Assessment of the environmental status in Hellenic coastal waters (Eastern Mediterranean): from the Water Framework Directive to the Marine Strategy Water Framework Directive.

A  methodology is presented to assess the environmental status sensu the Marine Strategy Water Framework Directive (MSFD) based on data obtained from the monitoring of water quality in the Hellenic coastal waters within the Water Framework Directive (WFD).   An adapted decision tree used for integrating the results of the WFD in the Basque country was applied. Modifications lie to the evaluation of the physicochemical status based on a eutrophication index developed for Eastern Mediterranean waters. Results on hydromorphological, physicochemical and biological elements are presented. The chemical status was evaluated based on measurements of heavy metals in water. The evaluation of the biological quality was based on the use of metrics developed for phytoplankton biomass, benthic macroinvertebrates and macroalgae updated to accommodate MSFD needs. Results on the integrative status of the water bodies were validated by correlating classification results with a pressure index and environmental indicators in water column and sediment. Following this decision tree the majority of stations expected to be at risk of achieving the good status were found in moderate status. Benthos was found to be the element with the closest agreement with the integrated final status having an increased weighting in the decision tree. The quality of benthos and in some  limited cases  the eutrophication index determined largely the final status. The highest disagreement with the integrative classification was produced by macroalgae. All indicators used correlated with water and sediment parameters but benthos correlated better with sediment factors while phytoplankton and eutrophication index with water column parameters

Lipophilicity and Chromatographic Behaviour of Benzoic Acid Derivatives

The Rm values of 32 compounds, derivatives of benzoic acid, were determined by reversed-phase thin layer chromatography (RP-TLC). The logarithm of the capacity factor, log k1, of the same compounds was studied with reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The lipophilicity was calculated according to the fragmental methods of Rekker and of Leo-Hansch and was compared with the experimental values of Rm and the log k1. The comparison shows that the Rekker method gives a better description of lipophilicity than that of the Leo-Hansch method. © 1993, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved

Seasonal horizontal and vertical variability in primary production and standing stocks of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Cretan Sea and the Straits of the Cretan Arc (March 1994-January 1995)

Phytoplankton communities, production rates and chlorophyll levels, together with zooplankton communities and biomass, were studied in relation to the hydrological properties in the euphotic zone (upper 100 m) in the Cretan Sea and the Straits of the Cretan Arc. The data were collected during four seasonal cruises undertaken from March 1994 to January 1995. The area studied is characterised by low nutrient concentrations, low 14C fixation rates, and impoverished phytoplankton and zooplankton standing stocks. Seasonal fluctuations in phytoplankton densities, chlorophyll standing stock and phytoplankton production are significant; maxima occur in spring and winter and minima in summer and autumn. Zooplankton also shows a clear seasonal pattern, with highest abundances occurring in autumn-winter, and smallest populations in spring-summer. During summer and early autumn, the phytoplankton distribution is determined by the vertical structure of the water column. Concentrations of all nutrients are very low in the surface waters, but increase at the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layer, which ranges in depth from about 75-100 m. Chlorophyll-a concentrations in the DCM vary from 0.22-0.49 mg m-3, whilst the surface values range from 0.03-0.06 mg m-3. Maxima of phytoplankton, in terms of cell populations, are also encountered at average depths of 50-75 m, and do not always coincide with chlorophyll maxima. Primary production peaks usually occur within the upper layers of the euphotic zone. There is a seasonal succession of phytoplankton and zooplankton species. Diatoms and 'others' (comprising mainly cryptophytes and rhodophytes) dominate in winter and spring and are replaced by dinoflagellates in summer and coccolithophores in autumn. Copepods always dominate the mesozooplankton assemblages, contributing approximately 70% of total mesozooplankton abundance, and chaetognaths are the second most abundant group. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd

Seasonal horizontal and vertical variability in primary production and standing stocks of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Cretan Sea and the Straits of the Cretan Arc (March 1994-January 1995)

