A Preliminary Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis on Voice Handicap Index Results of the Greek Voice-Disordered Patients

Objective(s): The cutting-edge assessment of voice disorders includes objective and subjective methods in the daily clinical practice. The latter assessment is usually performed through the administration of self-reported questionnaires. Voice Handicap Index (VHI) is one of the most widely used tools both in clinical practice and in research level. This tool-questionnaire was employed in this research along with the Voice Evaluation Template (VEF). In turn, the aim of this study was to analyse and produce the cut-off points of VHI for voice-disordered patients in Greece by using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves (ROC Curves). Methods: Sixty-three participants (40 non-dysphonic and 23 with different types of dysphonia) were classified by ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctors and SLPs (Speech-Language Pathologists). The Hellenic VHI along with the translated Greek version of the VEF was administered to the subjects of this research. Results: The voice-disordered subjects exhibited higher overall VHI scores (in total and in its 3 subdomains) compared to the control group. Statistical significant differences were found between dysphonic and non-dysphonic participants for all VHI’s construct domains. The cut-off point of VHI total score was estimated at the value of 14.50 (sensitivity: 0.870, 1-specificity: 0.000). Moreover, the cut-off points of the three subdomains were computed as 7.50 for functional (sensitivity: 0.783, 1-specificity: 0.000), 8.50 for physical (sensitivity: 0.739, 1-specificity: 0.000) and 8.50 for emotional domain (sensitivity: 0.783, 1-specificity: 0.050). Conclusion: The preliminary statistical and ROC data analysis of VHI concluded that by using this type of assessment method, populations with or without voice disorders (in Greece) can be distinguished. Albeit this tool is a non-interventional method it could consequently offer an adequate screening and monitoring capability.

Reduced Ecological Footprints of Modern Facilities Introducing the Implementation of Advanced Wireless Technologies, and Human Resources’ Benefits

The necessity of lowering the mean power consumption of various facilities, due to the lack of their enormous future energy needs, led to an ongoing advance of various technologies. These technologies have been oriented towards the concept of a Reduced Ecological Footprint. Massive structures (such as building complexes and hospitals) have been redesigned and upgraded;many interior designs have been dramatically altered while new electronic devices are constantly being produced in order to revolutionize a long term perspective towards a “Green Planet” while they exhibit astonishing signal processing. Consequently, an enormous technology already exists which needs to be properly combined to a proposed methodology and to new ideas relevant to systems’ administration through automatic wireless control. This paper intends to reduce the gap between design and realization of the aforementioned research. Consequently, the primary contribution of this research is the proposal of a complete design protocol with minimized defects relevant to Reduced Ecological Footprints of Facilities (REFF) along with its beneficial advantages relevant to providing a healthy and productive work environment. This protocol consists of four main parts which are 1) the main key points-guidelines, 2) its objectives, 3) the know-how methodology for implementation in existing installations and 4) the description of the imminent benefits in workforce/human resources.

Muscle Aerobic Capacity and Filleting Yield of Farmed Fish Species in the Mediterranean Sea

In the present work, we compared indices of metabolism and feed conversion efficiency of a semi benthic and two pelagic mari-cultured fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. The metabolism of fish species varies according to habitat and ecophysiological adaptations. For example, with increasing depth, some species may exhibit adaptations to lower temperature and hypoxic conditions with a reduction in mass specific metabolic rate. Meagre （Argyrosomus regius） is a semi-benthic fish found at depths between 30 m and 300 m. Sea bass （Dicentrarhus labrax） and gilthead sea bream （Sparus auratus） are semi-pelagic fish species widely cultivated in the Mediteranean Sea. The aerobic metabolic potential and feed conversion efficiency of meagre were very different from the sea bass and gilthead sea bream. Compared to these two semic-pelagic fish species, meagre exhibited less efficient feed conversion rate, fillet yield. The results provide an estimate of the quantity of fish required to produce 1 kg of fillet weight, an estimation which is required for the operational management of fish processing companies and for estimating the wastes of fish processing factories during filleting.

Energy Value and Amino Acid Bioavailability of Faba Bean Seeds in Broilers Diets

The aim of this study was to determine the apparent （AME） and true metabolizable energy （TMEn） as well as the crude protein （CP） and amino acid （AA） total tract （by excreta collection） digestibility （bioavailability） of faba bean seeds （FBS） of the Greek cultivar ＂Polikarpi＂. Forty eight broilers were placed in individual cages and randomly allocated into 4 dietary treatments. Birds consumed 80 g d1 of either a typical commercial diet or the same diet in which 100, 200 or 300 g kg^-1 had been substituted by ground FBS. The experiment lasted 15 d. Apparent and true CP bioavailability of FBS were significantly decreased （P 〈 0.05） only at the inclusion rate of 300 g kg-1. AA bioavailability remained at high levels （-0.80） with the exception of cystine and was similar to CP mean. The mean AME and TMEn values of FBS were estimated equal to 11.1 and 11.4 MJ ME kg^-1, respectively.

