Τhiazolidine-4-One Derivatives with Variable Modes of Inhibitory Action Against DPP4, a Drug Target with Multiple Activities and Established Role in Diabetes Mellitus Type II.

DPP4 is an enzyme with multiple natural substrates and probable involvement in various mechanisms. It constitutes a drug target for the treatment of diabetes II, although, also related to other disorders. While a number of drugs with competitive inhibitory action and covalent binding capacity are available, undesired side effects exist partly attributed to drug kinetics, and research for finding novel, potent, and safer compounds continues.

Investigating the Cytotoxic Effects of Extract on Oral Carcinoma Cell Line.

, commonly known as absinthe, is a perennial plant with distinctive broad ovate pointed leaves of a silvery-gray color, reaching a height of 1.5 m. The utilization of this herb as a source of natural compounds and as the primary ingredient in the alcoholic beverage absinthe has recently seen a resurgence following a period of prohibition.

Characterizing left ventricular systolic dysfunction in sickle cell disease: three contrasting case reports.

Background: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is an uncommon but life-threatening complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), with poorly characterized aetiology. We present three SCD patients with LVSD due to different underlying mechanisms.

Case Summary: The first case describes rapid deterioration in LV function secondary to severe cardiac iron overload in a 37-year-old female with poor chelation compliance after 10 years of top-up transfusions for SCD.

Prevalence, Severity, and Determinants of Pain in Thalassemia.

As the life expectancy in thalassemia is improving, pain is being recognized as an emerging problem. To document the pain prevalence and severity in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia all transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients >10 years of age ( = 165) attending the Thalassemia Day Care Center were assessed for pain prevalence, severity, and its effect on various life activities using the Brief Pain Inventory. Their medical records were reviewed for the presence of various co-morbidities.

Vitamin D Status in Osteoporotic and Diabetic Patients and Athletic Healthy Individuals from Northern Greece.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is recognised as a pandemic in the developed world. However, the importance of prudent sun exposure tends to be overlooked, which is responsible for this pandemic.

Methods: We investigated the vitamin D status in 326 adults, 165 females and 161 males: 99 Osteoporosis patients, 53 Type 1 Diabetes patients, 51 Type 2 Diabetes patients, and 123 Athletic Healthy individuals, from Northern Greece, through the measurement of total calcidiol in winter and summer by immunoenzymatic assay.

Classical infratentorial superficial siderosis of the central nervous system: pathophysiology, clinical features and management.

The term superficial siderosis (SS) is derived from the Greek word 'sideros', meaning iron. It includes two subtypes, distinguished by their anatomical distribution, causes and clinical features: 'classical' infratentorial SS (iSS, which sometimes also affects supratentorial regions) and cortical SS (cSS, which affects only supratentorial regions). This paper considers iSS, a potentially disabling disorder usually associated with very slow persistent or intermittent subarachnoid bleeding from a dural defect, and characterised by progressive hearing and vestibular impairment, ataxia, myelopathy and cognitive dysfunction.

Hospital clinicians' psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal study.

Background: Hospital clinicians report poor psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have reported data at more than one time point.

Aims: To compare psychosocial well-being among hospital clinicians at two different time points during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The COVID Positive Pathway: a collaboration between public health agencies, primary care, and metropolitan hospitals in Melbourne.

Objectives: To assess the capacity of the COVID Positive Pathway, a collaborative model of care involving the Victorian public health unit, hospital services, primary care, community organisations, and the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, to support people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) isolating at home.

Design, Setting, Participants: Cohort study of adults in northwest Melbourne with COVID-19, 3 August - 31 December 2020.

Main Outcome Measures: Demographic and clinical characteristics, and social and welfare needs of people cared for in the Pathway, by care tier level.

All-Inorganic p-n Heterojunction Solar Cells by Solution Combustion Synthesis Using N-type FeMnO Perovskite Photoactive Layer.

This study outlines the synthesis and physicochemical characteristics of a solution-processable iron manganite (FeMnO) nanoparticles via a chemical combustion method using tartaric acid as a fuel whilst demonstrating the performance of this material as a n-type photoactive layer in all-oxide solar cells. It is shown that the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method enables the formation of pure crystal phase FeMnO with controllable particle size. XRD pattern and morphology images from TEM confirm the purity of FeMnO phase and the relatively small crystallite size (∼13 nm), firstly reported in the literature.

Total Annual Economic Burden of Patients with Sickle Cell Disease in Steady State in Greece.

Sickle cell disease includes a group of congenital hemolytic anemias, all characterized by the predominance of Hb S (: c.20A>T). The population movement due to economic migration or escape from conflict zones will further affect the health systems of countries by either increasing the number of patients or forcing countries to create care units for sickle cell disease patients.

Immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work and personal lives of Australian hospital clinical staff.

Objective This study investigated the short-term psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital clinical staff, specifically their self-reported concerns and perceived impact on their work and personal lives. Methods Nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health staff at a large metropolitan tertiary health service in Melbourne, Australia, completed an anonymous online cross-sectional survey between 15 May and 10 June 2020. The survey assessed respondents' COVID-19 contact status, concerns related to COVID-19 and other effects of COVID-19.

