Kyriaki Kitikidou

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck: risk factors of overall and recurrence-free survival.

BACKGROUND Head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNCSCC) although rarely fatal has significant adverse public health effects due to high medical costs, compromised quality of life, functional impairment and other serious consequences. The present longitudinal cohort study of HNCSCC was designed to determine whether certain clinical-pathologic features of HNCSCC are associated with reduced overall and recurrence-free survival, as suggested by previous data. PATIENTS The cohort sample consisted of 315 consecutive patients presenting with primary HNCSCC of the head and neck. Life-table analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed. Multivariate Coxs proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the effects of covariates on the length of the interval. RESULTS There were 145 male and 170 female Caucasian patients. At the time of analysis, 222 patients were alive. The mean follow-up time of a patient after enrolment has been 46.7 months (range, 12-124 months). Broders differentiation grade, perineural involvement, the presence of inflammation and T-stage were independent adjusted predictors for overall survival. pT and N-stage, inflammation and perineural involvement were significant predictors for recurrence-free survival while adjuvant irradiation was associated with a 92% reduced risk for recurrence. Life-table analysis showed that 87% and 69% study patients were free from recurrence at years 3 and 5, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Certain clinico-pathological predictors can be used to discriminate subsets of high-risk patients that could benefit from long-term follow-up. After excision in negative margins, patients with HNCSCC should be referred to specialised multidisciplinary oncology clinics for counselling on adjuvant radiotherapy and follow-up.

Locoregional symptoms in patients with de novo metastatic prostate cancer: Morbidity, management, and disease outcome ☆

BACKGROUND The paradigm change observed over the last few years in several solid tumors emphasizes the value of locoregional treatment in the presence of metastatic disease, currently ignored in de novo prostate cancer (CaP). We investigated the effect of the primary tumor that is left untreated on prostate cancer-specific morbidity and mortality, time to castration resistance, and overall survival (OS). METHODS We performed a bicentric cohort study. The overall population included de novo metastatic CaP managed at the Genito-Urinary Oncology Unit of the Gustave Roussy Institute and the Urology Clinic of the University Hospital of Pointe-à-Pitre, France. Descriptive statistical and outcome analyses were performed in the overall cohort and also separately in the N+M0 and M+subgroups. RESULTS The overall cohort included 263 patients. Approximately two-thirds of patients (64%) presented with locoregional symptoms at diagnosis, and 78% throughout the disease. Of the symptomatic patients, 59% required a locoregional procedure. Median OS of patients with locoregional symptoms at diagnosis was shorter than in those who were asymptomatic (47 vs. 86 mo, P = 0.0007); this difference was maintained in the N+M0 and M+subgroups. Median OS and time to castration resistance showed a nonsignificant trend in favor of patients undergoing a locoregional treatment at diagnosis. CONCLUSION The presence of symptoms due to locoregional disease in de novo metastatic CaP entails significant morbidity and even mortality and requires active management. Randomized prospective trials are needed to evaluate the role of initial definite locoregional treatment in these patients.

Baseline Plasma Levels of Interleukin-8 in Stage IV Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients: Relationship With Nutritional Status and Prognosis

Interleukin (IL)-8 promotes cellular proliferation and angiogenesis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and may be related to cachexia. Our aim was to investigate the relationship of IL-8 levels with nutritional status, and clinical outcome of patients with NSCLC. Patients with metastatic NSCLC referred for first-line therapy were eligible. Baseline IL-8 levels were measured in plasma. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used for the evaluation of the nutritional status, and patients were classified into 3 groups: A (score 24–30) “well nourished,” B (score 17–23.5) “risk of malnutrition,” and C (0–16.5) “malnourishment.” Response to first-line chemotherapy, time-to-tumor progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS) were also recorded. In total, 114 patients (101 males, 88.5%; mean age = 67.5 yr) were evaluated. Performance status was 0–1 in 62% of the patients. According to the MNA, the majority of patients (71%) was either at nutritional risk or malnourished. IL-8 levels were significantly different between MNA groups (P = 0.023) and correlated with TTP (P = 0.013) and OS (P = 0.001) in univariate analysis. Baseline IL-8 levels correlate with the nutritional status of patients with metastatic NSCLC, suggesting that this cytokine may be related with cachexia.

Home range and foraging habitat selection by breeding lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) in Greece

Home range size and foraging habitat use in breeding lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni), a bird species of conservation concern, were investigated during the breeding season of the species in 2008 in an intensively cultivated area of central Greece, using radio-tracking. Grasshopper (the main prey) densities were measured at the most important habitats (cotton, cereals, grasslands and margins). Home ranges were not significantly different between sexes either as overall means or during incubation and nestling periods. Movements of both sexes were non-random during incubation but random during the nestling period. Habitats used by males during incubation ranked as: margins > other > cotton > corn > cereals and during nestling period as: cereals > margins > grasslands > corn > cotton. Female habitat use greatly differed ranking as cereals > cotton > grasslands during incubation and as grassland > cotton > corn > cereals > margins during nestling period. Female habitat use seemed to be in disagreement with the conditions generally favouring prey availability, probably for reasons associated with low and uniform distribution of grasshopper densities over the habitats.

