A myocutaneous flap variation for management of distal hindlimb wounds in the cat

Management of complex feline hindlimb defects is challenging. However, the use of a split semitendinosus myocutaneous (SST) flap for coverage has not yet been reported. The objective of this study was to describe the SST flap and compare it with second-intention healing for the management of complex tibial defects in cats. Two wounds were created on each tibia of 12 purpose-bred laboratory DSH cats. Wounds in group A (n=12) were covered with SST flaps and those in group B (n=12) were left to heal by second intention. In both groups, clinical assessment scoring and planimetry were performed between 1 and 30 postoperative days. CT angiography (CTA) and histological examination were performed on days 0, 10, and 30 and on days 0, 14, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. Group A had significantly higher assessment scores on days 7 (p=0.002), 14 (p<0.001), 21 (p=0.001), and 30 (p=0.008). The time to complete healing in group A (32,42 days) was significantly higher than that to complete epithelial coverage in group B (24.67 days) (p=0.001). On CTA, significant differences were observed in ST muscle density which was higher on day 10 compared to 0 on the proximal (dP) (p<0.001) and medial (dM) points (p=0,020, p<0,001, p<0,001 respectively) in all three different phases. For the distal (dD) point, the measurement was significantly higher in the precontrast phase (p=0.001) and on day 10 compared today 30 atn all points in all three phases (p<0.001). The caliber of the distal caudal femoral artery and vein and of the proximal gluteal artery and vein were significantly higher on day 10 than on day 0 (p<0.001), on days 10 to 30 (p<0.001), and on days 30 to 0 (p=0.004, p=0.006, p=0.011, p=0.007, respectively). Histologically significant differences were observed on inflammation and muscle cell degeneration which were higher on day 14 than on day 0 and 6 months (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.007 respectively). Neovascularization and fibrosis were significantly higher on day 14 than on day 0 (p=0.010 and p=0.009, respectively). In conclusion, although the ST muscle can be safely longitudinally split and cover tibial defects, the SST flap is less efficient than second-intention healing in terms of the time to complete wound healing

Η συμβουλευτική γονέων και αδερφών των παιδιών με ειδικές ανάγκες

Είναι γενικά παραδεκτό πως η οικογένεια πάντα υπήρξε η κύρια πηγή φροντίδας για τα μέλη της που μειονεκτούν και οι γονείς παίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στην ανατροφή και φροντίδα των παιδιών που πάσχουν από κάποια μειονεξία. Τα τελευταία χρόνια οι στάσεις απέναντι στους γονείς και η φύση των σχέσεων ανάμεσα στους γονείς και τους ειδικούς έχουν αλλάξει και αναγνωρίζεται πια οι γονείς ότι παίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στον προγραμματισμό και στην αντιμετώπιση των αναγκών των παιδιών τους. Οι αλλαγές αυτές ήταν αποτέλεσμα των στάσεων της κοινωνίας απέναντι στα παιδιά και τις ανάγκες τους, των τάσεων προς την παροχή φροντίδας μέσα στα πλαίσια της κοινότητας και των ισχυρών πιέσεων που άσκησαν οι ίδιοι οι γονείς για ν’ αντιμετωπιστούν οι ανάγκες των παιδιών τους. Έτσι, ενώ σε ορισμένες χώρες υπάρχει οργανωμένη και συστηματική παροχή υπηρεσιών, στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις η παροχή είναι σποραδική και ασυντόνιστη και σε πολλά μέρη του κόσμου ανύπαρκτη. Παρόλο αυτά έχει αναγνωριστεί η ανάγκη παροχής ολοκληρωμένων, συντονισμένων και συνεχών υπηρεσιών στα μειονεκτικά παιδιά και στις οικογένειές τους. Σήμερα, τονίζεται η εκπαίδευση των μειονεκτικών παιδιών και η παροχή βοήθειας για να ελαχιστοποιηθούν τα προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς και οποιαδήποτε άλλα προβλήματα, ώστε να μπορέσουν να ζήσουν όσο το δυνατό πιο ικανοποιητικά. Χρειάζεται λοιπόν, μία προσέγγιση που ούτε θα αγνοεί τελείως τους γονείς, ούτε θα έχει υπερβολικές απαιτήσεις από αυτούς

Scorecard Methodology for Quantitative Management of Digital Transformation Project Portfolios

