George Floros

Probiotic and Technological Properties of Facultatively Heterofermentative Lactobacilli from Greek Traditional Cheeses

Nineteen isolates of facultatively heterofermentative lactobacilli from Feta, Graviera, and Kasseri cheeses were identified by SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins as L. paracasei subsp. paracasei (12 strains) and L. plantarum (7 strains) and differentiated at strain level by RAPD-PCR. Properties of technological interest, such as acidification ability, proteolytic activity, and enzyme activities, were also studied. The test strains exhibited a low acidification activity, with significant interstrain differences after growth in milk for 24 h. They were also characterized by different casein breakdown ability, with around 50% of them accumulating amino acids at low amounts in the milk. Lactobacilli isolates differed in respect of enzyme activities, with β-galactosidase being the strongest activity found. Their probiotic potential was evaluated with in vitro studies on the resistance to low pH, bile salts, and pancreatin. The isolates from Feta showed a better survival than those from Kasseri and Graviera at low pH and viable cells were detected even after 3 h at pH 2.0. All strains tolerated bile salts at 0.3% and retained viability in the presence of pancreatin at 0.1%. Different patterns of antibacterial activities were recorded. The strains inhibited preferentially LAB species and some of them clostridia, E. coli O44 and B. cereus. Distinguished strains are promising probiotic candidates as adjuncts and deserve further studies.

Egg hatching response to a range of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation doses for four predatory mites and the herbivorous spider mite Tetranychus urticae

Egg hatchability of four predatory mites—Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, Iphiseius [Amblyseius] degenerans Berlese, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, and Euseius finlandicus Oudemans (Acari: Phytoseiidae)—and the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) was determined under various UV-B doses either in constant darkness (DD) or with simultaneous irradiation using white light. Under UV-B irradiation and DD or simultaneous irradiation with white light, the predator’s eggs hatched in significantly lower percentages than in the control non-exposed eggs, which indicates deleterious effects of UV-B on embryonic development. In addition, higher hatchability percentages were observed under UV-B irradiation and DD in eggs of the predatory mites than in eggs of T. urticae. This might be caused by a higher involvement of an antioxidant system, shield effects by pigments or a mere shorter duration of embryonic development in predatory mites than in T. urticae, thus avoiding accumulative effects of UV-B. Although no eggs of T. urticae hatched under UV-B irradiation and DD, variable hatchability percentages were observed under simultaneous irradiation with white light, which suggests the involvement of a photoreactivation system that reduces UV-B damages. Under the same doses with simultaneous irradiation with white light, eggs of T. urticae displayed higher photoreactivation and were more tolerant to UV-B than eggs of the predatory mites. Among predators variation regarding the tolerance to UV-B effects was observed, with eggs of P. persimilis and I. degenerans being more tolerant to UV-B radiation than eggs of A. swirskii and E. finlandicus.

Effect of fruit volatiles and light intensity on the reproduction of Bactrocera (Dacus) oleae

The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), is the main pest of olive, a host tree that thrives under conditions of high and direct sun exposure. Although the effect of the olive fruit on the reproduction of the fly has been studied to some extent, there is little knowledge on the effect of light. In the present work, we studied the effect of the presence of olive fruit and light intensity on mating and subsequent egg production of olive flies at 25°C and a photoperiod regime of L : D 16 : 8. The results showed that contact of the adults with the fruit, or exposure to fruit odours, favoured both the extent and the duration of mating. This effect was higher at low than at high light intensity. However, egg production following female access to olive fruit was more favoured by high light intensity. Our results also showed that fruit contact and/or volatile fruit stimuli significantly affect mating and egg production of the olive fly, and that this influence is modulated by light conditions. The results contribute to a better understanding of the reproductive behaviour and population dynamics of the olive fly. On a more practical scale, the results provide important insights into how to improve mass rearing of the fly.

Body shape – self esteem: relationships with sex and body mass index

Results A strong negative correlation between perceived concern on body shape and perceived self esteem was identified, Spearmans rs(190) = 0.63, p < 0.001, with high levels of perceived concern on body shape associated with lower levels of perceived self esteem. A Mann Whitney statistical test was conducted to investigate if there is a significant difference between body shape and self esteem scores of males and females. There was no statistically significant difference in body shape scores of males and females, but there was a statistically significant difference in self esteem scores between men and women (p < 0.001), with lower scores on self esteem occurring at women. To investigate if there is a significant difference in body shape and self esteem scores within the five Body Mass Index categories that we had divided our sample in, according to WHOs criteria (1995) for the definition of obesity, Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted. Results indicate a significant difference in body shape (p < 0.001) and self esteem scores (p < 0.001) across the different BMI groups. Subsequent Mann Whitney tests have demonstrated a significant statistical difference in Body Shape scores between all of the BMI categories except from categories 3 and 4, 3 and 5, and 4 and 5. Results were reproduced for self esteem scores across the same categories.

