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Water stress is one of the most important yield constraints on crop productivity for many crops, and especially for maize, worldwide. In addition, climate change creates new challenges for crop adaptation as water stress appears even in areas where, until recently, there was an adequate water supply. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of water availability on the morphological and physiological characteristics of maize, and also on the environmental cost under field conditions. The lowest water treatment (ET50) reduced leaf area index, plant height, chlorophyll content, assimilation rate and gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic efficiency, and silage yield. Furthermore, mild water stress (ΕΤ70) affected the characteristics that were studied but maintained a high crop yield. Moreover, the outputs/inputs ratio and energy efficiency showed similar trends, with the highest values under ΕΤ100 treatment and the lowest under ΕΤ50 treatment in two consecutive years. Therefore, the results of this study can be used by farmers in the Mediterranean area, who can maintain or improve their crop yield using a lower amount of water when the water supply is limited, thereby contributing to reducing the impact of global climate change and maintaining crop productivity.

Higher plants possess the ability to synthesize a great number of compounds with many different functions, known as secondary metabolites. Polyphenols, a class of flavonoids, are secondary metabolites that play a crucial role in plant adaptation to both biotic and abiotic environments, including UV radiation, high light intensity, low/high temperatures, and attacks from pathogens, among others. One of the compounds that has received great attention over the last few years is luteolin. The objective of the current paper is to review the extraction and detection methods of luteolin in plants of the Greek flora, as well as their luteolin content. Furthermore, plant species, crop management and environmental factors can affect luteolin content and/or its derivatives. Luteolin exhibits various biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial ones. As a result, luteolin has been employed as a bioactive molecule in numerous applications within the food industry and the biomedical field. Among the different available options for managing periodontitis, dental care products containing herbal compounds have been in the spotlight owing to the beneficial pharmacological properties of the bioactive ingredients. In this context, luteolin’s anti-inflammatory activity has been harnessed to combat periodontal disease and promote the restoration of damaged bone tissue.

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is twofold: to provide an overview of the present situation at the Greek central public libraries and to identify strategic development areas in regard to education and training, social and economic development, e-government, reading policy, cultural cohesion and identity. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was conducted in January and February 2008 through extensive semi-structured interviews with all the 29 Greek central public libraries. Findings - The paper finds that a formal strategic plan is becoming necessary for the Greek central public libraries in order to understand themselves, redefine their policies and priorities, and further consider the needs and expectations of their users and of the society as a whole. Practical implications - This paper contributes to the discussion on the development of strategic planning aimed at the central public libraries in Greece and may assist in providing evidence for strategic planning in a national and/or in an institutional level. Originality/value - It is one of the very few studies in Greece providing empirical evidence for the strategic planning and management of the central public libraries. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops in the world and fertilization is the most important management practice which contributes to high yield. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different fertilizers on maize crop and their contribution to the carbon footprint. The experiments were conducted in a commercial field in the area of Thessaloniki during the growing seasons of 2019 and 2020. During the experiment a number of physiological and morphological characteristics, and the energy output/input ratio, energy efficiency, and carbon footprint were determined. The results of the experiment showed that the inorganic fertilizers and manure improved the morphological and physiological characteristics that were studied compared to the green manure treatment and the control. In addition, it appeared most of the energy input of maize cultivation is from fertilizers (52%), followed by diesel (25%) and the use of machinery (14%). The treatments with the slow release fertilizers and the manure gave satisfactory results with an average of 42.1 Mg ha−1 in 2019 and 43.6 Mg ha−1 in 2020 for both fertilization treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to use the appropriate fertilizers in order to maintain the productivity of the crop and reduce the environmental costs.

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is twofold: to provide an overview of the present situation at the Greek central public libraries and to identify strategic development areas in regard to education and training, social and economic development, e-government, reading policy, cultural cohesion and identity.Design methodology approach - A survey was conducted in January and February 2008 through extensive semi-structured interviews with all the 29 Greek central public libraries.Findings - The paper finds that a formal strategic plan is becoming necessary for the Greek central public libraries in order to understand themselves, redefine their policies and priorities, and further consider the needs and expectations of their users and of the society as a whole.Practical implications - This paper contributes to the discussion on the development of strategic planning aimed at the central public libraries in Greece and may assist in providing evidence for strategic planning in a national and or in an institutional level.Originality value - It is one of the very few studies in Greece providing empirical evidence for the strategic planning and management of the central public libraries.

ObjectiveTo describe the rate and type of adverse effects (AEs) and the frequency of disease flares after COVID-19 vaccination and to assess the reasons for vaccination hesitancy (non-vaccination) in SRD patients.MethodsTelephone interviews were conducted of SRD patients consecutively enrolled (15/06/2021–1/7/2021). Participants were asked about the type of AEs and disease flare after vaccination. Reasons for vaccination hesitancy were recorded. Univariate and mutivariable analyses examined associations of demographic, clinical and other features, with occurrence of AEs, disease flare and non-vaccination. For the latter, association with negative vaccination behaviour (not influenza vaccinated for the last 2 years) and nocebo-prone behaviour (denoting AEs attributed to negative expectations [Q-No questionnaire]) was also tested.Results561 out of 580 contacted patients were included in the study. 441/561 (78.6%) patients were vaccinated [90% (Pfizer, Moderna), 10% (Astra-Zeneca)]. AEs were reported by 148/441 (33.6%), with rates being comparable between the three vaccines. AEs were more common in females and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [OR, 95% CI; females: 2.23 (1.30–3.83); COPD: 3.31 (1.24–8.83)]. Disease flare was reported in 9/441 (2%) patients. For those unvaccinated, fear that the vaccine would be harmful (53.3%), could cause disease flare (24.2%) and/or could cause thrombosis (21.7%) were the main reasons to do so. Multivariable analysis identified as independent variables for non-vaccination: nocebo-prone behaviour (OR; 95% CI, 3.88; 1.76–8.55), negative vaccination behaviour (6.56; 3.21–13.42) and previous COVID-19 infection (2.83; 1.13–7.05). Higher educational status was protective (0.49; 0.26–0.92).ConclusionNo new safety signals for COVID-19 vaccination were observed. Vaccination campaign should target SRD patients with nocebo-prone and negative influenza vaccination behaviour.

