A pain research strategy for Europe: A European survey and position paper of the European Pain Federation EFIC.

Background: Pain is the leading cause of disability and reduced quality of life worldwide. Despite the increasing burden for patients and healthcare systems, pain research remains underfunded and under focused. Having stakeholders identify and prioritize areas that need urgent attention in the field will help focus funding topics, reduce 'research waste', improve the effectiveness of pain research and therapy and promote the uptake of research evidence.

TIA1 Mediates Divergent Inflammatory Responses to Tauopathy in Microglia and Macrophages.

The RNA binding protein TIA1 is known to regulate stress responses. Here we show that TIA1 plays a much broader role in inflammatory cells, being required for the microglial sensome. We crossed TIA1 cKO mice (using a CX3CR1 driven cre element) to PS19 MAPT P301S tauopathy mice.

A community of practice approach to the management of metal resources, metalworking and hoarding in Bronze Age societies.

The burial of metals in hoards is a trademark phenomenon of prehistoric Europe that may be counterintuitive to perceptions of value nowadays. For the first time here, we establish detailed biographies of a large corpus of hoarded metal objects, providing new insights into how societies in the second millennium BC engaged with their convertible material wealth. We move beyond previous research on prehistoric hoarding commonly focussing on separate questions such as what was placed in hoards, who selected the objects, what were the origins of materials, and where and when they were buried.

Glucocorticoid stress hormones stimulate vesicle-free Tau secretion and spreading in the brain.

Chronic stress and elevated levels of glucocorticoids (GCs), the main stress hormones, accelerate Alzheimer's disease (AD) onset and progression. A major driver of AD progression is the spreading of pathogenic Tau protein between brain regions, precipitated by neuronal Tau secretion. While stress and high GC levels are known to induce intraneuronal Tau pathology (i.

Paper-Based Aptasensors: Working Principles, Detection Modes, and Applications.

Aptamers are short oligonucleotides designed to possess high binding affinity towards specific target compounds (ions, molecules, or cells). Due to their function and unique advantages, aptamers are considered viable alternatives to antibodies as biorecognition elements in bioassays and biosensors. On the other hand, paper-based devices (PADs) have emerged as a promising and powerful technology for the fabrication of low-cost analytical tools, mainly intended for on-site and point-of-care applications.

Chemical characterisation of artists' spray-paints: A diagnostic tool for urban art conservation.

In this study the chemical characterisation of 24 commercial spray-paints in different colours as used in contemporary public murals, street art, and graffiti is presented. The analyses were focused on the identification of the binding media, pigments, and additives. In addition, four spray-paint samples were analysed in the form of bi-layered paint films to explore the possibility of determining the composition of multi-layered samples.

Synthesis and in vitro proof-of-concept studies on bispecific iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles targeting PSMA and GRP receptors for PET/MR imaging of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy worldwide in men. This is a proof-of-concept study describing the development of Ga-magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (mNP) targeting prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and gastrin releasing peptide (GRPR) receptors as potential tools for diagnosis of PCa with PET/MRI. Two pharmacophores targeting PSMA, 1, and GRPR, 2, were coupled to mNPs carrying -SH (mNP-S1/2) or -NH (mNP-N1/2) groups.

Follow-up of tissue genomics in BRCA1/2 carriers who underwent prophylactic surgeries.

Purpose: The genomic status of non-malignant tissues from carriers of pathogenic germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2) variants may reveal information towards individualized prophylaxis. We performed spatiotemporal tissue genotype comparisons in a real-life cohort of gBRCA1/2 carriers of Greek origin, who underwent multiple risk-reducing/prophylactic surgeries at various time points.

Methods: Fifty-three women (median age 36 years) within cancer families were observed for up to 37.

Current practices on genetic testing in ovarian cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is probably the tumor type with the highest percentage of hereditary cases observed, irrespectively of selection criteria. A fourth to a fifth of unselected epithelial EOC patients carry pathogenic variants (PVs) in a number of genes, the majority of which encode for proteins involved in DNA repair pathways. and predisposing PVs were the first to be associated to ovarian cancer, with the advent in DNA sequencing technologies leading to the discovery and association of additional genes which compromise the homologous recombination (HR) pathway.

Surfactant Effects on the Synthesis of Redox Bifunctional VO Photocatalysts.

Novel VO bifunctional photocatalysts were prepared following a wet chemical process with the addition of anionic or non-ionic surfactants into the precursor solution and further heating under reflux. Detailed characterization and investigation of the relevant light-matter interactions proved that surfactants addition had a strong impact on the morphology, while also affecting the crystallinity, the optoelectronic properties, and the surface chemistry of the novel photocatalysts. The most efficient photocatalyst (T80) was based on tween 80, a surface-active agent employed for the first time in the synthesis of vanadium oxide materials.

Enhancement of Flux Performance in PTFE Membranes for Direct Contact Membrane Distillation.

This work focused on enhancing the flux on hydrophobic polymeric membranes aimed for direct contact membrane distillation desalination (DCMD) process without compromising salt rejection efficiency. Successful coating of commercial porous poly-tetrafluoroethylene membranes with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was achieved by solution dipping followed by a cross-linking step. The modified membranes were evaluated for their performance in DCMD, in terms of water flux and salt rejection.

I-131 Postablation SPECT/CT Predicts Relapse of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma more Accurately than Whole Body Scan.

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to prospectively compare I-131 postablation Whole Body scan (WBS) and Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography/Computerized Tomography (SPECT/CT) scan on thyroid cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Overall, 58 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were submitted to total thyroidectomy and I-131 remnant ablation. Post-ablation WBS and SPECT/CT scans performed on the same day were compared.

