Impact of a school-based food assistance program on household food insecurity in Greece, 2012-2019: a multi-year evaluation of the DIATROFI program.

Background: Childhood food insecurity can persist among low socioeconomic areas in high-income countries. Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) programs are designed to respond to this pressing issue. This study aimed to conduct a multi-year evaluation of the DIATROFI Program's impact on household food insecurity in Greece.

A Novel Fluorescent Gemcitabine Prodrug That Follows a Nucleoside Transporter-Independent Internalization and Bears Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy With Respect to Gemcitabine.

The multiplexity of cancer has rendered it the second leading cause of mortality worldwide and theragnostic prodrugs have gained popularity in recent years as a means of treatment. Theragnostic prodrugs enable the simultaneous diagnosis and therapy of tumors via high-precision real-time drug release monitoring. Herein, we report the development of the small theragnostic prodrug GF, based on the nucleoside anticancer agent gemcitabine and the fluorescent dye 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein.

Improving Children's Lifestyle and Quality of Life through Synchronous Online Education: The Nutritional Adventures School-Based Program.

The early introduction of effective nutritional educational programs is pivotal for instilling sustainable healthy behaviors. The present work aims to present a best practice example of a nutrition and overall lifestyle school-based training program, the Nutritional Adventures ("Diatrofoperipeteies"). Conducted during 2020-2022 in Greek primary schools, this synchronous, online educational initiative included two 1-school-hour activities with a nutrition instructor.

Combating Loneliness in Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a Volunteer-Based Program in Greece.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the feeling of loneliness, especially among older adults. This study aims to investigate any association between COVID-19 cases in Greece and the number of Loneliness Helpline calls at the Friendship at Every Age program and to assess whether the interconnection part of the program, which interconnects older adults with volunteers, can combat loneliness/social isolation in older adults. This is a supportive, volunteer-based, social intervention program.

Development of a novel apigenin prodrug programmed for alkaline-phosphatase instructed self-inhibition to combat cancer.

Elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are a hallmark of cancer progression and thus inhibition of ALP could serve as an effective approach against cancer. Herein, we developed a novel prodrug approach to tackle cancer that bears self-inhibiting alkaline phosphatase-responsiveness properties that can enhance at the same time the solubility of the parent compound. To probe this novel concept, we selected apigenin as the cytotoxic agent since we first unveiled, that it directly interacts and inhibits ALP activity.

Essential Skills for Health Communication, Barriers, Facilitators and the Need for Training: Perceptions of Healthcare Professionals from Seven European Countries.

Many healthcare professionals are unaware of the necessary skills and barriers hindering interpersonal health communication. This study aimed to evaluate the healthcare professional's perception regarding health communication training's necessity, barriers, facilitators and critical skills in health communication. Data from a cross-sectional online survey in the framework of the H-Com project were utilized.

Nutritional Value of Meals Designed for a School-Based Food Aid Program and Comparison with Similar Commercial Products: An Example of Good Practice from the DIATROFI Program.

Providing meals of high nutritional value should be the principal objective of large-scale school-based food aid programs. This study aimed at highlighting the nutritional value of meals distributed in the school-based food assistance DIATROFI Program by comparing them to their commercially available counterparts. For the purpose of this study, = 13 DIATROFI meals and = 50 commercial products from the 2016-2017 school year, and = 12 DIATROFI meals and = 40 commercial products from the 2022-2023 school year were selected.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Childhood and Adolescence: The Interrelation with Level of Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Dietary Trajectories: Highlights from the DIATROFI Program (2021-2022).

Children's dietary habits can have a key role in contributing to an improvement in their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). This study aims to assess the connection between Mediterranean diet adherence and HRQoL in a sample of Greek students, utilizing data from the DIATROFI program. The parents of 3774 students (mean age 7.

Older People in Emergencies; Addressing Food Insecurity, Health Status and Quality of Life: Evaluating the "365+ Days of Care" Program.

During emergencies, older adults stand among the most vulnerable, facing long-lasting food insecurity and overall health issues. The "365+ Days of Care" food aid program addressed food insecurity and poor quality of life among vulnerable older adults following a devastating wildfire in Greece. Our aim was to evaluate the program's efficiency, using a process evaluation framework and a partial cost-utility analysis.

Assessing Quality of Life in First- and Second-Generation Immigrant Children and Adolescents; Highlights from the DIATROFI Food Aid and Healthy Nutrition Promotion Program.

To compare first- and second-immigrant pediatric populations with a non-immigrant pediatric population in terms of quality-of-life metrics, a cross-sectional analysis using data from the DIATROFI Program was implemented. In total, = 2277 students (mean age: 9(4) years) from public schools in Greece participating in the 2020-2021 school year were analyzed. The students' immigration status (first-generation/second-generation) was defined as per the standard definition.

Effect of being a persistent picky eater on feeding difficulties in school-aged children.

Children who are picky eaters often develop feeding difficulties during preschool years. These difficulties may persist into adolescence in some children. The study aim was to examine feeding difficulties and maternal feeding strategies longitudinally from age 5.

Prevalence and Socioeconomic Correlates of Adult Obesity in Europe: The Feel4Diabetes Study.

