The light: science and applications

“The light: science and application” is a project originally applied to fourteen to sixteen-year-old students of Laimos Junior and Senior High School the Municipality of Prespes, in the North Western Greece, although it was originally designed for slightly older students. The project aims to increase students’ motivation and interest in science by renewing the corresponding educational material, implementing modern teaching methods and bringing them into contact with the work of university scientific laboratories. The project is based on the collaboration among schools, universities and scientific laboratories. It encourages the use of new teaching methods and applications in the classroom and the contextualization of STEM learning

Ever-increasing emergence of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in the dog and its zoonotic potentials

Ανθεκτικά στη μεθικιλλίνη στελέχη του Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) έχουν εμφανιστεί στο σκύλο τα τελευταία 10 χρόνια, με ολοένα αυξανόμενη συχνότητα σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο. Η βιβλιογραφική αυτή ανασκόπηση στοχεύει στην επιδημιολογία και ταυτοποίηση του MRSP και ιδιαίτερα στην ερμηνεία και τις παγίδες που ενδέχεται να κρύβουν οι εργαστηριακές δοκιμές ανίχνευσης και αντιμικροβιακής ευαισθησίας. Ακολουθεί η περιγραφή των παραγόντων κινδύνου για τον αποικισμό και την λοίμωξη από τον MRSP και η μοριακή ανάλυση των κυρίαρχων κλώνων. Επιπλέον, επισημαίνεται η σημασία που έχει ο πολυανθεκτικός στα αντιβιοτικά Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MDRSP) για τη Δημόσια Υγεία, από επιδημιολογική άποψη. Αναφέρονται και οι επιλογές ελέγχου του αποικισμού των κλινικά υγιών σκύλων από τον MRSP και των νοσοκομειακών λοιμώξεων από τους MRSP και MDRSP. Τέλος, αναφέρεται το που και πότε πρέπει να γίνεται βακτηριδιακή καλλιέργεια και αντιβιόγραμμα και οι αρχές της τοπικής αντισταφυλοκοκκικής θεραπείας η οποία σε πολλά περιστατικά πυοδέρματος του σκύλου είναι η μοναδική θεραπευτική επιλογή του κτηνιάτρου.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) has emerged as an important pathogen in the dog over the past 10 years with an ever increasing incidence worldwide. This review focuses mainly on the epidemiology and detection of MRSP, emphasizing on the interpretation and pitfalls of screening laboratory tests and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Risk factors for colonization and infection with MRSP and molecular analysis of the dominant clonal lineages are also described. The zoonotic potential and worldwide epidemiology of multidrug resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MDRSP) are presented. Finally, control options for the colonization of healthy dogs as well as infection by MRSP and MDRSP are described emphasizing on the indications for bacterial culture and susceptibility testing and the principles of topical therapy which may prove to be the sole effective treatment in several canine pyoderma cases

Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports (HYENA): study design and noise exposure assessment

An increasing number of people live near airports with considerable noise and air pollution. The Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports (HYENA) project aims to assess the impact of airport-related noise exposure on blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease using a cross-sectional study design. We selected 6,000 persons (45-70 years of age) who had lived at least 5 years near one of six major European airports. We used modeled aircraft noise contours, aiming to maximize exposure contrast. Automated BP instruments are used to reduce observer error. We designed a standardized questionnaire to collect data on annoyance, noise disturbance, and major confounders. Cortisol in saliva was collected in a subsample of the study population (n = 500) stratified by noise exposure level. To investigate short-term noise effects on BP and possible effects on nighttime BP dipping, we measured 24-hr BP and assessed continuous night noise in another subsample (n = 200). To ensure comparability between countries, we used common noise models to assess individual noise exposure, with a resolution of 1 dB(A). Modifiers of individual exposure, such as the orientation of living and bedroom toward roads, window-opening habits, and sound insulation, were assessed by the questionnaire. For four airports, we estimated exposure to air pollution to explore modifying effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease. The project assesses exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, primarily using data from another project funded by the European Union (APMoSPHERE, Air Pollution Modelling for Support to Policy on Health and Environmental Risks in Europe)

