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A Cypriot scientist, Special Educator with studies in Deafness, Dyslexia, Augmentative, Alternative Communication (AA... moreA Cypriot scientist, Special Educator with studies in Deafness, Dyslexia, Augmentative, Alternative Communication (AAC), Assistive Technology (AT), Computers in Education and Inclusion practices. He has 50 years of experience in Education and in Special Education as a special needs teacher, a teacher for the deaf, an inclusion coordinator, an Inspector of Special Education and an instructional material and curriculum developer. His has worked with AT for more than 35 years and introduced computers and AT in public and private school in Cyprus and elsewhere.
He is the establisher and the Director of SE. S, (www.icteach.org), now SESAT Ltd providing services of consultation, assessment, intervention, and training as well as distributing AT in Cyprus, Greece, Europe in the Middle East and the Arab countries. He has run projects for the Kuwait Dyslexia Association and the Bahrain Ministry of Social Development funded by the United Nations Development Plan (UNDP). He acts now as an AT Consultant for the Ministry of Education in Moldova (funded by the World Bank) and as an AT Consultant for the Ministry of Social Development in Saudi Arabia. He is one of the European Projects’ Evaluators specializing in Primary and Special Education as well as in Educational Technology, Inclusion and Assistive Technology.
He has trained people in Bosnia, Kosovo, Moldova, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Bahrain, and Oman on AT, on AAC and on inclusion practices. He is the designer, localizer and developer of a big series of tools (software-hardware) instructional materials in Greek, Bosnian, English, Moldovian, Russian and Arabic.
He has been awarded seven national and international prizes for his pioneer work with the special needs people.
Email: makrisp@cytanet.com.cy, sesses@cytanet.com.cy
Website: www.sesarab.com, www.icteach.org , www.kidmedia.eu
Mobile: 00357 99663397 edit
People with severe motor control problems, who at the same time lack of verbal communication, use alternatively non verbal communication techniques and aids which usually combine symbols, icons, drawings, sounds and text. The present... more
People with severe motor control problems, who at the same time lack of verbal communication, use alternatively non verbal communication techniques and aids which usually combine symbols, icons, drawings, sounds and text. The present paper describes completely configurable multilingual software that can contribute to the above group’s needs as it facilitates access to a personalized computerized system which provides options
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Special software supports provided services and services foster improvement and development of special software. Pantelis Makris Assistive Technology Expert Special Educational Consultant UNDP Expert in Technology for People with Special... more
Special software supports provided services and services foster improvement and development of special software. Pantelis Makris Assistive Technology Expert Special Educational Consultant UNDP Expert in Technology for People with Special Needs. The quality of the provided special educational and other services has been very much questioned in the 21st century and detailed evaluating procedures with criteria and quality indicators have been developed and tested. One of the decisive indicators of the quality of Education and Rehabilitation in Europe, USA and other parts of the world is the use of technology and Assistive Technology (Convention of the United Nations, Articles 9, 21, 22). During the last three decades Assistive Technology (AT) was given special attention by developers, professionals and researchers and a big number of software and hardware have been designed and developed. The new technology features like multimedia, feedback and reward, logging of data, cloud and inter...
Abstract: Current literature has put special attention to the issue of reading difficulties. Poor reading performance can suggest possible problems such as dyslexia and other learning disabilities. It is thus important to ensure the early... more
Abstract: Current literature has put special attention to the issue of reading difficulties. Poor reading performance can suggest possible problems such as dyslexia and other learning disabilities. It is thus important to ensure the early identification of the problem when this exists and provide early intervention to children when needed. The authors of this paper have developed a battery of Internet based applications which collectively operate as a screening test of cognitive abilities capable not only to predict children at risk (eg, possible ...