To effectively tackle obesity, it is necessary to identify all specific socioeconomic factors which contribute to its development. We aimed to highlight the prevalence of adult overweight/obesity in European countries and investigate the association of various socioeconomic factors and their accumulative effect on overweight/obesity status. Cross-sectional data from the Feel4Diabetes study for 24,562 adults residing in low socioeconomic areas were collected, representing Belgium, Finland, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, and Hungary.

Phenethyl ester of rosmarinic acid ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Rosmarinic acid is a polyphenolic compound, abundantly present in herbs of the Lamiaceae family. The aim of the study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of a recently developed phenethyl ester derivative of rosmarinic acid (PERA), with enhanced ability of diffusion through biological membranes, in an animal model of the central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity. To this end, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis was used.

Comparative Interaction Studies of Quercetin with 2-Hydroxyl-propyl-β-cyclodextrin and 2,6-Methylated-β-cyclodextrin.

Quercetin (QUE) is a well-known natural product that can exert beneficial properties on human health. However, due to its low solubility its bioavailability is limited. In the present study, we examine whether its formulation with two cyclodextrins (CDs) may enhance its pharmacological profile.

Anti-Ageing Potential of Heldr. Phenolics.

In recent years, the use of species as bioactive agents is increasing exponentially. The present study aimed to investigate the chemical constituents, as well as the anti-ageing potential of the cultivated Heldr. The chemical fingerprinting of the ethyl acetate residue of this plant was studied using 1D and 2D-NMR spectra.

Extracurricular Sports Participation and Sedentary Behavior in Association with Dietary Habits and Obesity Risk in Children and Adolescents and the Role of Family Structure: a Literature Review.

Purpose Of Review: Childhood obesity is considered a major problem in the modern world, associated with many health issues in youth. This review aimed the association between extracurricular sports participation, sedentary time/screen time, and "obesogenic" and "non-obesogenic" dietary habits among youth and to explore the role of family structure on the adoption of sedentary behaviors by children.

Recent Findings: Increased participation in extracurricular sports was associated with a healthier dietary pattern, containing more "non-obesogenic" food choices.

A Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network Architecture Applied for Bone Metastasis Classification in Nuclear Medicine: A Case Study on Prostate Cancer Patients.

Bone metastasis is among the most frequent in diseases to patients suffering from metastatic cancer, such as breast or prostate cancer. A popular diagnostic method is bone scintigraphy where the whole body of the patient is scanned. However, hot spots that are presented in the scanned image can be misleading, making the accurate and reliable diagnosis of bone metastasis a challenge.

Preparation and Biophysical Characterization of Quercetin Inclusion Complexes with β-Cyclodextrin Derivatives to be Formulated as Possible Nose-to-Brain Quercetin Delivery Systems.

Quercetin (Que) is a flavonoid associated with high oxygen radical scavenging activity and potential neuroprotective activity against Alzheimer's disease. Que's oral bioavailability is limited by its low water solubility and extended peripheral metabolism; thus, nasal administration may be a promising alternative to achieve effective Que concentrations in the brain. The formation of Que-2-hydroxypropylated-β-cyclodextrin (Que/HP-β-CD) complexes was previously found to increase the molecule's solubility and stability in aqueous media.

Bioinspired tailoring of fluorogenic thiol responsive antioxidant precursors to protect cells against HO-induced DNA damage.

Natural antioxidants, like phenolic acids, possess a unique chemical space that can protect cellular components from oxidative stress. However, their polar carboxylic acid chemotype reduces full intracellular antioxidant potential due to limited diffusion through biological membranes. Here, we have designed and developed a new generation of hydrophobic turn-on fluorescent antioxidant precursors that upon penetration of the cell membrane, reveal a more polar and more potent antioxidant core and simultaneously become fluorescent allowing their intracellular tracking.

Valorisation of stachysetin from cultivated Griseb. as anti-diabetic agent: a multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking approach.

species are considered as important medicinal plants with numerous health benefit effects. In continuation of our research on the Greek species, the chemical profile of the aerial parts of cultivated Griseb. has been explored.

Exploring the oxidation and iron binding profile of a cyclodextrin encapsulated quercetin complex unveiled a controlled complex dissociation through a chemical stimulus.

Background: Flavonoids possess a rich polypharmacological profile and their biological role is linked to their oxidation state protecting DNA from oxidative stress damage. However, their bioavailability is hampered due to their poor aqueous solubility. This can be surpassed through encapsulation to supramolecular carriers as cyclodextrin (CD).

Lipophilic ester and amide derivatives of rosmarinic acid protect cells against HO-induced DNA damage and apoptosis: The potential role of intracellular accumulation and labile iron chelation.

Phenolic acids represent abundant components contained in human diet. However, the negative charge in their carboxylic group limits their capacity to diffuse through biological membranes, thus hindering their access to cell interior. In order to promote the diffusion of rosmarinic acid through biological membranes, we synthesized several lipophilic ester- and amide-derivatives of this compound and evaluated their capacity to prevent HO-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in cultured human cells.

Corticomedullary mixed adrenal tumor: case report and literature review.

We report a 66-year-old woman with a mixed corticomedullary tumor of the left adrenal gland. The patient was found to harbor an adrenal incidentaloma while investigated for a spigelian hernia. Due to the atypical radiological features and the relatively large size of the adrenal lesion she underwent a left adrenalectomy following endocrine testing to exclude a functional lesion.