University Of Athens Research Articles

Testing the discrepancy between physical and virtual linear measurements.

Virtual calculations of bone morphology are increasingly becoming the golden standard in anthropological sciences, gradually replacing the performance of direct physical measurements. Nevertheless, the potential discrepancy between the two approaches is rarely addressed. Here, we address this question focusing on the second thoracic vertebrae of 24 well-preserved individuals from the skeletal collection of the Forensic Anthropology Unit of Medical School at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Following traditional osteometric methods, a series of measurements were taken on the vertebral body, both directly (using a digital caliper) as well as on high-resolution 3D surface models. The arithmetic results of the two measuring techniques were then compared through a number of statistical analyses evaluating inter-method precision (Bland-Altman plots, TEM, %TEM and Wilcoxon test). Moreover, the values obtained from each approach were used to develop discriminant function equations for sex determination to evaluate if both approaches provide the same assessment. Both intraobserver and interobserver tests were performed. Although most statistical analyses showed a significant difference between the two measuring techniques, the discriminant function equations for sex determination provided the same assessment. Overall, the results of this experiment support the use of virtual linear measurements, also suggesting that a refinement of digital measuring protocols could improve their level of agreement with traditional direct osteometry.

A bilateral four-headed brachialis muscle with a variant innervation: a cadaveric report with possible clinical implications.

Anterior compartment muscles of the arm present high morphological variability, with possible clinical significance. The current cadaveric report aims to describe a bilateral four-headed brachialis muscle (BM) with aberrant innervation. Emphasis on the embryological background and possible clinical significance are also provided. Classical upper limb dissection was performed on an 84-year-old donated male cadaver. The cadaver was donated to the Anatomy Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. On the left upper limb, the four-headed BM was supplied by the musculocutaneous and the median nerves after their interconnection. On the right upper limb, the four-headed BM received its innervation from the median nerve due to the musculocutaneous nerve absence. A bilateral muscular tunnel for the radial nerve passage was identified, between the BM accessory heads and the brachioradialis muscle. BM has clinical significance, due to its proximity to important neurovascular structures and frequent surgeries at the humerus. Hence, knowledge of these variants should keep orthopedic surgeons alert when intervening in this area. Further dissection studies with a standardized protocol are needed to elucidate the prevalence of BM aberrations and concomitant variants.

The Rehabilitation of the Historical Bridge of Konitsa, Epirus, Greece: A Documentation-Based Methodology of Structural Analysis and Rehabilitation Strategy

The bridge of Konitsa over the Aoos river, in Epirus, Greece, was built in 1869. It is one of the most important stone arched bridges in the Balkans, listed by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture (1982). The bridge, damaged by the Ottoman Army in 1913, was restored the same year by French engineers using reinforced concrete. Structural deterioration, located mainly in the area damaged by the explosion and subsequently repaired, led to the study of the bridge by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), in the framework of a Contract among the Prefecture of Epirus, the Municipality of Konitsa (owner of the bridge), the Ministry of Culture and NTUA. The entire study includes the exhaustive documentation of the bridge, its numerical modelling and assessment at its current state, the selection of adequate interventions and the numerical investigation of the efficiency of the proposed interventions. During this process, one of the main issues was the treatment of the concrete intervention of 1913. For the choice and for the design of the restoration measures, a calculation methodology was adopted, based on the findings of the documentation of the bridge, while taking into account the critical phases (construction, damage and repair) over its lifetime. This work has proven the available safety of the bridge under its self-weight, as well as the need for reconstruction of the RC jacket at the intrados of the arch, which was applied as a repair measure to the bridge in 1913.

A preliminary study of carrion insects in Greece and their attraction to three animal baits: a forensic entomology perspective.

