Tunneling and other engineering works in volcanic environments: Sousaki and Thessaly

Η εργασία αυτή έχει βασιστεί στις επιπτώσεις του Ηφαιστείου Σουσακίου Κορινθίας σε μία σήραγγα, και εξετάζει πιθανές επιπτώσεις της Τεταρτογενούς ηφαιστειότητας της Θεσσαλίας σε μεγάλα κατασκευαστικά έργα. Το ηφαίστειο Σουσακίου είχε σημαντική ηφαιστειακή δράση στο παρελθόν, αλλά η πρόσφατη δράση του περιορίζεται σε γεωθερμικά φαινόμενα. Μια σήραγγα για τη νέα Σιδηροδρομική Γραμμή Υψηλών Ταχυτήτων Αθηνών-Κορίνθου διανοίχθηκε διάμεσου της σολφατάρας του ηφαιστείου, σε περιοχή με πλήθος ρήγματα και φυσικά έγκοιλα. Κατά την εκσκαφή σημειώθηκε άνοδος της θερμοκρασίας και γεωθερμικά αέρια εισχώρησαν στη σήραγγα προκαλώντας προβλήματα στην συνέχιση του έργου. Αμεσα πραγματοποιήθηκαν επιτόπου έρευνες του υπεδάφους και αποφασίστηκε η λήψη έκτακτων μέτρων για την προστασία του έργου. Η περίπτωση της σήραγγας αυτής έκανε σαφές ότι και κατά την κατασκευή μεγάλων τεχνικών έργων και σε ό2λες περιοχές μπορεί να παρουσιαστούν προβλήματα συνδεόμενα με την ηφαιστειότητα στο μέλλον. Μία τέτοια περιοχή είναι οι Μικροθήβες και το Αχίλλειο, Μαγνησίας, όπου κατασκευάζονται σήραγγες για το νέο εθνικό οδικό και σιδηροδρομικό δίκτυο. Για την αντιμετώπιση αυτών των πιθανών προβλημάτων και την ελαχιστοποίηση των ηφαιστειακών κινδύνων κρίνονται απαραίτητες η βελτιστοποίηση της χάραξης των δικτύων μεταφορών σε συνδυασμό με την υιοθέτηση ειδικών τεχνικών κατασκευής και μέτρων ασφαλείαςThis study is inspired by the impacts on a tunnel of the Sousaki volcano, in the vicinity of Corinth and examines possible impacts of the Quaternary volcanism on major engineering works in Thessaly. The Sousaki volcano, at the NW edge of the Aegean Volcanic Arc has been associated with important volcanic activity in the past, but its current activity is confined to géothermie phenomena. A tunnel for the new Athens-Corinth High Speed Rail was excavated through the solfatara of the volcano, an area characterized by numerous faults and physical cavities. High temperatures and geothermal gases released in the underground opening through the faults caused disturbance to the tunnel construction, need for supplementary investigations and adoption of special measures to maintain tunnel stability. Experience from the tunnel at Sousaki indicates that similar risks may be faced in future major engineering works in other regions of Greece. Such an example is the area of Microthives and Achillio, Magnesia, Thessaly. Tunnels for the new highway and railway networks constructed or planned through at least two volcanic domes and other main engineering works may also face volcano-associated effects. Optimization of the network routes in combination with special construction techniques and safety measures need to be followed for minimization of such volcanic risks

A High Polyphenol Diet Improves Psychological Well-Being: The Polyphenol Intervention Trial (PPhIT).

Mental ill health is currently one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide. A growing body of data has emerged supporting the role of diet, especially polyphenols, which have anxiolytic and antidepressant-like properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a high polyphenol diet (HPD) compared to a low polyphenol diet (LPD) on aspects of psychological well-being in the Polyphenol Intervention Trial (PPhIT). Ninety-nine mildly hypertensive participants aged 40-65 years were enrolled in a four-week LPD washout period and then randomised to either an LPD or an HPD for eight weeks. Both at baseline and the end of intervention, participants' lifestyle and psychological well-being were assessed. The participants in the HPD group reported a decrease in depressive symptoms, as assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and an improvement in physical component and mental health component scores as assessed with 36-Item Short Form Survey. No differences in anxiety, stress, self-esteem or body image perception were observed. In summary, the study findings suggest that the adoption of a polyphenol-rich diet could potentially lead to beneficial effects including a reduction in depressive symptoms and improvements in general mental health status and physical health in hypertensive participants

Relationship between the Mediterranean dietary pattern and musculoskeletal health in children, adolescents, and adults: systematic review and evidence map

