5,923 results match your criteria: "Democritus University of Thrace; University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis[Affiliation]"

MiRNAs have been identified as participants in leukemogenesis by controlling several cellular functions, such as differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Their role in myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) pathogenesis is researched due to implementations in early identification, classification, and therapeutical options. IPSS-R, being the most widely used MDS classification, underestimates early biological events that can alter the disease's prognosis.

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Objectives: The level of greenhouse farmers' personal protection in pesticide use and the possibility of environmental protection through farmers' willingness to reduce chemical sprayings were assessed in Khuzestan Province, Iran.

Methods: A survey of 80 active greenhouse vegetable growers was carried out in 2021 with face-to-face interviews. Willingness to reduce chemical sprayings was examined with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model.

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Article Synopsis
  • The review evaluates the potential of pioglitazone, an anti-diabetic medication, as a treatment for asthma by examining its effects on asthma control and lung function based on existing studies.
  • It summarizes findings from both animal studies, which indicate improvements in airway inflammation and lung function, and clinical trials, which show minimal benefits and notable side effects in human asthma patients.
  • The conclusion highlights that while preliminary data from animal studies is promising, the efficacy of pioglitazone in treating asthma in humans is still unproven, necessitating further research to clarify its safety and effectiveness.
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Alterations of energy expenditure after anterior cruciate ligament tear and reconstruction. A systematic review.

Hippokratia

January 2023

Department of Trauma and Orthopedic, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.

Background: The ever-increasing sport level makes every single detail of the athlete's cardiorespiratory profile count, and therefore, it is deemed crucial to clarify how the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) affects the energy economy of an athlete compared to the ACL-deficient and healthy subjects. The purpose of this review was to systematically analyze the studies investigating the correlation between the energy-oxygen cost in patients following ACLR in unreconstructed and intact ACLs.

Methods: We conducted this systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

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Airway Remodeling in Asthma: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Directions.

Arch Bronconeumol

January 2025

Department of Experimental Allergology and Immunology and Department of Allergology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.

Article Synopsis
  • * The review covers the mechanisms of AR, including resident cells and inflammation, along with diagnostic tools like bronchial biopsy and lung tests, and discusses various asthma treatments.
  • * Current therapies mainly address inflammation rather than the structural changes in the airway, highlighting the need for more research on AR mechanisms to create better treatments and improve asthma management.
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Article Synopsis
  • * Recent efforts to stop smoking haven't been put into action yet, and it’s important to see what could happen if smoking rates stay the same or improve.
  • * Researchers used models to predict health outcomes by 2050 based on different scenarios of smoking rates, showing that cutting smoking could greatly improve health and life expectancy.
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The aim of the present study was to provide a forensic psychiatric characterization of perpetrators of parricide who were found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). We conducted a study involving 52 NGRI patients who had committed homicide or attempted homicide within the Department of Forensic Psychiatry in Thessaloniki, Greece, between January 2015 and 2020. Subjects were categorized into two groups: parricide ( = 21) and a control group ( = 31).

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Leaching and geochemical modeling of asbestos-cement waste and mine asbestos.

J Hazard Mater

December 2024

Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, GR-671 32 Xanthi, Greece. Electronic address:

Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACMs) were widely used in the construction sector but, due to their harmful health effects, many countries have banned their use. ACMs are classified as hazardous and, in contact with water, produce potentially harmful leachates. The objective of this work was to determine the leaching behavior of 20 elements from two asbestos-cement materials and mine asbestos samples across the entire pH range and varying liquid-to-solid ratios (column tests).

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Article Synopsis
  • Erythropoietin (EPO) is a key growth factor that helps reduce cell death, manage oxidative stress, and promote new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) in various tissues.
  • In a study using BALB/c mice, researchers compared the effects of EPO treatment versus no treatment and saline injection on brain angiogenesis.
  • The results showed that chronic treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) significantly increased the number of blood vessels in healthy mouse brains by 44%, indicating that lesions or low oxygen levels are not required for EPO's angiogenic effects.
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Diet patterns, gut microbiota and metabolic disorders: Perspectives and challenges.

Metabol Open

September 2024

Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, University Hospital, Alexandroupolis, Greece.

The worldwide surge in obesity and associated metabolic disorders is emerging as a significant public health issue for societies and healthcare systems. Available evidence has shown that alterations in the gut microbiota could be implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and associated disorders. A healthy gut microbiome is characterized by richness and high microbial diversity.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to find a connection between parvovirus-B19 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections and levels of apoptosis (cell death) markers in placentas from spontaneous abortions compared to elective terminations.
  • Researchers analyzed 194 placental samples (152 from spontaneous abortions and 42 controls), using techniques like H&E staining and immunohistochemistry to assess viral presence and apoptotic markers.
  • Results showed significantly higher apoptosis levels in spontaneous abortion cases, suggesting viral infections could contribute to increased apoptosis and potentially trigger spontaneous abortions.
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Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by chronic inflammation and intestinal fibrosis leading to lifelong complications. However, the disease pathogenesis remains elusive, and the therapeutic options are limited. Here, we investigated the interaction between neutrophils and intestinal fibroblasts in the development of CD immunofibrosis, a disease mechanism predisposing to inflammatory and fibrotic complications.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to analyze the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) on blood sugar control in adults with type 1 diabetes when added to insulin therapy.
  • - A systematic search found six randomized controlled trials with 378 participants, revealing a slight reduction in HbA1c levels but no significant improvement in other glucose monitoring metrics.
  • - The results indicated that while GLP-1RA therapy reduced time spent above the target glucose range and increased time spent below it, overall benefits on continuous glucose monitoring were minimal.
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Dimensionality and psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Diabetes Impact and Device Satisfaction (DIDS) scale.