The current study provides data on the composition of the dipteran and coleopteran fauna attracted to three different animal baits (chicken stomach, beef liver, fish) in the urban ecosystem of Athens, Greece. An additional objective was to examine the effect of bait choice by the collected taxa. Three trap locations were established within the Agricultural University of Athens. At each location two different types of baited traps were used to capture and record the local dipteran and coleopteran biodiversity. During the sampling period, a total of 2416 dipteran and coleopteran specimens representing 43 species were collected and identified. The three most abundant dipteran taxa were Sarcophaga sp. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The results showed that the structure of the local insect community associated with the decomposition of animal baits depends on the bait used for sampling. This study reinforced the feasibility of using animal tissues as attractants to a wide diversity of medical, parasitological and forensically important taxa. Overall, beef liver attracted the most insects with Diptera preferring beef liver and Coleoptera preferring chicken stomach. Furthermore, this study revealed that baits of one animal tissue did not attract all species but in combination a much better understanding of this biodiversity was achieved. Finally, from a forensic entomology perspective this study highlights the lack of understanding of the value of entomological data related to case work in Greece.

Using the “most significant change” technique to evaluate the teaching competence and psycho-emotional development of prospective teachers during the teaching practicum

PurposeThis paper presents the results of empirical research on the effects of teaching practice on student teachers’ teaching competence and psycho-emotional development using the “most significant change” narrative investigative technique.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative research approach, the study was conducted during the academic year 2021–2022 in two phases (January and May) with the participation of 73 student teachers of the Department of Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) during their mentored teaching practice. Student teachers’ narratives were collected and analysed using the most significant change technique (Davies and Dart, 2005). Content analysis was conducted with the contribution of seven independent judges.FindingsThe results indicate that the Teaching Practice course with the guidance of mentors has a direct and positive effect on student teachers’ teaching competence. Mentors also seem to have a positive effect on student teachers’ psycho-emotional development. The research also confirms the reliability of the most significant change narrative technique for investigating the effect of related educational interventions.Originality/valueThe study empirically validates the usefulness and potential of the investigative narrative most significant change technique for evaluating the effects of teaching practice on student teachers’ professional development with the guidance of experienced mentor teachers. The results of the study also have implications for the design and evaluation of teacher practice programmes.

An open source platform addressing structural stability risk assessment in historical centres

The management of stability risk assessment in historical centres in a project that aims to design and develop an open platform where blocks of buildings and large structures may be represented in damage maps before the event occurs, addressing damage forecasts for seismic movements impacting on the structural stability of the CH. The structural stability is calculated using a Matlab code developed at the National Technical University of Athens, translated to an open source programming language (Python)using the software tool GeoPandas to enable operations that would normally require spatial database software (PostGIS). Furthermore, the use of open source technologies like QGIS desktop software will provide open and free access to view and contribute in the future.

European Journal of Geography (Year 2023): Reviewer Appreciation & Publication Recap

European Journal of Geography (Year 2023): Reviewer Appreciation & Publication Recap

Evaluation of Self-Perceived Confidence and Competence in Oral Surgery among Final Year Undergraduate Students in Greece.

Oral surgery is an integral part of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis and management of pathology of the mouth and jaws that requires surgical intervention. The aim of undergraduate studies in oral surgery is, upon graduation, to be confident and competent to treat without assistance surgical cases in the spectrum of general dentistry. This study evaluates the senior Greek dental students' self-confidence and self-perceived competence to undertake cases within the scope of oral surgery. Evaluation of clinical experience gathered during training and self-perceived confidence and competence in generic oral surgery skills is included. The present study was a questionnaire survey conducted during the academic year 2018-2019. The questionnaire comprised three sections. Section 1 included demographic data and four closed-ended questions concerning numerical data about procedures that they had already performed or observed, section 2 included four questions concerning their self-perceived competence to perform basic surgical techniques, and section 3 included 10 clinical case scenarios. One hundred and twenty-seven students participated in the study. Among the basic surgical skills, students were most confident with suturing, and they were least confident with bone removal. Students from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) tend to show higher level of confidence compared with students from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in most questions. Greek graduate dental students report moderate levels of self-confidence in oral surgery. A realistic approach in increasing self-confidence and competence in oral surgery would be the focus on preclinical training in generic elementary surgical skills, in combination with increased observational sessions of oral surgery procedures or outreach training.

