Dual Mechanisms of Metabolism and Gene Expression of the CCRF-CEM Leukemia Cells under Glucocorticoid Treatment.

Background: Glucocorticoids play an essential part in anti-leukemic therapies, but resistance is a crucial event for the prognosis of the disease. Glucocorticoids influence the metabolic properties of leukemic cells. The inherent plasticity of clinically evolving cancer cells justifies the characterization of drug-induced early oncogenic pathways, which represent a likely source of detrimental secondary effects.

Analysis of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Contact Sensitization with respect to the Occupational Profiles in a Greek Patient Cohort: A Retrospective Analysis of a Greek Referral Centre and Future Perspectives.

Contact dermatitis is a frequent skin disorder related to environmental and occupational etiological factors, which could potentially affect all age groups, as well as both genders. The current study is aimed at exploring the patterns of contact sensitization with respect to the population's occupational patterns in Greece. A retrospective analysis was performed in a cohort of 1978 patients from 2014 to 2016.

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.

Effects of Nutrition, and Physical Activity Habits and Perceptions on Body Mass Index (BMI) in Children Aged 12-15 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Boys and Girls.

: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of socioeconomic status, nutrition and physical activity lifestyle habits and perceptions on Body Mass Index (BMI) in children aged 12-15 years in Greece. Furthermore, to compare the difference between the two sexes. This is a cross-sectional study conducted on a representative secondary school cohort that included 5144 subjects, aged 12 to 15 years.

Effect of prophylactic administration of antipyretics on the immune response to pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in children: a systematic review.

Background: Prophylactic administration of antipyretics at the time of immunization seems to decrease some side effects, however reduced immune responses have been reported in some studies. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of prophylactic use of antipyretics on the immune response following administration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs).

Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials and observational studies concerning the immune response to PCVs after antipyretic administration was performed up to November 2020 in the electronic databases of Pubmed and Scopus.

The effects of Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention on patients with major depressive disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Stress plays an important role in major depressive disorder (MDD). Thus, a variety of stress management programs have been developed for people with this diagnosis. This is a pilot randomized clinical trial which implemented a holistic stress management program, Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) in adults with MDD, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of PSAI compared to standard care for reduction of depressive symptoms (primary aim), improving mental health and quality of life (secondary aims).

The Potential Role of Exosomes in Child and Adolescent Obesity.

Child and adolescent obesity constitute one of the greatest contemporary public health menaces. The enduring disproportion between calorie intake and energy consumption, determined by a complex interaction of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors, finally leads to the development of overweight and obesity. Child and adolescent overweight/obesity promotes smoldering systemic inflammation ("para-inflammation") and increases the likelihood of later metabolic and cardiovascular complications, including metabolic syndrome and its components, which progressively deteriorate during adulthood.

Diagnostic accuracy of two-dimensional shear wave elastography in detecting hepatic fibrosis in children with autoimmune hepatitis, biliary atresia and other chronic liver diseases.

Background: Although fibrosis is the main determinant of liver stiffness, other disease-related factors usually disregarded in studies on liver elastography, such as inflammation and cholestasis, may influence liver stiffness.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of two-dimensional (2-D) shear wave elastography in assessing liver fibrosis in children with chronic liver disease by controlling for the confounding role of several disease- and patient-related factors.

Materials And Methods: Three disease groups were studied: 1) various chronic liver diseases, 2) autoimmune hepatitis and 3) biliary atresia.

Dystonia assessment in children with cerebral palsy and periventricular leukomalacia.

Objective: To describe the frequency, motor phenotype, clinical patterns and functional consequences of dystonia in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) in the setting of periventricular leukomalacia.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of 31 patients with CP and periventricular leukomalacia. Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) were used to classify functional ability.

Primary Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland. Report of a Rare Case.

Primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the salivary glands are very rare neoplasms that present light microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical features of neuroendocrine differentiation. Twelve cases have been published in the English language literature. We describe the pathologic features of a case of primary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the parotid gland in a 91-year old male and summarize the immunophenotype of previously reported LCNECs of the major salivary glands.

An 8-week Stress Management Program in Information Technology Professionals and the Role of a New Cognitive Behavioral Method: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate the sort-term benefits of the effects of an 8-week stress management techniques in information technology professionals.

Methods: In this parallel randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to either the stress management group (n=40; relaxation breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery) or in the Pythagorean Self awareness group (n=41). Self-reported validated measures were used to evaluate perceived stress, health locus of control, anxiety and depression.

Effects of the Pythagorean Self Awareness Intervention on Childhood Emotional Eating and Psychological Wellbeing: a Pragmatic Trial.

Background: Emotional eating is the tendency to regulate negative emotions (such as stress, depression and anxiety) through increased or unhealthy food intake. Emotion management, such as stress management could be an appropriate approach to prevent or control maladaptive eating behavior among children.

Materials And Methods: This is a controlled pragmatic trial, testing the effects of Pythagorean Self Awareness Intervention (PSAI), a cognitive stress management program in a primary school setting.

Empagliflozin and health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: the EMPEROR-Reduced trial.

Aims: In this secondary analysis of the EMPEROR-Reduced trial, we sought to evaluate whether the benefits of empagliflozin varied by baseline health status and how empagliflozin impacted patient-reported outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods And Results: Health status was assessed by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaires-clinical summary score (KCCQ-CSS). The influence of baseline KCCQ-CSS (analyzed by tertiles) on the effect of empagliflozin on major outcomes was examined using Cox proportional hazards models.

Is there a relation between major depression and hair cortisol? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Literature supports a causal role of stress in major depressive disorder (MDD). Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has been widely used as a measure of long-term stress. Although elevated HCC has been observed in healthy people experiencing chronic stress, findings regarding individuals with mental disorders have been complicated.

Triage for Malnutrition Risk among Pediatric and Adolescent Outpatients with Cystic Fibrosis, Using a Disease-Specific Tool.

Malnutrition prevails in considerable proportions of children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), and is often associated with adverse outcomes. For this, routine screening for malnutrition is pivotal. In the present cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the risk for malnutrition in pediatric outpatients with CF.

The Emotion of Disgust among Medical and Psychology Students.

The emotion of disgust evolved as a way to protect oneself from illness and is associated with aspects of disease avoidance. Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) (Olatunji et al., 2008) measures the disgust propensity of three kinds of disgust (core, animal reminder, contamination).

The Effect of Atopy in the Prevalence of Contact Sensitization: The Experience of a Greek Referral Center.

Contact dermatitis is a well-known skin condition, which is related to stimuli and environmental exposure to chemicals, affecting all ages as well as both genders. In the present work, we attempt to investigate the patterns of contact sensitization, with respect to the personal history of atopy (AT), in Greece in a large number of allergens, using patch testing. The retrospective analysis included clinical routine data of 1978 patients collected from 2014 to 2016 in the Laboratory of Patch Testing, National Referral Centre of Occupational Dermatoses.

The use of the Symptom Checklist 90-R in exploring the factor structure of mental disorders and the neglected fact of comorbidity.

The Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R) is a popular instrument, accessing nine different symptom clusters of psychopathology, although its original factor structure is widely questioned. However, most validation studies seem to ignore the possible effect of comorbidity. We aimed at validating the factor structure of the SCL-90-R and to draw additional information about the role of comorbidity in the factor structure of mental disorders.

Adherence to Dietary Recommendations, Nutrient Intake Adequacy and Diet Quality among Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patients: Results from the GreeCF Study.

Nutrition is an important component of cystic fibrosis (CF) therapy, with a high-fat diet being the cornerstone of treatment. However, adherence to the dietary recommendations for CF appears suboptimal and burdensome for most children and adolescents with CF, leading to malnutrition, inadequate growth, compromised lung function and increased risk for respiratory infections. A cross-sectional approach was deployed to examine the degree of adherence to the nutrition recommendations and diet quality among children with CF.

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.

The role of M1 and M2 macrophage polarization in progression of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between M1 and M2 macrophage polarization and clinical stage in patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) who underwent treatment with bisphosphonates or denosumab.

Materials And Methods: M1 and M2 macrophage density and expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 were assessed on biopsies of mucosal tissues surrounding necrotic bone in 30 MRONJ patients with stages 1-3 and controls. For identification of M1 and M2 macrophages, double CD68/iNOS and CD68/CD206 immunofluorescence staining was conducted, respectively.

Diabetes distress is associated with individualized glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: It has been proposed that the negative emotional state of diabetes distress (DD) may exert a detrimental effect on glycemic outcomes of individuals struggling with diabetes-related challenges. Thus far, no study has investigated this association by utilizing individualized treatment targets of patients' glycemic control. Therefore, we sought to identify the potential role of DD in the achievement of individualized glycemic targets (AIGTs) among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).