Psychiatriki

December 2024

Diabetes Center, 1st Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, "AHEPA" University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece.

Article Synopsis
  • Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a growing chronic condition that requires insulin for management to avoid complications, and diabetes-related technology helps improve patients' daily living.
  • A study evaluated the Greek version of the Diabetes Impact and Device Satisfaction (DIDS) Scale, which measures how satisfied individuals are with their insulin delivery device and how diabetes affects their lives.
  • Results showed that the scale is reliable and valid, identifying three key factors: Device Satisfaction, Diabetes Management Impact, and Device Usability, with positive correlations to diabetes quality of life metrics.
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Article Synopsis
  • Joint position sense (JPS) is crucial for knee function, but the impact of muscle pain on JPS hasn't been previously explored.
  • Researchers injected hypertonic saline to induce muscle pain in 26 physically active adults and assessed their knee JPS through repositioning tasks at angles of 15°, 45°, and 60°.
  • Results showed that absolute angular errors increased significantly at 15° and 45° after pain induction, while variability of knee repositioning decreased at 15° and 60°, suggesting pain impairs proprioceptive accuracy in healthy individuals.
  • Further studies are needed to see if similar effects occur in individuals with existing knee pain.
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Innovative Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Rope-Based Closed-Form Retrofitting Methods Applied in Reinforced Concrete T-Shaped Beams under Torsion.

Polymers (Basel)

September 2024

Laboratory of Reinforced Concrete and Seismic Design of Structures, Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece.

The fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) elements with torsional deficiencies has not yet been extensively studied. Existing studies have primarily focused on rectangular RC beams. The few studies on L or T-shaped beams have used open-form retrofitting methods.

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Sperm DNA Fragmentation: Unraveling Its Imperative Impact on Male Infertility Based on Recent Evidence.

Int J Mol Sci

September 2024

Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University General Hospital "ATTIKON", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece.

Male factors may be present in up to 50-70% of infertile couples and the prevalence of male infertility accounts for 20-30% of infertility cases. Understanding the mechanisms and causes behind male infertility remains a challenge, but new diagnostic tools such as DNA fragmentation might aid in cases where the routine semen analysis is insufficient. DNA fragmentation, which refers to damages or breaks of the genetic material of the spermatozoa, is considered one of the main causes of male infertility due to impaired functional capability of sperm.

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Presepsin Levels in Infection-Free Subjects with Diabetes Mellitus: An Exploratory Study.

Biomedicines

August 2024

Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 546 42 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Article Synopsis
  • * A study with 75 individuals highlighted that the duration of diabetes affected presepsin levels, with type 1 diabetes patients showing higher levels compared to type 2 diabetes patients, especially in well-controlled groups.
  • * After considering other factors like age and body mass index, the difference in presepsin levels remained significant, indicating its possible role as a marker for inflammation in diabetes management.
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Childhood obesity is a major medical and public health issue of global interest, which is influenced by a diverse array of factors and carries significant medical and psychosocial implications. Despite the extensive studies that have been conducted to explore the specific issue, the impact of several factors that influence, generate, worsen, and make chronic the phenomenon needs further exploration. This study aimed to construct a grounded theory that includes and connects the psychological, social, parental, and biological factors affecting childhood obesity.

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Monitoring macroplastics in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: Expert survey reveals visual and drone-based census as most effective techniques.

Sci Total Environ

December 2024

Department of Sciences, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Università di Palermo, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Anthropogenic litter, specifically plastic, significantly impacts ecosystems, and scientists from various fields are working together to assess and reduce these pollutants.
  • The research aimed to determine the best methods for monitoring macroplastic litter in rivers and oceans by surveying 46 researchers who evaluated different techniques such as visual census, drone surveys, satellite imagery, and GPS/GNSS trackers.
  • Results indicated that traditional visual census and drone use were the most favored methods (scoring 3.5 and 2.0), while satellite imagery and GPS trackers were less effective due to validation challenges and range limitations, with scores below 1.2.
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The impact of heat exposure on the health and performance of soccer players is a widely discussed topic. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the international literature that has addressed this issue. To achieve this objective, we initially conducted a bibliometric analysis and a literature review of the main topics that emerged through bibliometric techniques.

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Antibiotics resistance is expanding amongst pathogenic bacteria. Phage therapy is a revived concept for targeting bacteria with multiple antibiotics resistances. In the present study, we isolated and characterized a novel phage from hospital treatment plant input, using () as host bacterium.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are significantly associated with multiple adverse reproductive outcomes such as miscarriages. Pregnant women are more susceptible to an HPV infection and its prevalence increases as pregnancy progresses. In this present review, we summarize the existing evidence indicating the potential impact of an HPV infection on the occurrence of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).

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Background: Dissecting trends and contributing risk factors for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients treated for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) may allow for a better patient selection for existing and emerging treatment options.

Methods: The German nationwide inpatient sample was screened for patients admitted due to PE 2005-2020. Hospitalizations were stratified for the occurrence of ICH; risk factors for ICH and temporal trends were investigated.

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Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) increases the risk for venous thromboembolism. Tissue factor (TF) initiates the extrinsic coagulation pathway (ECP).

Aims: To investigate the correlation of UC severity with latent ECP activation and TF expression in primary colonic stromal cells (PCSC).

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