Phytoplankton communities, production rates and chlorophyll levels, together with zooplankton communities and biomass, were studied in relation to the hydrological properties in the euphotic zone (upper 100 m) in the Cretan Sea and the Straits of the Cretan Arc. The data were collected during four seasonal cruises undertaken from March 1994 to January 1995. The area studied is characterised by low nutrient concentrations, low 14C fixation rates, and impoverished phytoplankton and zooplankton standing stocks. Seasonal fluctuations in phytoplankton densities, chlorophyll standing stock and phytoplankton production are significant; maxima occur in spring and winter and minima in summer and autumn. Zooplankton also shows a clear seasonal pattern, with highest abundances occurring in autumn-winter, and smallest populations in spring-summer. During summer and early autumn, the phytoplankton distribution is determined by the vertical structure of the water column. Concentrations of all nutrients are very low in the surface waters, but increase at the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layer, which ranges in depth from about 75-100 m. Chlorophyll-a concentrations in the DCM vary from 0.22-0.49 mg m-3, whilst the surface values range from 0.03-0.06 mg m-3. Maxima of phytoplankton, in terms of cell populations, are also encountered at average depths of 50-75 m, and do not always coincide with chlorophyll maxima. Primary production peaks usually occur within the upper layers of the euphotic zone. There is a seasonal succession of phytoplankton and zooplankton species. Diatoms and 'others' (comprising mainly cryptophytes and rhodophytes) dominate in winter and spring and are replaced by dinoflagellates in summer and coccolithophores in autumn. Copepods always dominate the mesozooplankton assemblages, contributing approximately 70% of total mesozooplankton abundance, and chaetognaths are the second most abundant group. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd

Dosimetric evaluation of the staff working in a PET/CT department

The dosimetric literature data concerning the medical personnel working in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) departments are limited. Therefore, we measured the radiation dose of the staff working in the first PET/CT department in Greece at the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens HYGEIA-Harvard Medical International. As, for the time being, only 2deoxy-2- [F-18]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) PET studies are performed, radiation dose measurements concern those derived from dispensing of the radiopharmaceutical as well as from the patients undergoing FDG-PET imaging. Our aim is to develop more effective protective measures against radionuclide exposure. To estimate the effective dose from external exposure, all seven members of the staff (two nurses, two medical physicists, two technologists, one secretary) had TLD badges worn at the upper pocket of their overall, TLD rings on the right hand and digital dosimeters at their upper side pocket. In addition, isodose curves were measured with thermoluminescence detectors for distances of 20, 50, 70 and 100 cm away from patients who had been injected with F-18-FDG. Dose values of the PET/CT staff were measured with digital detectors, TLD badges and TLD rings over the first 8 months for a total of 160 working days of the department’s operation, consisting of a workload of about 10-15 patients/week who received 250-420 MBq of F-18-FDG each. Whole body collective doses and hand doses for the staff were the following: Nurse #1 received 1.6 mSv as a whole body dose and 2,1 as a hand dose, Nurse #2 received 1.9 and 2.4 mSv respectively. For medical physicist #1 the dose values were 1.45 mSv whole body and 1.7 mSv hand dose, for medical physicist #2 1.67 mSv wholebody dose and 1.55 mSv hand dose and for technologists #1 & #2 the whole body doses were 0.7 and 0.64 mSv respectively. Lastly, the secretary received 0.1 mSv whole body dose. These preliminary data have shown that the dose levels of our PET/CT staff are within acceptable limits. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The importance of small-sized copepods in a frontal area of the Aegean Sea

Distribution, production and grazing of the copepod community were investigated in the northern Aegean Sea, which is characterized by a permanent thermohaline front. Cruises were conducted along a transect crossing the frontal area during spring and late summer. Biomass and production of autotrophs were measured by size fractionation and heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates were also studied. Copepod biomass, production and grazing impact on the phytoplankton and ciliate populations were estimated. The copepod community was sampled with a 45 μm net to include the smallest species and their developmental stages. The size, structure and distribution of the phytoplankton imply that most carbon was fixed by picoplankton during both seasons and throughout the study area. The partitioning of carbon among the different plankton compartments was not a broad-based pyramid and the biomass of heterotrophs was higher than that of autotrophs, except in the non-frontal region during spring. Copepod biomass was substantially higher in the frontal area. Our results showed that the small-sized copepods (calanoids and cyclopoids) dominated in terms of biomass and production, but also had a greater influence on the efficiency of the trophic coupling between the primary producers and the protozooplankton than the larger species, stressing their importance in the northern Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean in general. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

The importance of small sized copepods in a frontal area of the Aegean Sea.

