Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Cohort of 15,921 Refugees (1926-1940) in the Region of Imathia, Northern Greece

This historical epidemiological study evaluates sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Greek refugees during the Interwar period in the region of Imathia, Central Macedonia, Greece, as a part of the effort against sexually transmitted infections in Greece (1910-1940). We examined the archives of the Refugee Hospital of Veroia – the capital of the regional unit of Imathia (March 5, 1926 to October 27, 1940). This is a report of previously unpublished primary material comprising a cohort of 15,921 cases, among whom 41 patients were hospitalized on account of syphilis and 19 on account of gonococcal infection. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Primary (n=4), secondary (n=2), tertiary (n=13), congenital (n=7), and not further specified (n=15) cases of syphilis were identified, whereas a variety of differential diagnosis problems arose. Syphilis and gonococcal infection/gonorrhea seemed to affect various social groups, as evidenced by the variety of professions involved. Refugee patients originated from various areas such as Caucasus, Thrace, Constantinople, Bithynia, and Pontus. Lack of information and poor healthcare led to spreading of STIs in Greece. Law 3032/1922 was crucial for the Greek effort against sexually transmitted infection

Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Cohort of 15,921 Refugees (1926-1940) in the Region of Imathia, Northern Greece

This historical epidemiological study evaluates sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Greek refugees during the Interwar period in the region of Imathia, Central Macedonia, Greece, as a part of the effort against sexually transmitted infections in Greece (1910-1940). We examined the archives of the Refugee Hospital of Veroia – the capital of the regional unit of Imathia (March 5, 1926 to October 27, 1940). This is a report of previously unpublished primary material comprising a cohort of 15,921 cases, among whom 41 patients were hospitalized on account of syphilis and 19 on account of gonococcal infection. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Primary (n=4), secondary (n=2), tertiary (n=13), congenital (n=7), and not further specified (n=15) cases of syphilis were identified, whereas a variety of differential diagnosis problems arose. Syphilis and gonococcal infection/gonorrhea seemed to affect various social groups, as evidenced by the variety of professions involved. Refugee patients originated from various areas such as Caucasus, Thrace, Constantinople, Bithynia, and Pontus. Lack of information and poor healthcare led to spreading of STIs in Greece. Law 3032/1922 was crucial for the Greek effort against sexually transmitted infection

'I like this interview; I get cakes and cats!':the effect of prior relationships on interview talk

Research interviews are a form of interaction jointly constructed by the interviewer and interviewee, what Silverman (2001: 104) calls 'interview-as-local-accomplishment'. From this perspective, interviews are an interpretative practice in which what is said is inextricably tied to where it is said, how it is said and, importantly, to whom it is said (Holstein and Gubrium, 2004). The relationship between interviewer and interviewee, then, is fundamental in research interviews. But what happens when the relationship between interviewer and interviewee is not only that of researcher-informant but also involves other roles such as colleague and friend? In this article we will show how prior relationships are invoked and made relevant by both parties during educational research interviews and how these prior relationships therefore contribute to the 'generation' (Baker, 2004: 163) of interview data. © 2010 The Author(s)

Rethinking stasis and utopianism: empty placards and imaginative boredom in the Greek crisis-scape

This chapter traces specific modalities for performing stasis and rethinking utopianism against the backdrop of the recent financial crisis in Greece and, generally, of conditions shaped within the totalizing order Mark Fisher has called “capitalist realism.” Boletsi probes the ways two works deal with the (im)possibility of resistance from within the neoliberal “now”: the short story “Placard and Broomstick” (Ikonomou) and an Athenian wall writing that translates as “I am bored imaginatively.” The empty placard that takes center stage in Ikonomou’s story and the imaginative boredom registered on the walls of Athens test different modalities of stasis against alienation, dispossession, and the contracting of the future. Boletsi argues that both works disengage from conceptions of subjectivity that rest on the binary of either a passive or an active subject—either an acquiescent victim or a revolutionary hero who challenges power from its outside. The story stages the desire for alternative languages by registering a crisis of representation and the inadequacy of existing narratives. The wall writing taps into the modality of the “middle voice” to reconfigure one of the symptoms of capitalist realism—the boredom of unemployment, consumerism, or an indebted life—into a potential resource for different modes of being that carry glimpses of utopianism. Both works, albeit differently, challenge neoliberal imperatives of acquiescence, normalization, or “moving forward.” Although they stage the limited possibilities for resistance within a totalizing system, they also enable alternative configurations of subjectivity, agency, and futurity.Modern and Contemporary Studie

Historical and Epidemiological study of malaria cases of the “Refugee Hospital” in Veria in the context of Anti-Malaria Battle in Greece (1926–1940)

Refugees; Malaria; Public health; Hospital records; Seasonality; Epidemiology; Infectious disease; Parasitology. © 2020 The Author(s) Objectives: This Historical Epidemiological study aims to evaluate malaria in Greek refugees during the 1926–1940 period in the region of Imathia, Central Macedonia, Greece, in the context of the Anti-Malaria Battle in Greece. Materials and methods: The archives of the Refugee Hospital of Veria, Imathia were examined (March 5, 1926 to October 27, 1940); this is a report of previously unpublished primary material comprising 15,921 cases, of whom 8,408 patients were hospitalized due to malaria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for hospitalization due to malaria; adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results: Residence in lower elevation (adjusted OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.97, per increments of elevation), refugee status (from Bulgaria/Balkans, Caucasus, Constantinople and Thrace, Pontus and inland of Turkey), female gender, and younger age (adjusted OR per 10-year increase = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.86–0.90) correlated independently with hospitalization due to malaria. Conclusions: Malaria was the leading cause of admission to the hospital in the region of Imathia during the studied period. The association with elevation reflects the aggravating role of marshes before the drainage of Lake Giannitsa. © 2020 The Author(s

Obesity and gastro-esophageal acid reflux:physiological mechanisms and role of gastric bariatric surgery

Obesity is associated with gastro-esophageal reflux. VBG reduced weight, but not gastro-esophageal acid reflux. Therefore, in our population, this operation cannot be considered as an antireflux procedure

Obesity and gastro-esophageal acid reflux: physiopathological mechanisms and role of gastric bariatric surgery.

Background: Controversial findings about the relationships between obesity and gastro-esophageal reflux have been reported, as well as about the effects of weight loss and bariatric surgery on reflux. The aims of this study were to evaluate esophageal motility and gastro-esophageal acid circadian patterns in obese patients and to test the effects of vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) on these parameters. Methods: 14 obese subjects (BMI 36-53 kg/m2), 4 men, 10 women, 27-61 years old, admitted for elective bariatric surgery, underwent clinical evaluation, upper endoscopy, esophageal manometry and gastroesophageal pH monitoring. Evaluations were repeated 6 to 12 months after gastric surgery that consisted of a VBG (7 patients), accompanied in the other 7 patients with an anti-reflux procedure (fundoplication). Manometric and pH-metric findings in the obese patients were compared with a normal-weight control group before and after the two different surgical treatments. Results: Gastro-esophageal reflux was significantly more frequent in obese (57.1%) than in control group (7.1%). Esophageal motility in obese subjects was not different from controls. After VBG alone, we found a reduction in basal lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and an increase of acid reflux. When VBG was accompanied by fundoplication, basal LES pressure increased and acid reflux frequency decreased. Conclusions: Obesity is associated with gastroesophageal reflux. VBG reduced weight, but not gastro-esophageal acid reflux. Therefore, in our population, this operation cannot be considered as an antireflux procedure