Το άρθρο εισάγει μια μεθοδολογία παρόμοια με την κάρτα βαθμολογίας (scorecard) για την κατάταξη έργων ψηφιακού μετασχηματισμού σε χαρτοφυλάκια έργων μεγάλης κλίμακας. Η μεθοδολογία μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για την ιεράρχηση των διαδικασιών παρακολούθησης, ελέγχου και υλοποίησης έργων στο πλαίσιο της Διαχείρισης Χαρτοφυλακίου Έργων (PPM). Δεν περιορίζεται σε γενικές κατευθυντήριες γραμμές για τη δημιουργία μιας κάρτας βαθμολογίας, αλλά παρουσιάζει συγκεκριμένα ποσοτικά κριτήρια για τη βαθμολόγηση και την κατάταξη διαφορετικών έργων σε ένα χαρτοφυλάκιο. Η μεθοδολογία ενισχύεται από παραμετροποιήσιμους τύπους που μπορούν να προσαρμοστούν ευέλικτα στις ανάγκες διαφορετικών χαρτοφυλακίων. Αυτή η ευελιξία απεικονίζεται στο άρθρο, σε συνδυασμό με περιορισμούς των προτεινόμενων μεθοδολογιών που πηγάζουν από την ακρίβεια και την ποιότητα των δεδομένων που χρησιμοποιούνται για τη βαθμολόγηση των έργων.This article introduces a Scorecard-like methodology for ranking digital transformation projects within large-scale project portfolios. The methodology can be used for prioritizing project monitoring, auditing, and implementation processes in the scope of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) frameworks. It is not limited to general guidelines for building a scorecard but rather presents concrete quantitative criteria for scoring and ranking different projects within a portfolio. The methodology is empowered by configurable formulas that can be flexibly customized to the needs of different portfolios. This flexibility is illustrated in the paper along with limitations of the proposed methodologies that stem from the accuracy and quality of the data used for scoring the projects

Τσουκαλάς, Κωνσταντίνος (2020). Ο Αόρατος Λεβιάθαν. Δημοκρατία, δικαιοσύνη και ηθική στα χρόνια της κρίσης.

Βιβλιοπαρουσίαση Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις ΠΟΛΙΣ. 480 σελ. ISBN13: 978960435637

«We request his immediate dismissal»: refugee associations against the oppressive employees of the resettlement agencies

Δεν διατίθεται περίληψη στα ελληνικά.In the aftermath of the Asia Minor Catastrophe the Greek state was confronted with the unprecedented task of carrying out a resettlement program for 1.221.849 uprooted Orthodox Greeks. Theoretically, the newcomers had privileged access to the rehabilitation program implemented jointly by the Greek state and international organizations in the form of monetary, material and service support. Nevertheless, the National Schism, the economic recession and the political turmoil of the period influenced both the formulation and the implementation of the refugee policy. Refugees had to vie for resources that were constantly shrinking, an excessive bureaucracy with which they were unfamiliar and a hostile state apparatus which treated them as second-class citizens. Moreover, the immense size of the refugee population, its cultural diversity and their political affiliation with Venizelism affected not only their relations with the indigenous population but also their transactions with the civil servants (who were typically Old Greeks). From the very beginning, refugee organizations that were formed based on the place of origin of their members became the vehicle of refugee adjustment to the new environment as well as the protectors of their interests against the natives. Their boards of directors undertook not only bureaucratic functions (issuing, for example, various refugee status certificates) and institutional roles (participation at various state committees) in the resettlement process, but also assumed the task to defend their members (among them many illiterates, Turkish-speakers and people deprived of networks and information) against the demands and the vagaries of the public administration. The paper examines the initiatives developed by refugee organizations to compete with the chronic weaknesses of the state administration as well as their actions to overcome the obstacles, injustices and exclusions reserved for them by the employees of the rehabilitation services. It further aims to elucidate the role of the associations as pressure groups against the representatives of the rehabilitation services. At the same time, it analyzes the limits of their bargaining power in the whole rehabilitation process of the refugees

Αναζητώντας αριστοφανικά ίχνη στο μυθιστόρημα Πάντα Καλά του Παύλου Μάτεσι

Aristophanic intertexts in Pavlos Matesis’ novel Panta Kala The present paper sheds light on Pavlos Matesis’ novel Panta Kala in an attempt to examine the influence of the aristophanic comedy on Matesis’ work. More pre- cisely, we focus on issues such as the women’s dominance in the novel, the paro- dy of tragedy and religion, the language, and especially the puns, the author’s self-referencial presence. Our analysis argues that Matesis’ engagement with the translations of Aristophanes, for almost twenty years, was of decisive im- portance for writing Panta Kala

Vassilis Alexakis, the migrant Greek child. : About the reality of in-between fictional characters and literary spaces

