Αθέμιτος ανταγωνισμός και προστασία του καταναλωτή

To εμπόριο εξελίσσεται σε μία ολοένα και πιο περίπλοκη διαδικασία με οικονομικές, νομικές και κοινωνικές προεκτάσεις. Σύγχρονες τεχνικές marketing κάνουν διαρκώς την εμφάνισή τους, στοχεύοντας στον επηρεασμό των καταναλωτών ακόμα και μέσω της χρήσης αθέμιτων μέσων. Οι συνεχώς αναδυόμενες εμπορικές πρακτικές με αθέμιτο χαρακτήρα αδυνατούν πολλές φορές να χωρέσουν στα καλούπια των ήδη υπαρχόντων νομοθετημάτων, με αποτέλεσμα να εντείνεται αφενός η ανάγκη προστασίας του καταναλωτή και αφετέρου η προσαρμογή της νομοθεσίας στα νέα δεδομένα. Την προσαρμογή αυτή επεδίωξε να επιτύχει ο ενωσιακός νομοθέτης με την έκδοση της Οδηγίας 2005/29, η οποία λειτούργησε ως καταλύτης στον εκσυγχρονισμό των διάφορων εθνικών νομοθεσιών στο πλαίσιο της ΕΕ, ανάμεσα στις οποίες και η ελληνική. Η τελευταία αποτελεί και το κεντρικό ζήτημα της παρούσας όπου γίνεται προσπάθεια να αναλυθεί το ισχύον νομοθετικό πλαίσιο υπό το πρίσμα της ως άνω Οδηγίας. Η παρούσα περιστρέφεται, λοιπόν, γύρω από την ακτινοβολία της Οδηγίας στα ελληνικά νομοθετήματα του αθέμιτου ανταγωνισμού και της προστασίας του καταναλωτή.Trade is evolving into an increasingly complex process with economic, legal and social implications. Modern marketing techniques are constantly appearing aiming at influencing consumers even through using unfair media. The ever-emerging trade practices of an unfair nature are many times too weak to fit into the molds of existing legislation. As a result the need for consumer protection and legislation's adjustment to the new data, became urgent. This adjustment was sought by the Union legislator with the adoption of Directive 2005/29, which acted as a catalyst in modernization of various national laws within the EU, including the Greek. The latter is also the central issue of the present thesis where effort is made to analyze the current legislative framework in the light of the above Directive. This thesis revolves, therefore, around the radiation of the Directive in Greek legislations of unfair competition and consumer protection

Bisphenol-A and Sleep Adequacy Among Adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

Study Objectives: To evaluate bisphenol-A (BPA) level and its relationship to sleep adequacy in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey whereby data were collected using in-person interviews, physical examination and laboratory testing. BPA level was measured in urine samples and analyzed as loge-transformed variable and in quartiles (\u3c 0.9 ng/mL; 0.9 to \u3c 1.9 ng/mL; 1.9 to \u3c 3.7 ng/mL; 3.7+ ng/mL). Sleep adequacy was operationalized with three questions: How much sleep do you usually get at night on weekdays or workdays? , Have you ever told a doctor or other health professionals that you have trouble sleeping? and Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have a sleep disorder? Sleep duration was further categorized as (\u3c 6 h, ≥ 6 h); (\u3c 7 h, 7-8 h, \u3e 8 h); (\u3c 5 h, 5-6 h, 7-8 h, ≥ 9 h). Linear, binary, and ordinal logistic regression models were constructed. Results: Loge-transformed BPA level was inversely related to sleep duration defined, in hours, as a continuous variable, a dichotomous variable (≥ 6, \u3c 6), or an ordinal variable (≥ 9, 7-8, 5-6, \u3c 5), after adjustment for confounders. Help-seeking behavior for sleep problems and diagnosis with sleep disorders were not significantly associated with loge-transformed BPA level in fully adjusted models. Conclusions: Loge-transformed BPA level may be associated with fewer hours of sleep among U.S. adults, with implications for prevention. Further research involving diverse populations are needed to confirm these study findings

Σύγχρονες κατευθυντήριες οδηγίες προφύλαξης και αντιμετώπισης της λοίμωξης του χειρουργικού πεδίου

