Review of Thomas Gallant's The Edinburgh History of the Greeks, 1768 to 1913: The Long Nineteenth Century

Review of Thomas W. Gallant, The Edinburgh History of the Greeks, 1768 to 1913: The Long Nineteenth Century, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015, viii + 372 p

Cost-effective reduction of eutrophication in the Gulf of Kalloni (Island of Lesvos, Greece)

This study presents a cost-effective analysis by comparing the costs of measures (options) to improve the quality of bathing waters in the Gulf of Kalloni (island of Lesvos, Greece) in order to reduce the anthropogenic eutrophication in the coastal water of the Kalloni Gulf.The Gulf of Kalloni is a semi-enclosed gulf (115 km2) which receives municipal wastewater, agricultural activity drainage, and at times sewage from olive oil plants processing the local olives harvest. The area of study consists of the coastal waters and the river basin of which water run-off drains into the gulf. Four options are comparable in their environmental effectiveness to reduce eurtophication damages which are: municipal wastewater treatment plant, construction of dams, organic farming plus training and olive oil wastewater treatment plant

Seeking the factors to stimulate the users in coastal zones planning. Case study: Open discussions with mussel farmers in the Axios river (GR)

In the framework of an integrated coastal zone management, the involvement of users is required and “open discussions” is one of the techniques used for their participation. The authors used this technique during a project for the sustainable development of mussel-culture in the coastal zone of the Axios Delta. Open discussion contributed to the acceptance of the scientific results by the users of the aquatic environment (mussel-farmers) who addressed trade-offs in their own way. The majority of their arguments were incorporated in the formation of the management rules, presented in the final report of this project. The present paper summarizes this experience as well as the existing ways for the involvement of users in a decision planning process and demonstrates how open discussion is a prerequisite factor for the success of sustainable development planning in Greece

The Muscle-Brain Axis and Neurodegenerative Diseases: The Key Role of Mitochondria in Exercise-Induced Neuroprotection.

Regular exercise is associated with pronounced health benefits. The molecular processes involved in physiological adaptations to exercise are best understood in skeletal muscle. Enhanced mitochondrial functions in muscle are central to exercise-induced adaptations. However, regular exercise also benefits the brain and is a major protective factor against neurodegenerative diseases, such as the most common age-related form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder, Parkinson's disease. While there is evidence that exercise induces signalling from skeletal muscle to the brain, the mechanistic understanding of the crosstalk along the muscle-brain axis is incompletely understood. Mitochondria in both organs, however, seem to be central players. Here, we provide an overview on the central role of mitochondria in exercise-induced communication routes from muscle to the brain. These routes include circulating factors, such as myokines, the release of which often depends on mitochondria, and possibly direct mitochondrial transfer. On this basis, we examine the reported effects of different modes of exercise on mitochondrial features and highlight their expected benefits with regard to neurodegeneration prevention or mitigation. In addition, knowledge gaps in our current understanding related to the muscle-brain axis in neurodegenerative diseases are outlined

Mortality impact of AIDS in Abidjan, 1986-1992

To quantify the mortality impact of AIDS in the city of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) by a full scale analysis of mortality trends before and after the onset of the epidemic. Data on deaths registered in the 10 vital registration centers of the city between 1973 and 1992, and data on causes of deaths in the four public hospitals were coded and investigated. Data on deaths were compared with census data in order to compute death rates. Life tables were computed for each of the 20 years of the study. The trends in death rates were analysed during the 10 years before the onset of the AIDS epidemic (1973-1982) and compared with the changing death rates in the following 10 years (1983-1992). Deaths attributable to AIDS were defined as those in excess of the original trends. The evolution in the number of deaths in the hospital allowed an analysis by cause of death. There was a marked increase in death rates starting in 1986, date of the first diagnosed AIDS cases in the city. This increase was significant for both sexes, but more pronounced among men. It was concentrated primarily among young adults (aged 25-44 years) and among older children (aged 5-14 years), and most of it was considered to be attributable to AIDS and related infections, tuberculosis in particular. When data were cumulated from 1986 to 1992, approximately 25000 persons were estimated to have died of AIDS. The high number of AIDS deaths estimated in Abidjan underlines the heavy toll already paid by african populations, and calls for intensive action. (Résumé d'auteur

Moderate Effects of Hypoxic Training at Low and Supramaximal Intensities on Skeletal Muscle Metabolic Gene Expression in Mice.

