First contribution to the study of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the Ζagοri region (Epirus, Greece): Αn annotated list of species

Το άρθρο περιλαμβάνει αναφορές σε 33 είδη μυρμηγκιών που συλλέχτηκαν στην περιοχή Ζαγορίου της Ηπείρου κατά την διάρκεια 5 ταξιδιών το 1979 και το 1981. Αυτές είναι οι πρώτες αναφορές στην ύπαρξη μυρμηγκιών από αυτή την περιοχή. Στο κείμενο περιλαμβάνονται μερικά στοιχεία για την μορφολογία και οικολογία των ειδών αυτών. Η ανάλυση της γενικής εξάπλωσης των ειδών της περιοχής δείχνει ότι η επίδραση των Μεσογειακών, Νοτιοευρωπαϊκών, Ασιατικών και Ποντιακών στοιχείων είναι περίπου ίση. Για μερικά είδη η περιοχή είναι το νοτιότερο όριο εξάπλωσης τους στα Βαλκάνια. Εφτά είδη παρατηρήθηκαν μόνο πάνω από ΙΟΟΟμ ενώ τρία από αυτά παρατηρήθηκαν μόνο πάνω από 1400 μ. Τα περισσότερα είδη είναι εντομοφάγα ή παμφάγα. Αντίθετα, τα είδη που ζουν μέσα ή κοντά σε ανθρώπινους οικισμούς είναι κυρίως παμφάγα και έχουν περισσότερο Μεσογειακή και Νοτιοευρωπαική εξάπλωση.The paper contains records of 33 ant species collected in the Zagori region of Northwestern Greece in 1979 and 1981. These are the first records of ants from this region. Some notes on their morphology and ecology are included. An analysis of the general distribution of the species shows that the influence of the Mediterranean, South European, Asiatic and Pontic elements is approximately equal. For some species the region is the southernmost limit in the Balkans. Seven species were observed only over l000 m. while three of them were observed only over 1400m. Most species arc either insectivores or omnivores. Omnivores and species with Mediterranean or South European distribution predominate in or near human settlements

Positive Correlation of PTH-Related Peptide with Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from insulin resistance in the setting of inadequate beta-cell compensation. Recent studies indicate that for attaining a well-functioning ß-cell mass, parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is a very promising candidate among several insulinotropic peptides. In order to elucidate its role, we determine the levels of PTHrP, insulin and c-peptide in type 2 diabetics and in normal subjects in the fasting state. We enrolled 28 patients (16 men and 12 postmenopausal women) with type 2 diabetes and twenty eight aged-matched healthy individuals as control subjects (15 men and 13 women). PTHrP was statistically significant correlated with glucose in type 2 diabetes and in normal subjects in the fasting state. Additionally, PTHrP serum levels exhibited a significant increase in type 2 diabetes compared to control subjects. Interestingly, PTHrP showed a positive correlation with insulin levels only among healthy individuals presumably due to defective glucose stimulated insulin secretion known to occur in type 2 diabetics. In conclusion, the strong positive relation of PTHrP with glucose in the fasting state in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus raises several questions for further experimentation concerning its exact role and physiological significance

Recent Advances in Molecular Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer

Recent molecular studies have described a number of abnormalities associated with the progression and dedifferentiation of thyroid carcinoma. These distinct molecular events are often associated with specific stages of tumor development. In particular, remarkable advances have occurred in several major biological areas of thyroid cancer, including the molecular alterations for the loss of radioiodine avidity of thyroid cancer, the pathogenic role of the MAP kinase and PI3K/Akt pathways and their related genetic alterations, and the aberrant methylation of functionally important genes in thyroid tumorigenesis and pathogenesis. Recognition of these features is crucial to the management of patients with thyroid cancer. Novel treatments are being designed based on our enhanced understanding of this disease process

The evolution of Greek fauna since classical times

This article concerns the Greek fauna of classical and late antiquity and changes up to the present day. The main sources for the fauna of antiquity are historical, geographical and zoological texts, as well as descriptions from travellers who visited Greece. The study of the texts of classical and late antiquity was based on the following classical authors: Xenophon, Aristotle, Aristophanes Byzantios, Pliny, Dio Chrysostom, Plutarch, Pausanias and Aelian. Some species that were present in the Greek fauna of classical and late antiquity, such as the lion and the leopard, are today extinct in Greece, whereas some other species that are now common, such as the cat, the chicken and the peacock, were introduced about that time or a little earlier from other regions. Some other species that are also common today, such as the wild rabbit and the pheasant, were unknown at that time, as they appeared later in Greece from other areas

The evolution of Greek fauna since classical times

This article concerns the Greek fauna of classical and late antiquity and changes up to the present day. The main sources for the fauna of antiquity are historical, geographical and zoological texts, as well as descriptions from travellers who visited Greece. The study of the texts of classical and late antiquity was based on the following classical authors: Xenophon, Aristotle, Aristophanes Byzantios, Pliny, Dio Chrysostom, Plutarch, Pausanias and Aelian. Some species that were present in the Greek fauna of classical and late antiquity, such as the lion and the leopard, are today extinct in Greece, whereas some other species that are now common, such as the cat, the chicken and the peacock, were introduced about that time or a little earlier from other regions. Some other species that are also common today, such as the wild rabbit and the pheasant, were unknown at that time, as they appeared later in Greece from other areas

