Pseudomonas viridiflava, a Multi Host Plant Pathogen with Significant Genetic Variation at the Molecular Level

The pectinolytic species Pseudomonas viridiflava has a wide host range among plants, causing foliar and stem necrotic lesions and basal stem and root rots. However, little is known about the molecular evolution of this species. In this study we investigated the intraspecies genetic variation of P. viridiflava amongst local (Cretan), as well as international isolates of the pathogen. The genetic and phenotypic variability were investigated by molecular fingerprinting (rep-PCR) and partial sequencing of three housekeeping genes (gyrB, rpoD and rpoB), and by biochemical and pathogenicity profiling. The biochemical tests and pathogenicity profiling did not reveal any variability among the isolates studied. However, the molecular fingerprinting patterns and housekeeping gene sequences clearly differentiated them. In a broader phylogenetic comparison of housekeeping gene sequences deposited in GenBank, significant genetic variability at the molecular level was found between isolates of P. viridiflava originated from different host species as well as among isolates from the same host. Our results provide a basis for more comprehensive understanding of the biology, sources and shifts in genetic diversity and evolution of P. viridiflava populations and should support the development of molecular identification tools and epidemiological studies in diseases caused by this species

The police and the far right in Greece::a case study of police voting behaviour in Athens

The electoral advance of the far right party of Golden Dawn has left a clear mark on the Greek parliamentary elections of 2012. A less debated aspect of these results involves the extent of the electoral influence of Golden Dawn among police personnel. Using electoral data from two districts in Greece’s capital city, this paper explores the extent of that influence among major front line police units based in those localities. Our analysis obtains clear indications that Golden Dawn’s presence has been much more emphatic among police personnel than among the general public. These results warrant further exploration of this development, particularly in light of the possibility that far-right ideology may influence the character of everyday policing in Greece and the use of police discretion at the detriment of vulnerable or politically undesirable groups

The Greek constitutional amendments of 2001

In 2001 the Greek Parliament brought about extensive amendments to the 1975/1986 Constitution. It is not clear why it was thought necessary to proceed to an amendment on such an unusual scale, since the two largest political parties supporting the amendment, the ruling socialist party PaSoK and the conservative New Democracy, were in agreement that the 1975 constitution had worked smoothly throughout its history. It appears that the original plans for an amendment, as conceived by the ageing leaders Andreas Papandreou and later Constantinos Mitsotakis, were driven by their separate but parallel intentions to strengthen the Executive over any other sources of power including Parliament and the courts. It is an interesting feature of the Greek political system that these plans largely failed. Parliamentarians of both parties ensured that the amended constitution did not alter the constitutional practice of the last 25 years

Unreliable residual volume measurement after increased water load diuresis

Background: The aim of the present study was to examine whether increased water load intake prior to ultrasound examination of the lower urinary tract, affects the measurement of postvoid residual urine volume. Patients and methods: Ninety four male patients with postvoid residual volumes after increased water load diuresis of more than 100 mL (PVR1) were included in the present study. All patients underwent a second PVR measurement by an urologist with a portable transabdominal bladder ultrasound scan without having received an increased water load (PVR2). A comparison of the measurements was performed and the PVR values were also correlated with other parameters, such as age, International Prostate Symptom Score, prostate volume and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values. Results: Postvoid residual urine volume after increased water load diuresis (PVR1) differed from that recorded after normal bladder filling and voiding at first desire (PVR2), with the former being larger than the later in every patient (P < 0.001). The PVR values, PVR1 and PVR2, were independent to patient age, symptom score prostate volume and PSA value. Conclusions: Measurement of postvoid residual volume in a relaxed patient, who voids at first desire, represents everyday life and should be the correct method of testing

Splenogonadal fusion: Report of a case and review of the literature

We report a case of splenogonadal fusion masquerading as a testicular tumor and review the etiology, the pathogenesis and the management of this rare disease. A 20-year-old male patient presented with clinical and radiological findings of a left testicular mass for which he underwent a left radical inguinal orchidectomy. Histopathology of the removed testicle revealed no tumor. The gonad was fused to ectopic splenic tissue, the later forming a distinct encapsulated mass attached to the lower pole of the testicle inside the tunica vaginalis. Splenogonadal fusion, although a rare condition, may account for a non-malignant testicular mass and should be suspected in young patients with other congenital anomalies

Feedback microwave thermotherapy with the ProstaLund((R)) compact device for obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia: 12-month response rates and complications

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the ProstaLund (R) Compact Device in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Patients and Methods: A series of 38 consecutive patients with a mean age of 72.6 +/- 8.2 years, 19 with an indwelling catheter, underwent transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) with the ProstaLund Compact Device. Pretreatment evaluation included transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), urodynamics, and cystoscopy for all patients and flow rate (Q(max)), postvoiding residual urine volume (PVR), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality-of-life (QoL) assessment for those without a catheter. The mean prostate volume was 63.5 +/- 30 cc. The Q(max), IPSS, and QoL studies were repeated at 3, 6, and 12 months, while urodynamics, cystoscopy, and TRUS were repeated at 6 and 12 months. Results: The treatment lasted a mean of 43.1 +/- 17.1 minutes, achieved a maximal intraprostatic temperature of 58.7 +/- 7.2 degrees C, and destroyed 18.4 +/- 14.3 g of prostatic tissue. Twelve months post-treatment, for the patients without a catheter preoperatively, the IPSS was improved from 21.5 +/- 6.3 to 6.5 +/- 3.1 (P < 0.001), Q(max) from 7.2 +/- 3.1 mL/sec to 18.1 +/- 7.4 mL/sec (P < 0.001), detrusor pressure at Q(max) from 87.5 +/- 15 cm H2O to 48.4 +/- 16.4 cm H2O (P < 0.001), and PVR from 113.2 +/- 78.2 mL to 34.6 +/- 36.7 mL (P < 0.01). The good-response rates for IPSS (<= 7 or >= 50% improvement), Q(max) (>= 15 mL/sec or >= 50% improvement), PVR (< 50 mL or >= 50% decrease), and QoL (:52) were 73.7%, 84.2%, 73.7%, and 94.7%, respectively. For the patients with a catheter preoperatively, the IPSS improved from 9.5 +/- 6 at 3 months to 5.1 +/- 5.3 (P < 0.05) at the end of the follow-up period. The Q(max) was 13.2 +/- 6.4 mL/sec at 3 months and remained stable throughout the follow-up period. Patient good-response rates for IPSS (:57), PVR (< 150 mL), and QoL (:52) were 75%, 87.5% and 75%, respectively. Only two patients were unable to void after the treatment. Complications were similar to those presented in the literature, and bladder stone formation was noted as well (five patients). Conclusions: ProstaLund thermotherapy is a highly promising alternative treatment for BPH, improving substantially both objective and subjective measures of bladder outflow obstruction