

A hallmark of human and experimental heart failure is deficient sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca-uptake reflecting impaired contractile function. This is at least partially attributed to dephosphorylation of phospholamban by increased protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity. Indeed inhibition of PP1 by transgenic overexpression or gene-transfer of constitutively active inhibitor-1 improved Ca-cycling, preserved function and decreased fibrosis in small and large animal models of heart failure, suggesting that inhibitor-1 may represent a potential therapeutic target. We recently identified a novel human polymorphism (G109E) in the inhibitor-1 gene with a frequency of 7% in either normal or heart failure patients. Transgenic mice, harboring cardiac-specific expression of G109E inhibitor-1, exhibited decreases in contractility, Ca-kinetics and SR Ca-load. These depressive effects were relieved by isoproterenol stimulation. Furthermore, stress conditions (2Hz +/- Iso) induced increases in Ca-sparks, Ca-waves (60% of G109E versus 20% in wild types) and after-contractions (76% of G109E versus 23% of wild types) in mutant cardiomyocytes. Similar findings were obtained by acute expression of the G109E variant in adult cardiomyocytes in the absence or presence of endogenous inhibitor-1. The underlying mechanisms included reduced binding of mutant inhibitor-1 to PP1, increased PP1 activity, and dephosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser16 and Thr17. However, phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor at Ser2808 was not altered while phosphorylation at Ser2814 was increased, consistent with increased activation of Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), promoting aberrant SR Ca-release. Parallel in vivo studies revealed that mutant mice developed ventricular ectopy and complex ventricular arrhythmias (including bigeminy, trigeminy and ventricular tachycardia), when challenged with isoproterenol. Inhibition of CaMKII activity by KN-93 prevented the increased propensity to arrhythmias. These findings suggest that the human G109E inhibitor-1 variant impairs SR Ca-cycling and promotes arrhythmogenesis under stress conditions, which may present an additional insult in the compromised function of heart failure carriers.

We report first results from our XMM-Newton observation of IGR J01217-7257 performed on November 7, 2015. This transient in the Small Magellanic Cloud (Coe et al. 2014, ATel #5806) was found to be in a new outburst during Integral observations end of October 2015 (Coe et al. 2015, ATel #8246).

The elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, a complex of pathological conditions including type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, is an important issue with high biological significance and requires accurate methods capable of monitoring lipid storage distribution and dynamics in vivo. In this study, the nonlinear phenomena of second and third harmonic generation (SHG, THG) have been employed simultaneously as label-free, nondestructive diagnostic techniques, for the monitoring and the complementary three-dimensional (3D) imaging and analysis of the muscular areas and the lipid content localization. THG microscopy was used as a quantitative tool in order to record the accumulation of lipids in nonadipose tissues in the pharyngeal muscles of 18 Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) specimens, while the SHG imaging provided the detailed anatomical information about the structure of the muscles. The ectopic accumulation of fat on the pharyngeal muscles increases in wild-type (N2) C. elegans between 1 and 9 days of adulthood. This suggests a correlation of ectopic fat accumulation with the process of aging. Our results can contribute to the unraveling of the link between the deposition of ectopic fat and aging, but mainly to the validation of SHG and THG microscopy modalities as new, noninvasive tools to localize and quantify selectively lipid formation and distribution.

The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) is the world body for biomedical and health informatics (BMHI). IMIA accreditation program allows the health and medical informatics programs around the world to reach to an international level. Staffs (professors, students, education programmes directors, others) that work on the accredited BMHI programs will have the opportunity to be engaged with organizations that possess a world-class research and education profile from other countries, which will have great impacts on their field at their institutions, within their country providing the high quality overall health services. IMIA accreditation procedure is usually a long process and slightly complicated. The goal of this paper is to illustrate and to simplify the IMIA accreditation process to increase the success of the applicants. Toward more dynamic IMIA accreditation procedure, the paper presents 4 steps: translation, IMIA-Accreditation Step by Step Guideline, Questions and Answers, and finally the (new) Labelling System.

© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York. The consequences of living in single-parent households on children's wellbeing are well documented, but less is known about the impact of living in single-mother households among children with high familial risk for depression. Utilizing data from an ongoing three-generation study of high-risk families, this preliminary study examined a sample of 161 grandchildren of probands diagnosed with major depressive disorder, comparing those in single-parent households to those in dual-parent households with household status defined as the full-time presence of a resident male in the home. High-risk children were compared across households in terms of psychiatric diagnoses (measured by Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children; K-SADS-PL) and global functioning (assessed by Global Assessment Scale, child version; C-GAS). Results indicated that high-risk children in single-parent households had 4.7 times greater odds for developing a mood disorder and had significantly lower mean C-GAS scores (p = 0.01) compared to those in dual-parent households. Differences remained significant when controlling for household income, child's age, and either parent's depression status. There were no significant differences between high-risk children across households when household status was instead defined as legal marital status. This study has several limitations: sample size was small, probands were recruited from a clinical population, and participants had not passed completely through the period of risk for adult psychiatric disorders. These findings point towards the importance of identifying and closely monitoring children at risk for depression, particularly if they reside in households without a resident father figure.

Pomalidomide is a distinct oral IMiD® immunomodulatory agent with direct antimyeloma, stromal-support inhibitory, and immunomodulatory effects. The pivotal, multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 3 trial MM-003 compared pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone vs high-dose dexamethasone in 455 patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma after failure of bortezomib and lenalidomide treatment. Initial results demonstrated significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival with an acceptable tolerability profile for pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone vs high-dose dexamethasone. This secondary analysis describes patient outcomes by treatment history and depth of response. Pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone significantly prolonged progression-free survival and favored overall survival vs high-dose dexamethasone for all subgroups analyzed, regardless of prior treatments or refractory status. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that no variable relating to either the number (≤ or > 3) or type of prior treatment was a significant predictor of progression-free survival or overall survival. No cross-resistance with prior lenalidomide or thalidomide treatment was observed. Patients achieving a minimal response or better to pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone treatment experienced a survival benefit, which was even higher in those achieving at least a partial response (17.2 and 19.9 months, respectively, as compared with 7.5 months for patients with less than minimal response). These data suggest that pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone should be considered a standard of care in patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma regardless of prior treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01311687; EudraCT: 2010-019820-30. © 2015 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

The growing period of the deep-rooted, winter-deciduous Capparis spinosa (caper) coincides with the dry season, in the Mediterranean Basin. Roots of wild shrubs of C. spinosa penetrated cracks of a pumice substrate and lengthened in the subterranean environment of the ancient catacombs of Milos Island (Greece); therein, they reached depths of up to 20 m and exploited water present in deep soil layers. Elevated water potential (Ψ) was measured in root segments (Ψr = −0.35 ± 0.06 MPa), a few centimetres from the root apices of C. spinosa found in the catacombs during the dry season. Also, estimates of foliar predawn water potential and gas exchange components, as well as of nocturnal floral water potential of C. spinosa grown on slopes above the subterranean monument were high and reflected the efficiency of roots in retaining acquisition of water from deep soil layers, during the dry season.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), treated with entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir (TDF), is unclear. We evaluated the incidence and predictors of HCC and the accuracy of existing HCC risk scores in Caucasian CHB patients receiving ETV/TDF. METHODS: This large, multicentre, retrospective cohort study included 1666 adult Caucasian CHB patients under ETV/TDF for 39 months. CHB without cirrhosis, compensated and decompensated cirrhosis were present in 67%, 39%, and 3% of patients, respectively. The predictability of baseline parameters and three risk scores (GAG-HCC, CU-HCC, and REACH-B), developed in Asian patients, was assessed. RESULTS: The cumulative probability of HCC was 1.3%, 3.4%, and 8.7% at year-1, year-3, and year-5 after ETV/TDF onset. Older age and lower platelets were strong independent HCC predictors in the total population and in the subgroups of cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients, while liver disease severity was an independent HCC predictor in the total population and in the cirrhotics. GAG-HCC, CU-HCC, and REACH-B risk scores were associated with HCC development only in the univariable but not in the multivariable analyses and offered poor to modest predictability. CONCLUSIONS: HCC can still develop in Caucasian CHB patients treated with ETV/TDF. Besides the well-known predictors of HCC, such as older age, male gender and more advanced liver disease, lower platelets represent an independent factor of higher HCC risk. The applicability and predictability of HCC risk scores developed in Asian patients are poor or modest in Caucasian CHB patients, for whom different risk scores are required.