The muscle molecular adaptations to different exercise intensities in combination with hypoxia are not well understood. This study investigated the effect of low- and supramaximal-intensity hypoxic training on muscle metabolic gene expression in mice. C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups: sedentary and training. Training consisted of 4 weeks at low or supramaximal intensity, either in normoxia or hypoxia (FiO <sub>2</sub> = 0.13). The expression levels of genes involved in the hypoxia signaling pathway (Hif1a and Vegfa), the metabolism of glucose (Gys1, Glut4, Hk2, Pfk, and Pkm1), lactate (Ldha, Mct1, Mct4, Pdh, and Pdk4) and lipid (Cd36, Fabp3, Ucp2, Hsl, and Mcad), and mitochondrial energy metabolism and biogenesis (mtNd1, mtNd6, CytC, CytB, Pgc1a, Pgc1β, Nrf1, Tfam, and Cs) were determined in the gastrocnemius muscle. No physical performance improvement was observed between groups. In normoxia, supramaximal intensity training caused upregulation of major genes involved in the transport of glucose and lactate, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis, while low intensity training had a minor effect. The exposure to hypoxia changed the expression of some genes in the sedentary mice but had a moderate effect in trained mice compared to respective normoxic mice. In hypoxic groups, low-intensity training increased the mRNA levels of Mcad and Cs, while supramaximal intensity training decreased the mRNA levels of Mct1 and Mct4. The results indicate that hypoxic training, regardless of exercise intensity, has a moderate effect on muscle metabolic gene expression in healthy mice

Caractérisation Du Contenu Pollinique De L’atmosphère De La Commune d’Abomey-Calavi De 2015 À 2017

The Characterization of pollen content of Abomey-Calavi was studied from April 2015 to April 2017, whether two years. A floristic inventory of the species in 7 of the 12 districts of the municipality as well as a collection of pollen grains using the sensor of Hirst were carried out. In total, 104 species in bloom were inventoried each year. Pollen analysis yielded an average of 180 and 182 grains of pollen per cubic meter of air per day from April 2015 to April 2016 and April 2016 to April 2017. They belong to 29 families, 41 genera and 38 species. Among the species inventoried, 47.11% was found in the samples analyzed. The dominant taxa for the two years of study are: Acacia auriculiformis, Poaceae, Combretum indicum and Elaeis guineensis. The daily pollen index of these taxa shows that they are in bloom throughout the year and their main pollination period differs according to the seasons of the year. The correlation is positive between pollen grains and meteorological parameters such as maximum temperature and wind speed but negative between pollen grains, minimum temperature and rainfal

Conséquences démographiques du sida en Abidjan : 1986-1992

Les statistiques de l'état civil et des formations sanitaires sont notoirement peu utilisées en Afrique pour étudier les tendances de la mortalité. L'étude d'Abidjan montre que c'est une situation très regrettable, car ces statistiques peuvent fournir de précieux renseignements sur l'état sanitaire de la population. Dans le cas présent, l'analyse fine des tendances de la mortalité, couplée avec l'analyse des causes de décès dans les hôpitaux, révèle assez précisément les conséquences démographiques du sida dans la capitale de la Côte d'Ivoire, malgré l'imperfection des données. Les estimations indiquent que près de 25 000 personnes seraient décédées du sida entre 1986 et 1992, les sept premières années de l'épidémie, ce qui confirme qu'Abidjan est une des villes les plus touchées au monde par cette troublante épidémie. Ce sont surtout les jeunes de sexe masculin qui ont été les plus touchés, dans toutes les couches de la société. Un modèle a permis de reconstruire la dynamique de l'épidémie, qui montre que le premier pic des infections se serait produit vers 1987. On peut s'attendre à une moyenne d'environ 7 000 cas de sida par an dans la ville jusqu'à l'an 2000, ce qui aura des conséquences importantes sur l'utilisation des infrastructures hospitalières. L'importance numérique de ces estimations souligne l'urgence de renforcer la lutte contre l'épidémie de sida en Côte d'Ivoire et dans le monde. (Résumé d'auteur