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JOHN MINOS TZANAKAKIS Obituary: PROFESSOR JOHN MINOS TZANAKAKIS, 1927-2025
Get PDFAn exceptional entomologist, a rare personalityBorn in Thessaloniki (Macedonia) in January 1927. His father originated from Western Crete (village Elos, Kissamos province), while his mother from Constantinople (Istanbul). During his early years of high school (World War II, German occupation period) he lived in Kissamos, where, among others, he was cultivating vegetables to feed his family. This agricultural activity marked out his inclination to agriculture and in particular plant protection. Thereafter, his successive main steps were: Agricultural University of Athens (then Highest Agricultural School of Athens) 1945-1950, Shell Company (Hellas) (plant pest control) 1953-1955, University of California at Berkeley Department of Entomology Ph.D. 1955-1959, Laboratory of Entomology at the “Democritus” Nuclear Research Center Athens-Greece founder and head 1963-1969, Professor of Applied Zoology and Parasitology at the Department of Agriculture and Forestry of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 1969-1995. From Berkeley he received several letters of recommendation, all praising his integrity and extraordinary achievements in his graduate work. As an example, Professor D. D. Jensen, then advisor of graduate students, concludes: “I consider him as one of our 3 best graduate students among over 60 enrolled at present in Entomology”
Assessment of microbiological status of fresh gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) from aquaculture in Adriatic sea, Montenegro Microbiology of gilthead seabream
Get PDFThe aim of this research was to determine the microbiological status of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), which were caught in the Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro), for the first time in this part of . Collected fish were analysed for hygiene indicator and pathogens microorganisms through the winter and summer season during one year. Total bacterial counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AB), Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CoPS) and sulphite-reducing Clostridia (SRC) were measured. Results shown that all samples were suitable for human consumption in terms of microbiology status. The microbiological quality of individual samples varied widely between winter/summer seasons regarding total counts of aerobic mesophilic and Enterobacteriaceae. Samples obtained in summer showed significantly higher levels for aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae then samples obtained in winter. Salmonella spp. and E. coli were not detected in fish samples, and also none of the samples tested for coagulase positive Staphylococci and sulphite-reducing Clostridia were above the detection limit (10 CFU/g). Results underline the relevance of preventing and the application of good hygiene and good manufacturing practice during fish handling to secure the quality and safety of sea bream. Also, results presented in this study is valuable in the assessment of conditions in aquatic environments and and this method of testing can be applied in other locations worldwide
Redox balance in dairy cattle and their calves at birth and its relationship to colostral passive immunity
Get PDFNewborn calves are exposed to oxidative stress (OS) just after birth, and yet the role of colostrum in OS is not well detailed. The redox indicators [total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI)] and immunoglobulin-G (IgG) concentration in 21 Swiss Brown healthy mother and their calves were measured and changes in the same parameters and IgG concentrations in 23 healthy calves in the first 45 days of life (day 0 = at birth, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 and 45) were evaluted. TAS and TOS concentrations were determined calorimetrically and IgG level by commercial ELISA kit. A negative correlation was determined between colostral IgG and serum maternal TOS (r:-0.49, P<0.05) and colostral TAS (r:-0.54, P <0.05). In calves, TOS (8.29±0.30), TAS (0.71 ± 0.02) and OSi (1.20 ± 0.08) levels were high at birth, it decreased after the 24th hour (6.72±0.2, 0.65 ± 0.03, and 1.05 ± 0.05, respectively) and remained stable during the study. The number of animals used is relatively small for a safe assumption. However, results may suggest that newborn calves experince OS after birth and colostrum may be an important source of antioxidants against OS
Genetic Variability and Haplotypes of Echinococcus equinus in a Donkey in Türkiye
