Effects of Greek orthodox christian church fasting on serum lipids and obesity

BACKGROUND: No study to date has focused on the impact of Greek Orthodox Christian fasting on serum lipoproteins and obesity yet. METHODS: 120 Greek adults were followed longitudinally for one year. Sixty fasted regularly in all fasting periods (fasters) and 60 did not fast at all (controls). The three major fasting periods under study were: Christmas (40 days), Lent (48 days) and Assumption (August, 15 days). A total of 6 measurements were made during one year including pre- and end-fasting blood collection, serum lipoprotein analyses and anthropometric measurements. RESULTS: Statistically significant end-fasting total and LDL cholesterol differences were found in fasters. Fasters compared to controls presented 12.5% lower end-total cholesterol (p < 0.001), 15.9% lower end-LDL cholesterol (p < 0.001) and 1.5% lower end-BMI (p < 0.001). The end- LDL/HDL ratio was lower in fasters (6.5%, p < 0.05) while the change in end- HDL cholesterol in fasters (4.6% decline) was not significant. Similar results were found when the pre- and end-fasting values of fasters were compared. No change was found in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to Greek Orthodox fasting periods contributes to a reduction in the blood lipid profile including a non-significant reduction in HDL cholesterol and possible impact on obesity

A novel framework employing deep multi-attention channels network for the autonomous detection of metastasizing cells through fluorescence microscopy

We developed a transparent computational large-scale imaging-based framework that can distinguish between normal and metastasizing human cells. The method relies on fluorescence microscopy images showing the spatial organization of actin and vimentin filaments in normal and metastasizing single cells, using a combination of multi-attention channels network and global explainable techniques. We test a classification between normal cells (Bj primary fibroblast), and their isogenically matched, transformed and invasive counterpart (BjTertSV40TRasV12). Manual annotation is not trivial to automate due to the intricacy of the biologically relevant features. In this research, we utilized established deep learning networks and our new multi-attention channel architecture. To increase the interpretability of the network - crucial for this application area - we developed an interpretable global explainable approach correlating the weighted geometric mean of the total cell images and their local GradCam scores. The significant results from our analysis unprecedently allowed a more detailed, and biologically relevant understanding of the cytoskeletal changes that accompany oncogenic transformation of normal to invasive and metastasizing cells. We also paved the way for a possible spatial micrometre-level biomarker for future development of diagnostic tools against metastasis (spatial distribution of vimentin)

Overweight and obesity in relation to cardiovascular disease risk factors among medical students in Crete, Greece

BACKGROUND: Recent data indicate increasing rates of adult obesity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Greece. No data, however, are available on prevalence of overweight and obesity in relation to CVD risk factors among young adults in Greece. METHODS: A total of 989 third-year medical students (527 men, 462 women), aged 22 ± 2 years, were recruited from the University of Crete during the period 1989–2001. Anthropometric measures and blood chemistries were obtained. The relationships between obesity indices (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], waist-to-hip ratio [WHpR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]) and CVD risk factor variables (blood pressure, glucose, serum lipoproteins) were investigated. RESULTS: Approximately 40% of men and 23% of women had BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m(2). Central obesity was found in 33.4% (average percentage corresponding to WC ≥ 90 cm, WHpR ≥ 0.9 and WHtR ≥ 50.0) of male and 21.7% (using WC ≥ 80 cm, WHpR ≥ 0.8, WHtR ≥ 50.0) of female students. Subjects above the obesity indices cut-offs had significantly higher values of CVD risk factor variables. BMI was the strongest predictor of hypertension. WHtR in men and WC in women were the most important indicators of dyslipidaemia. CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of Greek medical students were overweight or obese, obesity status being related to the presence of hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Simple anthropometric indices can be used to identify these CVD risk factors. Our results underscore the need to implement health promotion programmes and perform large-scale epidemiological studies within the general Greek young adult population

Prevalence of obesity in preschool Greek children, in relation to parental characteristics and region of residence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to record the prevalence of overweight and obesity in relation to parental education level, parental body mass index and region of residence, in preschool children in Greece.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 2374 children (1218 males and 1156 females) aged 1–5 years, stratified by parental educational level (Census 1999), were examined from 105 nurseries in five counties, from April 2003 to July 2004, Weight (kg) and height (cm) were obtained and BMI (kg/m²) was calculated. Both the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) methods were used to classify each child as "normal", "at risk of overweight" and "overweight". Parental demographic characteristics, such as age and educational level and parental anthropometrical data, such as stature and body weight, were also recorded with the use of a specifically designed questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall estimates of at risk of overweight and overweight using the CDC method was 31.9%, 10.6 percentage points higher than the IOTF estimate of 21.3% and this difference was significant (p < 0.001). Children with one obese parent had 91% greater odds for being overweight compared to those with no obese parent, while the likelihood for being overweight was 2.38 times greater for children with two obese parents in the multivariate model.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both methods used to assess prevalence of obesity have demonstarted that a high percentage of the preschool children in our sample were overweight. Parental body mass index was also shown to be an obesity risk factor in very young children.</p

Promotion of prostatic metastatic migration towards human bone marrow stoma by Omega 6 and its inhibition by Omega 3 PUFAs

Epidemiological studies have shown not only a relationship between the intake of dietary lipids and an increased risk of developing metastatic prostate cancer, but also the type of lipid intake that influences the risk of metastatic prostate cancer. The Omega-6 poly-unsaturated fatty acid, Arachidonic acid, has been shown to enhance the proliferation of malignant prostate epithelial cells and increase the risk of advanced prostate cancer. However, its role in potentiating the migration of cancer cells is unknown. Here we show that arachidonic acid at concentrations ⩽5 μM is a potent stimulator of malignant epithelial cellular invasion, which is able to restore invasion toward hydrocortisone-deprived adipocyte-free human bone marrow stroma completely. This observed invasion is mediated by the arachidonic acid metabolite prostaglandin E2 and is inhibited by the Omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid at a ratio of 1 : 2 Omega-3 : Omega-6, and by the COX-2 inhibitor NS-398. These results identify a mechanism by which arachidonic acid may potentiate the risk of metastatic migration and secondary implantation in vivo, a risk which can be reduced with the uptake of Omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids

Intrusion detection in network services through the file system using machine learning techniques

