Improving Participant Recruitment in Clinical Trials: Comparative Analysis of Innovative Digital Platforms.

Background: Pharmaceutical product development relies on thorough and costly clinical trials. Participant recruitment and monitoring can be challenging. The incorporation of cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence has revolutionized clinical research (particularly in the recruitment stage), enhanced secure data storage and analysis, and facilitated participant monitoring while protecting their personal information.

Impact of Regulatory Risk Communication on Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome for COVID-19 Adenovirus Vector Vaccines on European Healthcare Professionals.

Purpose: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued regulatory actions and communications in 2021 on thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) associated with adenovirus vector vaccines Vaxzevria or Jcovden. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of these actions on awareness, knowledge and implementation in practises of healthcare professionals (HCP).

Methods: Web-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted on HCPs engaged in the vaccination, monitoring or counselling about the vaccines.

Challenges in the Implementation of EU Risk Minimisation Measures for Medicinal Products in Clinical Practice Guidelines: Mixed Methods Multi-Case Study.

Introduction: Risk minimisation measures (RMMs) aim to ensure safe use of medicines, but their implementation in clinical practice is complicated by the diversity of stakeholders whose clinical decision making they seek to inform. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are considered integral in clinical decision making.

Objectives: To determine the extent to which RMMs are included in the relevant CPGs and to describe factors that determine RMM inclusion.

Occupational burnout and job satisfaction among community pharmacists.

Introduction: Community pharmacists (CPs) are the most accessible healthcare professionals in primary care due to pharmacies' open-door policy and convenience, resulting in high patient and prescription volumes, and numerous free-of-charge consultations. Therefore, they are at high risk for burnout.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the levels of burnout among community pharmacists in Greece, marking the first investigation of its kind within the country.

Exploring the Relationship between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Subjective Well-Being among Greek and Cypriot Adults.

Associations between subjective well-being (SWB) and dietary habits, employment status, and habitual activities are increasingly capturing the focus of researchers as well as policymakers worldwide. This study aimed to explore these associations in a sample of the population in Greece and Cyprus via an online survey. In total, 936 questionnaires (470: Cyprus, 466: Greece) were analyzed to study the associations between the Mediterranean Diet (MD) (using the 14-item MEDAS score, (14-MEDAS)), subjective well-being (SWB), and several socioeconomic factors.

A systematic review of the effect of semaglutide on lean mass: insights from clinical trials.

Introduction: Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, is associated with significant weight loss, yet its impact on lean body mass remains insufficiently understood. This review investigates the effect of semaglutide on lean mass in the context of obesity management.

Methodology: This study investigates through different databases (PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar) from 2016 for randomized control trials (RCTs) or observational studies that assessed the use of semaglutide in overweight or obese patients, regardless of whether they have type 2 diabetes or not.

Assessment of quality of life, job insecurity and work ability among nurses, working either under temporary or permanent terms.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to assess and compare health, quality of life, well-being, job satisfaction and job insecurity between nurses, in a tertiary hospital in Greece, working either under permanent or temporary contract.

Material And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, consecutively recruited nurses answered a structured questionnaire, the (WHO-5), the (JII), the (WAI), and the (WBWS).

Results: Included were 323 nurses (87.

Public's perspective on COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccines after thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) reports and associated regulatory actions - A cross-sectional study in six EU member states.

Objective: In 2021, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) was confirmed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a rare side effect of the COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccines Vaxzevria® and Jcovden®. This study aimed to describe the public's knowledge of TTS and how it affected the willingness to be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines in six European countries.

Methods: From June to October of 2022, a multi-country cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, and Slovenia.

Nutritional interventional studies in patients with multiple sclerosis: a scoping review of the current clinical evidence.

A good nutritional status appears to slow down disease progression and ameliorate symptoms' intensity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Up to date, there are several interventional studies, which have explored the potential beneficial effects of specific dietary patterns as well as specific bioactive nutrients against disease progression and symptomatology of MS patients. This is a thorough, scoping review, which aims to critically summarize and scrutinize the currently available clinical evidence of the potential beneficial effects of nutritional interventional studies against MS progression and symptomatology.

Does the Simultaneous Introduction of Several Pharmaceuticals in the Post-Lenalidomide Era Translate to Better Outcomes in Relapse Refractory Multiple Myeloma? Findings from the Real-World Innovation in Multiple Myeloma (REAL IMM) Study.

Newer methodologies are needed to assess the real-world comparative effectiveness of a "generation" of pharmaceutical innovation versus the prior standard of care. This chart review study aimed to first evaluate the cumulative clinical benefits of pharmaceutical innovation in everyday relapse/refractory multiple myeloma before analyzing findings in the context of respective real-world outcomes from the bortezomib/lenalidomide era. Study endpoints included the 52-week PFS rate in second and third line of therapy (LOT), mPFS-2 across the first and second LOT, the ORR, reasons for discontinuation, and the treatment duration per therapeutic algorithm.

Sentiment analysis of epidemiological surveillance reports on COVID-19 in Greece using machine learning models.

The present research deals with sentiment analysis performed with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio to classify Facebook posts on the Greek National Public Health Organization (EODY) from November 2021 to January 2022 during the pandemic. Positive, negative and neutral sentiments were included after processing 300 reviews. This approach involved analyzing the words appearing in the comments and exploring the sentiments related to daily surveillance reports of COVID-19 published on the EODY Facebook page.