Get PDFΗ κυστική εχινοκοκκίαση (CE) είναι μια παρασιτική ζωονόσος που προκαλείται από την προνύμφη Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Η παρούσα μελέτη διεξήχθη για τον μοριακό χαρακτηρισμό των κύστεων CE που ελήφθησαν από έναν γάιδαρο που είχε μολυνθεί φυσικά με κύστεις CE και για τον προσδιορισμό της ποικιλομορφίας των απλοτύπων. Διερευνήθηκαν δέκα μεμονωμένες κύστεις CE που εντοπίστηκαν στο ήπαρ ενός γαϊδάρου. Το γονιδιωματικό DNA εξήχθη από κάθε μεμονωμένη απομόνωση κύστης. Προϊόν PCR τμήματος 875 bp του μιτοχονδριακού γονιδίου της υπομονάδας 1 της κυτοχρωμικής οξειδάσης c (mt-CO1) ενισχύθηκε με τη χρήση ειδικών εκκινητών. Τα προϊόντα PCR καθαρίστηκαν και πραγματοποιήθηκε ανάλυση της αλληλουχίας. Οι μερικές αλληλουχίες του γονιδίου mt-CO1 που ανήκουν στις απομονώσεις της κύστης CE συγκρίθηκαν με τις δημοσιευμένες αλληλουχίες αναφοράς. Οι μερικές αλληλουχίες του mt-CO1 ταυτοποιήθηκαν ως E. equinus. Μετά από ανάλυση απλοτύπων, ταυτοποιήθηκαν δύο διαφορετικοί απλότυποι (Hap01 και Hap02). Εννέα αλληλουχίες που προέκυψαν από την παρούσα μελέτη ανήκαν στον κύριο απλότυπο (Hap01)- ωστόσο, μια άλλη αλληλουχία γαϊδούρας από την παρούσα μελέτη εντοπίστηκε στον Hap02 με νουκλεοτιδική διαφορά. Παρόλο που ο Echinococcus granulosus s.s. (G1 και G3) αναφέρεται ότι είναι το κυρίαρχο είδος και τα τρέχοντα ευρήματα έδειξαν ότι ο E. equinus (G4) και οι απλότυποι του θα μπορούσαν επίσης να κυκλοφορούν σε γαϊδούρια από την Τουρκία.Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato larva. This study was conducted for the molecular characterization of CE cysts obtained from a donkey naturally infected with CE cysts, and for the determination of haplotype diversity. Ten individual CE cysts localized in a donkey’s liver were investigated. Genomic DNA was extracted from each individual cyst isolate. PCR product of 875 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (mt-CO1) gene was amplified by using specific primers. The PCR products were purified and sequence analysis was performed. The partial sequences of the mt-CO1 gene belonging to the CE cyst isolates were compared with published reference sequences. Partial sequences of mt-CO1 were identified as E. equinus. After haplotype analysis, two different haplotypes (Hap01 and Hap02) were identified. Nine sequences obtained from this study resided in the main haplotype (Hap01); however, another donkey sequence from this study was located in Hap02 with a nucleotide difference. Although Echinococcus granulosus s.s. (G1 and G3) is reported to be the dominant species, and the current findings showed that E. equinus (G4) and its haplotypes could also circulate in donkeys from Turkey
Influence of immunomodulator Immunobeta on the humoral immunity of lambs during the thermoneutral, hot, and cold season
Get PDFInfectious diseases cause devastating economic losses in the sheep industry. The current study aimed to evaluate blood serum concentrations of lysozyme, gamma interferon, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, cortisol, serotonin, the activity of the alternative pathway of complement activation (APCA), and betalysin activity in lambs, whose rations were supplemented with 4g /kg immunomodulator Immunobeta for 60 days - from the 15th day to the 75th day after birth in manure-pasture cultivation during a thermoneutral, hot summer and cold winter period. The lambs were divided into two groups - control and experimental. To the experimental animals, after 15 days of age, the immunomodulator Immunobeta was added to the standard concentrated feed, at a dose of 4g/kg feed. It was found that the immunomodulator Immunobeta reliably increases the values of the investigated indicators in all three annual seasons. It could be concluded that the studied immunomodulator Immunobeta possesses an important immunomodulating potential in lambs, which could improve their health.
The effects of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on infections and clinical outcomes in critical illness: A systematic review
Get PDFBackground: Critically ill patients treated in intensive care units (ICU) are characterized by a qualitative and quantitative change in the composition of their intestinal microflora, leading to a reduction in commensal flora and an overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria, which increase susceptibility to nosocomial infections and compromise their outcome. Probiotics are live, non-pathogenic microorganisms that can provide health benefits to the host, such as restoring the balance of the microbiota and positive effects on immune function and gastrointestinal tract structure and function, when ingested in sufficient quantities. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of probiotics/prebiotics and synbiotic mixtures on infections and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients.