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We studied 172 Greek patients (72 men aged 44.0 +/- 16.7 years and 100 women aged 46.5 +/- 14.1 years) with an unexplained thrombophilic tendency. One hundred and four apparently healthy persons (63 men aged 34.2 +/- 10.0 years and 41... more
We studied 172 Greek patients (72 men aged 44.0 +/- 16.7 years and 100 women aged 46.5 +/- 14.1 years) with an unexplained thrombophilic tendency. One hundred and four apparently healthy persons (63 men aged 34.2 +/- 10.0 years and 41 women aged 37.1 +/- 13.3 years) were included as a control group. We performed the activated protein C resistance (APC-r) test using a clotting test (Chromogenix kit), detection of factor V Leiden using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms and measurement of thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) levels with an immunoenzymatic assay. The normal range for the APC-r test (> 2.12) was determined from the controls. The factor V Leiden mutation was found in 31.9% of all the patients tested, in 28.1% of the unrelated patients with documented thrombophilic tendency of unknown origin and in 4.8% of the healthy controls. The APC-r test had a sensitivity of 0.42 and a specificity of 0...
Research Interests:
Greece, Humans, Mutation, Female, Male, and 6 moreClinical Sciences, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Adult, Prothrombin, and Case Control Studies
The generation of a fibrin clot is mediated by the regulated activation of a series of serine proteases and their cofactors. Factor VIII in its activated form, FVIIIa, acts as a cofactor to the serine protease FIXa, in the conversion of... more
The generation of a fibrin clot is mediated by the regulated activation of a series of serine proteases and their cofactors. Factor VIII in its activated form, FVIIIa, acts as a cofactor to the serine protease FIXa, in the conversion of the zymogen FX to the active enzyme FXa. Both FVIII and FIX ...
Heparin is a widely used anticoagulant. Its use in the treatment of numerous disorders in the field of almost all specialties is becoming wider day by day; accordingly it became the most com- mon drug cause of thrombocytopenia.... more
Heparin is a widely used anticoagulant. Its use in the treatment of numerous disorders in the field of almost all specialties is becoming wider day by day; accordingly it became the most com- mon drug cause of thrombocytopenia. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II syndrome) is the most serious complication of both unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin
Page 1. Letters in Peptide Science, 9: 101-109, 2002. KLUWER/ESCOM 9 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 101 Novel synthetic RGD analogs incorporating salicylic acid derivatives show antiplatelet activity in vitro... more
Page 1. Letters in Peptide Science, 9: 101-109, 2002. KLUWER/ESCOM 9 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 101 Novel synthetic RGD analogs incorporating salicylic acid derivatives show antiplatelet activity in vitro ...
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Thrombosis Research, Volume 125, Issue null, Pages S171, April 2010, Authors:S. Karkabounas; P. Veltsistas; R. Liasko; A. Metsios; MP Makris; A. Evangelou; PE Makris.
Research Interests:
The role of factor VII and activated factor VII (VIIa) is considered to be crucial in the coagulation process. The efficacy of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic episodes has been... more
The role of factor VII and activated factor VII (VIIa) is considered to be crucial in the coagulation process. The efficacy of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic episodes has been established in numerous controlled therapeutic trials. However, the mechanisms of their antithrombotic action are still disputed. Heparins exert their anticoagulant effect by enhancing ATIII inhibitory action on factor Xa and thrombin, which results in decreased factor X activation, prothrombinase formation, prothrombin activation and thrombin generation. Moreover, it is clearly established that both kinds of heparins (unfractionated heparin and LMWHs) induce the release of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI). Therefore, they are involved indirectly in tissue factor (TF)/factor VIIa complex inhibition by the TFPI/factor Xa complex. Factor VII activation is an essential step in the process of blood coagulation and it plays an important role in thrombogenesis. A method for the measurement of factor VIIa has been recently developed. A study on the effects of antithrombotic drugs, as heparins, on factor VIIa generation might allow to better understand the mechanisms that regulate its activation. We investigated ex vivo the effect of treatment with LMWHs on factor VIIa generation during in vitro coagulation of whole blood in order to clarify if LMWHs interfere with factor VIIa generation.
