A new clinical test for sensorimotor function of the hand - development and preliminary validation.

Background: Sensorimotor disturbances of the hand such as altered neuromuscular control and reduced proprioception have been reported for various musculoskeletal disorders. This can have major impact on daily activities such as dressing, cooking and manual work, especially when involving high demands on precision and therefore needs to be considered in the assessment and rehabilitation of hand disorders. There is however a lack of feasible and accurate objective methods for the assessment of movement behavior, including proprioception tests, of the hand in the clinic today.

Effects of Oregano, Attapulgite, Benzoic Acid and their Blend on Chicken Performance, Intestinal Microbiology and Intestinal Morphology.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of oregano, attapulgite, benzoic acid and their combination on broiler performance, microflora composition of jejunum and cecum, intestinal architecture and breast and thigh meat composition. A total of 400 one-day-old broiler chicks were used in a 42-day trial. They were randomly distributed into five treatments with four replicates of twenty chickens per pen: Control group; Attapulgite group; Oregano essential oil group; Benzoic acid group; Mixed group.

Acoustic and Perceived Measurements Certifying Tango as Voice Treatment Method.

Voice disorders are affecting everyday life in many levels, and their prevalence has been studied extensively in certain and general populations. Notably, several factors have a cohesive influence on voice disorders and voice characteristics. Several studies report that health and environmental and psychological etiologies can serve as risk factors for voice disorders.

Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve to Define the Cutoff Points of Voice Handicap Index Applied to Young Adult Male Smokers.

Voice performance is an inextricable key factor of everyday life. Obviously, the deterioration of voice quality can cause various problems to human communication and can therefore reduce the performance of social skills (relevant to voice). The deterioration could be originated from changes inside the system of the vocal tract and larynx.

Changes in the cytokine profile in first-episode, drug-naïve patients with psychosis after short-term antipsychotic treatment.

An increasing body of evidence suggests that antipsychotic medication can cause immunological changes that could be attributed to the amelioration of psychotic symptoms or the metabolic side effects of the drugs. So far, the results of the studies remain controversial. Our aim was to compare the levels of interleukin (IL) IL-2, IL-6 and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) in drug-naïve, first-episode patients with psychosis before and after six weeks of antipsychotic medication.

Biometric Digital Health Technology for Measuring Motor Function in Parkinson's Disease: Results from a Feasibility and Patient Satisfaction Study.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility, predictive value, and user satisfaction of objectively quantifying motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD) through a tablet-based application (iMotor) using self-administered tests.

Methods: PD and healthy controls (HCs) performed finger tapping, hand pronation-supination and reaction time tasks using the iMotor application.

Results: Thirty-eight participants (19 with PD and 17 HCs) were recruited in the study.

Effects of Early Smoking Habits on Young Adult Female Voices in Greece.

Cigarette use is a preventable cause of mortality and diseases. The World Health Organization states that Europe and especially Greece has the highest occurrence of smoking among adults. The prevalence of smoking among women in Greece was estimated to be over 30% in 2012.

Voice Handicap Index and Interpretation of the Cutoff Points Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve as Screening for Young Adult Female Smokers.

The relationship between smoking and alterations of the vocal tract and larynx is well known. This pathology leads to the degradation of voice performance in daily living. Multiple assessment methods of vocal tract and larynx have been developed, and in recent years they were enriched with self-reported questionnaires such as Voice Handicap Index (VHI).

A methodology for automated CPA extraction using liver biopsy image analysis and machine learning techniques.

Background And Objective: Collagen proportional area (CPA) extraction in liver biopsy images provides the degree of fibrosis expansion in liver tissue, which is the most characteristic histological alteration in hepatitis C virus (HCV). Assessment of the fibrotic tissue is currently based on semiquantitative staging scores such as Ishak and Metavir. Since its introduction as a fibrotic tissue assessment technique, CPA calculation based on image analysis techniques has proven to be more accurate than semiquantitative scores.

Comparison of Voice Handicap Index Scores Between Female Students of Speech Therapy and Other Health Professions.

Students' groups (eg, teachers, speech language pathologists) are presumably at risk of developing a voice disorder due to misuse of their voice, which will affect their way of living. Multidisciplinary voice assessment of student populations is currently spread widely along with the use of self-reported questionnaires. This study compared the Voice Handicap Index domains and item scores between female students of speech and language therapy and of other health professions in Greece.

Elevated levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) in drug-naïve patients with psychosis.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) plays an important role in neurogenesis and synaptogenesis and may be implicated in schizophrenia, although data so far have been inconclusive. The aim of our study was to compare levels of IGF-1 in drug-naïve patients with a first episode of schizophrenia and related disorders with matched healthy controls. Forty drug naïve first-episode patients with schizophrenia and related disorders and forty healthy subjects matched for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and smoking status were enrolled in the study.

Dataset of milk whey proteins of three indigenous Greek sheep breeds.

The importance and unique biological traits, as well as the growing financial value, of milk from small Greek ruminants is continuously attracting interest from both the scientific community and industry. In this regard the construction of a reference dataset of the milk of the Greek sheep breeds is of great interest. In order to obtain such a dataset we employed cutting-edge proteomics methodologies to investigate and characterize, the proteome of milk from the three indigenous Greek sheep breeds Mpoutsko, Karagouniko and Chios.

Dataset of milk whey proteins of two indigenous greek goat breeds.

