Medical Flossing and the Pilates Method: Their Effectiveness on the Strength, Endurance, and Functionality of Healthy Individuals.

The flossing method is an emerging therapeutic intervention based on the use of a floss-band that is circumnavigated at the various points of the body being treated. It is optimally combined with an appropriate exercise program to induce ischemia and release the fascia by applying pressure and movement to functional models. The Pilates method teaches the person to focus on the muscles, especially those responsible for the correct posture.

The Current Practice of Noninvasive Ventilation in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis.

In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), despite the availability of many different pharmacologic agents, lung function deteriorates and lung disease progresses and leads to hypercapnic respiratory failure in some patients. In such cases, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) seems to be a promising technique that can be used on demand. This review summarizes the current applications of NIV in clinical settings as well as findings of the clinical trials that involved the delivery of NIV on variable occasions, such as an adjunct to physiotherapy, in nocturnal hypoventilation, and acute and chronic respiratory failure.

Malnutrition in Hospitalised Children-An Evaluation of the Efficacy of Two Nutritional Screening Tools.

Nutritional risk screening (NRS) is not yet established in many clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two NRS tools; the Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) and the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics (STAMP), compared to the global dietitians' clinical judgment. The goal of this study was also to estimate the prevalence of nutritional risk in Greek paediatric patients.

Kinematic and Temporospatial Changes in Children with Cerebral Palsy during the Initial Stages of Gait Development.

Purpose: To identify changes in the gait kinematics and temporospatial parameters of children with bilateral Cerebral Palsy (CP) at 8 months after the onset of independent walking and identify differences to Typical Development (TD) children at the onset of independent walking and at 8 months follow up.

Method: Sixteen children with bilateral CP, GMFCS levels I and II, and 15 TD children were recruited. Gait kinematics and temporospatial parameters were recorded using a 3-D gait analysis system; the sagittal plane of the lower limb joints was analyzed.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Evidence and Future Opportunities.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major health problem worldwide with a continuous increasing prevalence. Despite the introduction of targeted therapies like the multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib, treatment outcomes are not encouraging. The prognosis of advanced HCC is still dismal, underlying the need for novel effective treatments.

Cushing's syndrome in pregnancy: a review of reported cases.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) causes hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anovulatory infertility due to hypercortisolism, and it is very rare in pregnancy. CS in pregnancy is associated with important maternal-foetal morbidity and mortality, such as preeclampsia and premature delivery. A systematic search was conducted in the MEDLINE library to retrieve articles reporting cases of CS in pregnant women, during the period between 2010 and 2020.

Is Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection in Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Recipients Inevitably Fatal?

Carbapenem resistance, most notably in Klebsiella pneumonia (KPC), results in infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Here we report 2 cases of adolescent patients with KPC infection after high-risk bone marrow transplantation, who eventually succumbed from other causes and review the epidemiology and treatment options for KPC infections in this vulnerable population.

Health literacy of parents/caregivers of paediatric surgical patients: A study on 1000 individuals.

Purpose: There is a paucity of studies concerning health literacy (HL) of parents/guardians of patients in paediatric surgery. The purpose of our study is to measure HL levels of parents/guardians of paediatric surgery patients and to explore the determinants of low HL levels in this population.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from December 2016 to July 2018 through in-person interviews of parents/guardians of paediatric surgical patients.

Active Surveillance of Healthcare-associated Infections in Pediatric Intensive Care Units: Multicenter ECDC HAI-net ICU Protocol (v2.2) Implementation, Antimicrobial Resistance and Challenges.

Background: Surveillance is essential to all aspects of management of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in critically ill children, where data are limited. We conducted an active surveillance study to elucidate epidemiology, resistance, antimicrobial treatment practices and outcomes of pediatric intensive care unit-acquired HAIs in a southern European country.

Methods: Four Greek pediatric intensive care unit encounters (153 patients, 2183 patient-days) during a 6-month period participated using the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control HAI-net ICU (v2.

The Impact of Peripheral Eosinophil Counts and Eosinophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (ELR) in the Clinical Course of COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background/aim: Eosinophils are blood cells responsible for response against parasites and allergens. Eosinophil to lymphocyte ratio (ELR) is a biomarker for inflammatory conditions. Our aim was to evaluate the role of eosinophils and ELR in COVID-19 patients.

Inflammatory Fibroid Polyp of the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Systematic Review for a Benign Tumor.

Background/aim: Inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) is a rare, usually solitary and intraluminal polypoid benign tumor that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, although in the majority of cases it affects the stomach. This lesion is characterized by proliferation of highly vascular fibrous tissue and infiltration by a variable number of different inflammatory cells. Its etiology is unknown.

PCSK9 Antibody-based Treatment Strategies for Patients With Statin Intolerance.