TRANSLATION TRAINING: THE USE OF AUTHENTIC PROJECTS

This paper aspires to shed light on the pedagogical aspects of translation and, more specifically, the training of novice translators. The aim of the paper consists of testing how translation is best taught via empirical channels and in conjunction with retrospective comments. The project under investigation was conducted in the Department of English Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (November 2021) and involved postgraduate students pursuing their master’s degrees. The project, in which the students were involved, was authentic in that it was situated in realistic circumstances since they were requested to perform a real translation task for a volume to be published, reaching out to readers other than the course instructor. Students were initially asked to translate a text collaboratively. After the completion of the translation task, they were asked to critically reflect upon their translation practice by writing an essay and explicitly exploring the benefits of such a procedure. According to their comments, the use of an authentic project, in an otherwise theoretical class, paid off since they found that their perspective was broadened, and their practice became conscious throughout the different stages. More specifically, among others, they highlighted that their critical thinking was sharpened, their collaboration skills improved, and their self-reflection proved to be a powerful tool guiding their decision-making. The case study could be further enhanced if another type of text was chosen [literary extracts], another setting was selected [undergraduate courses] or more stakeholders would be involved. Keywords: translation teaching, translation methodology, authentic project, new paradigm

UNI-axial dynamic tests on a stone masonry subassembly before and after interventions

The present study deals with the seismic response of three-leaf stone masonry subassemblies before and after the application of intervention techniques. In detail, shaking table tests are performed on a scaled substructure in the Laboratory for Earthquake Engineering, at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The substructure consists of two parallel walls. One wall is of rectangular section, whereas the other is provided with a portion of transverse wall at its mid-length. A flexible timber floor rests on the top of the walls. Sine-sweep and dynamic tests are performed perpendicular to the two walls, before and after interventions. The aim of this work is to experimentally study the response of three leaf masonry walls against in-plane and out-of-plane seismic actions, to investigate the effect of the transverse wall to the out-of-plane behavior of walls (and vice versa) and to assess the effect of a selected set of interventions on the behavior of the substructure. The results of this study confirm the vulnerability of three leaf masonry structures, evidenced by the premature detachment of masonry leaves. They prove the significant role of the transverse wall, in reducing the width of the separation cracks observed in the walls subjected to out-of-plane actions followed by an increase of its in-plane damage, as well as the positive effect (in terms of load and deformation capacity) of grouting the walls and enhancing the diaphragm action of the floor. Additionally, the experimental results of this study can serve as a validation tool for the calibration of numerical models and as input for further analytical research. In this paper, the calibration of a smeared crack model that is based on macro-modeling approach is presented, along with a comparison between experimental and numerical results for the specimen before interventions, based on the performed calibration.

(Invited) All-3D-Printed Devices for Electrochemical Sensing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has gained significant attention in research laboratories, since it provides the end user with the freedom and ability to produce in-house and on-demand specific electrochemical platforms in a fast and affordable way. The most applied 3D-printing technology in the manufacturing of electrochemical sensors is fused deposition modeling (FDM) which is based on the e-printing of the device by thermoplastic filaments. In particular, the use of FDM for the printing of sensors offers noteworthy advantages compared to conventional fabrication technologies, such as desktop-sized equipment, very low capital, operational, and materials costs, easy fabrication process, design transferability (as the respective file format can be transferred through e-mail and printed on every dual extruder 3D printer), and ecofriendliness (since no waste is produced) [1,2].This presentation will discuss our recent developments of all-3D-printed integrated mini devices and their applications to electrochemical sensing [3-6]. The devices are printed from specific filaments (conductive and non-conductive) at different sizes and shapes, by a dual extruder 3D-printer, in order to fit to the demands of numerous applications. More specifically, all-3D-printed electrochemical microtitration wells for the in-situ and micro-volume quantum dot-based bioassays, as well as a 3D-printed wearable glucose monitoring device in the form of an electrochemical ring will be described. Besides, a 3D-printed wearable device in the form of an electrochemical finger for date rape drugs screening and a 3D-printed microfluidic device modified with metallic film for the trace determination of heavy metals will be presented.Acknowledgements:I thank the Special Account for Research Grants of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens for the financial support.References A. Abdalla and B. A. Patel, Curr. Opin. Electrochem., 20 (2020) 78–81.E. J. Carrasco-Correa, E. F. Simó-Alfonso, J. M. Herrero-Martínez, M. Miró, TrAC - Trends Anal. Chem., 136 (2021) 116177.A Baltima, H. Panagopoulou, A. Economou, C. Kokkinos, Anal. Chim. Acta 1159 (2021) 338426.V. Katseli, M. Angelopoulou, C. Kokkinos, Adv. Funct. Mater., 31 (2021) 2102459.V. Katseli, A. Economou, C. Kokkinos, Anal. Chem. 93 (2021) 3331−3336.G. Poulladofonou, C. Freris, A. Economou, C. Kokkinos, Anal. Chem. 94 (2022) 4087−4094.

