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To investigate the possible association between ABO blood types and breast cancer in Greek women.202 female patients with breast cancer and 139 healthy women as control group were examined clinically and with breast ultrasound and those older than 40 years, also with bilateral digital mammography.In the case-group, 26.7% had blood group O, 5.5% had blood group B, 61.9% had blood group A and 5.9% had blood group AB. In the control-group, 47.5% had blood group O, 13.7% had blood group B, 31.6% had blood group A and 7.2% had blood group AB. Usage of diagrams with the percentages of frequency, the average control, Pearson, Spearman, Student's t-tests analyzed with SPSS statistical software showed a significant correlation between breast cancer and blood group A (p0.01).Although in the literature it is controversial whether ABO/Rh blood groups have association with breast cancer, the results of our study show a significant correlation between breast cancer and blood group A.

BACKGROUND. The tendency of the nasal polyps for recurrence is well established and recognized. A potentially effective measure to reduce this tendency seems to be the replacement of the mucosa responsible for polyp growth. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Since February 2012, we have used this method in fifteen patients with intractable polyposis. After a short course of preoperative medication, we performed a detailed computed scan analysis to study the anatomy of the ethmoidal complex and calculate the area and contour of the graft. Under general anaesthesia, we removed the mucosa of the nasal roof and replaced it with a split-thickness skin graft. For maintenance, only a short course of nasal drops every three months seems to suffice. RESULTS. Excluding the first two cases due to a poor surgical technique, the rest of the cases may be considered successful. All patients experience a functional nose with restored nasal breathing and occasionally olfactory function with only a minimal pharmaceutical aid. Polyps still grow, but they show a much more benign course and are readily responsive to medical treatment. Interestingly, polyps present squamous metaplasia postoperatively. This feature needs further investigation. CONCLUSION. The method of dermoplasty presents a high potential for control of polyp growth. With only an hour prolongation of surgical time, a minor increase in complication rate and a small increase in morbidity rate, the technique deserves further attention from the rhinological society.

Energy audit is the first step towards sustainable energy management in every organization. Especially for industries with high energy intensity, the installation of energy monitoring systems is considered of high importance in order to develop energy balances, understand the way energy flows inside different processes and systems and identify inefficiencies and incidences throughout the operation of the industrial plant. In cases where permanent energy monitoring systems are not available an energy audit is necessary in order to perform energy measurements and identify energy saving opportunities. In the current study energy audit with the use of portable measuring equipment such as power quality analyzer, thermal imager and ultrasound analyzer has been performed in agricultural industries within the framework of the EU research project SCOoPE (Saving Cooperative Energy). An integrated analysis has been carried out so as to identify opportunities for improving energy performance. The findings from measurements are combined and correlated and lead to the identification of inefficiencies such as: electric energy quality and losses, compressed air leakages, losses in ammonia and freon, insulation losses in refrigeration and steam networks, inefficient settings of furnaces and steam boilers, absence of lubrication, shell losses in refrigeration chambers, non regulated HVAC units etc..

To evaluate the efficacy of a dermoplasty technique in controlling nasal polyps comparing to the conventional endoscopic approach. Prospective observational study Tertiary private hospital. Twenty-nine patients underwent surgery for replacement of the middle meatus mucosa with skin. Some patients (41.4%) suffered from allergies, 44.8% from asthma, and 27.6% from aspirin intolerance. Polyps were staged according to the Lildholdt system, and patients completed a sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT-22) pre and post-operatively. Also, patients were interrogated as for medication relevant to the nose received pre and post-operatively. In twenty-six patients dermoplasty was applied in one nostril while the contralateral was treated with the conventional endoscopic technique allowing us to compare the two techniques in the same patient. Median follow-up period was 1.2 years (IQR 0.8, 2.0; range 0.4–5.8). Median drop in SNOT-22 score was 38.2 percentage units. Patients (79.3%) controlled symptoms by topical corticosteroids for 2.5–3 months per year at most. Seventy percent (70.8%) reported improvement in subjective olfaction. Results compare favorably to those reported in the literature after functional endoscopic approach. Lildholdt stage dropped post-operatively on both sides but significantly more (p value

Objective:To present and evaluate the use of nasal dermoplasty for control of recurrent nasal polyps.Study design:Prospective case series.Method:The mucosa of the fovea ethmoidalis and the lamina papyracea was replaced by a split-thickness skin graft. The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 12 months.Results:Five patients underwent nasal dermoplasty for recurrent nasal polyposis. In three cases, the graft uptake was successful. Post-operatively, four patients reported they were in better condition than at the same interval after their previous operation. Recurrence of polyps was noted in all patients but not in the grafted areas.Conclusion:In this study, there was a high prevalence of successful graft uptake following nasal dermoplasty. This technique may have potential for the control of recurrent nasal polyps. Although it is demanding and time-consuming, it may reduce the need for multiple operations. Further research is justified to establish its efficacy.

Objective: Preterm labor is one of the most significant obstetric problems associated with high rate of actual and long-term perinatal complications. Despite the creation of scoring systems, uterine activity monitoring, cervical ultrasound and several biochemical markers, the prediction and prevention of preterm labor is still a matter of concern. The aim of this study was to examine cervical findings for the prediction and the comparative use of Arabin pessary or cerclage for the prevention of preterm birth in asymptomatic women with high risk factors for preterm labor. Material and methods: The study group was composed of singleton pregnancies (spontaneously conceived) with high risk factors for preterm labor. Cervical length, dilatation of the internal cervical os and funneling, were estimated with transvaginal ultrasound during the first and the second trimesters of pregnancy. Results: Cervical funneling, during the second trimester of pregnancy, was the most significant factor for the prediction of preterm labor. The use of Arabin cervical pessary was found to be more effective than cerclage in the prolongation of pregnancy. Conclusion: In women at risk for preterm labor, the detection of cervical funneling in the second trimester of pregnancy may help to predict preterm labor and to apply the appropriate treatment for its prevention. Although the use of cervical pessary was found to be more effective than cerclage, more studies are needed to classify the effectiveness of different methods for such prevention.