One in three highly selected Greek patients with breast cancer carries a loss-of-function variant in a cancer susceptibility gene.

Background: Gene panel testing has become the norm for assessing breast cancer (BC) susceptibility, but actual cancer risks conferred by genes included in panels are not established. Contrarily, deciphering the missing hereditability on BC, through identification of novel candidates, remains a challenge. We aimed to investigate the mutation prevalence and spectra in a highly selected cohort of Greek patients with BC, questioning an extensive number of genes, implicated in cancer predisposition and DNA repair, while calculating gene-specific BC risks that can ultimately lead to important associations.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives (nitro-PAHs, oxygenated PAHs, and azaarenes) in PM from Southern European cities.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) samples were collected over two one month periods during winter and summer in three Southern European cities (Oporto - traffic site, Florence - urban background, Athens - suburban). Concentrations of 27 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 15 nitro-PAHs (NPAHs), 15 oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) and 4 azaarenes (AZAs) were determined. On average, the winter-summer concentrations of ΣPAHs were 16.

Polymorphisms and haplotypes of the CYP2B6 detoxification gene in the predisposition of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and induction of its cytogenetic abnormalities.

CYP2B6 is a polymorphic detoxification gene which plays a vital role in the degradation of genotoxic compounds. In this study we hypothesized that inadequate detoxification due to CYP2B6 polymorphisms may contribute to AML. To evaluate the potential impact of CYP2B6 polymorphisms on AML development and induction of its specific chromosomal abnormalities we studied CA and AG polymorphisms for the first time in AML.

Characterization of "γ-Eye": a Low-Cost Benchtop Mouse-Sized Gamma Camera for Dynamic and Static Imaging Studies.

Purpose: Several preclinical imaging systems are commercially available, but their purchase and maintenance costs make them unaffordable for the majority of small- and medium-sized groups. Taking into account the needs of average users, we developed "γ-eye", a mouse-sized, benchtop γ-camera suitable for in vivo scintigraphic imaging.

Procedures: The γ-eye is based on two position-sensitive photomultiplier tubes, coupled to a CsI(Na) pixelated scintillator and a low-energy lead collimator with parallel hexagonal holes.

alphaB-crystallin is a marker of aggressive breast cancer behavior but does not independently predict for patient outcome: a combined analysis of two randomized studies.

Background: alphaB-crystallin is a small heat shock protein that has recently been characterized as an oncoprotein correlating with the basal core phenotype and with negative prognostic factors in breast carcinomas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate alphaB-crystallin with respect to clinicopathological parameters and the outcome of patients with operable high-risk breast cancer.

Methods: A total of 940 tumors were examined, derived from an equal number of patients who had participated in two randomized clinical trials (paclitaxel-containing regimen in 793 cases).

The G⁵¹⁶T CYP2B6 germline polymorphism affects the risk of acute myeloid leukemia and is associated with specific chromosomal abnormalities.

The etiology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) underlies the influence of genetic variants in candidate genes. The CYP2B6 enzyme detoxifies many genotoxic xenobiotics, protecting cells from oxidative damage. The CYP2B6 gene is subjected to a single-nucleotide polymorphism (G⁵¹⁶T) with heterozygotes (GT) and homozygotes (TT) presenting decreased enzymatic activity.

Comparative in vitro stability and scintigraphic imaging for trafficking and tumor targeting of a directly and a novel ⁹⁹mTc(I)(CO)₃ labeled liposome.

Liposomes radiolabelling with diagnostic radionuclides is an excellent tool for studying pharmacokinetics with the view of developing liposome-based drug delivery agents. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo behavior of a (99m)Tc-labeled liposome by applying either a direct labeling strategy via a carboxyl group, LP-COOH, or a surface chelating method via pyridyl ethyl cysteine compound (with the intermediate [⁹⁹mTc(I)(CO)₃(H₂O)(3)](+)), LP-PEC. ⁹⁹mTc-LP-COOH was obtained in high radiolabelling yield and radiochemical purity, while ⁹⁹mTc(I)(CO)₃-LP-PEC was initially purified before being in vitro and in vivo evaluated.

Cytogenetic abnormalities in acute leukaemia of ambiguous lineage: an overview.

Acute leukaemia of ambiguous lineage (ALAL) is a rare complex entity with heterogeneous clinical, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic and molecular genetic features and adverse outcome. According to World Health Organization 2008 classification, ALAL encompasses those leukaemias that show no clear evidence of differentiation along a single lineage. The rarity of ALAL and the lack of uniform diagnostic criteria have made it difficult to establish its cytogenetic features, although cytogenetic analysis reveals clonal chromosomal abnormalities in 59-91% of patients.

Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes and preimplantation genetic diagnosis: where are we now?

Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes have been model diseases in order to understand carcinogenesis in many different organs such as colon, breast, ovaries, stomach and others. Better understanding and follow up of these diseases have led to the increasing acceptance of cancer genetic testing and the improving survival of young patients with cancer. Once the mutation is identified in the gene, patients and their relatives have the option of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in order to select embryos without familial cancer-predisposing mutations.

Management of medicines information for patient safety.

Ensuring patient safety in the management of medicines requires the efficient collection, administration, analysis and distribution of huge amounts of data from different sources. This requires the development of generic methods and tools for tasks such as: (1) data mining and semantics-based inference; (2) integration of heterogeneous scientific information databases relating to drugs and diseases; (3) terminology and coding issues; (4) adverse drug events and signal detection; and (5) networking and security. Collaborative research and development will be required to develop coordinated health care information services.