Theodora Slini

Prevalence and distribution of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the JP2 clone in a Greek population

AIM to investigate the distribution of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the prevalence of the JP2 clone in subgingival samples of Greek subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS two hundred and twenty eight subjects participated in the present study. Each contributed with one pooled subgingival sample from the mesiobuccal surface of the four first molars. Samples were analysed using polymerase chain reaction for five serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans and the JP2 clone, using primers and conditions described previously. Subjects were stratified according to periodontal status (untreated periodontitis, non-periodontitis and periodontitis patients receiving supportive treatment). Comparisons between and within groups were performed by applying non-parametric tests (Kruskall-Wallis, Pearson χ(2) , z-test with Bonferronis corrections and Kramers V-test) at p=0.05 level. RESULTS a. actinomycetemcomitans was detected statistically more frequently in untreated patients (27.5%) compared with the other two groups (11.7% for non-periodontitis and 10% for periodontitis patients receiving supportive treatment). No statistical differences were observed concerning the distribution of serotypes among groups (z-test with Bonferronis corrections p>0.05). Serotype c was more predominant within the periodontally diseased groups (Kramers V-test p<0.05). The JP2 clone was not detected. CONCLUSIONS a. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b was not statistically correlated with periodontal disease in the investigated sample and the utility of microbiological testing before antimicrobial administration is emphasized.

Correlation of air pollution and meteorological data using neural networks

In order to develop an environmental forecasting tool, the Neural Network method of computational intelligence is investigated. For this purpose, hourly and daily time series of CO, NO2 and O3, as well as a variety of meteorological variables are employed in various multi-layer percepton (MLP) models, in order to provide reliable air quality forecasts, using as a test case the city of Athens, Greece. The performance of the two most satisfactory models are presented thoroughly and compared using certain statistical indices. Results verify both the potential and the complicated nature of the method.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the oral cavity

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in plaque and tongue samples from systemically healthy subjects with periodontal health, gingivitis or chronic periodontitis. METHODS After screening 720 potentially eligible subjects, 154 systemically healthy participants were ultimately enrolled in the current study. Subgingival samples were taken from the first molars and the tongue and analyzed for the presence of S. aureus and MRSA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primers and conditions previously described in the literature. In addition, samples were taken from deep periodontal pockets of chronic periodontitis patients. Statistical analysis was performed by applying non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis for clinical parameters, and z-test with Bonferroni corrections for distributions of assessed parameters). All comparisons were set at the 0.05 significance level. RESULTS S. aureus was detected in 18% of all participants and in 10% of the samples tested. No significant differences were found in its distribution among the three investigated groups (z-test for proportions with Bonferroni corrections, p>0.05). The mecA gene was not present in any of the S. aureus found. CONCLUSIONS S. aureus can be found in the oral environment regardless of the periodontal conditions and therefore should be considered as a member of the transient flora not participating in periodontal pathology. Subgingival sites and tongue surfaces seem to be an unusual habitat of MRSA.

Prevalence of β-lactam (blaTEM) and Metronidazole (nim) Resistance Genes in the Oral Cavity of Greek Subjects

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of blaTEM and nim genes that encode resistance to β-lactams and nitroimidazoles, respectively, in the oral cavity of systemically healthy Greek subjects. Materials and Methodology: After screening 720 potentially eligible subjects, 154 subjects were recruited for the study, including 50 periodontally healthy patients, 52 cases of gingivitis and 52 cases of chronic periodontitis. The clinical parameters were assessed with an automated probe. Various samples were collected from the tongue, first molars and pockets >6mm, and analysed by polymerase chain reaction-amplification of the blaTEM and nim genes, using primers and conditions previously described in the literature. Results: There was a high rate of detection of blaTEM in plaque and tongue samples alike in all periodontal conditions (37% of plaque and 60% of tongue samples, and 71% of participants). The blaTEM gene was detected more frequently in the tongue samples of the periodontally healthy (56%) and chronic periodontitis (62%) groups compared to the plaque samples from the same groups (36% and 29%, respectively; z-test with Bonferroni corrections-tests, P<0.05). The nim gene was not detected in any of the 343 samples analysed. Conclusion: The oral cavity of Greek subjects often harbours blaTEM but not nim genes, and therefore the antimicrobial activity of β-lactams might be compromised.

