THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF FESTIVAL CELEBRATIONS ON THE ISLAND OF RHODES, GREECE, DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This research paper aims to study the function of the traditional festivals on the island of Rhodes during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to explore community members and official institution representatives’ views on their psychological and socio-economic consequences. A structured interview was designed, which was given online to 168 subjects, of which 96 community members in the villages of the island of Rhodes and to 72 official institutions, representatives of cultural and local authorities, within the context of the beginning of the festivities with some restrictions, in August 2021, in the light of the pandemic. The results of the research show that the majority of community members and official institution representatives of the sample emphasize the communicative, cultural, recreational, and social dimensions of the festivals, however, some claim that there are no longer events that arise interest. Regarding their cancellation during the pandemic period, the majority of community members answer that the entertainment - communication sector was most affected, while the representatives of the institutions emphasize the economic consequences. In general, regarding the consequences of the pandemic on the behavior and psychology of individuals, introversion, isolation, antisociality, belligerence, tension and nervousness, are emphasized, while mistrust seems to prevail even in close family settings. Moreover, the majority of community members and representatives emphasize that social offer and solidarity are not exhibited to a satisfactory degree, while volunteering activities are limited. Regarding the pandemic, vaccination is suggested as the most effective means, mainly by the official institution representatives. Regarding the events of 2021 that shocked them most, the community members focus on economic, social and psychological - personal problems, while the official institution representatives focus on environmental and economic problems. Finally, most of them state that they do not want the transformation of festivals, however, they regard the emphasis on tradition as a sustainable perspective of local festivals.  Article visualizations

Dental materials and their performance for the management of screw access channels in implant-supported restorations

Unsuccessfully sealed screw access channels of prosthetic implant abutments may lead to malodor or peri-implant diseases in gingival tissues adjacent to implant-supported restorations. Therefore, 72 sets of screw channel analogs with six different materials incorporated (Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), wax, gutta-percha, cavit, endofrost-pellets and cotton pellets) were exposed (2.5 h, 37 degrees C) to Streptococcus mutans, oralis and Candida albicans suspensions. Bacterial adherence was quantified by using the fluorescence dye, Alamar Blue/resazurin, and an automated multifunctional reader. For quantification of fungal adherence the ATP-based bioluminescence approach was used. High relative fluorescence and himinescence intensities (>10,000), indicating high adhesion of streptococci and fungi were found for cotton and endofrost-pellets and low intensities (<5,000) for wax, gutta-percha, cavit and PTFE. The quantity of bacterial and fungal adhesion differed significantly between the assessed various sealing materials. In conclusion and within the limitations of this study, wax, gutta-percha, cavit and PTFE should be preferred as sealing materials

Impact of radiotherapy on implant-based prosthetic rehabilitation in patients with head and neck cancer: A prospective observational study on implant survival and quality of life—Preliminary results

Purpose: To study implant-based prosthetic rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients with focus on implant survival and quality of life. Materials and methods: The prospective observational study presents preliminary results of 29 edentulous head neck cancer patients (20 patients after radiotherapy) with 165 OsseoSpeed implants. Implant success after 1-year follow-up was evaluated by means of the Albrektsson criteria. Quality of life was analysed with the EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-H&N35, and OHIP 14 questionnaires. Results: The overall implant survival rate after 1 year was 95.2% (157/165). Implant success measured by the Albrektsson criteria showed a lower success rate of 86.7% (143/165), mainly because of peri-implant marginal bone loss with a mean of 0.8 mm after 1 year. Xerostomia (p = 0.008), implant insertion within the radiation target volume (p = 0.09), implantation in transplanted bone (p = 0.05), and smoking (p = 0.041) were the main reasons for implant failure, followed by D4 bone quality, maxillary implant site, and insufficient primary stability. Speaking, swallowing, eating, as well as social integration and individual self-confidence had considerably improved 1 year after denture placement compared to before treatment. Conclusion: Implant-based prosthetic rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients is possible at a calculable risk and significantly improves patients' quality of life. (C) 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Supplementary Table -Supplemental material for 20-year trends of characteristics and outcomes of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation

<p>Supplemental material, Supplementary Table for 20-year trends of characteristics and outcomes of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation by George Ntaios, Dimitrios Sagris, Fotios Gioulekas, Petros Galanis, Christianna Pardali, Anastasia Vemmou, Eleni Koroboki, Vasileios Papavasileiou, Sofia Vassilopoulou, Efstathios Manios, Konstantinos Makaritsis, Konstantinos Spengos, Dimos-Dimitrios Mitsikostas, Haralambos Milionis and Konstantinos Vemmos in International Journal of Stroke</p

Recommendations for Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke A Clinical Guide by the Hellenic Stroke Organization

This document presents the consensus recommendations of the Hellenic Stroke Organization which can be of assistance to the treating stroke physicians