Background: Statin intolerance refers to the inability of a patient to tolerate statin therapy, presenting muscle aches, pains, weakness and muscle inflammation. Thus, numerous patients are not treated with suitable statin-based therapy or take only very low doses. As a result, the desired decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is not achieved, resulting in patients at a high risk for cardiovascular events, requiring an alternative lipid-lowering treatment.

Central nervous system relapse in high-risk stage 4 neuroblastoma: The HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial experience.

Background: There is rising concern on the impact of new strategies, such as high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and immunotherapy, on the pattern of relapse in high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NBL). Our aim is to evaluate the incidence and identify risk factors for first recurrence in the central nervous system (CNS) in HR-NBL.

Patients And Methods: Data from patients with stage 4V HR-NBL included from February 2002 to June 2015 in the prospective HR-NBL trial of the European International Society of Pediatric Oncology Neuroblastoma Group were analysed.

Animal Models for the Calculation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Experimental Demonstration.

Metastasis is a process which is characterized by the existence of tumor cells in the bloodstream. This is a necessary situation in order for the malignant cells to be transported to other organs. Thus, the importance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the study of carcinogenesis is widely accepted.

Survival and prognostic factors for childhood malignant liver tumors: analysis of harmonized clinical data.

Background: Despite overall striking advances in survival of childhood liver tumors, outcomes remain poor for specific patient segments. We aimed to assess overall survival (OS) of this rare disease and evaluate the generalizability of prognostic variables included in international collaborative systems using, for the first time, harmonized clinical data from two geographically different cohorts (Greece and Moscow).

Methods: Data for children (0-14 years) with liver tumors were retrieved from two Southern-Eastern European areas (Greece; 2001-2019 and Moscow; 2012-2019).

Government Debt Crisis and the Impact on National Health Systems: A Retrospective Study and Policy Recommendations to Greece.

This article aims to explore the impact of the government debt crisis on the national health system (NHS) using a representative sample of respondents in Greek hospitals and provides certain suggestions regarding health policies that could be implemented at the national or local level. This study was conducted at the Evangelismos & Eye Polyclinic of Athens General Hospital in Athens, Greece. The study period was January and February of 2016, and the study included 600 outpatients who frequently submitted to follow-ups and consented to participate.

Psychosocial health of adolescents in relation to underweight, overweight/obese status: the EU NET ADB survey.

Background: Both deviations from normal weight, namely, underweight and overweight/obese status, have been inversely associated with psychosocial health in adolescents. This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychosocial health and body mass index (BMI) among adolescents in five European countries, while assessing the effect of sociodemographic variables.

Methods: A cross-sectional school-based study of adolescents aged 14-17.

Lipid-lowering Drugs and Neurocognitive Function: A Systematic Review.

Background/aim: Lipid-lowering drugs have been suggested to affect neurocognitive function. This review aimed to give the latest evidence on the way these agents affect neurocognitive function based on clinical trials.

Materials And Methods: A systematic search concerning original studies from 2015 to 2020 was performed through the databases PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane, according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.

Increased circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in prepubertal children born prematurely: a possible link between prematurity and cardiovascular risk.

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) ensure vascular integrity and neovascularization. No studies have investigated EPCs in preterm-born children beyond infancy.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-six prepubertal children were enrolled: 63 preterm and 73 born at term (controls).

Nebulizer Care and Inhalation Technique in Children with Cystic Fibrosis.

Nebulizers are used by the great majority of cystic fibrosis patients for delivery of cornerstone treatments. Inhalation technique and adequate disinfection and maintenance are important for optimizing medication delivery. In this study, inhalation technique and nebulizer disinfection/maintenance were assessed in cystic fibrosis patients by direct observation in clinic and completion of a scoring sheet.

Birth weight related essential, non-essential and conditionally essential amino acid blood concentrations in 12,000 breastfed full-term infants perinatally.

Essential, non-essential and conditionally essential amino acid blood concentrations play a critical role in newborns. We aimed to quantitate most of these amino acids in the blood of full-term breastfed infants, perinatally and correlate the obtained values with their birth weight. Breastfed full-term infants ( = 12,000; 6000 males, 6000 females) with birth weight 2000-4000 g were divided into 4 equal groups: Group A, 2000-2500 g; B, 2500-3000 g; C, 3000-3500 g and D, 3500-4000 g.

Distribution of eosinophils in the gastrointestinal tract of children with no organic disease.

Background: This study aimed to assess the eosinophil (eos) density of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in children undergoing endoscopic procedures following an extensive workup, without diagnosis of an organic disease.

Methods: Biopsies from GI endoscopies performed at 3 major children's hospitals (Athens, Madrid and Rome), between January 2012 and June 2018, were evaluated by a single pathologist in each center. Peak eos counts were expressed /high power field and /mm.