Research Interests:
Humans, Female, Male, Blood Coagulation, Clinical Sciences, and 4 moreAged, Middle Aged, Adult, and Thrombosis
Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa; NovoSeven, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) appears effective and relatively safe for the treatment of bleeding and for surgical prophylaxis in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia as reported to the... more
Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa; NovoSeven, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) appears effective and relatively safe for the treatment of bleeding and for surgical prophylaxis in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia as reported to the International Registry on rFVIIa and Congenital Platelet Disorders. One of the shortcomings of the Registry data is the heterogeneity of treatment protocol, including dosage, number of doses used, duration of treatment before declaration of failure, and mode of rFVIIa administration (bolus v continuous infusion). The data are not yet sufficient to define optimal regimens for various indications such as the type of bleeding or the type of procedures. The place of this drug compared to platelet transfusion in the overall management of patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia will need to be determined in relationship to a number of challenges and unresolved issues in the clinical care of these patients. These issues include: how to improve local measures for patients with mucosal bleeds, optimal management of young women during menarche, optimal platelet transfusion regimens for various indications, the relationship between antiplatelet antibodies detected by monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of platelet antigens (MAIPA) and effectiveness of platelet transfusion, whether there are other biological tests that may correlate with effectiveness of platelet transfusion, and management of pregnancy and delivery regarding antiplatelet immunization.
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Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa; NovoSeven®, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) appears effective and relatively safe for the treatment of bleeding and for surgical prophylaxis in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia as reported to the... more
Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa; NovoSeven®, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) appears effective and relatively safe for the treatment of bleeding and for surgical prophylaxis in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia as reported to the International Registry on rFVIIa and Congenital Platelet Disorders. One of the shortcomings of the Registry data is the heterogeneity of treatment protocol, including dosage, number of doses used,
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT
Research Interests:
BACKGROUND: In patients with hereditary bleeding disorders, upper gastrointestinal bleeding presents a life-threatening complication, while the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in this group of patients has not been fully... more
BACKGROUND: In patients with hereditary bleeding disorders, upper gastrointestinal bleeding presents a life-threatening complication, while the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in this group of patients has not been fully clarified in the literature. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of H. pylori infection and of dental status in upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic disorders (HHD). METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with HHD (18 patients with and 19 without a history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding) and 26 control patients without HHD, who were admitted to our hospital for elective gastroscopy due to dyspeptic symptoms, were included in the study. Endoscopy was performed on all patients with gastrointestinal bleeding and on controls. ELISA was used to detect IgG, anti-CagA, and IgA antibodies to H. pylori in the serum and saliva of patients and controls. Moreover, dental status was examined using the decayed/missing/filled teeth index (DMFT) in all subjects. The chi(2)-test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Some 64.8% of the patients and 65.4% of the controls had H. pylori IgG antibodies in serum (P>0.1, NS) while 54.05% of the patients and 34.6% of controls were anti-CagA-positive in serum (P=NS). However, 83 and 26.3% of the HHD patients with and without gastrointestinal bleeding, respectively, were serum anti-CagA-positive (P<0.01) while 72 and 58%, respectively, were serum IgG-positive (P=NS). H. pylori antibodies in saliva and the DMFT calculated index did not differ between the two subgroups. Subsequently, all serum anti-CagA-positive HHD patients received 1-week of triple H. pylori eradication therapy with omeprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin orally. During a 2-year follow-up, none of these patients reported upper gastrointestinal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Although no statistically significant difference in H. pylori infection was found between HHD and controls, the CagA strain appeared more frequently in those HHD patients with a history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Given our results and the limited data available in the literature, we would recommend anti-CagA screening and therapy to all patients with HHD. However, further studies with a longer follow-up and a greater number of patients are necessary.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Computed Tomography, Risk assessment, Humans, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Female, and 16 morePrimary Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Renal Function, Clinical Sciences, High Resolution, Adult, Physical examination, Lower limb, Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Combination drug therapy, Disease Progression, Risk Assessment, X ray Computed Tomography, Laboratory Tests, Intravenous Immunoglobulin, Critical Illness, and Magnetic resonance angiography
