Design, additive manufacturing, and characterization of an organ-on-chip microfluidic device for oral mucosa analogue growth.

Introduction: Α customized organ-on-a-chip microfluidic device was developed for dynamic culture of oral mucosa equivalents (Oral_mucosa_chip-OMC).

Materials And Methods: Additive Manufacturing (AM) was performed via stereolithography (SLA) printing. The dimensional accuracy was evaluated via microfocus computed tomography (mCT), the surface characteristics via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the mechanical properties via nanoindentation and compression tests.

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Healthcare Resource Use for Patients with Myelofibrosis: Results from the METER Study.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm that was most commonly treated with hydroxyurea (HU) prior to approval of ruxolitinib (RUX), now the standard of care. Factors that influence changes in MF treatment in real-world settings are not well understood. The METER study (NCT05444972) was a multi-country retrospective chart review of MF treatment patterns, treatment effectiveness, and healthcare resource utilization.

Implementing digital respiratory technologies for people with respiratory conditions: A protocol for a scoping review.

The value of 'data-enabled', digital healthcare is evolving rapidly, as demonstrated in the COVID-19 pandemic, and its successful implementation remains complex and challenging. Harmonisation (within/between healthcare systems) of infrastructure and implementation strategies has the potential to promote safe, equitable and accessible digital healthcare, but guidance for implementation is lacking. Using respiratory technologies as an example, our scoping review process will capture and review the published research between 12th December 2013 to 12th December 2023.

R4Alz-R: a cutting-edge tool for spotting the very first and subtle signs of aging-related cognitive impairment with high accuracy.

The accurate diagnosis of aging-related neurocognitive disorders as early as possible, even in a phase that is characterized by the absence of clinical symptoms, is nowadays the holy grail of the neurosciences. R4Alz-R is a novel cognitive tool designed to objectively detect the subtle cognitive changes that emerge as the very first result of the aging processes and could be developed and broadened in a continuum from healthy aging to subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), before reaching some type of dementia. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the R4Alz-R battery has the potential to detect these subtle changes.

QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 assay for the evaluation of cellular immunity after immunization with mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the virus-specific T-cell response after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, using the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 interferon-γ release assay. A search was conducted (June 8, 2023) in the PUBMED, SCOPUS, and medRxiv databases, to identify studies reporting the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 (Starter (two antigen tubes) or Starter + Extended Pack (three antigen tubes), cut-off ≥ 0.15 IU/mL) positivity rate (PR) in immunocompetent adults, following the administration of two or three COVID-19 mRNA vaccine doses.

A stratified treatment algorithm in psychiatry: a program on stratified pharmacogenomics in severe mental illness (Psych-STRATA): concept, objectives and methodologies of a multidisciplinary project funded by Horizon Europe.

Schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar (BD) and major depression disorder (MDD) are severe psychiatric disorders that are challenging to treat, often leading to treatment resistance (TR). It is crucial to develop effective methods to identify and treat patients at risk of TR at an early stage in a personalized manner, considering their biological basis, their clinical and psychosocial characteristics. Effective translation of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice is essential for achieving this goal.

Subclinical Mastitis in Lacaune Sheep: Etiologic Agents, the Effect on Milk Characteristics, and an Evaluation of Infrared Thermography and the YOLO Algorithm as a Preprocessing Tool for Advanced Analysis.

This study aimed to investigate the incidence of subclinical mastitis (SCM), the implicated pathogens, and their impact on milk quality in dairy sheep in Greece. Furthermore, we preliminarily evaluated infrared thermography and the application of AI tools for the early, non-invasive diagnosis of relevant cases. In total, 660 milk samples and over 2000 infrared thermography images were obtained from 330 phenotypically healthy ewes.

Stress Biomarkers in Pigs: Current Insights and Clinical Application.

Our study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the stress process in pigs to better assess and control their stress levels. Nowadays, pigs in intensive farming are exposed to several stress factors, such as weaning, transportation, diseases and vaccinations. As a result, the animals experience significant stress responses and inflammatory reactions that affect their health, growth and productivity.

Three-Dimensional Thermal Tomography with Physics-Informed Neural Networks.

: Accurate reconstruction of internal temperature fields from surface temperature data is critical for applications such as non-invasive thermal imaging, particularly in scenarios involving small temperature gradients, like those in the human body. : In this study, we employed 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to predict internal temperature fields. The network's performance was evaluated under both ideal and non-ideal conditions, incorporating noise and background temperature variations.

Individuality Affects the Efficiency of Basketball Pre-Game Warm-Up on Players' Performance.

Pre-game warm-up is integral to athletes' preparation before a basketball game. The main objectives of this study were to compare specific performance indicators before and immediately after a basketball pre-game warm-up, and examine the individualized players' responses. The impact of rest intervals after warm-up (9-23 min) was also examined.

The Effect of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Arterial Function in Endurance Male Runners: Prospective Cohort Study.

Foods rich in polyphenols have beneficial effects on health. This study aimed to examine the impact of dark chocolate on endurance runners' arterial function. Forty-six male amateur runners, aged 25-55, participated.

The Effect of Intraset Rest Periods on External and Internal Load During Small-Sided Games in Soccer.

The purpose of this study was to compare the internal and external load in continuous and intermittent small-sided games (SSG) formats. Eight semi-professional soccer players participated in the study, and they completed three protocols: (a) I-intermittent SSG protocol (Int-I, 4 sets of 4 min with a 3 min recovery); (b) Continuous SSG protocol (Con, 2 sets of 8 min with a 3 min recovery); (c) II-SSG protocol (Int-II, 4 sets of 4 min, where each set includes 1 min of exercise with varying recovery periods (10, 20, 30 s), with a 3 min recovery period between sets). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the dependent variables, with significance determined at < 0.

