The Effect of Protein Supplementation and Playing Time on Recovery Kinetics During a Congested Basketball Schedule.

Background/objectives: Despite being widely promoted, protein supplementation's overall effectiveness during demanding basketball schedules remains unclear. This study investigated whether increased protein intake can accelerate recovery of muscle function during a 6-day congested basketball microcycle consisting of three consecutive games while accounting for the impact of playing time.

Methods: In a randomized, two-trial, cross-over, double-blind repeated measures design, eighteen male basketball players were assigned to a high (High PT) or a moderate (Mod PT) playing time group and participated in two trials, receiving daily either milk protein (PRO trial) or an isoenergetic amount of carbohydrates.

The Effectiveness of a Specific Exercise Program in Alleviating Work-Related Neck and Upper Back Pain and Improving Mood State in Various Occupational Populations-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges across governmental, industrial, and social systems. Additionally, numerous studies have reported a sharp increase in both mental health issues and musculoskeletal disorders worldwide. This study aimed to investigate whether a specific exercise program could alleviate neck and upper back pain symptoms and improve mood state among healthcare and office employees during the post-COVID-19 period.

Effect of concentric exercise-induced fatigue on proprioception, motor control and performance of the upper limb in handball players.

Background: The last phases of a competitive game are when shoulder injuries most commonly happen, and fatigue is thought to be a major contributing factor, perhaps because of reduced proprioception and motor control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of concentric fatigue on proprioception, motor control, and performance of the upper limb in handball players.

Methods: Forty-six right-handed handball players (all males, age 26.

Concentric exercise-induced fatigue of the shoulder impairs proprioception but not motor control or performance in healthy young adults.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of concentric fatigue on proprioception, motor control and performance of the shoulder in healthy young adults.

Design: Test-retest experimental design.

Setting: Human performance laboratory.

Can resistance training improve throwing performance in handball players? A Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Throwing is one of the most important movement in handball. Throwing performance is crucial for success in handball.

Objective: Τo investigate the level of evidence for the effect of resistance training (RT) on throwing performance in handball players.

A Rare Case of a Direct Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia Containing an Epiploic Appendage and a Literature Review.

Inguinal hernias are a widespread condition, responsible for a large number of acute abdomen cases. Typically, indirect, rather than direct, hernias lead to complications, as a consequence of their narrower hernial defect. We report a 71-year-old male patient with a rather rare incidence of a direct incarcerated hernia who presented with acute pain in the left inguinal area at a university general hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2017.

Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from a tailgut cyst: A case report.

Background: Retrorectal hamartomas or tailgut cysts (TCs) are rare. In most cases, they are asymptomatic and benign; however, rarely, they undergo malignant transformation, mainly in the form of adenocarcinoma.

Case Summary: A 55-year-old woman presented to our hospital with lower back pain.

Emergency General Surgery and COVID-19 Pandemic: Are There Any Changes? A Scoping Review.

: The pandemic of SARS-CoV-19 has affected the overall spectrum of General Surgery, either in the case management part, or in the type of cases. The purpose of this review is to gather all the parameters affected and to compare these changes between the pandemic period and the corresponding time frame of the previous year. : A review of literature in two electronic databases (PubMed and Scopus) was performed examining studies during the pre-pandemic (March to May 2019) and pandemic (March to May 2020) period about emergency surgeries.

Rubber band ligation of hemorrhoids: is the procedure effective for the immunocompromised, hemophiliacs and pregnant women?

Background: Rubber band ligation (RBL) is an effective, well-established, non-surgical option for symptomatic grade II-III hemorrhoid treatment. However, few reports exist about the benefit and risks of RBL in high-risk patients. We herein evaluated the effectiveness and safety of RBL in hemophiliac, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and pregnant patients vs.

A Rare Case of Multiple Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Coexisting with a Rectal Adenocarcinoma in a Patient with Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Syndrome and a Mini Review of the Literature.

Background: Multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are extremely rare entities that exist either as spontaneous GISTs or as part of various syndromes, such as Carney's triad and type I neurofibromatosis (NF1). Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP) is a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) with a milder clinical presentation. Both GISTs and AFAP have been reported to coexist with colorectal cancer, but the coexistence of GISTs and AFAP has never been reported in the literature before.

Abdominal wall endometriosis: a case report.

Abdominal wall endometriosis is the development of endometrial tissue in the anterior abdomen usually due to an operation in which the uterus is manipulated. We herein delineate the presentation, clinical investigation, and surgical treatment of an abdominal wall endometriosis case. A 42-year-old female presented with acute abdominal pain in the lower quadrants in the margins of an old cesarean scar.

A four-probiotic preparation for ventilator-associated pneumonia in multi-trauma patients: results of a randomized clinical trial.