Cervical headgear effectiveness in distalizing molars in relation to patient compliance.

The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of the cervical headgear for distalizing first permanent maxillary molars in relation to hours of use. This was a one-centre, prospective, clinical study conducted at the Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. Participants (N = 26; 17 females, 9 males) were patients with no history of orthodontic treatment, no syndromes or clefts, and Angle's Class II malocclusion, where the treatment plan included a cervical headgear. They were instructed to wear the appliance for at least 12 h per day. A TheraMon® microsensor was embedded in the headgear's strap to objectively measure wear-time. To measure tooth movement, pre- and post-treatment digital models were superimposed, using the palate as a reference area; translation and rotation were measured along three axes. Superimposition and movement measurements were made with the Viewbox 4 software. Average treatment time and headgear wear were 130 days and 55 days, respectively, i.e. 10.1 h/day. During this period, distal movement averaged 1.75 mm with high variability (min 0.2 mm, max 4.5 mm). Distal tipping and rotation had an average of approximately 5 °C. Cumulative headgear wear was significantly correlated with distal movement (r2 = 0.32, P < .002), distal tipping (r2 = 0.27, P < .01), and distal rotation around the long axis of the tooth (r2 = 0.20, P < .05). Compliance is critical for having a successful clinical outcome. Distalization of the molar with a cervical headgear is correlated with the cumulative hours of appliance use, with hours per day being a weaker predictor.

UAV-driven approach for assisting structural health monitoring of port infrastructure

Port engineering planning and management seek to confront challenges affecting the functional and structural capacity of port systems. To achieve this, design, maintenance, and rehabilitation strategies should be enhanced by dynamic approaches that help minimize the impacts of potential degradation due to climate change, natural hazards and aging of port infrastructure. Introducing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) practices to asset management frameworks can improve port sustainability and resilience. Recently, new aspects for assisting SHM approaches with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) applications have emerged. Therefore, the present research is focused on investigating the capabilities of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) monitoring program to advance current SHM practices for port infrastructure. For this purpose, four in-situ inspections were conducted by the Laboratory of Harbour Works (LHW) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) at a Greek port in central-eastern Greece, namely Lavrio port. Data analysis was performed with Close Range Photogrammetry (CRP) methods and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The overall research showed that the UAV-driven SHM supports the condition assessment of port infrastructure, thus assisting practices for smart maintenance.