Deadwood volume assessment in Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) peri-urban forests: Comparison between two sampling methods

ABSTRACT In the Sustainable Forest Management, deadwood is a fundamental substrate for numerous species, and a key factor in carbon and nutrient cycles. The main aim of the paper is to estimate the amount of deadwood in two Calabrian pine forests (Monte Morello in Italy; Xanthi in Greece) characterized by different stand conditions and management practices. The second aim is to compare two different sampling methods to estimate the volume of lying deadwood: the fixed-area sampling (FAS) method and the line intersect sampling (LIS) method. The results show that the Monte Morello peri-urban forest is characterized by a high quantity of deadwood (75.1 m3 ha−1) divided in 80% of lying deadwood, 18% of standing dead trees, and 2% of stumps. The Xanthi peri-urban forest is characterized by a total amount of deadwood of 9.21 m3 ha−1 divided in 34% of lying deadwood, 18% of standing dead trees and 48% of stumps. The mean volume of lying deadwood in Monte Morello estimated using the FAS is 59.91 m3 ha−1, while using the LIS the mean volume is 64.9 m3 ha−1. In the Xanthi, the mean volume of lying deadwood is 3.11 m3 ha−1 using FAS and 5.49 m3 ha−1 using LIS.

DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT ESTIMATED FROM STUMPS IN Quercus frainetto IN THE REGION OF EVROS IN NORTHEASTERN GREECE

For foresters, it is sometimes required to estimate the diameter at breast height of tree that has been cut, though it is often only the stump that is available as an indicator of size, after illegal logging and quick removal of the cut trees from the forest. In this study, equations for predicting the diameter at breast height, were fit specifically for Quercus frainetto in the region of Evros in northeastern Greece. The selected equations (quadratic model) were, where is the estimated diameter at breast height d (cm), and dst is the measured diameter at stump height (cm); for pure stands (R2 = 0.94); for mixed stands (R2 = 0.92); for the whole forest (R2 = 0.94).

Treatments for seed germination improvement in Prunus azorica, Frangula azorica and Morella faya, three native species of Azores Islands

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the best treatment to maximize seed germination of three native species of the Azores islands (Prunus azorica, Frangula azorica and Morella faya). In all three species the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) application and cold stratification on seed germination under controlled conditions (light and temperature) was investigated. In particular, seeds of all three species were treated with 500 and 1000 mg L–1 GA3 for 24 hours and were subsequently cold stratified at 3–5°C for 0, 1 and 2 months. In addition, seeds from each species were only cold stratified for 0, 1 and 2 months and also seeds with the endocarp (stones) of P. azorica only were subjected to outdoor stratification from 1 October 2014 up to 28 February 2015. Untreated seeds of all three species exhibited a very low germination percentage, indicating that the seeds of all three species were dormant. For all three species, the germination of seeds untreated with GA3 significantly increased as the cold stratification period increased whereas GA3 application was more effective in improving germination in P. azorica and F. azorica than M. faya seeds. Furthermore, stones of P. azorica that were subjected to outdoor stratification and then transferred to germinate under controlled standard conditions exhibited high and rapid germination.

Comparative analysis of soil erosion sensitivity using various quantizations within GIS environment: an application on Sperchios river basin in Central Greece

ABSTRACT Soil erosion is a prominent cause of land degradation and desertification in Mediterranean countries. The detrimental effects of soil erosion are exemplified in climate (in particular climate change), topography, human activities and natural disasters. Modelling of erosion and deposition in complex terrains within a geographic information system (GIS) requires reliable estimation of topographic factors, as well as the formulation of erosion models adequate for digital representation of spatially distributed parameters. In the current paper, two different approaches for the estimation of erosion in the Sperchios river basin are described and evaluated using GIS – the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Gavrilovič method. Implementing the ArcGIS 10.2.1 programme, the necessary input data for these approaches were estimated using four different quantizations that were created using topographic maps, courtesy of the Greek Geographical Army Service. The results indicated that even though a high-resolution quantization is always preferred for more reliable results, when there is a lack of available data, coarser quantizations can also be used to extract similar estimations.

Site index curves for the golden oak species (Quercus alnifolia)

SUMMARY The golden oak (Quercus alnifolia) is the most ecologically important endemic species of Cyprus; therefore, the development of site index curves for classification of golden oak trees to site qualities will be useful for the rational management and monitoring of natural habitats of the golden oak. The objective of this work was to develop site index curves for the golden oak species. From areas of natural spread of golden oak in Cyprus, sixty dominant trees were selected randomly and cut; for each sampled tree a stem analysis was conducted. Forty-two linear and non-linear regression models were tested for fit-to-height/age data; and from these, the most suitable was chosen for the development of a guide curve. Afterwards, a set of anamorphic site indices was created based on this curve. The selected height/age model was: 2 2 ˆ 29.576 5.315 0.091 t h tt = ++ . At the base age of 40 years, the selected model estimated a height of 4 m (SI4). Using the selected model as the guide curve for the development of anamorphic site index curves, we drew two more curves: SI3 (at the age of 40 years the estimated tree height is 3 m) and SI5 (at the age of 40 years the estimated tree height is 5 m).

Spatial Patterns for Watersheds Erosion

This article describes a simultaneously autoregressive model applied to the erosion data collected at 17 natural lake watersheds in Greece. The methodology considers spatially correlated random area effects taking into account the information provided by neighbouring torrents/streams. The article discusses the gain obtained from modelling the spatial correlation among small area random effects useful in representing the unexplained variation of the small area target quantities.