Testing (and calibration) laboratories, to be good, must provide consistent accurate and precise measurements of the test objects based on their well-defined procedures. Lab accreditation is one way to assure the engineers, scientists, and technicians in the lab AND the lab customers and the public have confidence in the skills, facilities, and results of the lab’s work. There is an international standard, ISO/IEC 17025-2005 “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.” This standard is for use by laboratories in developing their management system, for quality, administrative, and technical operations Following this standard will help labs assure quality in their work. To assure the public (and the lab’s customers) that the lab does follow this, an objective agency evaluates the lab’s quality program. This process is called “accreditation.” Accreditation is done under strict quality control by accrediting agencies, of which there are several available for worldwide lab...

In an initial period of vertebrate phylogeny (bone marrow-less vertebrates), lymphohaematopoiesis takes place in numerous organs containing a suitable microenvironment. Among other organs (i.e., gonads, kidney and spleen), the liver is apparently the most appropriate site for homing and differentiation of haematopoietic cell precursors. Interaction between haematopoietic cells and stromal cells is important for regulation of haematopoiesis. Numerous soluble and membrane-bound factors directly regulating haematopoiesis have been documented, but little is known about the effect of the foetal hepatic epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) stromal cells' activity and their product-fibronectin, on foetal hepatic haematopoiesis. The binding of late-stage erythroid cells to FN has been well characterised and is believed to be critical for the terminal stages of erythroid differentiation. The intention of this article is to provide a quantitative overview of FN, produced by hepatic EMT stromal cells, in foetal hepatic haematopoiesis during the first and second trimester of development. Paraffin-embedded specimens from the liver of 30 human embryos in the first and second trimesters of gestation were investigated by conventional histology and immunohistology for the presence of FN and specific haematopoietic cell types. The staining intensity, and localisation of FN and haematopoietic markers in sequential sections were examined. Furthermore, double immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess simultaneous detection of FN and haematopoietic markers. FN was expressed in the EMT stromal cells of the hepatic portal triads more strongly during the second trimester than the first. Furthermore, an intense immunostaining for haematopoietic lineages, and especially for erythropoiesis, was observed in the second trimester compared to the first. The results of the double immunostaining disclosed an intimate co-expression of the FN and CD haematopoietic markers. Foetal hepatic EMT stromal cells provide a unique microenvironment that supports the emergence, expansion and maintenance of human foetal haematopoietic development during the mid-gestational stage. FN produced by the EMT stromal cells follows a time course parallel to that of haematopoiesis. We suggest that in foetal liver, phenotypic modifications of EMT stromal cells expressing FN concerning the cell adhesion capacity of the protein are associated with proliferation and differentiation of specific haematopoietic cell lineages during the second trimester of gestation, probably reflecting the increasing demand of the growing foetus for mature erythroid and myeloid cells.

In recent years, the European Union (EU) has developed a shared European vision of sustainable urban development. Towards this direction, holistic solutions and advanced energy management services are necessary, addressed to any local authority that has as purpose to implement sustainable energy action plans. In this context, the aim of this paper is to present an advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) platform for real-time monitoring and infrastructure efficiency at the city level, namely a Web Portal addressed to city authorities. The Web Portal will enable the city administration to collect data for energy management, real-time monitoring and billing purposes from city's infrastructure, sensors, meters and other energy sources and react to critical incidents or systems failure in an urban (city) environment. All the collected data will be handled by the "green" tools of the ICT platform, focused on the city's municipal buildings, pillars/poles and electric vehicle stations.

Nasal dermoplasty for recurrent polyps (NDRP) is a new technique for the surgical treatment of this condition. Churg-Strauss syndrome is characterized by the presence of nasal polyps with a great tendency for relapse after surgical or pharmaceutical treatment. It is the first time that we use NDRP to treat nasal polyps in a patient with Churg-Strauss syndrome. The patient was a 33-year-old female suffering from Churg-Strauss syndrome having had multiple operations in the past for recurrent polyps. NDRP was performed on the left nostril only. The mucosa of the left nasal vault was replaced by a split-thickness skin graft (modified dermoplasty). On the right nostril, polyps were removed and the ostia of the paranasal sinuses were enlarged as in typical endoscopic sinus surgery. The skin graft had a successful take and eight months after the operation no polyps are detected on the left side while polyps have recurred on the right nasal cavity. Applying the technique to a single nostril has several advantages, namely, the reduction of the operational time and therefore the risks for the patient from a prolonged general anaesthetic and the ability to judge the efficacy of the technique on the same patient.

This paper examines tourism competition among the Mediterranean countries with particular emphasis on Greece. The estimated model includes as explanatory variables an income index, a price index of the host country, a price index of the competitors (Spain, Portugal and Italy) and exchange rate. The results show that the main determinants of Greece's tourism demand are both price indexes and exchange rate. They also show that Spain seems to be Greece's main competitor.

From the 20 families studied, pathological intoxication with LSD-25 was observed in one of the parents in 18, and only two pairs of parents showed no abnormalities during the experiment. On the other hand the parents' siblings, when available for study, only showed pathological symptoms when the related parent showed pathological symptoms himself. Finally, from the 44 patients' siblings to whom LSD was given, “pathological” manifestations were observed in 19. Further studies are proceeding with additional families, and the relatives so far examined in this way are under continued observation by the University Clinic to note whether future schizophrenic breakdown is more likely in subjects who had shown pathological intoxication.