GRIGORIS LAMBRAKIS (1912-1963) – A GREEK OBSTETRICIAN AND WORLD RENOWNED ACTIVIST

Grigoris Lambrakis was a Greek politician, doctor, athlete, and faculty member of the Medical School of Athens University. As an athlete, Lambrakis held the Greek record for long jump for twenty-three years and he also won several gold medals in the Balkan Athletic Games. Lambrakis received an excellent medical education. As lecturer at the University of Athens, Lambrakis became a pioneer of Gynecological Endocrinology. His philanthropy was always evident during his medical career, but he also consistently attended international pacifist meetings and demonstrations. His medical work, and his performance as lecturer of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, have been neglected, if not overshadowed, by his political career. Lambrakis is recognized worldwide as a martyr for peace. The aim in this essay is to present his life, and especially to elucidate his medical achievements.Grigoris Lambrakis bio je grčki političar, liječnik, sportaš i član Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Ateni. Kao sportaš, Lambrakis je držao grčki rekord u skoku u dalj tijekom dvadeset i tri godine, a osvojio je i nekoliko zlatnih medalja na Balkanskim atletskim igrama. Imao je izvrsno medicinsko obrazovanje. Kao predavač na Atenskom sveučilištu, Lambrakis je postao pionirom ginekološke endokrinologije. U njegovoj se liječničkoj karijeri očitovala njegova dobrohotnost. Također, neprestano je prisustvovao međunarodnim pacifističkim susretima i prosvjedima. Njegova je politička karijera zasjenila njegov medicinski rad i sveučilišni rad predavača opstetricije i ginekologije. Lambrakis je svjetski poznat kao mučenik za mir. Cilj je ovog izlaganja predstaviti njegov život, a posebice pojasniti njegova medicinska postignuća

PRIMJENA MRAVLJIH ČELJUSTI KAO KIRURŠKIH KOPČI U DOBA GRČKOG DOMOLJUBA YANNISA MAKRIYANNISA (1797.–1864.)

The use of ant mandibles as surgical clips was documented by the ancient Indian physicians Susruta and Charaka as early as 1000 BC and continued in some world areas into the early 1900s. According to the memoirs of the Greek revolutionary general Ioannis Makriyannis, this technique was also applied in the battlefields of the Greek Revolution for Independence between 1821 and 1832.Još 1000 g. pr. n. e. indijski liječnici Sušruta i Čaraka spominju primjenu mravljih čeljusti kao kirurških kopči, koja se nastavila u nekim dijelovima svijeta sve do prve polovice XIX. stoljeća. Prema zapisima iz sjećanja grčkog revolucionara, generala Yannisa Makriyannisa, ova se tehnika primjenjivala i na bojištima u Grčkoj tijekom Revolucije za neovisnost od 1821. do 1832

Development of machine learning software for the recognition of modifications in Greek legislation

Το πρόγραμμα ΝΟΜΟΘΕΣΙ@ αποσκοπεί στην μετατροπή της ελληνικής νομοθεσίας σε μηχανικά αναγνώσιμη μορφή που επιδέχεται ερωτήσεις. Μία σημαντική λειτουργία που δεν υφίσταται ακόμη είναι η ταυτοποίηση των νομοθετικών τροποποιήσεων και των σημασιακών του μερών. Σε αυτή την πτυχιακή εργασία παρουσιάζουμε μία αυτοματοποιημένη λύση βασισμένη στην βαθιά μάθηση, συγκεκριμένα την αρχιτεκτονική BiLSTM. Δείχνει αξιοσημείωτα καλά αποτελέσματα, με ακρίβεια προβλέψεων να φτάνει το 98% ανά λεκτική μονάδα.The ΝΟΜΟΘΕΣΙ@ projects aims to convert Greek legislation into a machine readable and queryable format. One important aspect that it is currently missing is the identification of legislative modifications and their semantic components. In this disseration we present an automated solution based on deep learning, in particular the BiLSTM architecture. Our model demonstrates remarkably good results, with a prediction accuracy reaching over 98% per lexical token

Flow Cytometry as a Diagnostic Tool in the Early Diagnosis of Aggressive Lymphomas Mimicking Life-Threatening Infection

Aggressive lymphomas can present with symptoms mimicking life-threatening infection. Flow cytometry (FC) is usually recommended for the classification and staging of lymphomas in patients with organomegaly and atypical cells in effusions and blood, after the exclusion of other possible diagnoses. FC may also have a place in the initial diagnostic investigation of aggressive lymphoma. Three cases are presented here of highly aggressive lymphomas in young adults, which presented with the clinical picture of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in patients severely ill. All followed a life-threatening clinical course, and two developed the hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS), but microbiological, immunological, and morphological evaluation and immunohistochemistry (IHC) failed to substantiate an early diagnosis. FC was the technique that provided conclusive diagnostic evidence of lymphoma, subsequently verified by IHC. Our experience with these three cases highlights the potential role of FC as an adjunct methodology in the initial assessment of possible highly aggressive lymphoma presenting with the signs and symptoms of life-threatening infection, although the definitive diagnosis should be established by biopsy. In such cases, FC can contribute to the diagnosis of lymphoma, independently of the presence of HPS

Targeted Re-Sequencing Approach of Candidate Genes Implicates Rare Potentially Functional Variants in Tourette Syndrome Etiology