Impact of a Three-Month Training Break on Swimming Performance in Athletes with Intellectual Disability.

This study aimed to ascertain whether there were any differences in anthropometrics, heart rate, and swimming performance parameters in athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) before and after a three-month training break. A total of 21 athletes participated in the study, comprising 16 males and 5 females, with a mean age of 28.3 ± 8.

Biomechanical Insights in Ancient Greek Combat Sports: A Static Analysis of Selected Pottery Depictions.

Background: Though ancient Greece preserves many pictures of combat sports, there is limited research in terms of biomechanical analysis of their sports. This research aimed to investigate the Pankration postures of ancient Greek athletics, expecting to bridge the gap between historical sports practices and contemporary biomechanical applications.

Methods: This study employed computer vision (OpenPose) to analyze two images, one as readiness and another as kicking postures, from ancient Greek Pankration by constructing a static multi-segmental model.

Biological and Chemical Management of and Ochratoxin A in Vineyards.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widely distributed mycotoxin and potent carcinogen produced by several fungal genera, but mainly by . Grape contamination occurs in vineyards during the period between veraison and pre-harvest, and it is the main cause of OTA's presence in wine. The aim of the current study was the evaluation of 6 chemical and 11 biological plant protection products (PPPs) and biocontrol agents in commercial vineyards of the two important Greek white wine varieties cv.

Sensitive Aflatoxin M1 Detection in Milk by ELISA: Investigation of Different Assay Configurations.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) exposure through dairy products is associated with adverse health effects, including hepatotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Therefore, the AFM1 presence in milk and dairy products is strictly regulated. In this context, the current work focuses on the investigation of different competitive enzyme immunoassay configurations for the determination of AFM1 in milk with high sensitivity and short assay duration.

Impact of Mast Cell Activation on Neurodegeneration: A Potential Role for Gut-Brain Axis and Infection.

Background: The innate immune response aims to prevent pathogens from entering the organism and/or to facilitate pathogen clearance. Innate immune cells, such as macrophages, mast cells (MCs), natural killer cells and neutrophils, bear pattern recognition receptors and are thus able to recognize common molecular patterns, such as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), the later occurring in the context of neuroinflammation. An inflammatory component in the pathology of otherwise "primary cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative" disease has recently been recognized and targeted as a means of therapeutic intervention.

Childhood Mediterranean Diet Compliance Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Childhood Obesity, Specific Sociodemographic, and Lifestyle Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Children Aged 6-9 Years.

Background: Mediterranean diet (MD) constitutes a commonly examined dietary model. It includes a plethora of bioactive ingredients with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and anticancer properties. Several substantial studies support strong evidence that MD can exert preventing actions against human morbidity and mortality, promoting human well-being and quality of life.

A Re-Evaluation of the Utility of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised for Measuring the Spectra in the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology.

Unlabelled: The present study examines the potential of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) as a measure for the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTop) model. Two structural models were evaluated. In Model 1, the SCL-90-R dimensions were allocated to somatoform (comprising somatization), internalizing (comprising obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety), and antagonistic disinhibited (comprising hostility) spectra.

Development of Spatial Memory: A Behavioral Study.

Although spatial memory has been widely studied in rodents, developmental studies involving humans are limited in number and sample size. We designed and studied the validity of two simple experimental setups for the evaluation of spatial memory and navigation development. The dataset of this study was composed of 496 schoolchildren, from 4 to 15 years old.

Reproductive Health in Women with Major β-Thalassemia: Evaluating Ovarian Reserve and Endocrine Complications.

Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive hereditary chronic hemolytic anemia characterized by a partial or complete deficiency in the synthesis of alpha- or beta-globin chains, which are essential components of adult hemoglobin. Mutations in the globin genes lead to the production of unstable globin chains that precipitate within cells, causing hemolysis. This shortens the lifespan of mature red blood cells (RBCs) and results in the premature destruction of RBC precursors in the bone marrow.

The Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Mouse Models Infected with from the Perspective of Metabolic Profiling: A Systematic Review.

: This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in treating infection (CDI) in mouse models using a metabolomics-based approach. : A comprehensive search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar) from 10 April 2024 to 17 June 2024. Out of the 460 research studies reviewed and subjected to exclusion criteria, only 5 studies met all the inclusion criteria and were analyzed.

Correlation of Red Blood Cell Morphology with Serum Cobalamin and Folate Concentration in Dogs with Chronic Diarrhea: A Retrospective Study.

: Chronic diarrhea in dogs is a prevalent condition that significantly impacts canine health, often leading to weight loss, dehydration, and malnutrition. Diagnosing and treating chronic diarrhea is challenging due to its multifactorial nature, necessitating collaboration among veterinarians across various specialties. Measuring cobalamin and folate levels is a crucial diagnostic step for all dogs with chronic diarrhea.

Could Fibrin Sealants (TISSEEL) Be Effective in the Management of Burn Injuries? A Histopathological Study in Rats.

Burn injuries remain a major clinical problem worldwide, which require special management by experienced plastic surgeons. However, they cannot be available in every healthcare unit; consequently, there is a need for effective treatment options that could be utilized by a wide range of non-expert healthcare professionals. The aim of the present experimental study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of using a fibrin sealant (TISSEEL) compared to the conventional treatment with sulfadiazine on partial-thickness burn in a rat animal model.