© 2015 European Society of Endocrinology. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between thyroid hormones and indices of obesity in a sample of euthyroid postmenopausal women. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Serum levels of TSH, free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4) as well as BMI and waist:hip ratio (WHR) were evaluated in 194 healthy euthyroid postmenopausal women. Ultrasonography was used to assess abdominal fat layers (subcutaneous fat (SF), preperitoneal fat (PF), and SF:PF ratio). Indices of adiposity were defined as high vs low depending on the median value of the assessed parameters. Results: After multivariate adjustment for traditional risk factors, lower FT4 levels and a higher FT3:FT4 ratio predicted higher SF mass (FT4, Exp(β)=0.035, P=0.020 and FT3:FT4, Exp(β)=2.374, P=0.018), whereas higher FT3 predicted higher PF mass (Exp(β)=2.815, P=0.032). Women with FT3:FT4 above the highest quartile had a significantly higher SF mass as compared to women in the lowest quartile (1.81±0.62 cm vs 1.54∓0.46 cm, P=0.027). BMI had a positive independent association with TSH (Exp(β)=1.829, P=0.018). Finally, FT3 was significantly associated with SF mass among women with higher BMI (FT3, β=0.259, P=0.040) and women with higher WHR (β=0.309, P=0.020) but not among women with lower BMI or WHR values. Conclusion: Thyroid hormone levels, and in particular FT3, were independently associated with SF and PF in euthyroid postmenopausal women, and this association was mainly evident in women with higher BMIs. On the other hand, among traditional indices of adiposity, only TSH was positively associated with BMI. Larger prospective studies are needed to evaluate the significance of the present findings.

BACKGROUND: Mesial protraction of mandibular posterior teeth requires increased anchorage to avoid undesired tooth movements. Orthodontic mini-implants have become a popular and successful way to increase skeletal anchorage in such cases. However, mini-implants may cause injury to adjacent teeth or anatomical structures and may lead to tissue inflammation. Induced ankylosed primary teeth have been used in the past as abutments for the protraction of the maxilla in cases of maxillary retrognathism. However, this technique has not been described in the literature for the protraction of mandibular molars. The aim of this paper is to present, through a case report, an alternative to mini-implant devices to maximize anchorage in the mandible by inducing ankylosis on a primary molar. FINDINGS: A 13-year-old female with class II right malocclusion, deep bite, and congenitally missing right second premolars was referred for orthodontic treatment. Treatment plan involved removal of the primary teeth and mesial protraction of the posterior. In the mandible, ankylosis was induced on the retained primary second molar by extraction, bisection, replantation of the mesial part after endodontic treatment, and bonding of a rigid splint. Ankylosis was diagnosed after 10 weeks and a closing T-loop sectional wire was inserted to move the permanent first molar mesially. At 6 months, the remaining space was closed using elastic chain on a rectangular stainless steel wire with tip-back bends, supported by class II elastics. CONCLUSIONS: Induced ankylosis of primary teeth can be an alternative to orthodontic mini-implants in selected cases, with minimal risks and maximum biocompatibility.

The Kolumbo submarine volcano, located 7 km northeast of the island of Santorini, is part of Santorini’s volcanic complex in the south Aegean Sea, Greece. Kolumbo’s last eruption was in 1650 AD. However, a unique and active hydrothermal vent field has been revealed in the northern part of its crater floor during an oceanographic survey by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in 2006. In the present study, conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) data collected by ROV Hercules during three oceanographic surveys onboard E/V Nautilus in 2010 and 2011 have served to investigate the distribution of physicochemical properties in the water column, as well as their behavior directly over the hydrothermal field. Additional CTD measurements were carried out in volcanic cone 3 (VC3) along the same volcanic chain but located 3 km northeast of Kolumbo where no hydrothermal activity has been detected to date. CTD profiles exhibit pronounced anomalies directly above the active vents on Kolumbo’s crater floor. In contrast, VC3 data revealed no such anomalies, essentially resembling open-sea (background) conditions. Steep increases of temperature (e.g., from 16 to 19 °C) and conductivity near the maximum depth (504 m) inside Kolumbo’s cone show marked spatiotemporal correlation. Vertical distributions of CTD signatures suggest a strong connection to Kolumbo’s morphology, with four distinct zones identified (open sea, turbid flow, invariable state, hydrothermal vent field). Additionally, overlaying the near-seafloor temperature measurements on an X–Y coordinate grid generates a detailed 2D distribution of the hydrothermal vent field and clarifies the influence of fluid discharges in its formation.