Summary: Thrombocytopenia is a serious situation that causes anxiety in doctors and patients due to its relationship with serious hemorrhagic manifestations. Pseudothrombocytopenia, however, is a situation without clinical interest... more
Summary: Thrombocytopenia is a serious situation that causes anxiety in doctors and patients due to its relationship with serious hemorrhagic manifestations. Pseudothrombocytopenia, however, is a situation without clinical interest because it is an in vitro decrease in platelet ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We studied the effect of synthetic pentasaccharide, a low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin), unfractionated heparin and recombinant hirudin on the generation of factor VIIa (FVIIa) and prothrombin activation after in-vitro clotting of... more
We studied the effect of synthetic pentasaccharide, a low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin), unfractionated heparin and recombinant hirudin on the generation of factor VIIa (FVIIa) and prothrombin activation after in-vitro clotting of human platelet-poor plasma. FVIIa was measured with a new clotting assay that uses recombinant tissue factor truncated to interact only with FVIIa. Residual prothrombin was measured using the conventional clotting assay. FVIIa and residual FII were measured in the liquid - called pseudo-serum (psi-serum) - obtained 1 h after clotting of normal platelet-poor plasma. A kinetic study of the generation of FVIIa was also performed. Coagulation was initiated by triggering the extrinsic, the intrinsic and both associated clotting pathways. Levels of FVIIa in the psi-sera (55+/-15, 258+/-18, and 164+/-18 ng/ml, in the extrinsic, intrinsic and intrinsic + thromboplastin psi-serum respectively; values are means+/-SEM) were significantly increased compared with those in the platelet-poor plasma (3 ng/ml). Pentasaccharide, low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin inhibited the generation of factor VIIa or its activity, or both, in a dose-dependent manner in all the experimental systems (60-90% inhibition). A kinetic study revealed that the inhibition of the generation of FVIIa by pentasaccharide and heparins starts 1 min after triggering either the extrinsic or the intrinsic clotting pathway. The downregulation of FVIIa by heparins was effected mainly by their anti-Xa activity, but also by their inhibitory effect on the generation of prothrombinase. Pentasaccharide, enoxaparin and unfractionated heparin significantly inhibited prothrombin activation in both extrinsic and intrinsic experimental system. Hirudin had no inhibitory effect either on the generation of FVIIa or on prothrombin activation in any experimental system.
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ABSTRACT We studied 172 Greek patients (72 men aged 44.0+/-16.7 years and 100 women aged 46.5+/-14.1 years) with an unexplained thrombophilic tendency. One hundred and four apparently healthy persons (63 men aged 34.2+/-10.0 years and 41... more
ABSTRACT We studied 172 Greek patients (72 men aged 44.0+/-16.7 years and 100 women aged 46.5+/-14.1 years) with an unexplained thrombophilic tendency. One hundred and four apparently healthy persons (63 men aged 34.2+/-10.0 years and 41 women aged 37.1+/-13.3 years) were included as a control group. We performed the activated protein C resistance (APC-r) test using a clotting test (Chromogenix kit), detection of factor V Leiden using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms and measurement of thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2) levels with an immunoenzymatic assay. The normal range for the APC-r test (> 2.12) was determined from the controls. The factor V Leiden mutation was found in 31.9% of all the patients tested, in 28.1% of the unrelated patients with documented thrombophilic tendency of unknown origin and in 4.8% of the healthy controls. The APC-r test had a sensitivity of 0.42 and a specificity of 0.91 for the detection of factor V Leiden. Furthermore, we found no significant difference in levels of TAT and F1+2 between patients with and without the mutation and there was no correlation between aPC-r values and levels of TAT and F1+2.
Research Interests:
Thromboembolic events are serious complications of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and its treatment. Dural sinus thrombosis (DST) has been predominantly described in children with ALL. We report a case of DST in a 5-year-old boy with... more
Thromboembolic events are serious complications of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and its treatment. Dural sinus thrombosis (DST) has been predominantly described in children with ALL. We report a case of DST in a 5-year-old boy with T-ALL without CNS infiltration. The patient had completed the first phase of induction without any drawbacks and continued with the high risk (HR) protocol
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The paper presents the potentials of Assistive and other Technology to support autistic childre,