Due to its rarity and unique biological traits, as well as its growing financial value, milk of dairy Greek small ruminants is continuously attracting interest from both the scientific community and industry. For the construction of the present dataset, cutting-edge proteomics methodologies were employed, in order to investigate and characterize, for the first time, the milk whey proteome from the two indigenous Greek goat breeds, Capra prisca and Skopelos. In total 822 protein groups were identified in milk whey of the two breeds, The present data are further discussed in the research article "Milk of Greek sheep and goat breeds; characterization by means of proteomics" [1].

Prolactin levels in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Objective: Hyperprolactinaemia as a side effect of dopamine receptor blockers is common in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and may lead to amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea, hypogonadism, subfertility and osteoporosis. The aim of our study was to determine whether hyperprolactinaemia occurs also in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders prior to any antipsychotic treatment.

Methods: Serum prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free tetraiodothyronine (FT4) and cortisol levels were measured in 40 newly diagnosed, drug naïve, patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and in 40 age and gender matched healthy subjects.

Prediction of individual implant bone levels and the existence of implant "phenotypes".

Objectives: To cluster implants placed in patients of a private practice and identify possible implant "phenotypes" and predictors of individual implant mean bone levels (IIMBL).

Materials And Methods: Clinical and radiographical variables were collected from 72 implant-treated patients with 237 implants and a mean 7.4 ± 3.

Milk of Greek sheep and goat breeds; characterization by means of proteomics.

Unlabelled: Over the past 30years there has been a growing interest to unravel the dynamic framework of the milk proteome, and now that available technology is mature enough to enable techniques of protein fractionation and identification, this process is on-going. Due to its rarity and unique biological traits, as well as its growing financial value, milk of dairy Greek animals is continuously attracting interest from both the scientific community and industry. In the present study we employed cutting-edge proteomics methodologies to investigate and characterize, in depth, the proteome of whey from all pure-breed Greek sheep and goats.

Parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism at the fasted state in drug-naïve first-episode patients with psychosis: Evidence for insulin resistance.

Diabetes and dyslipidemia are common in patients with psychosis; this association may be partly related to adverse metabolic effects of antipsychotic medications. We assessed glucose and lipid metabolism during the fasted state in drug-naïve patients with psychosis. Fasting serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL), glucose, insulin, connecting peptide (C-peptide), homeostatic model assessment index (HOMA-IR), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and serum cortisol were compared between a group of 40 newly diagnosed drug-naïve, first-episode patients with psychosis and a group of 40 healthy controls, matched for age, sex and BMI.

A WebGIS platform to monitor environmental conditions in ports and their surroundings in South Eastern Europe.

The scope of this work is to describe the design and development of a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application and highlight its usefulness regarding monitoring and evaluating environmental conditions in several ports and their surroundings in the greater South East Europe (SEE). The system receives inputs and handles two kinds of data that are processed and illustrated through maps and graphs at various temporal and spatial scales in this informational platform. The aforementioned data consists of point measurements from stations operating in the area of SEE ports as well as satellite date sets derived monthly for a period of 10 to 12 years, in terms of sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM).

Cytokine profile in drug-naïve, first episode patients with psychosis.

Objective: An increasing body of evidence suggests that immunological changes may play a role in schizophrenia but the results of the studies are controversial and little is known about the presence of those changes at the onset of the disease. Our aim is to compare the levels of interleukin (IL) IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and transforming growth factor -β2 (TGF-β2) between drug-naïve-first episode patients with psychosis and healthy controls matched for age, sex, BMI and smoking.

Methods: Thirty-nine drug-naïve-first episode patients with psychosis and 39 healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled in the study.

Peri-implantitis: a complex condition with non-linear characteristics.

Aim: To cluster peri-implantitis patients and explore non-linear patterns in peri-implant bone levels.

Materials And Methods: Clinical and radiographic variables were retrieved from 94 implant-treated patients (340 implants, mean 7.1 ± 4.

Combining latent class analysis labeling with multiclass approach for fetal heart rate categorization.

The most common approach to assess fetal well-being during delivery is monitoring of fetal heart rate and uterine contractions-the cardiotocogram (CTG). Nevertheless, 40 years since the introduction of CTG to clinical practice, its evaluation is still challenging with high inter- and intra-observer variability. Therefore the development of more objective methods has become an issue of major importance in the field.

POTAMOS mass spectrometry calculator: computer aided mass spectrometry to the post-translational modifications of proteins. A focus on histones.

Mass spectrometry is a widely used technique for protein identification and it has also become the method of choice in order to detect and characterize the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins. Many software tools have been developed to deal with this complication. In this paper we introduce a new, free and user friendly online software tool, named POTAMOS Mass Spectrometry Calculator, which was developed in the open source application framework Ruby on Rails.

Specific learning difficulties: a retrospective study of their co morbidity and continuity as early indicators of mental disorders.

Background: Specific Learning difficulties constitute a continuity of complex disorders, which unfold across the lifespan and are associated with a wide range of mental disorders. In order to determine the importance of specific learning difficulties as an underlying factor in various mental disorders, we investigated associations between mental disorders and factors related to learning difficulties, poor family and school environment, and social and psycho-emotional disorders.

Methods: This retrospective study is based on data from 835 case histories of adults who were treated at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Hospital in Ioannina, Greece, between 1992 and 2008.