The role of probiotics in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a probiotic regimen for VAP prophylaxis in mechanically ventilated multi-trauma patients, intubated immediately after the injurious insult. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study enrolling multi-trauma patients, patients expected to require mechanical ventilation for >10 days were assigned at random to receive prophylaxis with a probiotic formula (n=59) or placebo (n=53).

Amputation in Necrotizing Fasciitis - Dilemma or Reality: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is known to be a life-threatening condition of the subcutaneous tissue and superficial fascia with rapid progression.

Case Presentation: This case report will present a relevant case and summarize the literature to discuss the dilemma of amputation in patients with NF. We present the case of a 32-year-old male with a longstanding history of intravenous drug abuse, who developed NF from a benign cellulitis after injection drug use in his right groin region, for which he underwent surgical debridement followed by above-the-knee amputation because of septic shock.

Flywheel or free weight training for improvement of lower limbs strength?

Backround: New training methods are constantly used to improve the ability of skeletal muscles to develop strength.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of half-squat training with free weights and flywheel device on isokinetic knee muscle strength for well-trained amateur soccer players.

Methods: Forty eight players were randomly divided into three groups (n= 16 each): Desmotech Training group (DT), Free Weight Training group (WT) and one Control Group (CON).

The effect of periodized flywheel training on power of lower limbs.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of semi-squat exercise with a flywheel device and free weights on parameters of physical performance.

Methods: 48 well-trained male athletes were randomly divided into three subject groups (N.=16 each), two training groups (DT and RT) and one control group (CON).

Epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus lugdunensis in a Greek tertiary-care hospital.

Staphylococcus lugdunensis is considered more pathogenic than other coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS), with its virulence resembling that of Staphylococcus aureus. We report a retrospective study of all S. lugdunensis infection cases during a 3.

Reproducibility of gait kinematics and kinetics in chronic stroke patients.

Background: The search for reliable techniques to assess gait in stroke patients is crucial for the design and follow-up of rehabilitation programs.

Objective: To assess the reproducibility of kinematic and kinetic gait parameters in chronic stroke patients using a three-dimensional gait analysis system.

Methods: Ten chronic stroke patients were assessed while walking along a 20 m walkway at their natural speed, using a gait analysis system of six infrared cameras and two force plates.

High-dose vs. Low-dose Proton Pump Inhibitors post-endoscopic hemostasis in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. A meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis.

Background/aims: Present meta-analysis aims to evaluate studies of low- versus high-dose proton pump Inhibitors (PPI) post-endoscopic hemostasis, including the newly published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to conclude whether low-dose PPI can generate the comparable results as high-dose PPI.

Materials And Methods: To identify suitable trials, the electronic databases PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and the Embase were used. All RCTs concerning low- versus high-dose PPI administration post-endoscopic hemostasis published until December 2016 were identified.

Risk factors for fear of falling in elderly patients with severe knee osteoarthritis before and one year after total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate the regression of fear of falling (FOF) and identify its risk factors in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis before and one year after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: 11 men and 57 women with a mean age of 73 years and a mean body mass index of 30.36 kg/m2 who had severe (grade 3 or 4) knee osteoarthritis and knee pain of ≥1 year were included.

Reduction of Falls and Factors Affecting Falls a Year After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Elderly Patients with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a common surgical treatment for severe knee Osteoarthritis (OA), which generally improves pain, physical function, quality of life and possibly fall risk. Fall risk increases for older adults with severe knee OA; however it has not been studied extensively whether this parameter is improved after TKA.

Objective: To investigate: a) the history and frequency of falls, including mechanism or causes of falls, injuries sustained from falls reported, activity during falling and location of falls and, b) the factors affecting falls, a year after TKA in elderly patients with severe knee OA.

Analyzing the History of Falls in Patients with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: One out of three adults over the age of 65 years and one out of two over the age of 80 falls annually. Fall risk increases for older adults with severe knee osteoarthritis, a matter that should be further researched. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the history of falls including frequency, mechanism and location of falls, activity during falling and injuries sustained from falls examining at the same time their physical status.

The relationship between burnout, PTSD symptoms and injuries in firefighters.

Background: Firefighters participate in activities with intense physical and psychological stress.

Aims: To examine the correlation between work-related injuries (WRIs), burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in firefighters.

Methods: The method used for the recording of the elements was the collection of self-report anonymous questionnaires, the completion of which was optional.

Recovery kinetics of knee flexor and extensor strength after a football match.

We examined the temporal changes of isokinetic strength performance of knee flexor (KF) and extensor (KE) strength after a football match. Players were randomly assigned to a control (N = 14, participated only in measurements and practices) or an experimental group (N = 20, participated also in a football match). Participants trained daily during the two days after the match.