Context: An understanding of the modifiable effects of diet on bone and skeletal muscle mass and strength over the life course will help inform strategies to reduce age-related fracture risk. The Mediterranean diet is rich in nutrients that may be important for optimal musculoskeletal health. Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the relationship between a Mediterranean diet and musculoskeletal outcomes (fracture, bone density, osteoporosis, sarcopenia) in any age group. Data Sources: Ten electronic databases were searched. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies that investigated a traditional Mediterranean diet, published in any language, were eligible. Studies using other designs or other definitions of the Mediterranean diet were collated separately in an evidence map. Data Extraction: Details on study design, methods, population, dietary intervention or exposure, length of follow-up, and effect on or association with musculoskeletal outcomes were extracted. Results: The search yielded 1738 references. Data from eligible randomized controlled trials (n = 0) and prospective cohort studies (n = 3) were synthesized narratively by outcome for the systematic review. Two of these studies reported on hip fracture incidence, but results were contradictory. A third study found no association between the Mediterranean diet and sarcopenia incidence. Conclusions: Overall, the systematic review and evidence map demonstrate a lack of research to understand the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and musculoskeletal health in all ages. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration number IDCRD42016037038

Acute phase proteins and IP-10 as triage tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis : systematic review and meta-analysis

We examined the data reported in studies for diagnostic purposes and to discuss whether their intended use could be extended to triage, as rule-in or rule-out tests to select individuals who should undergo further confirmatory tests.; We searched Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science with the terms 'acute phase proteins,' 'IP-10,' 'tuberculosis,' 'screening' and 'diagnosis,' extracted the sensitivity and specificity of the biomarkers and explored methodologic differences to explain performance variations. Summary estimates were calculated using random-effects models for overall pooled accuracy. The hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model was used for meta-analysis.; We identified 14, four and one studies for C-reactive protein (CRP), interferon γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). The pooled CRP sensitivity/specificity (95% confidence interval) was 89% (80-96) and 57% (36-65). Sensitivity/specificity were higher in high-tuberculosis-burden countries (90%/64%), HIV-infected individuals (91%/61%) and community-based studies (90%/62%). IP-10 sensitivity/specificity in TB vs. non-TB studies was 85%/63% and in TB and HIV coinfected vs. other lung conditions 94%/21%. However, IP-10 studies included diverse populations and a high risk of bias, resulting in very low-quality evidence. AGP had 86%/93% sensitivity/specificity.; Few studies have evaluated CRP, IP-10 and AGP for the triage of symptomatic patients. Their high sensitivity and moderate specificity warrant further prospective studies exploring whether their combined use could optimize performance

Lack of association between RNASEL Arg462Gln variant and the risk of breast cancer

Background: The RNASEL G1385A variant was recently found to be implicated in the development of prostate cancer. Considering the function of RNase L and the pleiotropic effects of mutations associated with cancer, we sought to investigate whether the RNASEL G1385A variant is a risk factor for breast cancer. Patients and Methods: A total of 453 breast cancer patients and 382 age- and sex-matched controls from Greece and Turkey were analyzed. Genotyping for the RNASEL G1385A variant was performed using an Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS). Results: Statistical evaluation of the RNASEL G1385A genotype distribution among breast cancer patients and controls revealed no significant association between the presence of the risk genotype and the occurrence of breast cancer. Conclusion: Although an increasing number of studies report an association between the RNASEL G1385A variant and prostate cancer risk, this variant does not appear to be implicated in the development of breast cancer

Adherence to a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern in children from eight European countries : the IDEFICS study

BACKGROUND: Despite documented benefits of a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern, there is a lack of knowledge about how children from different European countries compare with each other in relation to the adherence to this pattern. In response to this need, we calculated the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) in 2-9-year-old children from the Identification and prevention of dietary-and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) eight-country study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Using 24 h dietary recall data obtained during the IDEFICS study (n = 7940), an MDS score was calculated based on the age- and sex-specific population median intakes of six food groups (vegetables and legumes, fruit and nuts, cereal grains and potatoes, meat products and dairy products) and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fats. For fish and seafood, which was consumed by 10% of the population, one point was given to consumers. The percentages of children with high MDS levels (43) were calculated and stratified by sex, age and by having at least one migrant parent or both native parents. Demographic (sex and age) and socioeconomic characteristics (parental education and income) of children showing high (43) vs low (<= 3) MDS levels were examined. RESULTS: The highest prevalence of children with MDS 43 was found among the Italian pre-school boys (55.9%) and the lowest among the Spanish school-aged girls (26.0%). Higher adherence to a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern was not associated with living in a Mediterranean country or in a highly educated or high-income family, although with some exceptions. Differences in adherence between boys and girls or age groups varied between countries without any general pattern. CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of Italian pre-schoolers, similar adherence levels to a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern have been observed among European children