Method and Material: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were reviewed in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL and COHRANE from January 2004 to November 2024. Initially, 81 RCTs were selected, which evaluated the effects of probiotics or synbiotics versus placebo or prebiotics on clinical outcomes in adult ICU patients. Following the implementation of the PRISMA statement, 25 studies were finally included in this systematic review, and 5.106 patients were identified for analysis. The total number of new infections was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included mortality, ICU-acquired pneumonia, duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), length of stay (LOS) in the ICU, hospital and diarrhea.
Results: Probiotics were associated with a significant reduction in infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), shorter duration of MV, ICU and hospital LOS and fewer episodes and shorter duration of diarrhea. No effect on ICU or hospital mortality was observed. Moreover, the greatest improvement in most outcomes was seen with probiotics alone compared to synbiotics mixtures, with a higher dose of probiotics (≥5 × 109 CFU/day) and with at least 14-15 days of supplementation.
Conclusion: Probiotics appear to reduce infectious complications, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, in critically ill patients and positively influence ICU and hospital LOS, days on MV and diarrhea. However, clinical heterogeneity and potential publication bias limit a clear clinical recommendation. Further research on probiotics in critically ill patients and more high-quality clinical trials are needed to demonstrate these benefits
Development and validation of the PPROQ3-SF: A revised and shorter version of the theory-informed Person's Positive Relating to Others Questionnaire
Get PDFΗ Θεωρία του Σχετίζεσθαι κατανοεί και αξιολογεί τη σχέση (αρνητική και θετική) σε ένα δισδιάστατο μοντέλο με τέσσερις κύριες και τέσσερις ενδιάμεσες θέσεις/διαστάσεις, που αναπαρίστανται γραφικά ως οκτάγωνο (δεξιόστροφα: ουδέτερη θέση ισχύος, εγγύτητα από θέση ισχύος, ουδέτερη εγγύτητα, εγγύτητα από θέση αδυναμίας, ουδέτερη θέση αδυναμίας, απόσταση από θέση αδυναμίας, ουδέτερη απόσταση και απόσταση από θέση ισχύος). Βασιζόμενοι σε αυτή τη θεωρία και λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τους ψυχομετρικούς περιορισμούς του ερωτηματολογίου που είχε προηγουμένως δημιουργηθεί (δηλ. του Person's Positive Relating to Others Questionnaire-PPROQ), η παρούσα μελέτη είχε ως στόχο να βελτιώσει τα στοιχεία και τις ψυχομετρικές του ιδιότητες. Tο αναθεωρημένο και συντομότερο PPROQ3-SF 24 στοιχείων δημιουργήθηκε σε τρία στάδια κατασκευής στοιχείων, βελτίωσης , συντόμευσης και σε τρεις αντίστοιχες μελέτες επικύρωσης των διαδοχικών εκδόσεων (δηλ. PPROQ2, PPROQ3 και PPROQ3-SF). Η δομή των οκτώ παραγόντων και η εσωτερική συνέπεια των οκτώ κλιμάκων βελτιώθηκαν σημαντικά στις διαδοχικές εκδόσεις. Η αξιοπιστία επαναληπτικών μετρήσεων επιβεβαιώθηκε επίσης για το PPROQ3-SF. Οι υψηλές συσχετίσεις (μεταξύ στοιχείων, μεταξύ στοιχείων-συνολικής βαθμολογίας, μεταξύ ζευγών γειτονικών κλιμάκων) επιβεβαίωσαν τη συγκλίνουσα εγκυρότητα, ενώ οι χαμηλές συσχετίσεις μεταξύ ζευγών αντίθετων κλιμάκων, ο λόγος των συσχετίσεων Heterotrait-monotrait και οι διαφορές μεταξύ φύλου και κατάστασης χρόνιας νόσου, επιβεβαίωσαν τη διακριτική εγκυρότητα. Η τελική συντομευμένη έκδοση των 24 στοιχείων είχε καλές ψυχομετρικές ιδιότητες, αντανακλώντας την προκαθορισμένη οκταπαραγοντική δομή του διαπροσωπικού οκταγώνου, και παρουσίασε ικανοποιητική αξιοπιστία, συγκλίνουσα και διακριτική εγκυρότητα. Το PROQ3-SF, όντας ψυχομετρικά αξιόπιστο και συμβατό με την οκταγωνική δομή του, προτείνεται για χρήση τόσο στην έρευνα όσο και στην κλινική πρακτική.Relating Theory conceptualizes and assesses relating (both negative and positive) around a two-dimensional model with four main and four intermediate positions/dimensions, graphically represented as an octagon (clockwise: upper neutral, upper close, neutral close, lower close, lower neutral, lower distant, neutral distant, and upper