Although the genetic basis of Tourette Syndrome (TS) remains unclear, several candidate genes have been implicated. Using a set of 382 TS individuals of European ancestry we investigated four candidate genes for TS (HDC, SLITRK1, BTBD9, and SLC6A4) in an effort to identify possibly causal variants using a targeted re-sequencing approach by next generation sequencing technology. Identification of possible disease causing variants under different modes of inheritance was performed using the algorithms implemented in VAAST. We prioritized variants using Variant ranker and validated five rare variants via Sanger sequencing in HDC and SLITRK1, all of which are predicted to be deleterious. Intriguingly, one of the identified variants is in linkage disequilibrium with a variant that is included among the top hits of a genome-wide association study for response to citalopram treatment, an antidepressant drug with off-label use also in obsessive compulsive disorder. Our findings provide additional evidence for the implication of these two genes in TS susceptibility and the possible role of these proteins in the pathobiology of TS should be revisited

Genomic Relationships, Novel Loci, and Pleiotropic Mechanisms across Eight Psychiatric Disorders

Genetic influences on psychiatric disorders transcend diagnostic boundaries, suggesting substantial pleiotropy of contributing loci. However, the nature and mechanisms of these pleiotropic effects remain unclear. We performed analyses of 232,964 cases and 494,162 controls from genome-wide studies of anorexia nervosa, attention-deficit/hyper-activity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome. Genetic correlation analyses revealed a meaningful structure within the eight disorders, identifying three groups of inter-related disorders. Meta-analysis across these eight disorders detected 109 loci associated with at least two psychiatric disorders, including 23 loci with pleiotropic effects on four or more disorders and 11 loci with antagonistic effects on multiple disorders. The pleiotropic loci are located within genes that show heightened expression in the brain throughout the lifespan, beginning prenatally in the second trimester, and play prominent roles in neurodevelopmental processes. These findings have important implications for psychiatric nosology, drug development, and risk prediction.Peer reviewe

The clinical utility of the tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnostic specifier

Tic disorders have been reported to co-occur at rates of 10–40% in patients with OCD (Gomes de Alvarenga et al., 2012). Tic-related OCD has been recognized as a diagnostic specifier in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders– Fifth Edition (DSM5). It is defined as a current or past history of a tic disorder, and it has been associated with several important clinical variables, such as earlier age of onset, male gender, greater likelihood of family members also having OCD and a poorer response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Gomes de Alvarenga et al., 2012). Patients with OCD and co-occurring tic disorder are more likely to have other co-occurring disorders, e.g., ADHD (Wanderer et al., 2012). There may also be genetic links between OCD, tic disorders and ADHD as the three disorders co-occur in family members (Mathews and Grados, 2011)

Parental Lifestyle Changes and Correlations with Children’s Dietary Changes during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the eating behaviour of parents during the first lockdown implemented in Greece due to COVID-19 and to explore possible associations with corresponding changes in the eating behaviour of their children. A quantitative cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 397 parents with children aged 2–18 years, who were recruited from 63 municipalities in Greece. It was observed that the percentage of parents and children reporting consumption of breakfast during the lockdown period increased by 10.6% and 5%, respectively. Also, 75% of the parents increased their snack consumption and 61% their sweets consumption. Parents increased home-cooking during lockdown (6.4 times/week), compared to 5.6 times/week before (p p p < 0.05). More than half parents tried to lose weight during lockdown (58.4%). In conclusion, both favourable (home-cooking) and unfavourable (increased snacking) lifestyle changes during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece were reported for parents

Lifestyle Changes and Determinants of Children’s and Adolescents’ Body Weight Increase during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study

Previous studies showed that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown imposed changes in adults’ lifestyle behaviors; however, there is limited information regarding the effects on youth. The COV-EAT study aimed to report changes in children’s and adolescents’ lifestyle habits during the first COVID-19 lockdown and explore potential associations between changes of participants’ lifestyle behaviors and body weight. An online survey among 397 children/adolescents and their parents across 63 municipalities in Greece was conducted in April–May 2020. Parents self-reported changes of their children’s lifestyle habits and body weight, as well as sociodemographic data of their family. The present study shows that during the lockdown, children’s/adolescents’ sleep duration and screen time increased, while their physical activity decreased. Their consumption of fruits and fresh fruit juices, vegetables, dairy products, pasta, sweets, total snacks, and breakfast increased, while fast-food consumption decreased. Body weight increased in 35% of children/adolescents. A multiple regression analysis showed that the body weight increase was associated with increased consumption of breakfast, salty snacks, and total snacks and with decreased physical activity. The COV-EAT study revealed changes in children’s and adolescents’ lifestyle behaviors during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece. Effective strategies are needed to prevent excessive body weight gain in future COVID-19 lockdowns

Parental Lifestyle Changes and Correlations with Children&rsquo;s Dietary Changes during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the eating behaviour of parents during the first lockdown implemented in Greece due to COVID-19 and to explore possible associations with corresponding changes in the eating behaviour of their children. A quantitative cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 397 parents with children aged 2&ndash;18 years, who were recruited from 63 municipalities in Greece. It was observed that the percentage of parents and children reporting consumption of breakfast during the lockdown period increased by 10.6% and 5%, respectively. Also, 75% of the parents increased their snack consumption and 61% their sweets consumption. Parents increased home-cooking during lockdown (6.4 times/week), compared to 5.6 times/week before (p &lt; 0.001), which was associated with decreased consumption of fast foods for both parents and children (p &lt; 0.001 for all comparisons) and also correlated with increased consumption of fruit and vegetables for children (p &lt; 0.05). More than half parents tried to lose weight during lockdown (58.4%). In conclusion, both favourable (home-cooking) and unfavourable (increased snacking) lifestyle changes during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece were reported for parents