Autoimmune β-cell death leads to type 1 diabetes and with findings that Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β) activation contributes to β-cell death, we assessed the effects of iPLA2β inhibition on diabetes development. Administration of FKGK18, a reversible iPLA2β inhibitor, to non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice significantly reduced diabetes incidence in association with (a) reduced insulitis, reflected by reductions in CD4+ T-cells and B-cells, (b) improved glucose homeostasis, (c) higher circulating insulin, and (d) β-cell preservation. Further, FKGK18 inhibited production of TNFα from CD4+ T-cells and antibodies from B-cells, suggesting modulation of immune cell responses by iPLA2β-derived products. Consistent with this, (a) adoptive transfer of diabetes by CD4+ T-cells to immunodeficient and diabetes-resistant NOD.scid mice was mitigated by FKGK18 pretreatment and (b) TNFα production from CD4+ T-cells was reduced by inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and 12-lipooxygenase, which metabolize arachidonic acid to generate bioactive inflammatory eicosanoids. However, adoptive transfer of diabetes was not prevented when mice were administered FKGK18-pretreated T-cells or FKGK18 administration is initiated with T-cell transfer. Our observations suggest that iPLA2β-derived lipid signals modulate immune cell responses, raising the possibility that early inhibition of iPLA2β may be beneficial in ameliorating autoimmune destruction of β-cells and mitigating type 1 diabetes development.

Proteoglycans control numerous normal and pathological processes, among which are morphogenesis, tissue repair, inflammation, vascularization and cancer metastasis. During tumor development and growth, proteoglycan expression is markedly modified in the tumor microenvironment. Altered expression of proteoglycans on tumor and stromal cell membranes affects cancer cell signaling, growth and survival, cell adhesion, migration and angiogenesis. Despite the high complexity and heterogeneity of breast cancer, the rapid evolution in our knowledge that proteoglycans are among the key players in the breast tumor microenvironment suggests their potential as pharmacological targets in this type of cancer. It has been recently suggested that pharmacological treatment may target proteoglycan metabolism, their utilization as targets for immunotherapy or their direct use as therapeutic agents. The diversity inherent in the proteoglycans that will be presented herein provides the potential for multiple layers of regulation of breast tumor behavior. This review summarizes recent developments concerning the biology of selected proteoglycans in breast cancer, and presents potential targeted therapeutic approaches based on their novel key roles in breast cancer.