Η λοίμωξη του χειρουργικού πεδίου αποτελεί μία από τις συχνότερες αιτίες νοσηρότητας και θνησιμότητας. Υπάρχουν πολλά ιστορικά δεδομένα ότι αυτό έφερε προβληματισμό από πολύ παλαιότερα και είχαν γίνει πολλές προσπάθειες προς τον έλεγχο των λοιμώξεων. Στα μεταγενέστερα χρόνια, πλέον τα χειρουργικά τραύματα έχουν ταξινομηθεί ως προς το βάθος και την καθαρότητα με σκοπό την ευκολότερη διάγνωση και θεραπεία. Επίσης, μέσω της ανάπτυξης της τεχνολογίας βρέθηκαν μηχανισμοί αντίστασης των βακτηρίων στα αντιβιοτικά σκευάσματα φέροντας εμπόδια στον επιτυχή έλεγχο των λοιμώξεων. Επιπλέον , έχουν εντοπιστεί κίνδυνοι ανάπτυξης λοίμωξης της χειρουργικής θέσης οι οποίοι διακρίνονται σε τροποποιήσιμους-μη τροποποιήσιμους που οφείλονται είτε στον ασθενή είτε στο περιβάλλον. Τελικά, η λοίμωξη του χειρουργικού πεδίου φαίνεται να έχει και σοβαρές οικονομικές επιπτώσεις. Για τους παραπάνω λόγους πολλοί οργανισμοί έχουν αποδώσει οδηγίες πρόληψης των χειρουργικών λοιμώξεων. Σκοπός της μελέτης είναι η καταγραφή των οδηγιών και η μεταξύ τους σύγκριση με ανάδειξη των διαφορών και της καταλληλότητας τους. Στις οδηγίες περιλαμβάνονται το προεγχειρητικό λουτρό με χλωρεξιδίνη όπου δεν έχει αποσαφηνιστεί πλήρως η καταλληλότητα της, ο έλεγχος της γλυκόζης στο αίμα, η διακοπή του καπνίσματος, η μηχανική προετοιμασία του εντέρου που γίνεται κατά περίπτωση, η απομάκρυνση της τριχοφυΐας που δεν είναι απαραίτητη, η αντισηψία του δέρματος όπου υπάρχουν διαφορές στο είδος του αντισηπτικού διαλύματος, το χειρουργικό πλύσιμο των χεριών που επίσης υπάρχουν διαφορές για τον αντισηπτικό παράγοντα, η αυξημένη χορήγηση κλάσματος οξυγόνου, η χορήγηση προφυλακτικής αντιβιοτικής αγωγής, η εκρίζωση ρινικής φορείας από σταφυλόκοκκο, η χειρουργική ενδυμασία και τα αποστειρωμένα γάντια, η διατήρηση φυσιολογικής θερμοκρασίας διεγχειρητικά του ασθενή, τα προστατευτικά της τομής διεγχειρητικά και μετεγχειρητικά, η χορήγηση εντερικής ,η ποιότητα του αέρα στην χειρουργική αίθουσα η κίνηση και η ένδειξη στειρότητας του εξοπλισμού. Συμπερασματικά, η μελέτη των κατευθυντήριων γραμμών ανέδειξε πολλές διαφορές και ελλιπή βιβλιογραφία και συστήνεται επιπλέον διερεύνηση καθώς και δημιουργία ενός κρατικού συστήματος επιτήρησης των λοιμώξεων της χειρουργικής θέσης.Surgical site infections are one of the most common causes of illness and mortality. There are numerous historical accounts showing that it has been a cause for concern and much effort has been put into controlling infections. In later years, surgical wounds have been classified in regards to depth and purity in order to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, through advancements in technology, it has been shown that bacteria have developed resistance mechanisms to antibiotics, thereby impending successful control of infections. In addition, risks of developing infection of the surgical site have been found and they can be modifiable or non-modifiable and are owed to either the patient or the environment. Finally, surgical site infections also appears to have serious financial consequences. For the above reasons, many organizations have yielded instructions to prevent surgical infections. This study aims to catalogue and compare the instructions in order to highlight their differences and assess their appropriateness. Instructions include preoperative bath with chlorhexidine, whose appropriateness hasn’t been fully clarified, checking blood glucose levels, quitting smoking, mechanical bowel preparation which is only carried out on a per-case basis, hair removal, which is unnecessary, antisepsis of the skin, where there are differences in the antiseptic factor, increased administration of oxygen fraction, administration of preventative antibiotic treatment, eradication of staphylococcus from the nasal carriage, surgical attire and sterile gloves, maintaining the patient’s natural temperature intraoperatively, surgical incision protectors intraoperatively and postoperatively, administration of intestinal feeding, air quality in the operative theater, movement and the indication of sterilization of the equipment. In conclusion, the study of the guidelines has shown many discrepancies and incomplete bibliography; further research is recommended as well as the creation of a surveillance system which would monitor surgical site infections