Evaluation of the Natural Zeolite Lethal Effects on Adults of the Bean Weevil Under Different Temperatures and Relative Humidity Regimes

Abstract We studied the insecticidal activity of different concentrations of very high quality natural zeolites (zeolitic rock containing 92 wt% clinoptilolite) applied on dry beans. The test species was adult bean weevils Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say; Coleoptera: Bruchidae), and the variables included different temperatures and humidity regimes. At certain natural zeolite concentrations the adult mortality approached 100% within the first day of exposure. The lethal natural zeolite concentration for 50% adult mortality (LD50) was 1.1 g/kg dry beans 1 d after exposure. The temperature had no significant effects on the insecticidal potential of the tested natural zeolite formulations. The lethal time (LT) for 50% adult mortality (LT50), at a concentration of 0.5 g/kg dry beans was 106.429, 101.951, and 90.084 min at 15, 20, and 25°C, respectively. It did not differ significantly. In contrast, relative humidity (RH) and exposure time as well as their interactions had a significant effect on natural zeolite formulation and insecticidal potential. At a constant concentration of 0.5 g/kg dry beans and 25°C at 23%, 34%, 53%, and 88% RH the LT50 ranged from 61.6 to 75.9 min; at 72% RH the LT50 was 110.6 min.The results indicate that natural zeolite at low concentrations is promising for the control of the bean weevil under different temperatures and RH regimes.

The role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the perception of insincere speech in first-episode psychosis.

Objectives. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) on the perception of insincere speech (e.g., sarcasm and white lies) in patients with first-episode psychosis. Design and method. Participants were 65 patients with nonaffective first-episode psychosis (FEP) and 47 healthy controls. The patient group was divided into two subgroups, those with (FEP+; n= 38) and those without OCS (FEP–; n = 27). The ability to process sarcasm and lie was assessed with the Perception of Social Inference Test (PESIT). Severity of psychotic symptoms and OCS was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), respectively. Results. Deficits in the perception of sarcasm and lie were confirmed in patients with nonaffective first-episode psychosis compared to healthy controls. In patients, comorbidity with OCS was associated with worse performance on certain aspects of insincere speech (i.e., lie) compared to FEP– patients. Y-BOCS scores correlated significantly with the perception of lying. The cognitive factor of the PANSS predicted accuracy on the perception of sincere speech, paradoxical sarcasm, and white lies, while the presence of OCS predicted accuracy on the perception of sincere speech and white lies. Conclusions. Our finding of impaired counterfactual information processing in patients with first-episode psychosis suggests that these deficits are already present at illness onset. Presence of OCS appears to have additional deleterious effects on the successful interpretation of intentional lying, further supporting that these patients are characterized by more extensive cognitive impairment.

742 – Internet addiction and related addictive behaviors in a sample of medical school students

Introduction Internet addiction is a multi-faceted construct which is currently under review for inclusion in the forthcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. In Greece, a specialized outpatient counseling service has been setup by our Psychiatric department in order to provide counseling for any students with related problems. Objectives This survey has been setup in order to facilitate comparisons with those seeking help and validate the research measures used for their assessment. Furthermore, it sheds some light into Internet use from the future health professionals, an area of research that has been neglected. Aims To gather data on student Internet use, social media use, online gaming and gambling, use of online sexual content and any addictive phenomena related to those behaviors. Methods We employed an extensive battery of questionnaires identical to that employed by our counseling service. The battery includes detailed measures of all online behaviors, the SCL-90 psychopathology index, the Defense Styles Questionnaire (DSQ) and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ). Results The presentation includes detailed results from the battery of questionnaires including comparisons with the validation samples and previous related research work carried out. Our sample demonstrated an unexpectedly high incidence of psychiatric symptoms and several cases of online addictive behaviors. Conclusions Our results are demonstrating the need for a broader reach out to the target populations since a large number of students may be hesitant to seek help for their online addictions or simply prefer to ignore them.

Mild cognitive impairment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

To investigate the cognitive functions of RRMS we carried out a neuropsychological evaluation of 31 patients with clinically definite RRMS. Thirty individually pair-matched healthy controls with similar socio-demographic attributes were also evaluated. Selection criteria for patients included a minimum of general physical ( EDSS < 3, I.A.D.L) and mental (M.M.S.E) ability. In addition, screening for possible depression (Hamilton scale), was performed. Neuropsychological tests which were performed for the overall evaluation of cognitive impairment included a battery specifically designed for MS and the STROOP test.

Psychiatric onset of multiple sclerosis

Results Four women (aged 30, 32, 33 and 38 years) out of 298 consecutive patients with definite MS, exhibited a psychiatric syndrome at initial presentation without other symptoms or signs suggestive for MS. Brain CT scans were normal. Three out of the four patients underwent psychiatric hospitalizations. Two of the patients were initially diagnosed with manic-depressive disorder, one with major depression and one with psychosis. MS diagnosis was delayed and established within one to eight years following the initial psychiatric presentation. All patients underwent brain and spinal MRI and brain SPECT. Patients fulfilled the recently revised McDonald diagnostic criteria of MS. Patients were followed for three to up to ten years thereafter. All of them gradually developed characteristic physical signs, with concomitant disabilities. Conclusions MS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder even in the absence of typical neurological signs. Careful relevant clinical and laboratory investigation as well as neuroimaging techniques should be performed, especially in cases of previously healthy young patients who present with atypical psychiatric manifestations. Early diagnosis may be particularly important in view of the emerging disease-modifying treatments. from International Society on Brain and Behaviour: 3rd International Congress on Brain and Behaviour Thessaloniki, Greece. 28 November – 2 December 2007

Hepatitis C treatment in drug users: an approach in terms of evidence-based medicine

Materials and methods A systematic literature search in PubMed / MEDLINE, was performed. Peer-reviewed journal articles investigating barriers to treatment and therapeutic outcomes were retrieved and critically appraised. Twenty studies identifying issues related to treatment initiation and twenty-six studies presenting therapeutic outcomes were analyzed. Results are summarized and presented in evidence tables. Pooling and further statistical analysis was not justified because of heterogeneity of the identified studies.