Thirty 2-methyl-quinazolinone fussed hydroxamic acids (3-OH) and their 3-OEt and 3-OBn derivatives were evaluated for their affinity towards calf-thymus (CT) DNA using UV-vis absorption, viscosity and fluorescence spectroscopy. DNA photocleavage activity was assessed by incubating the compounds with plasmid DNA followed by UV-A and visible light irradiation, which enabled identification of the most potent derivatives active at concentrations of 100 nΜ and 10 μΜ, respectively. Mechanistic studies on the most active compounds indicated the formation of oxygen radical species and a decrease in efficiency under argon. Measurements of singlet oxygen release verified these findings. Molecular docking studies provided further insight into the interactions between the compounds and DNA. UV-A irradiation of the most potent DNA photocleavers in three cell lines, two malignant melanoma lines (A375 and COLO-800) and the immortalized keratinocyte line HaCaT, identified three derivatives that, at a concentration up to 10 μΜ, reduced cell viability by approximately 50%. Taken together, these results indicate that these 2-methylquinazolinone-based hydroxamic acid derivatives are promising candidates for the development of photodynamic therapy agents.

To assess the impact conferred by variants on the clinical spectrum of patients with systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) in Greece. Consecutive patients (n=167) with confirmed SAIDs who underwent screening by next generation sequencing (NGS) targeting 26 SAID-associated genes, and carried at least one gene variant, were retrospectively studied. The demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded. In total, 24 rare variants in 23/167 patients (14%) were detected. Notably, 18 patients had at least one co-existing variant in 13 genes other than . Nine patients had juvenile- and 14 adult-onset disease. All patients presented with symptoms potentially induced by the variants. In particular, the candidate clinical diagnosis was Yao syndrome (YAOS) in 12 patients (7% of the whole SAID cohort). The clinical spectrum of patients with YAOS (mean episode duration 8 days) was fever (n=12/12), articular symptoms (n=8), gastrointestinal symptoms (n=7; abdominal pain/bloating in 7; diarrhea in 4; oral ulcers in 3), serositis (n=7), and rash (n=5), while the inflammatory markers were elevated in all but one patient. Most of these patients showed a poor response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n=7/9), colchicine (n=6/8) and/or anti-TNF treatment (n=3/4), while a complete response was observed in 6/10 patients receiving steroids and 3/5 on anti-IL1 treatment. Another 8 patients were diagnosed with either FMF (n=6) or PFAPA syndrome (n=2) presenting with prominent diarrhea (n=7), oral ulcers (n=2), periorbital swelling and sicca-like symptoms (n=1), or maculopapular rash (n=1). One patient had a clinically undefined SAID, albeit characterized by oral ulcers and diarrhea. Finally, one patient presented with chronic relapsing urticaria with periorbital edema and inflammatory markers, and another one had a Crohn-like syndrome with good response to anti-IL-1 but refractory to anti-TNF treatment. variants were detected in 1 out of 7 SAID patients and seem to have an impact on disease phenotype and treatment response. Further studies should validate combined molecular and clinical data to better understand these distinct nosological entities.

ObjectivesA reduced adrenal reserve-associated cortisol production relative to the enhanced needs of chronic inflammation (disproportion principle) has been observed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined the possible clinical value of diurnal cortisol measurements in active RA on treatment response prediction.MethodsDiurnal cortisol production (measured at: 08–12:00/18:00–22:00) was assessed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay in 28 consecutive patients with moderately/highly active RA, as well as 3 and 6 months after treatment initiation or/escalation. Twenty-eight COVID-19 patients and 28 age-matched healthy individuals (HC) served as controls.ResultsSaliva diurnal cortisol production in patients with RA was similar to that of HC, despite 12-fold higher serum C reactive protein (CRP) levels, and lower than COVID-19 patients (area under the curve: RA: 87.0±37.6 vs COVID-19: 146.7±14.3, p<0.001), having similarly high CRP. Moreover, a disturbed circadian cortisol rhythm at baseline was evident in 15 of 28 of patients with RA vs 4 of 28 and 20 of 28 of HC and COVID-19 patients, respectively. Treatment-induced minimal disease activity (MDA) at 6 months was achieved by 16 of 28 patients. Despite comparable demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline, non-MDA patients had lower baseline morning cortisol and higher adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels compared with patients on MDA (cortisol: 10.9±4.0 vs 18.4±8.2 nmol/L, respectively, p=0.005 and ACTH: 4.8±3.3 vs 2.4±0.4 pmol/L, respectively, p=0.047). Baseline morning cortisol <13.9 nmol/L predicted non-MDA at 6 months (75% sensitivity, 92% specificity, p=0.006). Prospective measurements revealed that individualised diurnal cortisol production remained largely unchanged from baseline to 3 and 6 months.ConclusionsAn impaired adrenal reserve is present in patients with RA. Further studies to confirm that assessment of diurnal cortisol production may be useful in guiding treatment decisions and/or predicting treatment response in RA are warranted.Trial registration numberNCT05671627.