Beyond linear regression: Modeling COVID-19 clinical cases with wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for the city of Athens and Ohio University campus

Wastewater-based surveillance has emerged as a detection tool for population-wide infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infected individuals shed the virus, which can be detected in wastewater using molecular techniques such as reverse transcription-digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-dPCR). This study examined the association between the number of clinical cases and the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater beyond linear regression and for various normalizations of viral loads. Viral loads were measured in a total of 446 wastewater samples during the period from August 2021 to April 2022. These samples were collected from nine different locations, with 220 samples taken from four specific sites within the city of Athens and 226 samples from five sites within Ohio University. The correlation between COVID-19 cases and wastewater viral concentrations, which was estimated using the Pearson correlation coefficient, was statistically significant and ranged from 0.6 to 0.9. In addition, time-lagged cross correlation was applied to identify the lag time between clinical and wastewater data, estimated 4 to 7 days. While we also explored the effect on the correlation coefficients of various normalizations of viral loads accounting for procedural loss or amount of fecal material and of estimated lag times, these alternative specifications did not change our substantive conclusions. Additionally, several linear and non-linear regression models were applied to predict the COVID-19 cases given wastewater data as input. The non-linear approach was found to yield the highest R-squared and Pearson correlation and lowest Mean Absolute Error values between the predicted and actual number of COVID-19 cases for both aggregated OHIO Campus and city data. Our results provide support for previous studies on correlation and time lag and new evidence that non-linear models, approximated with artificial neural networks, should be implemented for WBS of contagious diseases.

The Role of International Organizations in Shaping the Educational Policy for Higher Education and the First Historically Identified Evaluation Efforts of the Greek Academy of Somatic Education, in the 20th Century

This paper focuses on the presentation of data which are related on the one hand to the role of International Organizations in shaping the educational policy for Higher Education (with an emphasis on Physical Education and Sports Sciences) and on the other hand to the first historically identified efforts to evaluate a higher education institution of Physical Education and Sports Sciences in Greece. Official texts and reports of International Organizations such as International Council on Health, Physical Education and Recreation, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and Council of Europe were studied for the period 1950-1970, according to which their important role and influence in the shaping of educational policy both in Greece and in many other countries was revealed. Regarding the formulation of the educational policy for Higher Education in Greece, the results of the research demonstrate the role that International Organizations played in the initial evaluation efforts concerning the National Academy of Somatic Education which was the only public tertiary education institution for Physical Education and Sports Sciences in Greece at the time and which subsequently was upgraded into the School of Physical Education and Sports Sciences in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Anchors to Solid Clay Brick Masonry in Tension: Behavior under Monotonic and Repeated Loading for Constant Embedment Depth

This paper presents a part of an extensive experimental campaign performed at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) with the purpose of investigating the behavior of chemical anchors embedded in solid brick masonry. Anchors are tested in tension under monotonic or repeated loading. All tests are performed under displacement-controlled conditions. The experimental setup and the instrumentation are presented, along with the investigated parameters and the rationale for the selection of the values of those parameters. In this part of the experimental work, comprising fifty-six (56) tests, the examined parameters are the anchor locations (in mortar joints and in the center of bricks), the state of the substrate (cracked or uncracked), the width of the crack crossing the anchor or at its vicinity (up to 1.20 mm), as well as the loading history (monotonic or repeated). In the tests presented herein, the embedment length of the anchors is equal to 100 mm. The anchors are embedded in solid brick masonry wallettes, and subjected to a normal compressive stress equal to 0.20 MPa. The observed failure modes are explained, and the overall behavior of anchors subjected to tension is presented and commented upon, along with the effect of the investigated parameters on the measured tension resistance, and on the corresponding displacement.

Digitally interconnected tertiary old age mental healthcare services and primary healthcare services for seniors in remote areas in Greece: An exportable model?