Entomopathogens of Anαcridium αegyptium L. in Crete

Στα πλαίσια ενός τριετούς ερευνητικού προγράμματος για τις ακρίδες στην Κρήτη ερευνήθηκε η nύπαρξη ιθαγενων εντομοπαθογόνιον μικροοργανισμοί για την βιολογική καταπολέμηση τους. Απομονιόθηκε για πρώτη φορά ο μύκητας Beauveria bassiana (Bals) Vuill., αξιολογήθηκε η αποτελεσματικότητα του στα ακμαία και νύμφες πρώτης ηλικίας της ακρίδας Anacridium aegyptiumL., είδος βλαβερό σε αμπέλια και λαχανικά, και συγκρίθηκε με το στέλεχος τουεντομοπαθογόνου μύκητα Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (IMI 330189). Τα πειράματα έδειξαν ότι το ιθαγενές στέλεχος του μύκητα Β. bassiana που ναπομονώθηκε είχε εξαιρετική αποτελεσματικότητα σε ακμαία και νύμφες πρώτης ηλικίας της ακρίδας Α. aegyptium, δεν υστερεί νσε αποτελεσματικότητα από το μύκητα M. flavoviride και ενδείκνυται για το βιολογικό έλεγχο και προγράμματα ολοκληρωμένης διαχείρισης.The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuil. was recorded for the first time on Anacridium aegyptium L. in Crete. The insects were fed on pieces of leaf subjected to a serial dilution of spores over three to four orders of magnitute. Comparative studies on the virulence of B. bassiana (I 91612 local isolate) and Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (IMI 330189 standard isolate of IIBC) showed that M. anisopliae var. acridum was more virulent than B. bassiana at a conidial concentration lower or equal to 106 per ml while they were similarly virulent on first stage nymphs at 107 conidia per ml

Lifetime analysis for wireless sensor networks

The communications industry anticipates that Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are the emerging technology to greatly affect society. A WSN is composed of numerous sensor nodes which have the ability to sense, compute and communicate in order to gather information about their surroundings. The efficiency of a given WSN is determined by its lifetime. Network lifetime is the duration of time for which it can maintain sensing coverage and network connectivity, which respectively involves the ability to detect an event in a region and to report the sensed data to its destination. In much related work, the network is considered unserviceable the moment when the entire area cannot be fully covered or when the network is not completely connected. However, in many application scenarios, as long as the percentage of disconnected sensor nodes and uncovered areas are above a threshold value, the utility of the network will not be harmed. This latter view will be applied in this thesis. We first derive the probability distribution of the lifetime of a single sensor node by modeling a sensor node as an M/M/ 1 queue which alternates between idle and busy periods. Then, the network connectivity probability is determined by discovering the percentage of sensor nodes that can communicate with the destination given that the monitored region is partially covered. The sensor nodes are randomly deployed in a grid-based network according to the Poisson distribution. Given the average of the number of sensor nodes in a cell, the connectivity probability of two adjacent cells is determined. From this result, we can then derive the probability that a sensor node can communicate with a sink. Finally, the results found for the probability distribution of the lifetime of a single sensor node and the network connectivity probability are integrated to determine the network lifetime

Bacterial resistance to ciprofloxacin in Greece: results from the National Electronic Surveillance System. Greek Network for the Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance.

According to 1997 susceptibility data from the National Electronic System for the Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, Greece has high rates of ciprofloxacin resistance. For most species, the frequency of ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates (from highest to lowest, by patient setting) was as follows: intensive care unit > surgical > medical > outpatient. Most ciprofloxacin-resistant strains were multidrug resistant

Μελέτη και προσομοίωση αλγοριθμικών διαδικασιών για επικοινωνίες συσκευής-προς-συσκευή σε δίκτυα 4ης γενιάς

Στην παρούσα εργασία, το πρώτο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζει μία επισκόπηση του LTE-A εστιάζοντας στην αρχιτεκτονική του συστήματος και των πρωτοκόλλων που χρησιμοποιεί. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο γίνεται μία εισαγωγή στις επικοινωνίες συσκευής-προς-συσκευή και επικεντρώνεται στην παρουσίαση των σημαντικότερων προκλήσεων που αφορούν την πραγματοποίηση και την ενσωμάτωση τους στο σύστημα LTE-A. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται οι αλγόριθμοι που έχουν σχεδιαστεί για την επίλυση αυτών των προκλήσεων και αφορούν το δίκτυο LTE-A. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο περιγράφονται οι βασικές οντότητες που έχουν υλοποιηθεί στο περιβάλλον omnet++, γίνεται μία εισαγωγή του SimuLTE και παριστάνονται τα αποτελέσματα των προσομοιώσεων ενός απλού αλγορίθμου επιλογής λειτουργίας. Τέλος το πέμπτο κεφάλαιο παρέχει συμπεράσματα και προτάσεις για περαιτέρω έρευνα στο μέλλον.In this thesis, the first chapter presents an overview of LTE-A focusing on the architecture of the system and the protocols it uses. The second chapter introduces device-to-device communications and focuses on presenting the most important challenges that D2D communications' integration into the LTE-A system has. Algorithms designed to solve these challenges are presented in the third chapter. The fourth chapter describes the basic entities that have been implemented into the omnet ++ environment. It also introduces SimuLTE and presents the results of simulations of a simple mode selection algorithm. Finally, the fifth chapter provides conclusions and suggestions for further research in the future