Σήμερα πολλές χώρες και ιδιαίτερα η Ελλάδα πλήττονται από μια επώδυνη οικονομική κρίση. Για την υπέρβαση της κρίσης αυτής αναζητούνται κατά κύριο λόγο, εμπνευσμένοι ηγέτες οι οποίοι μεταξύ άλλων, θα άρουν και τα αδιέξοδα στα οποία έχει εγκλωβιστεί η οικονομική επιχειρηματικότητα. Οι αλλαγές που συντελούνται με επιταχυνόμενους ρυθμούς στο οικονομueικό πεδίο προκαλούν πέραν των άλλων και έναν μετασχηματισμό των χαρακτηριστικών τα οποία συνέθεταν μια εμπνευσμένη ηγεσία. Έννοιες όπως επιτυχία, καινοτομία, ηθικές πρακτικές, βιωσιμότητα και επιχειρείν επαναπροσδιορίζονται νοηματικά, γεγονός που με τη σειρά του προκαλεί την ανάγκη επανεξέτασης των τρόπων προσέγγισης και επίλυσης σύγχρονων επιχειρηματικών ζητημάτων-προβλημάτων. Σύμφωνα με τα σχετικά βιβλιογραφικά-ερευνητικά δεδομένα εμπνευσμένοι επιχειρηματίες-ηγέτες του μέλλοντος θα είναι εκείνοι που μεταξύ άλλων έχουν αναπτύξει, σε έναν υψηλό βαθμό, συναισθηματική/κοινωνική νοημοσύνη. Αυτή η εργασία εξετάζει ερευνητικά στοιχεία που  καταδεικνύουν ότι γυναίκες επιχειρηματίες χαρακτηρίζονται από την ικανότητα που έχουν να χτίζουν συναίνεση, να αναλαμβάνουν τον ρόλο του διαμεσολαβητή-ειρηνοποιού, να προσαρμόζονται ευκολότερα, να ακούν, να μοιράζονται, να δημιουργούν κίνητρα συνεργασίας και να εμπνέουν. Εμφανίζουν δηλαδή ένα υψηλό επίπεδο συναισθηματικής/κοινωνικής νοημοσύνης. Σε αυτή την προοπτική, επικεντρώνοντας το ενδιαφέρον μας στην γυναικεία επιχειρηματικότητα, τίθενται κάποια θεμελιώδη ερωτηματικά, όπως ποια είναι τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία τα οποία μπορούν να οδηγήσουν στην επαγγελματική επιτυχία. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kamberidou, I. (2015). “Inspired Leaders–Empowering Leadership Skills: Women, Entrepreneurship and Sports”, pp. 28-30. Tips4skills conference, High Heels consortium, 19/2/2015, Athens, Greece [original in Greek]. In Tips4skills conference book, with support of the European Commission and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union (pp. 28–30). High Heels consortium, EU project: http://www.highheelsproject.eu [Α.2.  in Apella]

 Full text:  http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/QfxxQ5f9E7wVHtXDu7kB/full To cite this article: Irene Kamberidou (2015): Interacting, sharing and bonding: ‘notes of personal experience’ by nineteenth-century women travellers, Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, DOI: 10.1080/0966369X.2015.1013451  To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2015.1013451

Mitochondria are highly dynamic and semi-autonomous organelles, essential for many fundamental cellular processes, including energy production, metabolite synthesis and calcium homeostasis, among others. Alterations in mitochondrial activity not only influence individual cell function but also, through non-cell autonomous mechanisms, whole body metabolism, healthspan and lifespan. Energy homeostasis is orchestrated by the complex interplay between mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondria-selective autophagy (mitophagy). However, the cellular and molecular pathways that coordinate these 2 opposing processes remained obscure. In our recent study, we demonstrate that DCT-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the mammalian BNIP3 and BNIP3L/NIX, is a key mediator of mitophagy, and functions in the same genetic pathway with PINK-1 and PDR-1 (the nematode homologs of PINK1 and Parkin respectively) to promote longevity and prevent cell damage under stress conditions. Interestingly, accumulation of damaged mitochondria activates SKN-1 (SKiNhead-1), the nematode homolog of NRF2, which in turn initiates a compensatory retrograde signaling response that impinges on both mitochondrial biogenesis and removal. In this commentary, we discuss the implications of these new findings in the context of innate immunity and aging. Unraveling the regulatory network that governs the crosstalk between mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy will enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that link aberrant energy metabolism to aging and disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The outcome of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients who may remain in the inactive carrier state (IC) or progress to HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B may be affected by the host genetic profile. Genetic polymorphisms within not only the promoter but also the coding sequence of the interferon receptor 1 (INFAR1) gene have been associated with susceptibility to chronic HBV infection, but their role on the outcomes of HBeAg-negative patients has not been evaluated. We examined the association of INFAR1 promoter polymorphisms with the phase of chronic HBV infection in a demographically characterized Caucasian cohort of 183 consecutive HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients. METHODS: Using a combination of conventional and allele-specific polymerase chain reactions, bidirectional sequencing and DNA-fragment analysis, we performed typing of three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs -568G/C, -408C/T, -3C/T) and one Variable Number Tandem Repeat [VNTR -77(GT)n] within the INFR1 promoter sequence. RESULTS: The genetic polymorphisms examined were found to be associated with the phase of HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients. Using a multiple logistic regression model adjusting for age, gender and origin of the individuals, we found that patients with linked genotypes -408CT_-3CT were more likely to be ICs (OR = 2.42 vs. CC, P = 0.036). Also, given the partial linkage between SNP -568G/C and VNTR -77(GT)n, we found that linked genotypes -77(GT)n 8/>8_-568GG respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that these genetic variations represent important factors associated with the clinical phase of HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The outcome of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients who may remain in the inactive carrier state (IC) or progress to HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B may be affected by the host genetic profile. Genetic polymorphisms within not only the promoter but also the coding sequence of the interferon receptor 1 (INFAR1) gene have been associated with susceptibility to chronic HBV infection, but their role on the outcomes of HBeAg-negative patients has not been evaluated. We examined the association of INFAR1 promoter polymorphisms with the phase of chronic HBV infection in a demographically characterized Caucasian cohort of 183 consecutive HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients. METHODS: Using a combination of conventional and allele-specific polymerase chain reactions, bidirectional sequencing and DNA-fragment analysis, we performed typing of three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs -568G/C, -408C/T, -3C/T) and one Variable Number Tandem Repeat [VNTR -77(GT)n] within the INFR1 promoter sequence. RESULTS: The genetic polymorphisms examined were found to be associated with the phase of HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients. Using a multiple logistic regression model adjusting for age, gender and origin of the individuals, we found that patients with linked genotypes -408CT_-3CT were more likely to be ICs (OR = 2.42 vs. CC, P = 0.036). Also, given the partial linkage between SNP -568G/C and VNTR -77(GT)n, we found that linked genotypes -77(GT)n ≤ 8/≤8_-568GC and -77(GT)n ≤ 8/≤8_-568CC were detected more frequently among ICs (OR = 11.69, P = 0.005 and OR = 7.56, P = 0.001 vs. -77(GT)n >8/>8_-568GG respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that these genetic variations represent important factors associated with the clinical phase of HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection.

