Stochastic and Self-Organisation Patterns in a 17-Year PM Time Series in Athens, Greece.

This paper utilises statistical and entropy methods for the investigation of a 17-year PM time series recorded from five stations in Athens, Greece, in order to delineate existing stochastic and self-organisation trends. Stochastic patterns are analysed via lumping and sliding, in windows of various lengths. Decreasing trends are found between Windows 1 and 3500-4000, for all stations.

Mixed-Precision Kernel Recursive Least Squares.

Kernel recursive least squares (KRLS) is a widely used online machine learning algorithm for time series predictions. In this article, we present the mixed-precision KRLS, producing equivalent prediction accuracy to double-precision KRLS with a higher training throughput and a lower memory footprint. The mixed-precision KRLS applies single-precision arithmetic to the computation components being not only numerically resilient but also computationally intensive.

Endoscopic Treatment of Posterior Ankle Impingement Secondary to Os Trigonum in Recreational Athletes.

Background: The os trigonum (OT)-the most common accessory bone of the foot-although usually asymptomatic, may cause posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS), which may be a severely debilitating problem for recreational or competitive athletes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate effectiveness of posterior ankle arthroscopy and to assess the outcome in the treatment of PAIS secondary to OT impingement or OT fractures within a group of young athletes and their return to previous sports level.

Methods: From 2011 to 2018, a retrospective review of 81 recreational athletes of mean age 27.

Large Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus Treated With Autologous Bone Graft and Periosteum Transfer.

Background: The treatment of large osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) is challenging due to the poor intrinsic reparative capability of the damaged articular cartilage. Autologous transfer of bone and periosteum has been used successfully in the treatment of large defects in animals, and therefore it was believed that this technique might show similar results in humans. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of an innovative technique for autologous transplantation of cancellous tibial graft with periosteal transfer in large OLTs.

School Bullying and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: The Role of Parental Bonding.

Much research on school bullying and victimization have outlined several individual, family, and school parameters that function as risk factors for developing further psychosocial and psychopathological problems. Bullying and victimization are interrelated with symptoms of psychological trauma, as well as emotional/ behavioural reactions, which can destabilize psychosocial and scholastic pathways for children and adolescents. The current study explored the various dimensions of psychological trauma (depressive symptoms, somatization, dissociation, avoidance behaviours) associated with school bullying/victimization in relation to parental bonding among 433 students (8-16 years old) from representative large cities in Greece.

Expediting assessments of database performance for streams of respiratory parameters.

A new methodology is proposed to compare database performance for streams of patient respiratory data from patients in an intensive care unit. New metrics are proposed through which databases may be compared both for this and similar streaming applications in the domain of the Internet of Things. Studies are reported using simulated patient data for four freely available databases.

Sustainability evaluation of Mornos Lake/Reservoir, Greece.

The modern climate trend and population growth have dramatically increased the need for maximization of the net benefit from the existing storage space in freshwater reservoirs. However, sedimentation in reservoirs through physical deposition and/or slope failures is a major threat to their productivity and life expectancy. In this context, the sedimentation impact on the sustainability of Mornos Lake/Reservoir, which is exceptionally vital for the ~ 3.

A real time metabolomic profiling approach to detecting fish fraud using rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry.

Introduction: Fish fraud detection is mainly carried out using a genomic profiling approach requiring long and complex sample preparations and assay running times. Rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry (REIMS) can circumvent these issues without sacrificing a loss in the quality of results.

Objectives: To demonstrate that REIMS can be used as a fast profiling technique capable of achieving accurate species identification without the need for any sample preparation.

Salts of Clopidogrel: Investigation to Ensure Clinical Equivalence: A 12-Month Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: In the present clinical trial, we compared the efficacy and safety of the generic clopidogrel besylate (CB) with the innovator clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate (CHS) salt in patients eligible to receive clopidogrel.

Methods: A prospective 2-arm, multicenter, open-label, phase 4 clinical trial. Consecutive patients (n = 1864) were screened and 1800 were enrolled in the trial and randomized to CHS or CB.

Current surgical strategies for total arthroplasty in valgus knee.

The majority of orthopaedic surgeons even currently agree that primary total arthroplasty in valgus knees with a deformity of more than ten degrees may prove challenging. The unique sets of bone and soft tissue abnormalities that must be addressed at the time of the operation make accurate axis restoration, component orientation and joint stability attainment a difficult task. Understanding the specific pathologic anatomic changes associated with the valgus knee is a prerequisite so as to select the proper surgical method, to optimize component position and restore soft-tissue balance.

Preliminary background indoor EMF measurements in Greece.

The main purpose of this work was to investigate the fluctuation of Greek indoor electromagnetic field (EMF) intensity values and identify peaks that might occur. The scientific interest is mainly focused on the bands of extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic fields and radiofrequency (RF) electric fields which have been suggested to be possibly carcinogenic to humans by the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) measurements were performed in a variety of indoor dwellings, in Attica and in the islands of Zakynthos and Lesvos.

Generic Clopidogrel Besylate in the Secondary Prevention of Atherothrombotic Events: A 6-month Follow-up of a Randomised Clinical Trial.

Background: The aim of the present interim analysis was to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of the generic clopidogrel besylate (CB) with the innovator clopidogrel hydrogen sulphate (CHS) salt in patient groups eligible to receive clopidogrel.

Methods: A 2-arm, multicenter, open-label, phase 4 clinical trial. Consecutive patients (n=1,864) were screened and 1,800 were enrolled in the trial and randomized to CHS (n=759) or CB (n=798).