Willingness to pay for reducing the risk of premature mortality attributed to air pollution: a contingent valuation study for Greece

Development of strategies to control urban air pollution is a complex and multi–disciplinary process. In most real life cases, relevant policy making is characterised by the lack of information related to the economic value of the health consequences attributed to air pollution. This information is important to possess reliable economic estimates for the benefit arising from the application of the proposed strategies. This paper presents a contingent valuation approach in order to elicit the willingness–to–pay (WTP) for reducing the risk of premature mortality attributed to air pollution based on an easy–to–comprehend questionnaire. The economic value of increasing life expectancy by saving one year of life loss through improving air quality is estimated for Thessaloniki, Greece, which is considered one of the most polluted –if not the most polluted– cities within Europe, especially with respect to airborne particles. A sample of approximately 800 residents was chosen and a face–to–face interview was conducted using a hypothetical open–ended question designed to elicit the respondents WTP. Change in life expectancy was well understood and the results showed that 78.2% of respondents were able to express their WTP. The mean WTP to save one Year of Life Loss (YOLL) is approximately 920 € per person per year, which corresponds to a Value of a Life Year (VOLY) that is approximately 41 000 €.

Environmental Information Systems and the Concept of Environmental Informatics

Environmental Information Systems are the core of contemporary urban environment management systems, and a prerequisite for the proper, timely information of the public. Technological advances require systems that can make optimum use of informatics and telecommunications infrastructures to address environmental management needs, yet which are open, flexible, modular and inexpensive to implement and operate. For this reason, the use of Open Source software resources is presented as an appealing solution. On this basis, a number of existing environmental information components for wireless and Web-based applications are presented. Overall, the right of access to information related to the quality of the environment citizens live in via personalized electronic information services, appears to suit well the concept of open source, and may lead to a better quality of life and more effective citizen involvement and participation in environmental decision-making.

30 Years Air Temperature Data Analysis in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece

Climate change has a major influence on urban environment, and it will continue to pose challenges in the future. The recorded observations on climate change is in line with the projected increase of the average annual temperature in Europe between 2 and 4 °C until the end of the century, as well as with the change of rainfall patterns and the prevalence of drier conditions in the summer months in the Mediterranean area and wetter winters in the Nordic countries. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves and floods are expected to increase in the coming years. The socioeconomic impacts of climate change in urban areas are also very important. Demographic changes, such as the increase of the average life expectancy and the intense urbanization will increase the percentage of people who are vulnerable to conditions of high temperature and heat waves, with negative effects on health, productivity, social life and use of open public spaces. Furthermore, high temperatures can cause problems in fields such as transport, energy and water supply, along with an indirect effect on agriculture, tourism, urban microclimate and air quality. The current paper attempts to analyze the ambient air temperature in Athens and Thessaloniki for 30 years, namely the period 1983–2012, in order to explore trends in the two largest Greek cities. Descriptive statistics such as average minimum, average maximum and average monthly values of dry-bulb temperature, minimum, average and maximum daily temperature values of the three decades (80s, 90s and 00s) and the cumulative frequency of hourly temperatures per decade, were calculated, analyzed and presented. The number of days with maximum temperature above 25 °C (summer day) and equal or greater than 35 °C, in accordance with internationally agreed criteria and indicators, were also calculated. Likewise, long periods with daily maximum temperature above 35 °C were recorded and presented. The analysis was based on hourly measurements of two meteorological stations, of the National Observatory of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, for the relevant period. The results prove a statistically significant raising trend in temperature values in the studied areas from decade to decade, in addition to the statistically significant increase in the number of days with average above 25 °C and with a maximum equal or greater than 35 °C. The conclusions drawn are particularly useful for planning and implementing policies of adaptation to climate change in different sectors in favour of environment protection and human well-being.

Assessing Air Quality in the Urban Environment: the Gender Gap

As suggested by several reports, it is evident that human contribution in global warming and climate change can be attributed differently between genders. Within the developed societies female’s contribution tent to be less than male’s on average, due to different social roles but also to different environmental consciousness and behaviour. E.g. women have different consumption habits (use of public transport, walking or cycling trips) and are more likely to support greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies related (support of recycling and energy efficiency initiatives). In Europe, direct and indirect energy consumption tend to be higher among male than female habitants a fact that is independent of income and age, approximately 39 % higher in Germany and 22 % higher in Sweden. Worldwide, it is declared that money paid to females is more mainly consumed on family needs, e.g. food and clothing, while money paid to males is more likely to be consumed on leisure, energy-intensive goods that cause high emissions. Thus, a greater proportion of an average mans carbon footprint is due to leisure than an average woman’s. Last but not least, women are more sensitive to extreme weather conditions, such as floods and heatwaves and more likely to experience fuel poverty due to income inequalities.

Data assimilation within the Air4EU project: the Athens case

The current study aims to investigate the application of the Data Assimilation (DA) in the greater Athens basin, according to the methodology developed within the framework of the Air4EU project. The advanced Sequential Importance Re-sampling (SIR) method was applied in an effort to improve the performance of the regional scale model OFIS. The current study was focused on the concentration levels of the air pollutants NO2, NO, O3 and PM10 in the Greater Athens Area for the year 2002, and the initial results seem promising.