O Βασίλης Αλεξάκης, το ξενιτεμένο ελληνόπουλο. H πραγματικότητα των λογοτεχνικών χαρακτήρων και τόπων, σ’ έναν ενδιάμεσο χώρο Ο Βασίλης Αλεξάκης (Αθήνα, 1943-2021), ενώ αρχικά επέλεξε τα γαλλικά ως γλώσσα γραφής όσο ζούσε στη Γαλλία, μετέπειτα στράφηκε στην ελληνική γλώσσα, πρακτική που τον ώθησε σε μια συστηματική διαδικασία αυτομετάφρασης και προς τις δύο κατευθύνσεις για τα περισσότερα έργα του. Ιδιαίτερα γνωστός συγγραφέας τόσο στη Γαλλία όσο και στην Ελλάδα, αποτελεί εκφραστή της λογοτεχνικής υβριδικότητας, καθώς και μία από τις πιο χαρακτηριστικές περιπτώσεις σύγχρονων λογοτεχνών που αυτομεταφράζονται. Το 2012 τιμήθηκε με το Prix de la Langue Française για το σύνολο της καριέρας του. Την ίδια χρονιά, μετά από μια σοβαρή επέμβαση στο πόδι, ο Βασίλης Αλεξάκης διέμεινε για ενάμιση μήνα με πατερίτσες σε ξενοδοχείο κοντά στον Κήπο του Λουξεμβούργου στο Παρίσι, ακριβώς όπως ο κύριος χαρακτήρας του δέκατου τέταρτου και προτελευταίου μυθιστορήματός του, Ο Μικρός Έλληνας, που έγραψε κατά τη διάρκεια εκείνης της περιόδου. Σε όλα του τα βιβλία είναι εμφανής η ανάγκη του να μιλήσει για τον εαυτό του αλλά και για το θέμα του χώρου. Το έργο του βρίθει αμέτρητων χωρικών αναφορών, χαρακτηριστικό που οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι βρίσκεται έξω από ένα περιβάλλον που του είναι οικείο ή εξαιτίας της μακροχρόνιας μετακίνησής του ανάμεσα στις δύο αγαπημένες του χώρες; Υπάρχει, άραγε, σύνδεση μεταξύ όλων των γεωγραφικών αναφορών και της υπαρξιακής ανάγκης του ανήκειν; Στο παρόν άρθρο θα διερευνήσουμε, με αφορμή το προαναφερθέν μυθιστόρημα, τη σχέση του Βασίλη Αλεξάκη με τον χώρο και την ενδεχόμενη σύνδεσή του με την επανεφεύρεση του λογοτεχνικού χώρου στο έργο του.Vassilis Alexakis (Athens, 1943-2021) started writing in French while living in France, he then changed to Greek language, which was followed by what resulted in a systematic practice of self-translation in both directions for most of his works. He is a very well-known author both in France and in Greece and one of the most well-known cases of contemporary literary self-translators, as well as an exponent of literary hybridity. In 2012 he was awarded the Prix de la Langue Française for the whole of his career. That same year, after an important operation on one leg, Vassilis Alexakis spent a month and a half on crutches at a hotel near the Parisian Luxembourg Garden. Just like the main character of his fourteenth and second to last novel, L’enfant grec, that he wrote then. In all his books, Alexakis seems to have the need to talk about himself but also about space. He constantly offers countless spatial references. Is it because of being out of his comfort zone then, or is it because of his (for many years already) life divided in between his two beloved countries, that Alexakis needs to constantly speak about places? Is there a link between all the geographical references and the existential need of knowing where he is? We shall explore the relationship between Vassilis Alexakis and space in this particular novel, linked to the reinvention of literary space in Alexakis’ work

The Excavations of the French School at Athens on Delos and the Transformations of the Mykonian Economy and Society, 1873–1913

This article discusses the economic and social changes on the island of Mykonos at the turn of the twentieth century based on the evidence from archives related to the archaeological excavations on the island of Delos. The study of the archives of the Municipality of Mykonos (DAM), the French School at Athens (EFA) and the Greek Ministry of Culture (Mykonos Museum) provides ample information on the large-scale excavations of the ancient remains on Delos and the work they offered to the islanders. The traditional occupations on the island such as farming, herding and fishing were frequently insufficient to sustain the island’s population, which turned to migration. The wages offered by the EFA were an opportunity, especially for poor young men, to increase their income. The participation in the group activity of the excavation created new social relationships and challenged the community bonds of the Mykonians

The effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on markers of atherosclerosis. A narrative review of meta-analyses and systematic reviews.

Background: Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory vascular disease with lipid metabolism abnormalities, serves as a major pathological foundation for ischemic coronary heart disease (CHD). As lifestyle-related habits transform to sedentarism and unhealthy eating, the incidence of atherosclerosis increases. The beneficial impact of physical activity on the cardiovascular system is well-documented and widely acknowledged. Major health organisations strongly recommend regular participation in aerobic exercise for individuals to reduce all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity, whereas resistance exercise is suggested with caution. Method and Material: A literature search of the PubMed and Scopus databases was performed where 9 meta-analyses were retrieved, published in the English language from the past 10 years. This narrative review aims to evaluate the latest scientific evidence regarding the role of aerobic and/or resistance exercise in relation to atherosclerosis development, through the evaluation of its effect on lipids, and inflammatory markers. Results: The findings of the studies summarised here are inconsistent concerning which type of exercise exerts the maximum effect on atherosclerotic biomarkers. There is a moderate level of evidence suggesting that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise is likely to provide the greatest benefit. Conclusions: Nevertheless, minimising sedentary behaviour on a population level, lowers the risk of several major chronic diseases, thereby decreasing healthcare costs. Thus, effective interventions to increase physical activity levels or reduce sedentary behaviour should be implemented