AbstractBackgroundEven though communities in remote areas across the globe age, old age mental healthcare services are mainly tertiary‐ or secondary hospital‐ based and subsequently not easily accessible by seniors with mental disorders living in such communities.MethodsThe INTegRated InterveNtion of pSychogerIatric Care (INTRINSIC) network embodies a model of digitally interconnected tertiary old age mental healthcare services and primary healthcare services for seniors in remote areas in Greece. It is coordinated by the Division of Old age mental health of the 1st Department of Psychiatry of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. INTRINSIC network is built around five pillars: The digital platform, bridging healthcare professionals, service users and communities; The old age mental health risk factor surveillance system, enabling the generation of a map of mental health problems of older adults living in each remote community and the initiation of the adequate treatment; the Modified Problem Adaptation Therapy (M‐PATH) intervention; Hearing and vision assessment and support of service users; and an advocacy body consisting of service users, their care partners and families and active members of the local communities. The initial, six‐month phase of INTRINSIC is funded by the Greek Ministry of Health.Results298 seniors living in remote areas of four different Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 (NUTS2) regions have been enrolled in INTRINSIC. They are on average 71.8 years old and 30.5% of them are males. Approximately 18% and 26% of INSTRINSIC service users suffer from depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively; 62.3% complained about cognitive decline. Of note, only in 8% of service users the diagnosis of dementia had been established prior their enrolment, while 33.2% were treated with antidepressants.ConclusionBased on amplification of existing resources through the cooperation of tertiary‐ and primary healthcare professionals who share a vision of change, the INTRINSIC model offers a pragmatic opportunity to provide high quality old age healthcare services to seniors living in remote communities. The still ongoing collection and analyses of service users’ data may provide a solid foundation for INTRINSIC feasibility and sustainability

Fusion of the 2nd with the 3rd Cervical Vertebrae (C2-C3): A Case Series with Possible Clinical Significance

Purpose. The current case series describes three cases of fusion between the 2nd cervical vertebra, the axis (C2), and the 3rd cervical vertebra (C3), creating a C2-C3 osseous complex and highlighting its morphological type of fusion (partial or complete) and morphometric details. The developmental background of this complex is emphasized, pointing out the possible clinical significance. Materials and Methods. The osseous complexes were derived from disarticulated skeletons of body donors and were collected from the osseous collection of the Anatomy Department of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Results. Three blocked vertebral complexes (2 partial and 1 complete C2-C3 osseous masses) were identified. In two cases, the vertebral bodies were partially fused and in one case were completely fused. In the 1st case, the C2-C3 complex had fused spinous processes and distinct transverse processes. Facets were completely fused on the left and partially fused on the right side. In the 2nd case, the C2-C3 complex had partially fused vertebral bodies and distinguishable spinous processes. In the 3rd case, the C2-C3 complex had completely fused vertebral bodies, facets, laminae, and transverse and spinous processes. Conclusions. Among the three (C2-C3) fused osseous complexes, the two were partially and the one was completely ossified. The fused vertebrae were characterized by osteophytic formations (at the dens and C3 area) and osteoporotic lesions. Taking into consideration the C2-C3 fusion, and possible coexisted variants, particular caution should be made in the upper cervical area, to interpret possible neurological manifestations and to reach a safe surgical plan.

Prevalence of Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) Among Patients with Asymptomatic Monoclonal Gammopathies: A Clinical & Electrophysiological Study