Deep peroneal nerve palsy caused by an extraneural ganglion cyst: a rare case.

Lower extremities peripheral neuropathies caused by ganglion cysts are rare. The most frequent location of occurrence is the common peroneal nerve and its branches, at the level of the fibular neck. We report the case of a 57-year-old patient admitted with foot drop, due to an extraneural ganglion of the upper tibiofibular syndesmosis, compressing the deep branch of the peroneal nerve.

Radon sources and associated risk in terms of exposure and dose.

Radon concerns the international scientific community from the early twentieth century, initially as radium emanation and nearly the second half of the century as a significant hazard to human health. The initial brilliant period of its use as medicine was followed by a period of intense concern for its health effects. Miners in Europe and later in the U.

The role of serum total ghrelin level elevation in colon cancer patients.

Purpose: Many studies have pointed out a possible role of ghrelin, in the pathogenesis and natural history of gastrointestinal tract malignancies. The objective of this study was to estimate serum total ghrelin levels (STGL) in patients with colon cancer (CC) and to evaluate the value of this assay in research and clinical practice.

Methods: STGL were measured pre-operatively in 95 CC patients and in 39 healthy controls, and were correlated with patients' age, gender, body mass index (BMI), tumor location, Dukes stage, grade of differentiation and patients' survival.

Dosimetry modelling of transient radon and progeny concentration peaks: results from in situ measurements in Ikaria spas, Greece.

Radon and progeny ((218)Po, (214)Pb, (214)Bi and (214)Po) are radioactive indoor pollutants recognised for the human radiation burden that they induce. Bathing in thermal spas causes transient concentration peaks of radon and progeny and additional short-term impact in patients and personnel. This paper reports a semi-empirical non-linear first order model for describing radon and progeny variations in treatment rooms of the Ikaria spas.

Self-organised critical features in soil radon and MHz electromagnetic disturbances: results from environmental monitoring in Greece.

This paper addresses the issues of self-organised critical behaviour of soil-radon and MHz-electromagnetic disorders during intense seismic activity in SW Greece. A significant radon signal is re-analysed for environmental influences with Fast Fourier Transform and multivariate statistics. Self-organisation of signals is investigated via fractal evolving techniques and detrended fluctuation analysis.

Pretibial cyst formation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with poly-L acid screw fixation: a case report presentation and review of the literature.

A pretibial cyst after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a rare complication. This report presents a case of a subcutaneous pretibial ganglion with direct communication to the tibial tunnel, after ACL reconstruction with a quadrupled hamstrings tendon autograft, in a 26-year-old Caucasian male. The hamstrings tendon graft was fixed to the tibia using a 9-mm poly-L-lactide interference screw, 4 years earlier.

Local and systemic toxicity of nanoscale debris particles in total hip arthroplasty.

Over the past 30 years joint replacement prostheses have been developed and refined to enhance durability and reproducibility. Total hip joint arthroplasty is being performed in an increasing number of younger patients; therefore orthopaedic surgeons seek implants with a longer life span. With regards to the progress of mechanical behaviour of the biomaterials used in an arthroplasty, little is known about the long-term biological effects of wear debris.

Environmental monitoring of radon in soil during a very seismically active period occurred in South West Greece.

This paper focuses on the environmental monitoring of radon in soil as a potential trace gas in the search of earthquake precursors. The paper reports the following: (a) Pre-monitoring experiments. (b) Set-up of methods and devices.

Primary superficial femoral vein leiomyosarcoma: report of a case.

The majority of leiomyosarcomas occur in the muscular layers of the gastrointestinal tract and uterus. Primary leiomyosarcomas rarely arise in the veins of the lower extremities. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the superficial femoral vein is extremely uncommon.

Doping and musculoskeletal system: short-term and long-lasting effects of doping agents.

Doping is a problem that has plagued the world of competition and sports for ages. Even before the dawn of Olympic history in ancient Greece, competitors have looked for artificial means to improve athletic performance. Since ancient times, athletes have attempted to gain an unfair competitive advantage through the use of doping substances.

Ghrelin, another factor affecting bone metabolism.

Ghrelin is a 28 amino acid peptide, identified in the stomach of rats and humans, in 1999. It is an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) that strongly stimulates release of growth hormone at the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. In humans, ghrelin exerts a variety of different endocrine and paracrine actions; from increasing food intake (orexigenic effect) to modulating energy homeostasis.

Ghrelin: a potential therapeutic target for cancer.

Ghrelin is a recently identified 28-amino-acid peptide, capable of stimulating pituitary growth hormone release in humans and other mammals. It is mainly secreted from the gastric mucosa, but it is also widely expressed in a variety of tissues, in both normal and malignant conditions. Ghrelin has a multiplicity of physiological functions in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, pulmonary and immune system, and also exerts a variety of roles, from increasing food intake (orexigenic effect) to affecting cell proliferation.

Ectopic thymoma of the lung; a rare case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Ectopic thymoma is a rare neoplasm, which can be developed in various sites, with the lung being amongst the rarest.

Case Presentation: In this paper, we present the case of a woman with a slow-growing ectopic thymoma, stemming from the visceral pleura of the upper lobe of the left lung anteriorly, extending into the left lung and the cardiac wall, invading the fatty tissue near the pericardium, notably without infiltrating the lung or cardiac parenchyma. The thymoma was successfully removed via thoracotomy.