Cutaneous Disease as Sole Clinical Manifestation of Protothecosis in a Boxer Dog

Prototheca wickerhamii is ubiquitous, saprophytic achlorophyllous algae that cause opportunistic infections in the dog and cat and disseminated disease usually in immunocompromised animals. In this report an uncommon case of canine cutaneous protothecosis is presented. A 6-year-old female boxer was brought in with skin lesions that consisted of nodules and generalized footpad hyperkeratosis, depigmentation, and erosion. Cytology and histopathology showed pyogranulomatous inflammation along with organisms containing round sporangia with spherical sporangiospores. PCR and sequencing identified the causal organism as Prototheca wickerhamii. Therapy applied in this patient with either fluconazole alone or combination of amphotericin B and itraconazole proved effective only for footpad lesions but not for skin nodules. Systemic therapy seems to be ineffective for skin nodules, at least in chronic cases of canine cutaneous protothecosis. Although canine protothecosis usually presents with the disseminated form, cutaneous disease as sole clinical manifestation of the infection may also be witnessed

Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion: A Fragility Index Meta-Analysis

Introduction: High-quality evidence regarding the use of endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) has been provided by recently completed randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis including all available RCTs that investigated efficacy and safety of EVT in addition to best medical treatment (BMT) versus BMT alone for BAO. The random-effects model was used, while the fragility index (FI) was calculated for dichotomous outcomes of interest. Results: Four RCTs were included comprising a total of 988 patients with acute BAO (mean age: 65.6 years, 70% men, median NIHSS: 24, 39% pretreatment with intravenous thrombolysis). EVT was related to higher likelihood of good functional outcome (RR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.16–2.05; I2 = 60%), functional independence (RR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.08–3.08; I2 = 79%) and reduced disability at 3 months (adjusted common OR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.26–3.05; I2 = 59%) compared to BMT alone. Despite that EVT was associated with a higher risk for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (RR: 7.78; 95% CI: 2.36–25.61; I2 = 0%) and any intracranial hemorrhage (RR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.50–5.44; I2 = 16%), mortality at 3 months was lower among patients that received EVT plus BMT versus BMT alone (RR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.65–0.89; I2 = 0%). However, sufficient robustness was not evident in any of the reported associations (FI < 10) including the overall effect regarding the primary outcome. The former associations were predominantly driven by RCTs with recruitment limited in China. Conclusions: EVT combined with BMT is associated with a higher likelihood of achieving good functional outcomes and a lower risk of death at 3 months compared to BMT alone, despite the higher risk of sICH. An individual-patient data meta-analysis is warranted to uncover and adjust for potential sources of heterogeneity and to provide further insight

First identification of Bartonella coopersplainsensis in wild rodents (Rattus norvegicus) in Greece

Η μελέτη αυτή ήταν μια πρώτη προσπάθεια για ανίχνευση της Bartonella sp. σε ιστούς (ήπαρ και καρδιά) πουπάρθηκαν από άγρια τρωκτικά {Rattus norvegicus) στην κεντρική Ελλάδα. Εξετάστηκαν δεκαοκτώ (18) δείγματα ήπατος και δεκαοκτώ (18) δείγματα καρδιάς, τα οποία προέρχονταν από είκοσι τρία (23) ζώα. Δυο (2) δείγματα ήπατος βρέθηκαν θετικάενώ όλα τα δείγματα καρδιάς ήταν αρνητικά για το γονίδιο 16S-23S intergenic spacer rDNA της Bartonella sp. Η αλληλουχίατων βάσεων του DNA των θετικών δειγμάτων και η σύγκριση με τα διαθέσιμα δεδομένα της GenBank με τη χρησιμοποίησητου προγράμματος BLAST, αποκάλυψε το ίδιο είδος Bartonella και στα δύο θετικά δείγματα με 100% ομοιότητα με τηναλληλουχία των βάσεων της Bartonella coopersplainsensis. This study was a preliminary attempt to detect Bartonella sp. in tissues (liver and heart) obtained from wild rodents {Rattus norvegicus) in central Greece. Eighteen (18) liver and eighteen (18) heart samples were examined, which were obtained from twenty three (23) animals. Two (2) liver samples were found positive, while the heart samples examined were found negative for Bartonella sp. 16S-23S intergenic spacer rDNA gene by PCR. Sequencing of the positive PCR products and comparison with those available in GenBank using the BLAST program revealed the same species of Bartonella in both positive samples with 100% sequence homology to Bartonella coopersplainsensis