Current Society is highly depended on the Internet. A vast amount of personal information, like user passwords, credit card numbers, e-mails, etc. travels around the world via the Internet backbone in a daily basis through the use of smart phones, tablets, and all different kinds of devices and sensors forming the Internet of Things (IoT). However, for those who are lurking in the cyber-space underground, as the number of on-line devices increases and the use of Internet services grows, so does the attack surface. In the recent years, apart from the cyber-threat protection provided traditionally by antivirus systems and firewalls, a new, second-line of defense has been developed, namely Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). The purpose of an IDS is to discover when an Information System is under attack and inform the user or even react when possible. This thesis is focused on how the Operating System's file system can be used in order to aid the intrusion detection process. For this purpose, a feature space is proposed on which raw file system information is projected. Based on this type of information, FI²DS is presented. FI²DS is an anomaly-based intrusion detection system that analyses file system information generated by web daemons to recognise attacks. FI²DS accomplishes high detection rates with low false positive rates, proving that our proposed feature space is highly informative and hence helpful for intrusion detection. Next, we propose a method for analysing sequences of alerts originating from the file system and generated by systems like FI²DS, and through the use of grouping, clustering and anomaly detection algorithms employed in these sequences, a further reduce in FI²DS' false positive rate is achieved. Finally, we propose a new architecture for designing IDSs which is based on behaviours. Behaviours are higher-level information units with respect to the raw information provided by IDS sensors. Based on the idea of behaviours, a prototype IDS is presented (BIDS) that outperforms FI²DS in the context of intrusion detection, indicating that as far as the file system is concerned, higher-level information is more useful than to lower-level information regarding intrusion detection.Η σύγχρονη κοινωνία είναι άμεσα εξαρτώμενη από το Διαδίκτυο. Με τη χρήση των κινητών τηλεφώνων, των tablets, και όλων των έξυπνων συσκευών και αισθητήρων του Διαδικτύου των Πραγμάτων (Internet of Things), καθημερινά ανταλλάσσεται ένας γιγάντιος όγκος πληροφορίας μέσα από το Διαδίκτυο ο οποίος πολύ συχνά περιέχει ευαίσθητες πληροφορίες, όπως κωδικούς χρηστών, αριθμούς πιστωτικών καρτών, ηλεκτρονική αλληλογραφία, κ.λ.π. Παράλληλα, όμως, με την αύξηση των συνδεδεμένων στο Διαδίκτυο συσκευών και της χρήσης των διαθέσιμων ηλεκτρονικών υπηρεσιών αυξάνεται και η επιφάνεια επίθεσης για αυτούς που καραδοκούν. Πέρα από τις τυπικές μεθόδους προστασίας από κυβερνο-επιθέσεις, όπως είναι τα αντιιικά και τα τείχη προστασίας, τα τελευταία χρόνια έχει αναπτυχθεί μια δεύτερη γραμμή άμυνας, τα Συστήματα Αναγνώρισης Επίθεσης (IDS). Ο σκοπός των IDS είναι να ανακαλύπτουν πότε ένα υπολογιστικό σύστημα δέχεται επίθεση και να ενημερώνουν το χρήστη ή ακόμη και να λαμβάνουν αντίμετρα. Στην παρούσα διατριβή επικεντρωνόμαστε στο πώς το Σύστημα Αρχείων των Λειτουργικών Συστημάτων μπορεί να χρησιμεύσει στην αναγνώριση επίθεσης. Προτείνεται ένας χώρος χαρακτηριστικών στον οποίο προβάλλεται η πληροφορία του συστήματος αρχείων. Βασισμένος σε αυτήν την πληροφορία υλοποιείται ο FI²DS, ένα IDS αναγνώρισης ανωμαλιών του συστήματος αρχείων σε εξυπηρετητές ιστού. Ο FI²DS επιτυγχάνει υψηλά ποσοστά σωστών αναγνωρίσεων και χαμηλά ποσοστά εσφαλμένων συναγερμών, αποδεικνύοντας ότι ο χώρος χαρακτηριστικών που προτείνουμε είναι κατάλληλος για την αναγνώριση επιθέσεων. Στη συνέχεια, προτείνουμε μία μέθοδο ανάλυσης χρονοσειρών του συστήματος αρχείων που προέρχονται από συναγερμούς συστημάτων όπως ο FI²DS, και με τη χρήση αλγορίθμων ανίχνευσης ανωμαλιών και ομαδοποίησης επιτυγχάνουμε ακόμα μεγαλύτερη μείωση στο ποσοστό εσφαλμένων συναγερμών του FI²DS. Τέλος, προτείνουμε ένα μοντέλο σχεδίασης IDS που εκμεταλλεύεται συμπεριφορές. Οι συμπεριφορές αυτές είναι μονάδες πληροφορίας ανηγμένες σε υψηλότερο επίπεδο από ό,τι η πληροφορία που εισέρχεται στους αισθητήρες ενός IDS. Με βάση την ιδέα των συμπεριφορών, παρουσιάζουμε ένα πρότυπο IDS, το BIDS, το οποίο ξεπερνάει σε επιδόσεις το FI²DS, υποδεικνύοντας ότι στην περίπτωση του συστήματος αρχείων, η πληροφορία σε υψηλότερο επίπεδο είναι πιο χρήσιμη από ό,τι η χαμηλού επιπέδου πληροφορία που λαμβάνεται από τους αισθητήρες του IDS.

Paraoxonase 1 R/Q alleles are associated with differential accumulation of saturated versus 20:5n3 fatty acid in human adipose tissue

Serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) function has been associated with human cardiovascular disease. The projected mechanism postulates interaction of PON1 with lipoproteins and insulin signaling resulting in alterations in lipid homeostasis. Recently, PON2 was shown to directly regulate triglyceride accumulation in macrophages and PON1 was detected in the interstitial space of adipocytes. The aims of the present study were a) to examine the relationship of the PON1 function with serum parameters related to lipid homeostasis, and b) to examine a possible role of PON1 in the regulation of lipid composition in the human adipose tissue. Two important genetic variations with functional impact on PON1 activity in humans are the Q192R and the L55M. The present study evaluated the impact of the Q192R and the L55M polymorphisms in a cross-section of the population on the island of Crete, as regards to PON1 activity, plasma lipids/lipoproteins, parameters of the metabolic syndrome, and the fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue. We detected a significant association of the polymorphisms with blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, serum iron, and homocysteine. Furthermore, a novel function is suggested for PON1 on the fatty acid composition in the adipose tissue through the positive association of the R allele with saturated fatty acid and of the Q allele with 20:5n3 fatty acid deposition