Ship Waste Management in the Port of Igoumenitsa, Greece

Port of Igoumenitsa in Greece is one of the most important Ports in European Union and enjoys a privileged position being located at the starting point of Egnatia Motorway The Port is one of the largest passenger ports in the East Mediterranean Sea basin, which, handles around 1,000,000 passengers per year for international destinations. The paper investigates current waste management and disposal options for ship generated waste and the associated impact of the waste for port. Data about the ship traffic were provided by the Port Authority and about the amount and characteristics of the wastes by the contractors for the disposal of the ship generated waste. It was concluded that all vessels should be encouraged to use the reception facilities and should pursue a waste reduction strategy and the port authority to provide adequate recycling facility. An electronic recording data system has to be adopted for better evaluation of the performance of the system. This system must record the deliveries for every ship in the port, the amount and the type of wastes are generated. Also must provide information about the maximum storage capacity of waste on board and about management of waste treatment options by the ships.

A Solution of Kepler’s Equation

The present study deals with a traditional physical problem: the solution of the Kepler’s equation for all conics (ellipse, hyperbola or parabola). Solution of the universal Kepler’s equation in closed form is obtained with the help of the two-dimensional Laplace technique, expressing the universal functions as a function of the universal anomaly and the time. Combining these new expressions of the universal functions and their identities, we establish one biquadratic equation for universal anomaly (χ) for all conics;solving this new equation, we have a new exact solution of the present problem for the universal anomaly as a function of the time. The verifying of the universal Kepler’s equation and the traditional forms of Kepler’s equation from this new solution are discussed. The plots of the elliptic, hyperbolic or parabolic Keplerian orbits are also given, using this new solution.

Preliminary Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis on Voice Handicap Index of Laryngeal Inflammation in Greek Patients

Objective(s): Laryngeal inflammations lead to voice disorders. Medical conditions such as chronic laryngitis, gastroesophageal reflux, laryngopharyngeal reflux, Reinke edema and/or vocal folds hemorrhage, result in diverse symptoms including chronic cough, throat cleaning and dysphonia (e.g. hoarseness). In turn, the dysphonic symptoms can be evaluated via subjective and objective procedures. The objective procedures usually include self-perceived questionnaires like the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Studies reported that VHI can distinguish objectively dysphonic and non-dysphonic populations using the cut-off points of Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves. The purpose of this study was to calculate the cut-off points for individuals exhibiting voice symptoms which had been developed from laryngeal inflammatory diseases in Greece. Methods: One hundred and twelve participants (90 non-dysphonic and 22 dysphonic) filled in the Hellenic Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and the Greek translated version of Voice Evaluation Template (VEF) were administrated. All subjects were evaluated by an Otolaryngologist and a Speech-Language Pathologist. Results: The group with voice disorders exhibited higher VHI scores (in total and in its 3 subdomains) compared to non-dysphonic subgroup. Statistical significant differences were found for all VHI’s total cut-off point of 19.50 (sensitivity: 0.882, 1-specificity: 0.011) and for its three subdomains [functional 6.50 (sensitivity = 0.636, and 1-specificity = 0.022);physical 9.50 (sensitivity = 0.636, and 1-specificity = 0.000);emotional 6.50 (sensitivity = 0.455, and 1-specificity = 0.133)]. Conclusion: The preliminary results showed that VHI could discriminate individuals having voice disorders from laryngeal inflammations. The Voice Handicap Index can be used as a primary health care tool and a self-monitoring procedure in acute and sub-acute phases of the laryngeal inflammation.

The Aromatic Plant <i>Satureja horvatii</i>ssp. <i>macrophylla</i>Induces Apoptosis and Cell Death to the A549 Cancer Cell Line

S. horvatii ssp. macrophylla (Lamiaceae) is an endemic aromatic plant of Greece and is used as a culinary herb. In the present study we explored its possible anticancer activity through the induction of apoptosis on cancer cells using A549 cell line as a model. The cytotoxic effects and the type of cell death (apoptosis/necrosis) were evaluated with biochemical and morphological criteria. The total methanol extract of S. horvatii ssp. macrophylla revealed forty two components, of which carvacrol was the major constituent (43.2%). Only a minor portion of them (3.41%) was contained in the active working plant extract solution which was used for cell treatment. This study indicates that extract of S. horvatii spp. macrophylla, which belongs to carvacrol chemotype, can induce both apoptosis and necrosis to A549 cancer cell line.