Introduction: Asymptomatic monoclonal gammopathies (MGUS, SMM or aWM) are common among adults &amp;gt;50y. Peripheral neuropathy (PN) refers to any disorder of the peripheral nervous system including mononeuropathies, and symmetrical or asymmetrical polyneuropathy. PN is also common among individuals &amp;gt;50y. Common risk factors include diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, alcohol, renal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases and exposure to neurotoxic medication. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between monoclonal gammopathies and PN but a mechanistic link has been established only for some (anti-MAG IgM-related PN, amyloidosis, POEMS syndrome etc). However, the true prevalence of PN among patients (pts) with monoclonal gammopathies is unknown and remains challenging to associate monoclonal gammopathy with PN. The aim of our study is to establish the prevalence of PN in a large cohort of pts with asymptomatic monoclonal gammopathy and identify potential determinants. Methods: This is an ongoing prospective, non-invasive study aiming to screen ~1500 pts with asymptomatic monoclonal gammopathies for PN. Pts under regular follow-up at the Department of Therapeutics, University of Athens, Greece are screened for neuropathic symptoms using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), a validated screening tool for the presence of PN that consists of 15 yes/no items. A cut off ≥ 4 has been proposed as a screening cut off in diabetic PN. All pts scoring ≥4 on MNSI and pts scoring &amp;lt;4 but without risk factors for PN were assessed clinically and electrophysiologically (EDX) with standard nerve conduction studies (NCS), sympathetic skin response (SSR) test and - if needed - electromyography (EMG) by a specialist. NCS protocol includes assessment of the median nerve (motor and sensory), superficial radial nerve (sensory), tibial nerve (motor) and sural nerve (sensory) conduction studies. Axonal PN was diagnosed when the sural to radial ratio (SRAR) is below 0.25 and/or the sural nerve action potential is below 6μV, demyelinating PN if the EAN/PNS criteria for demyelination are fulfilled and sympathetic dysfunction when the SSR amplitude was &amp;lt;500 uV. Results: As of to date, 320 pts (42.8% males, median 67y) with asymptomatic monoclonal gammopathy have been screened; 64.3% had a diagnosis of MGUS (72.3% IgG, 14.1% IgA, 6.3% IgM, 7.3% light chain only), 23.9% had SMM and 11.8% had aWM. Among enrolled pts, 217 (68%) had no common risk factors for PN and 82 pts (25.6%) had an MNSI score ≥4; the commonest symptoms were cramps (48.4%), weakness (26.9%) and pain when walking (26.3%). Among pts without risk factors for PN, 42 (19.4%) had an MNSI score ≥ 4 and the commonest symptoms were cramps (44.7%), pain when walking (22.1%) and weakness (21.7%) (Table 1). There was no difference in the prevalence of MNSI score ≥4 among pts with different paraprotein types. To date, 105 pts (41.9% males, median 66y) had EDX evaluation, of which 77 (73%) had no common risk factors for PN. Among the EDX evaluated pts, 23 (21.9%) had large fiber PN, 42 (40%) had sudomotor dysfunction and 53 (50.5%) had large fiber PN and/or sudomotor dysfunction. Among the cohort of pts without risk factors for PN, 13 (16.9%) had large fiber PN, 25 (32.5%) had sudomotor dysfunction and 34 (44.2%) had large fiber PN and/or sudomotor dysfunction. Nineteen pts that went through EDX were asymptomatic (MNSI=0), of those 4 (21.1%) had large fiber PN, 4 (21.1%) had sudomotor dysfunction and 7 (33.3%) had large fiber PN and/or sudomotor dysfunction. Only one patient, without other risk factors, had a demyelinating neuropathy while all other pts had a length-dependent axonal sensory or sensorimotor neuropathy. Pts with large fiber PN were older (73.7±11.4 vs 63±9.4, p&amp;lt;0.001) but no significant differences were found regarding sex, or paraprotein or light chain type. Pts with sudomotor dysfunction were more likely to have a non-IgM monoclonal gammopathy (90.2% vs 72.6 %, p=0.029). Conclusion: Peripheral neuropathy is common in pts with monocloncal gammopathies affecting ~20% of those without any other risk factors for PN. Although most pts with PN describe mild symptoms, both large fiber PN and sudomotor dysfunction may remain completely asymptomatic. This data provides a new insight into the prevalence of PN in pts with monoclonal gammopathies with implications for future research. The study is ongoing and updated results will be presented.

Creative supervision for drama teachers

This article seeks to understand and explore the experience of a creative supervision group for drama teachers. The group was organized as part of the network of the Theatre Studies Alumni of the University of Athens (Greece) from January to June 2021. The restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic moved these meetings to the Zoom platform, giving the opportunity for drama teachers living outside Attica to participate. In this article, the author discusses the distinctions between dramatherapy and theatre education, as well as their similarities and differences in practice. The author first presents how theatre education works in Greece and then discusses the results of a questionnaire completed by the participants in the creative supervision group. The results suggest that a creative supervision group can provide the necessary feedback, release, and the safe aesthetic distance for drama teachers to work and reflect on issues that concern their students, parents, fellow teachers, as well as their own role.