In the 21st century technology has rapidly evolved and has managed to eliminate distances, and especially in the health sector. The purpose of this study is to investigate the families' satisfaction and effectiveness resulted from the use of telehealth services that are provided to children with diabetes mellitus type 1. The evaluation at the individual level (user) has been done by completing two questionnaires. The study involved 100 parents whose children have diabetes mellitus type 1 (50 using telemedicine and 50 without). The majority of parents involved in the study, thinks that their knowledge level on telemedicine system is sufficient (96%) and would recommend its use to other parents whose children have diabetes (82%). Meanwhile, 80% evaluate the telemedicine system as adequate.

Frataxin is a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein involved in the biogenesis of Fe-S-cluster-containing proteins and consequently in the functionality of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Similar to other proteins that regulate mitochondrial respiration, severe frataxin deficiency leads to pathology in humans--Friedreich's ataxia, a life-threatening neurodegenerative disorder--and to developmental arrest in the nematode C. elegans. Interestingly, partial frataxin depletion extends C. elegans lifespan, and a similar anti-aging effect is prompted by reduced expression of other mitochondrial regulatory proteins from yeast to mammals. The beneficial adaptive responses to mild mitochondrial stress are still largely unknown and, if characterized, may suggest novel potential targets for the treatment of human mitochondria-associated, age-related disorders. Here we identify mitochondrial autophagy as an evolutionarily conserved response to frataxin silencing, and show for the first time that, similar to mammals, mitophagy is activated in C. elegans in response to mitochondrial stress in a pdr-1/Parkin-, pink-1/Pink-, and dct-1/Bnip3-dependent manner. The induction of mitophagy is part of a hypoxia-like, iron starvation response triggered upon frataxin depletion and causally involved in animal lifespan extension. We also identify non-overlapping hif-1 upstream (HIF-1-prolyl-hydroxylase) and downstream (globins) regulatory genes mediating lifespan extension upon frataxin and iron depletion. Our findings indicate that mitophagy induction is part of an adaptive iron starvation response induced as a protective mechanism against mitochondrial stress, thus suggesting novel potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of mitochondrial-associated, age-related disorders.