distant). Drawing from this theory and considering the psychometric limitations of the formerly developed, theoretically informed questionnaire (i.e., the Person's Positive Relating to Others Questionnaire; PPROQ), this study aimed to refine its items profoundly and improve its psychometric properties. Undergoing a three-step item construction, refinement, shortening, and three respective validation studies of the sequential versions (i.e., PPROQ2, PPROQ3, and PPROQ3-SF, respectively), the revised and shorter 24-item PPROQ3-SF was eventually developed. The eight-factor structure and the internal consistency of the eight scales were significantly improved across the successive versions. Test-retest reliability was also confirmed for the PPROQ3-SF. High correlations (inter-item, corrected item-total, between pairs of neighboring scales) established convergent validity, whereas low inter-scale correlations between pairs of opposite octant scales, Heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlation, and differences across gender and chronic disease status, established discriminant validity. The final 24-item shortened version demonstrated good psychometric properties, reflecting the pre-defined eight-factor structure of the interpersonal octagon, and exhibited satisfactory reliabilities, and convergent, and discriminant validity. Being psychometrically robust and conforming well to its grounding octagonal structure, the PROQ3-SF is recommended for use in both research and clinical practice
The assessment of writing to pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder (a case study of five primary school pupils)
No full textΣτην παρούσα μελέτη αξιολογήθηκαν δεξιότητες και γνώσεις γραπτού λόγου σε πέντε μαθητές με αυτισμό, ηλικίας 9–12 ετών. Στόχος ήταν η λειτουργική εκτίμηση των γλωσσικών-μεταγλωσσικών και γνωστικών-μεταγνωστικών δεξιοτήτων των μαθητών μέσω άτυπης δομημένης αξιολόγησης βασισμένης στο αναλυτικό πρόγραμμα. Αξιολογήθηκαν τόσο δεξιότητες μηχανισμού της γραφής όσο και γνωστικές-μεταγνωστικές δεξιότητες. Από την αξιολόγηση των μαθητών με μία συστοιχία δοκιμασιών, στην οποία συνδυάζονται έργα ψυχομετρικών κριτηρίων γλωσσικής επάρκειας με άτυπα τεστ επίδοσης στη γλώσσα και έργα ελεύθερης γραφής κειμένου, διαπιστώνονται διαβαθμίσεις στην ικανότητα του γραπτού λόγου ανάλογα με το είδος της δοκιμασίας και το είδος της αυτιστικής διαταραχής των μαθητών και παρέχονται χρήσιμες πληροφορίες για τις γνωστικές τους διεργασίες και τις ατομικές τους ανάγκες. Με βάση αυτά τα ευρήματα η εργασία πραγματεύεται τους παράγοντες που επηρέασαν καθοριστικά τη διαφορετική επίδοση των μαθητών σε δεξιότητες παραγωγής γραπτού λόγου και αφορούν περιορισμούς και ελλείμματα σε γλωσσικές δεξιότητες και γνωστικούς μηχανισμούς.In the present study, we evaluated skills and knowledge of writing in pupils with autism aged 9-12. The aim was to assess language-metalanguage skills and cognitive-metacognitive skills functionally with informal curriculum-based assessment. We examined language-metalanguage skills of writing as well as cognitive and metacognitive writing skills. From the evaluation of pupils with an array of tests, which combines psychometric linguistic tests with informal language tests and written we found gradations in the ability of writing. These gradations depend on the test type and pupil autistic disorder. Also, they provide information on their cognitive processes and individual needs. Based on these findings, the study discusses the factors that influence the different performances of pupils in writing skills related to limitations and deficits in linguistic skills and cognitive mechanisms
« … Mais enfin Malraux, qu’est-ce qui vous a pris ? » Culture, politique et business aux pieds de l’Acropole
Get PDFL'article explore la polémique déclenchée par le spectacle « Son et Lumière » à l’Acropole en 1959, organisé avec André Malraux, symbole des relations culturelles franco-grecques. Elle révèle les enjeux politiques et économiques (investissements français, rapprochement européen) et les critiques des intellectuels grecs et français, dénonçant une commercialisation du patrimoine.