Exposure to aircraft and road traffic noise and associations with heart disease and stroke in six European countries: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Although a number of studies have found an association between aircraft noise and hypertension, there is a lack of evidence on associations with other cardiovascular disease. For road traffic noise, more studies are available but the extent of possible confounding by air pollution has not been established. METHODS: This study used data from the Hypertension and Environmental Noise near Airports (HYENA) study. Cross-sectional associations between self-reported 'heart disease and stroke' and aircraft noise and road traffic noise were examined using data collected between 2004 and 2006 on 4712 participants (276 cases), who lived near airports in six European countries (UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Italy). Data were available to assess potential confounding by NO2 air pollution in a subsample of three countries (UK, Netherlands, Sweden). RESULTS: An association between night-time average aircraft noise and 'heart disease and stroke' was found after adjustment for socio-demographic confounders for participants who had lived in the same place for ≥ 20 years (odds ratio (OR): 1.25 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03, 1.51) per 10 dB (A)); this association was robust to adjustment for exposure to air pollution in the subsample. 24 hour average road traffic noise exposure was associated with 'heart disease and stroke' (OR: 1.19 (95% CI 1.00, 1.41), but adjustment for air pollution in the subsample suggested this may have been due to confounding by air pollution. Statistical assessment (correlations and variance inflation factor) suggested only modest collinearity between noise and NO2 exposures. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to aircraft noise over many years may increase risks of heart disease and stroke, although more studies are needed to establish how much the risks associated with road traffic noise may be explained by air pollution

Molecular screening for Blastocystìs sp. in canine faecal samples in Greece

Η Blastocystìs είναι ένα αναερόβιο παράσιτο που έχει βρεθεί στο έντερο πολλών σπονδυλωτών, περιλαμβανομένωντου ανθρώπου και του σκύλου. Πρόσφατα, η Blastocystìs ταξινομήθηκε σε εννέα υπότυπους, βάσει των φυλογενετικών δένδρων που προέκυψαν από την ανάλυση της αλληλουχίας της μικρής υποομάδας του rRNA γονιδίου. Η παθογένεια της Blastocystìs στο σκύλο παραμένει ασαφής και η ύπαρξη παθογόνων και μη-παθογόνων υπότυπων ακόμη ερευνάται. Δείγματα κοπράνων από 30 δεσποζόμενους και 42 αδέσποτους σκύλους, προερχόμενους από την Κεντρική και Βόρεια Ελλάδα εξετάστηκαν μικροσκοπικάκαι με τη μέθοδο PCR για τυχόν ανίχνευση της Blastocystìs sp. Όλα τα δείγματα βρέθηκαν αρνητικά και με τις δύο μεθόδους. Φαίνεται ότι στην Ελλάδα ο σκύλος μάλλον δεν συνιστά «δεξαμενή» της Blastocystìs sp., αν και απαιτείταιεπιδημιολογική μελέτη μεγάλης κλίμακας για να εξαχθούν ασφαλή συμπεράσματα.Blastocystìs is an anaerobic parasitic microorganism which has been found in the intestinal tract of many vertebrates including humans and dogs. Recently, members of Blastocystìs sp. were classified into nine sub-types, based on phylogenetic trees derived from sequence analysis of the small sub-unit ribosomal RNA gene. The pathogenesis of Blastocystìs in the dog remains uncertain and the existence of pathogenic and non-pathogenic sub-types is under investigation. Feacal samples from 30 privately owned and 42 stray dogs, originated from central and northern Greece, were examined by both light microscopy and PCR assays for the detection of Blastocystìs sp. All samples were found to be negative by both assays. It seems that, in Greece, the dog is unlikely to be a "reservoir" of Blastocystìs sp., although a large scale epidemiologic study is needed to be carried out in order for more conclusive results to be drawn