International audienceDistribution, production and grazing of the copepod community were investigated in the northern Aegean Sea, which is characterized by a permanent thermohaline front. Cruises were conducted along a transect crossing the frontal area during spring and late summer. Biomass and production of autotrophs were measured by size fractionation and heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates were also studied. Copepod biomass, production and grazing impact on the phytoplankton and ciliate populations were estimated. The copepod community was sampled with a 45 μm net to include the smallest species and their developmental stages. The size, structure and distribution of the phytoplankton imply that most carbon was fixed by picoplankton during both seasons and throughout the study area. The partitioning of carbon among the different plankton compartments was not a broad-based pyramid and the biomass of heterotrophs was higher than that of autotrophs, except in the non-frontal region during spring. Copepod biomass was substantially higher in the frontal area. Our results showed that the small-sized copepods (calanoids and cyclopoids) dominated in terms of biomass and production, but also had a greater influence on the efficiency of the trophic coupling between the primary producers and the protozooplankton than the larger species, stressing their importance in the northern Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean in general

Preliminary results on the role of PET/CT in initial staging, restaging, and management of lung cancer

Aim: To determine true-positive and true-negative rates of PET/CT studies in the staging of lung cancer as compared with conventional imaging (CT and bone scan and occasionally MRI) and the impact of PET/CT on the treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and method: Twenty patients (21 studies) with known or suspected lung cancer (14 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), three patients with solitary pulmonary nodule underwent initial staging (seven studies) or restaging (14 studies) with combined FDG PET and CT scans on a PET/CT tomograph. PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two nuclear medicine physicians and two radiologists specialized on PET, CT, and MRI. Histology results and a more than 6 months follow-up served as the reference standards. Results: Accurate diagnosis was achieved on 16 studies. Site-by-site analysis gave the following results: 16 true-positive sites (seven on histology, nine on > 6 months follow-up), six true-negative sites (two on histology, four on > 6 months follow-up). On PET/CT, six patients were correctly down-staged, three patients were correctly upstaged and seven patients were diagnosed correctly as being on the same stage (2/7 with increase of extent of disease, 5/7 with the same extent of disease). One patient was falsely upstaged and three patients were falsely down-staged. On the basis of PET/CT results, change of management was induced in six patients, while in 14 patients there was no change induced. In five cases PET/CT was partially accurate: on site-by-site analysis, four sites proved true positive (on histology), one site false positive (on histology), and four sites false negative (one on histology, three on > 6 months follow-up). Conclusion: In our early experience, PET/CT contributed significantly to correct staging and management of patients with lung cancer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Using a holistic ecosystem-integrated approach to assess the environmental status of Saronikos Gulf, Eastern Mediterranean

The holistic Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool (NEAT), developed for the integrated assessment of the status of marine waters, was applied to Saronikos Gulf, in the Eastern Mediterranean. We used different spatial and decadal time series data covering 9 biological and chemical ecosystem components, 24 indicators and 8 descriptors of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), to test its performance under different ecosystem approaches. The results were evaluated in relation to the anthropogenic pressures affecting the study area as well as the management measures taken, and compared to the results from previous studies. NEAT has shown clear spatial gradients differentiating the impacted and slightly-impacted areas, as well as the response of the ecosystem towards the management measures taken, demonstrating the most responsive and early warning ecosystem components. The application of NEAT to Saronikos Gulf classified the whole basin into good status, with the pelagic habitat components (fish, water column and phytoplankton ecosystem components) contributing strongly to the overall environmental status of the gulf. Sediment, benthic fauna and vegetation, mammals and alien species were the most impacted ecological components in Saronikos Gulf. The most affected areas, Elefsis Bay and Psittalia (wastewater submarine outfall), were assessed as in poor and moderate status, respectively. We conclude that: (i) it is possible to integrate data from different sources, spatial and temporal scales; (ii) this integration has permitted to undertake a real ecosystem assessment; (iii) there is no loss of information, allowing full tracking of problems and cases in no good status that should be addressed at lower levels (e.g. species or species groups); (iv) the results are related with the pressures identified; (v) the assessment demonstrates the recovery of the system and the time needed to recovery; and (vi) these results could be very useful for managers, policy makers and scientists when deciding the method to use in assessing the environmental status under the MSFD. © 2018 Elsevier Lt