Background Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomalrecessive disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis. It is common in eastern Mediterranean population. There are only few FMF patients in Slovenia and Macedonia and the mutation carrier rate is not known. So far, over 80 disease associated mutations have been identified in MEFV gene; the most common are M694V,...

We studied the genetic structure of Trionyx triunguis populations from the Mediterranean and African continent based on mtDNA D-loop (776 bp) and nine microsatellite loci. A total of 102 polymorphic sites and 13 mtDNA haplotypes were described. Nucleotide diversity and haplotypes diversity were 0.047 and 0.974 respectively. Both mtDNA and nDNA supported the existence of two main management unit...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to assess internet usage patterns and adherence to the Mediterranean diet among employees in South West England, UK and their differences by personal characteristics. METHOD A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2014 among 590 adults (428 women, 162 men, mean age 43.8 years), employees of four work-place settings. Mediterranean diet adherence was assesse...

Numerous health benefits have been attributed to the 'Mediterranean diet' over the last decades. Selecting foods that were common in the Mediterranean regions (especially Crete) in the 1970s, with a frequent and abundant intake of fruit, vegetables, fish, olive oil and perhaps wine, has been reported to be associated with wide-ranging benefits including improved glucose metabolism and decreased...

Familial Mediterranean fever is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by sporadic, paroxysmal attacks of fever and serosal inflammation. In Familial Mediterranean fever, peritoneal effusion during abdominal attacks is usually mild, is not detected by clinical evaluation, and disappears during clinical remission. Chronic ascites has rarely been described in patients with Familial Mediter...

The notion of the Mediterranean diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment, and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is pre...

Considering the Mediterranean as a region of high evaporation and low precipitation, evaluations of sinks and sources of moisture and precipitation in the Mediterranean basin have been carried out within the frame of the CIRCE (Climate Change and Impact Research: the Mediterranean Environment) project. Besides these evaluations, residence time and stagnation/ventilation analyses have been carri...

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the most important pest of olives in olive growing regions worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean basin and North America. Despite the economic importance of the olive fly, the colonization route of this species is unclear. We used nuclear microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA to provide information about the population structure and invasion...

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is the most abundant and widespread mysticete species in the Mediterranean Sea, found mostly in deep, offshore waters of the western and central portion of the region. In the Mediterranean, this species is known to feed mainly on krill, in contrast to its Atlantic counterpart, which displays a more diversified diet. The International Whaling Commission reco...

OBJECTIVE To review the evidence that the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity. SETTING Elderly persons of both genders in Greece, Spain, Denmark and Australia studied by different groups of investigators. METHODS Adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet was operationalised through a score devised a priori, and study participants were followed up until de...