The menace of endocrine disruptors on thyroid hormone physiology and their impact on intrauterine development

The delivery of the appropriate thyroid hormones quantity to target tissues in euthyroidism is the result of unopposed synthesis, transport, metabolism, and excretion of these hormones. Thyroid hormones homeostasis depends on the maintenance of the circulating ‘free’ thyroid hormone reserves and on the development of a dynamic balance between the ‘free’ hormones reserves and those of the ‘bound’ hormones with the transport proteins. Disturbance of this hormone system, which is in constant interaction with other hormone systems, leads to an adaptational counter-response targeting to re-establish a new homeostatic equilibrium. An excessive disturbance is likely to result, however, in hypo- or hyper- thyroid clinical states. Endocrine disruptors are chemical substances forming part of ‘natural’ contaminating agents found in most ecosystems. There is abundant evidence that several key components of the thyroid hormones homeostasis are susceptible to the action of endocrine disruptors. These chemicals include some chlorinated organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, herbicides, and pharmaceutical agents. Intrauterine exposure to endocrine disruptors that either mimic or antagonize thyroid hormones can produce permanent developmental disorders in the structure and functioning of the brain, leading to behavioral changes. Steroid receptors are important determinants of the consequences of endocrine disruptors. Their interaction with thyroid hormones complicates the effect of endocrine disruptors. The aim of this review is to present the effect of endocrine disruptors on thyroid hormones physiology and their potential impact on intrauterine development

Linking FOXO3, NCOA3, and TCF7L2 to Ras pathway phenotypes through a genome-wide forward genetic screen in human colorectal cancer cells

Background: The Ras pathway genes KRAS, BRAF, or ERBBs have somatic mutations in similar to 60% of human colorectal carcinomas. At present, it is unknown whether the remaining cases lack mutations activating the Ras pathway or whether they have acquired mutations in genes hitherto unknown to belong to the pathway. Methods: To address the second possibility and extend the compendium of Ras pathway genes, we used genome-wide transposon mutagenesis of two human colorectal cancer cell systems deprived of their activating KRAS or BRAF allele to identify genes enabling growth in low glucose, a Ras pathway phenotype, when targeted. Results: Of the 163 recurrently targeted genes in the two different genetic backgrounds, one-third were known cancer genes and one-fifth had links to the EGFR/Ras/MAPK pathway. When compared to cancer genome sequencing datasets, nine genes also mutated in human colorectal cancers were identified. Among these, stable knockdown of FOXO3, NCOA3, and TCF7L2 restored growth in low glucose but reduced MEK/MAPK phosphorylation, reduced anchorage-independent growth, and modulated expressions of GLUT1 and Ras pathway related proteins. Knockdown of NCOA3 and FOXO3 significantly decreased the sensitivity to cetuximab of KRAS mutant but not wild-type cells. Conclusions: This work establishes a proof-of-concept that human cell-based genome-wide forward genetic screens can assign genes to pathways with clinical importance in human colorectal cancer

Linking FOXO3, NCOA3, and TCF7L2 to Ras pathway phenotypes through a genome-wide forward genetic screen in human colorectal cancer cells

Abstract Background The Ras pathway genes KRAS, BRAF, or ERBBs have somatic mutations in ~ 60% of human colorectal carcinomas. At present, it is unknown whether the remaining cases lack mutations activating the Ras pathway or whether they have acquired mutations in genes hitherto unknown to belong to the pathway. Methods To address the second possibility and extend the compendium of Ras pathway genes, we used genome-wide transposon mutagenesis of two human colorectal cancer cell systems deprived of their activating KRAS or BRAF allele to identify genes enabling growth in low glucose, a Ras pathway phenotype, when targeted. Results Of the 163 recurrently targeted genes in the two different genetic backgrounds, one-third were known cancer genes and one-fifth had links to the EGFR/Ras/MAPK pathway. When compared to cancer genome sequencing datasets, nine genes also mutated in human colorectal cancers were identified. Among these, stable knockdown of FOXO3, NCOA3, and TCF7L2 restored growth in low glucose but reduced MEK/MAPK phosphorylation, reduced anchorage-independent growth, and modulated expressions of GLUT1 and Ras pathway related proteins. Knockdown of NCOA3 and FOXO3 significantly decreased the sensitivity to cetuximab of KRAS mutant but not wild-type cells. Conclusions This work establishes a proof-of-concept that human cell-based genome-wide forward genetic screens can assign genes to pathways with clinical importance in human colorectal cancer