Exploring public knowledge and perceptions regarding per os OTC pain-relieving medications: the case of paracetamol (acetaminophen).

Background: Over-the-counter medications (OTC) are safe and effective when patients follow the patient's information leaflet (PIL) instructions and/or the instructions given by healthcare professionals (HCPs). However, OTC medications could be harmful and unsafe when individuals do not follow the given instructions and/or when their understanding about the proper use of OTC medications is incorrect. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of people regarding paracetamol use in the Republic of Cyprus.

Coastal Water Quality Modelling Using , Meteorological Parameters and Machine Learning Algorithms.

In this study, machine learning models were implemented to predict the classification of coastal waters in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (EMT) concerning () concentration and weather variables in the framework of the Directive 2006/7/EC. Six sampling stations of EMT, located on beaches of the regional units of Kavala, Xanthi, Rhodopi, Evros, Thasos and Samothraki, were selected. All 1039 samples were collected from May to September within a 14-year follow-up period (2009-2021).

Mediterranean Diet Adherence Is Associated with Favorable Health-Related Quality of Life, Physical Activity, and Sleep Quality in a Community-Dwelling Greek Older Population.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a beneficial dietary pattern with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can promote mental and physical human health. This study aims to assess the impact of MD adherence on health-related quality of life, physical activity levels, and sleep quality in a representative Greek elderly population.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study.

Novel Pyrimidine Derivatives as Antioxidant and Anticancer Agents: Design, Synthesis and Molecular Modeling Studies.

The heterocyclic ring system of pyrido [2,3-]pyrimidines is a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry, possessing several biological activities. The synthesis of the pyrimidine derivatives was performed via the condensation of a suitable -unsaturated ketone with 4-amino-6-hydroxy-2-mercaptopyrimidine monohydrate in glacial acetic acid. Chalcones were synthesized, as starting materials, via the Claisen-Schmidt condensation of an appropriately substituted ketone and an appropriately substituted aldehyde in the presence of aqueous KOH 40% in ethanol.

Use of Edible, Medicinal, and Aromatic Plants in Various Health Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation among Inhabitants in the Area of Thrace, North-Eastern Greece.

Background: Medicinal and aromatical plants (MAPs) have been historically used as traditional remedies in many cultures in Europe and globally. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of MAPs in various health disorders in association to dietary habits and other lifestyle factors among residents in Thrace, NE Greece.

Methods: Data were collected through anonymous and voluntary responses to a structured online questionnaire, via convenience (snowball) sampling.

How to improve food waste management in hospitals through focussing on the four most common measures for reducing plate waste.

Hospitals have a responsibility to link human health and the environment, but food waste in hospitals has traditionally been much higher than in other areas of food supply. The cause of this situation has many negative impacts on health, economy, society, and environment. As a result, food waste has become a topic of discussion in hospital food departments.

Prevalence of pharmacologically treated type 2 diabetes mellitus in 2012-2016 in Greece: Real-World Data.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a serious health disorder with a global prevalence of 6059 cases per 100,000 in 2017. By analyzing real-world data, our study found an increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Greece, with the peak being 7,40 individuals per 100,000 in 2016.

A Landscape Analysis of Post-Marketing Studies Registered in the EU PAS Register and ClinicalTrials.gov Focusing on Pregnancy Outcomes or Breastfeeding Effects: A Contribution from the ConcePTION Project.

Introduction: A large proportion of medicine product labels lack information on safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding. To address this gap, pharmaceutical companies are requested to develop post-approval studies regarding the use of drugs by pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Objective: Our study aims to review key features of observational studies in pregnancy and breastfeeding and their impact on the respective medicine product labels.

Physical Activity, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Abdominal Obesity of Pre-Adolescent Children in the Region of Thrace, NE Greece, in Relation to Socio-Demographic Characteristics.

This study aimed to explore the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity, and define predictive factors of their occurrence among pre-adolescents in the region of Thrace, NE Greece. A secondary aim was to record physical activity at different times (schooldays, weekends, holidays) and explore associations with characteristics such as gender, overweight and obesity, and socio-demographic conditions. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving children aged 11-12 years.

Exploring Hedonic and Eudaimonic Items of Well-Being in Mediterranean and Non-Mediterranean Countries: Influence of Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors.

Increased understanding of subjective well-being (SWB), as well as factors that influence it, are essential to enhance well-being at the individual and national level. We have applied a hedonic and eudaimonic 9-item composed tool (SWB score) to measure SWB across several Mediterranean (MED) and non-Mediterranean (non-MED) countries, and to explore the association between the SWB score and a range of sociodemographic, health and Mediterranean lifestyle factors. A specifically designed web-based questionnaire was distributed to adult participants (N = 2400) from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria and Republic of North Macedonia.

Overview of the European post-authorisation study register post-authorization studies performed in Europe from September 2010 to December 2018.

Background: The European post-authorisation study (EU PAS) register is a repository launched in 2010 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). All EMA-requested PAS, commonly observational studies, must be recorded in this register. Multi-database studies (MDS) leveraging secondary data have become an important strategy to conduct PAS in recent years, as reflected by the type of studies registered in the EU PAS register.

Community Attitudes and Habits Toward Over-The-Counter Drugs: Results of a Study Conducted in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of use, sources of information, and selection criteria of Greek residents regarding over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, as well as their opinion about their dispensing in nonpharmacy settings.

Methods: This was a survey study in which an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, habits, and attitudes about OTC drugs. Data were collected from March 2017 to July 2017 in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece.