Exposure assessment and risk characterization of aflatoxins intake through consumption of maize products in the adult populations of Serbia, Croatia and Greece.

The main objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxins intake through consumption of maize products in Serbia, Croatia, and Greece. Food consumption survey of maize-based products has been performed during 2017 in the three countries with at least 1,000 interviewees per country covering their dietary habits and body weight. Values for the concentration of aflatoxins were extracted from available research published in the last ten years.

Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Aflatoxin M1 Intake through Consumption of Milk and Yoghurt by Student Population in Serbia and Greece.

The objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) intake through the consumption of milk and yoghurt by the student population in Serbia and Greece. A food consumption survey of milk and yoghurt was performed during the first half of 2018 in the two countries with at least 500 interviewees (aged between 18 and 27 years) per country, covering their dietary habits and body weight based on one-day and seven-day recall methods. Values for the concentration of AFM1 were extracted from published research.

Docking Assisted Prediction and Biological Evaluation of Sideritis L. Components with PTP1b Inhibitory Action and Probable Anti-Diabetic Properties.

Background: The main characteristic of Diabetes type II is the impaired activation of intracellular mechanisms triggered by the action of insulin. PTP1b is a Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase that dephosphorylates insulin receptor causing its desensitization. Since inhibition of PTP1b may prolong insulin receptor activity, PTP1b has become a drug target for the treatment of Diabetes II.

PTP1b Inhibition, A Promising Approach for the Treatment of Diabetes Type II.

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM), is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels. The main types of diabetes mellitus are Diabetes mellitus type I, Diabetes mellitus type II, gestational diabetes and Diabetes of other etiology. Diabetes type II, the Non Insulin Dependent Type (NIDDM) is the most common type, characterized by the impairment in activation of the intracellular mechanism leading to the insertion and usage of glucose after interaction of insulin with its receptor, known as insulin resistance.

Design, Synthesis, Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity and Docking Studies of New Thiazole-based Chalcones.

Background: Thiazole derivates as well as chalcones, are very important scaffold for medicinal chemistry. Literature survey revealed that they possess wide spectrum of biological activities among which are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.

Objectives: The current studies describe the synthesis and evaluation of antimicrobial activity of twenty eight novel thiazole-based chalcones.

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumour and mesonephric adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: an unknown co-existence.

A 67-year-old woman with post-menopausal bleeding and a suspicious endocervical mass was referred to gynaecology outpatients' for diagnosis and management. Cervical punch biopsies taken showed a benign cervical perivascular epithelioid cell tumour (PEComa), with MRI imaging and PET-CT scan indicating a 3-4 cm endocervical tumour with malignant features. The patient underwent radical hysterectomy with lymph node dissection and the surgical specimen histopathology demonstrated a residual benign PEComa and a stage IIB mesonephric adenocarcinoma (MNA) of the cervix.

Rational Use of Heterogeneous Data in Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) Modeling of Cyclooxygenase/Lipoxygenase Inhibitors.

Numerous studies have been published in recent years with acceptable quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling based on heterogeneous data. In many cases, the training sets for QSAR modeling were constructed from compounds tested by different biological assays, contradicting the opinion that QSAR modeling should be based on the data measured by a single protocol. We attempted to develop approaches that help to determine how heterogeneous data should be used for the creation of QSAR models on the basis of different sets of compounds tested by different experimental methods for the same target and the same endpoint.

Integrated Design and Control of Various Hydrogen Production Flowsheet Configurations via Membrane Based Methane Steam Reforming.

This work focuses on the development and implementation of an integrated process design and control framework for a membrane-based hydrogen production system based on low temperature methane steam reforming. Several alternative flowsheet configurations consisted of either integrated membrane reactor modules or successive reactor and membrane separation modules are designed and assessed by considering economic and controller dynamic performance criteria simultaneously. The design problem is expressed as a non-linear dynamic optimization problem incorporating a nonlinear dynamic model for the process system and a linear model predictive controller aiming to maintain the process targets despite the effect of disturbances.

Are Burnout Syndrome and Depression Predictors for Aggressive Behavior Among Mental Health Care Professionals?

Aim: This study aims to examine the possible relation between depression and burnout as predictors to aggressive behaviors among mental healthcare professionals.

Methods: For the purposes of this study 72 mental health care professionals were recruited and were evaluated in three questionnaires which were provided to them online. Firstly regarding depression, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was administered, secondly, concerning burnout, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was applied and finally, regarding aggression, the Aggression Questionnaire (GAQ) was employed.

Screening Olive Leaves from Unexploited Traditional Greek Cultivars for Their Phenolic Antioxidant Dynamic.

Quality characteristics of olive products significantly depend on cultivar (cv), among other factors. In this study, seven traditional, noncommercial Greek cultivars, along with the commercial Spanish Arbequina cv., were examined for the phenolic antioxidant dynamic of their leaves.

Guidelines for exercise during normal pregnancy and gestational diabetes: a review of international recommendations.

Objective: Τo summarize and present the main guidelines for exercise during normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: Relevant guidelines were retrieved through the electronic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), CENTRAL (Cochrane), and Embase; reference sections of the retrieved publications; proceedings of the main congresses in the field; and websites of relevant organizations published during the years 2000-2018.

Results: All guidelines recommend aerobic training from 60 to 150 min/week, with an upper limit of 30 min/day.

The phytochemical rich potential of acorn () products and by products.

The phytochemical content of acorn () products (nuts and flour) and by products (shells and leaching waters) regarding their content in total phenols, fatty acids, sodium, potassium and calcium was investigated. Antioxidant activity was also examined. Acorn materials presented high total phenol content (up to 47.

Exploring the Neuroplastic Effects of Biofeedback Training on Smokers.

Smoking and stress cooccur in different stages of a nicotine addiction cycle, affecting brain function and showing additive impact on different physiological responses. Resting-state functional connectivity has shown potential in identifying these alterations. Nicotine addiction has been associated with detrimental effects on functional integrity of the central nervous system, including the organization of resting-state networks.

New -(2-phenyl-4-oxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl)-1,2-benzothiazole-3-carboxamides and acetamides as antimicrobial agents.

A series of 21 novel -[2-phenyl-4-oxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl]-1,2-benzothiazole-3-carboxamides/acetamides () as well as a series of '-(halophenylmethylidene)-1,2-benzothiazole-3-acetohydrazides () have been synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against eight bacterial and eight fungal species, among them plant, animal and human pathogens and food contaminating species. All compounds appeared to be potent and the best activity was exhibited by compound with MIC in the range of 10.7-21.

5-Adamantan thiadiazole-based thiazolidinones as antimicrobial agents. Design, synthesis, molecular docking and evaluation.

In continuation of our efforts to develop new compounds with antimicrobial properties we describe design, synthesis, molecular docking study and evaluation of antimicrobial activity of seventeen novel 2-{[5-(adamantan-1-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-imino}-5-arylidene-1,3-thiazolidin-4-ones. All compounds showed antibacterial activity against eight Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial species. Twelve out of seventeen compounds were more potent than streptomycin and all compounds exhibited higher potency than ampicillin.

Informal Caregivers in Greek Hospitals: a Unique Phenomenon of a Health System in Financial Crisis.

Background: In Greece it is quite common for family members to provide informal unpaid care for another family member during hospitalization, alongside healthcare professionals. Understaffing and lack of nursing personnel, due to austerity measures implemented in Greece during the last eight years, force families to provide informal care during hospitalization. The aim of the research was to study the role of informal caregivers (IC) during a family's member hospitalization, factors affecting their presence and patient's needs that were met by them.

Experiences of Greek women of water immersion during normal labour and birth. A qualitative study.

Introduction: There is scarce information on water births in Greece, as few women labour and give birth in water. The Greek public health system does not provide water immersion as a birthing option, and so women can only experience this option in private healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to explore the key concepts and themes identified from an analysis of the experiences of women who laboured and gave birth immersed in water.

Good practice criteria for childhood obesity prevention in kindergartens and schools-elaboration, content and use.

Background: In accordance with the policy actions that address childhood overweight and obesity at European level and as a contribution to the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 2014-20, a Joint Action on Nutrition and Physical Activity (JANPA) was established. As part of JANPA work package 6, an evaluation framework to identify good practices, targeting childhood obesity prevention in kindergartens and schools, was developed. This article describes the WP 6 JANPA framework of good practice criteria and its development, compares it to other frameworks and discusses its potential for future use.

Application of Docking Analysis in the Prediction and Biological Evaluation of the Lipoxygenase Inhibitory Action of Thiazolyl Derivatives of Mycophenolic Acid.

5-LOX inhibition is among the desired characteristics of anti-inflammatory drugs, while 15-LOX has also been considered as a drug target. Similarity in inhibition behavior between soybean LOX-1 and human 5-LOX has been observed and soybean LOX (sLOX) type 1b has been used for the evaluation of LOX inhibition in drug screening for years. After prediction of LOX inhibition by PASS and docking as well as toxicity by PROTOX and ToxPredict sixteen ()--(thiazol-2-yl)-6-(4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-7-methyl-3-oxo-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-5-yl)-4-methylhex-4-enamide derivatives with lengths varying from about 15⁻20 Å were evaluated in vitro for LOX inhibitory action using the soybean lipoxygenase sLOX 1b.