The testamentary capacity in acute stroke. A cross-sectional study.

Succession law, which governs the creation and validity of wills, is closely tied to testamentary capacity (TC), the cognitive competence required for a valid will. This study explores TC in acute stroke patients and its connections to demographic and clinical characteristics. The research included first-time stroke patients admitted within 24 hours of symptom onset, meeting specific criteria.

The Clinical Significance of Pollen and Fungi Concentrations for Allergic Rhinitis: A Three-Year Study.

Introduction: The relationship between disease severity and exposure to allergens in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients is not fully clarified presently. We aimed to detect the correlation between airborne pollen and fungi concentrations in a Mediterranean region with symptom scores.

Methods: A total of 98 patients suffering from AR rated their symptoms at the time of exacerbation using the Total 5 Symptoms Score (T5SS) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

Prevalence of tobacco smoking and association with other unhealthy lifestyle risk factors in the general population of Greece: Results from the EMENO study.

Introduction: The EMENO (National Morbidity and Risk Factors) survey is one of the first and most representative population-based surveys in Greece due to its study design and sampling procedure. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of smoking, secondhand smoking (SHS) and their potential associations with other socioeconomic and unhealthy lifestyle risk factors.

Methods: EMENO is a cross-sectional health status survey conducted in Greece from May 2013 to June 2016.

Plain versus paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty in arteriovenous fistula and graft stenosis: An umbrella review.

An umbrella review was performed to synthesize the evidence from systematic reviews/meta-analyses of clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) vs. conventional balloon angioplasty in arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and grafts stenosis.Medline (via PubMed) and SCOPUS databases were searched up to July 15th 2020.

Odontoid Process and Femur: A Novel Bond in Anatomy.

Objective The morphology and quantitative anatomy of the axis vertebra (C2) attracts a lot of attention between anatomists, surgeons and radiologists. However, no report exists in the literature correlating the height of the dens with the length of the femur. Our paper aims to determine such a correlation.

National Survey of Morbidity and Risk Factors (EMENO): Protocol for a Health Examination Survey Representative of the Adult Greek Population.

Background: Main causes of death in Greece are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), malignant neoplasms, respiratory diseases, and road traffic crashes. To assess the population health status, monitor health systems, and adjust policies, national population-based health surveys are recommended. The previous health surveys that were conducted in Greece were restricted to specific regions or high-risk groups.

Autotaxin Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. Despite the important progress observed in liver surgery, the survival rates are discouraging. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of autotaxin in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Serum profiles of M30, M65 and interleukin-17 compared with C-reactive protein in patients with mild and severe acute pancreatitis.

Background: Several studies state that a test of severity early in the course of acute pancreatitis is still needed. In this prospective study, an assay of the biomarkers M30 and M65 as well as of interleukin 17 (IL-17) is investigated.

Methods: One hundred and fifty patients and 70 controls were evaluated.

The effects of apigenin on the expression of Fas/FasL apoptotic pathway in warm liver ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Background: The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the role of apigenin in liver apoptosis, in an experimental model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

Materials And Methods: Forty-eight Wistar rats (apigenin and control groups), 14 to 16 weeks old and weighing 220 to 350 g, were used. They were all subjected to hepatic ischemia by occlusion of the hepatic artery and portal vein for 45 minutes and reperfusion was followed for 60, 120, and 240 minutes.

Effect of BDNF Val66Met and serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms on psychopathological characteristics in a sample of university students.

Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism on several psychological characteristics in a group of Greek University students and to explore putative interactions with the serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and serious past adverse experiences.

Methods: A total of 224 students were genotyped and classified as (a) carriers or noncarriers of the Met allele of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and (b) carriers or noncarriers of the S or Lg alleles (S') of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. Students were evaluated using a battery of standard psychological tests and answered questionnaires on serious past adverse experiences.

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein: a potential marker of febrile urinary tract infection in childhood.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are encountered frequently in children, and their early diagnosis and treatment are important. This study evaluates the diagnostic value of serum concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), an acute-phase protein, in children with febrile UTI and compares it to those of the total white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Methods: The study population comprised 77 consecutive patients with a first-episode febrile UTI (33 boys) with a median age of 11 months [interquartile range (IQR), 5.

Systematic effects of surgical treatment of hip fractures: gliding screw-plating vs intramedullary nailing.

Aim: Numerous studies have been published regarding the comparison between intramedullary nail and the dynamic hip screw and plate for the fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients. In this paper we present a comparative study of these two methods regarding their systemic effects on this group of patients.

Materials-methods: This is a randomized trial of 120 consecutive patients with an intertrochanteric fracture treated with either extramedullary fixation (dynamic hip screw and plate; DHS, Synthes-Stratec, Oberdorf, Switzerland) or intramedullary nail (Gamma nail, Stryker Howmedica, Freiburg, Germany and Endovis BA, Citieffe, Bologna, Italy).

Psychological vulnerability differences in students--carriers or not of the serotonin transporter promoter allele S: effect of adverse experiences.

Aim: To study the effect of the serotonin transporting gene L/S polymorphism on several psychological characteristics in a group of Greek University students.

Methods: One hundred eighty-one students were genotyped and classified into two groups: carriers or noncarriers of an S allele. Students were evaluated with a battery of psychological tests (Zung depression rating scale, symptoms check-list-90-R, Eysenck personality inventory); they also answered questionnaires regarding serious past adverse experiences as well as nicotine and alcohol use.