Neuropsychological and neuroimaging characteristics of classical superficial siderosis.

Objective: To define the neuropsychological and neuroimaging characteristics of classical infratentorial superficial siderosis (iSS), a rare but disabling disorder defined by hemosiderin deposition affecting the superficial layers of the cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord, usually associated with a slowly progressive neurological syndrome of deafness, ataxia and myelopathy.

Methods: We present the detailed neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings in 16 patients with iSS (mean age 57 years; 6 female).

Results: Cognitive impairment was present in 8/16 (50%) of patients: executive dysfunction was the most prevalent (44%), followed by impairment of visual recognition memory (27%); other cognitive domains were largely spared.

New Substituted 5-Benzylideno-2-Adamantylthiazol[3,2-b][1,2,4]Triazol-6(5)ones as Possible Anti-Inflammatory Agents.

Background: Inflammation is a complex response to noxious stimuli promoted by the release of chemical mediators from the damaged cells. Metabolic products of arachidonic acid, produced by the action of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, play important roles in this process. Several non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs act as cyclooxygenase inhibitors.

Psychological well-being of Australian hospital clinical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective This study assessed the psychological well-being of Australian hospital clinical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An anonymous online cross-sectional survey was conducted in a large metropolitan tertiary health service located in Melbourne, Australia. The survey was completed by nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health (AH) staff between 15 May and 10 June 2020.

Surface Treatment of Cu:NiOx Hole-Transporting Layer Using β-Alanine for Hysteresis-Free and Thermally Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) using a Cu:NiOx hole transporting layer (HTL) often exhibit stability issues and in some cases J/V hysteresis. In this work, we developed a β-alanine surface treatment process on Cu:NiOx HTL that provides J/V hysteresis-free, highly efficient, and thermally stable inverted PSCs. The improved device performance due to β-alanine-treated Cu:NiOx HTL is attributed to the formation of an intimate Cu:NiOx/perovskite interface and reduced charge trap density in the bulk perovskite active layer.

Substituted 6,7-dimethoxy-5-oxo-2,3,5,9b-tetrahydrothiazolo[2,3-a]isoindole- 3-1,1-dioxide Derivatives with Antimicrobial Activity and Docking Assisted Prediction of the Mechanism of their Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties.

Background: Although a great number of the targets of antimicrobial therapy have been achieved, it remains among the first fields of pharmaceutical research, mainly because of the development of resistant strains. Docking analysis may be an important tool in the research for the development of more effective agents against specific drug targets or multi-target agents 1-3.

Methods: In the present study, based on docking analysis, ten tetrahydrothiazolo[2,3-a]isoindole derivatives were chosen for the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity.

3-Amino-5-(indol-3-yl)methylene-4-oxo-2-thioxothiazolidine Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents: Synthesis, Computational and Biological Evaluation.

Herein we report the design, synthesis, computational, and experimental evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of fourteen new 3-amino-5-(indol-3-yl) methylene-4-oxo-2-thioxothiazolidine derivatives. The structures were designed, and their antimicrobial activity and toxicity were predicted in silico. All synthesized compounds exhibited antibacterial activity against eight Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

In Silico Evaluation of the Effectivity of Approved Protease Inhibitors against the Main Protease of the Novel SARS-CoV-2 Virus.

The coronavirus disease, COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which first emerged in Wuhan, China and was made known to the World in December 2019 turned into a pandemic causing more than 126,124 deaths worldwide up to April 16th, 2020. It has 79.5% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-1 and the same strategy for host cell invasion through the ACE-2 surface protein.

Protecting vulnerable patients with inherited anaemias from unnecessary death during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the developing COVID-19 pandemic, patients with inherited anaemias require specific advice regarding isolation and changes to usual treatment schedules. The National Haemoglobinopathy Panel (NHP) has issued guidance on the care of patients with sickle cell disease, thalassaemia, Diamond Blackfan anaemia (DBA), congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia (CDA), sideroblastic anaemia, pyruvate kinase deficiency and other red cell enzyme and membrane disorders. Cascading of accurate information for clinicians and patients is paramount to preventing adverse outcomes, such as patients who are at increased risk of fulminant bacterial infection due to their condition or its treatment erroneously self-isolating if their fever is mistakenly attributed to a viral cause, delaying potentially life-saving antibiotic therapy.

Genetic and Clinical Heterogeneity in Thirteen New Cases with Aceruloplasminemia. Atypical Anemia as a Clue for an Early Diagnosis.

Aceruloplasminemia is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by mild microcytic anemia, diabetes, retinopathy, liver disease, and progressive neurological symptoms due to iron accumulation in pancreas, retina, liver, and brain. The disease is caused by mutations in the Ceruloplasmin () gene that produce a strong reduction or absence of ceruloplasmin ferroxidase activity, leading to an impairment of iron metabolism. Most patients described so far are from Japan.

Novel Thiazolidin-4-ones as Potential Non-nucleoside Inhibitors of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase.

Background: HIV is the causative agent of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), an infectious disease with increasing incidence worldwide. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) play an important role in the treatment of AIDS. Although, many compounds are already being used as anti-HIV drugs, research for the development of new inhibitors continues as the virus develops resistant strains.