Is PREHAB in Pelvic Floor Surgery Needed? A Topical Review.

Pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence affect approximately 6-11% and 6-40% of women, respectively. These pathologies could result from a weakness of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) caused by previous deliveries, aging or surgery. It seems reasonable that improving PFM efficacy should positively impact both pelvic floor therapy and surgical outcomes.

Novel Antidiabetic Agents: Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes.

Background: Concerns of elevated cardiovascular risk with some anti-diabetic medications warranted trials on the cardiovascular outcome to demonstrate cardiovascular safety of newly marketed anti-diabetic drugs. Although these trials were initially designed to evaluate safety, some of these demonstrated significant cardiovascular benefits.

Purpose Of Review: We reviewed the cardiovascular and safety outcomes of novel antidiabetic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease or at high risk of it.

The Potential Role of Carbon Nanoparticles in Lymph Node Tracing, Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Identification and Parathyroid Preservation During Thyroid Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Background/objective: Carbon nanoparticles (CNs) are a novel injected suspension used during thyroidectomy in order to black stain the thyroid gland and the lymph nodes while maintaining the anatomic color of the parathyroid glands and the laryngeal nerves. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the benefits of carbon nanoparticles in thyroid surgical procedures and examine their role in lymph node tracing, parathyroid preservation, and recurrent laryngeal nerve protection.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature in the PubMed/Medline database was performed.

Carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal joint collapse is associated with increased pain but not functional impairment in persons with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.

Introduction: Due to the complex shape of the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, a fixed joint collapse deformity of the thumb CMC (CMC1) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP1) joint can present in advanced stages of CMC1 osteoarthritis (OA), resulting in adduction of the first metacarpal (MC1) and hyperextension of the MCP1.

Purpose Of The Study: To determine whether joint collapse deformity is associated with worse pain and/or functional impairment.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.

Alterated ligamento-muscular reflex pattern after stimulation of the anterior talofibular ligament in functional ankle instability.

Purpose: Ligamento-muscular reflex pattern following stimulation of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) was examined.

Methods: The peroneus longus (PL), the tibialis anterior (TA), and tibialis posterior (TP) muscles were investigated in sixteen patients with functional ankle instability (FAI) and 16 age- and gender-matched controls. The ATFL was stimulated with a fine wire electrode while electromyographic (EMG) activities were recorded during isometric foot contraction of 20% maximal force in plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, supination and pronation.

Successful pregnancy in women with inferior vena cava stenosis - case report and discussion.

Objectives: Inferior vena cava syndrome (IVCS) is a heterogenous group of symptoms resulting in obstruction of the main vein inflow . Common reasons are thrombotic changes and tumors. Incidence of inferior vena cava (IVC) anomalies is 0.

Τriglycerides-glucose (TyG) index is a sensitive marker of insulin resistance in Greek children and adolescents.

Purpose: To investigate the association between Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Matsuda indices in Greek obese children and adolescents, in order to assess whether it could be used as a predictor of insulin resistance.

Methods: 367 children (47.7% boys) with mean age of 9.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus management in patients with chronic kidney disease: an update.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic multisystem disease. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of its significant microvascular complications, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of this article is to review the literature regarding the latest advances in the management of type 2 DM (T2DM) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Regulatory Role of MicroRNAs in Brain Development and Function.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules of about 20-22 nucleotides. After their posttranscriptional maturation, miRNAs are loaded into the ribonucleoprotein complex RISC and modulate gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated region of their target mRNAs through base-pairing, which in turn triggers mRNA degradation or translational inhibition. There is mounting evidence that miRNAs regulate various biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

Genetic Counseling for Adult-Onset Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (Kennedy Syndrome): Multiple Cases of Prenatal Testing in a Family.

X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), also known as Kennedy syndrome, is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by slowly progressive muscle atrophy and other severe symptoms gradually leading to reduced mobility and ultimately to death due to respiratory failure. Two decades ago we reported the first prenatal diagnosis of SBMA worldwide. Here we present a Greek family in which we have performed seven prenatal DNA tests for SBMA mutation after extensive genetic counseling.

Craniofacial and Neurological Phenotype in a Patient with De Novo 18q Microdeletion and 18p Microduplication.

Introduction: Chromosome 18q deletion syndrome (18q-) is a rare chromosomal disorder with phenotypic variability, including mental deficiency, short stature, hypotonia, cleft palate, and hearing impairment. We present a case with features of 18q- syndrome who had combined 18q partial monosomy and 18p partial trisomy.

Material And Methods: A 50-year-old female patient was examined during the genetic counseling of her brother.

Metabolically Healthy Obesity: Criteria, Epidemiology, Controversies, and Consequences.

Purpose Of Review: To present a comprehensive overview regarding criteria, epidemiology, and controversies that have arisen in the literature about the existence and the natural course of the metabolic healthy phenotype.

Recent Findings: The concept of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) implies that a subgroup of obese individuals may be free of the cardio-metabolic risk factors that commonly accompany obese subjects with adipose tissue dysfunction and insulin resistance, known as having metabolic syndrome or the metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) phenotype. Individuals with MHO appear to have a better adipose tissue function, and are more insulin sensitive, emphasizing the central role of adipose tissue function in metabolic health.

Intrarater reliability test of the ISOmetric power device-A new instrument for assessment of isometric force in six directions of wrist motion.

Study Design: Descriptive reliability study.

Introduction: A well-functioning wrist requires sufficient range of motion accompanied by adequate strength in every movement and direction-factors that are not regularly measured simultaneously in patients with wrist problems today. The ISOmetric Power device (ISOP) is a new instrument that measures isometric wrist force in all six directions of motion, but its intrarater reliability in a healthy population has not yet been evaluated.

The Role of Nicotinamide in Cancer Chemoprevention and Therapy.

Nicotinamide (NAM) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin B3 (niacin) and a precursor of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NAD) which regulates cellular energy metabolism. Except for its role in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), NAD acts as a substrate for several enzymes including sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and poly ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1). Notably, NAM is an inhibitor of both SIRT1 and PARP1.

Insulin pumps use in Greece: Efficacy and safety data from 140 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) regarding glycaemic control and quality of life in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), who were previously treated with multiple daily injections (MDI).

Patients And Methods: 140 patients with T1DM [mean age 33.7 ± 22.

Serine-Arginine Protein Kinase 1 (SRPK1) as a Prognostic Factor and Potential Therapeutic Target in Cancer: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives.

Cancer, a heterogeneous disease composed of tumor cells and microenvironment, is driven by deregulated processes such as increased proliferation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and evasion of apoptosis. Alternative splicing, a mechanism led by splicing factors, is implicated in carcinogenesis by affecting any of the processes above. Accumulating evidence suggests that serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1), an enzyme that phosphorylates splicing factors rich in serine/arginine domains, has a prognostic and potential predictive role in various cancers.

Glucose metabolism disorders in patients with adrenal gland disorders: pathophysiology and management.

The aim of this review is to explore and discuss disorders of glucose metabolism that can arise in individuals with adrenal gland disorders, as well as to enumerate the available therapeutic treatments for these while considering their benefits and drawbacks. Hyperfunctioning adrenal glands, as in hypercortisolism, hyperaldosteronism, and malignancy, or hypofunctioning of adrenal glands, as in adrenal insufficiency, can lead to carbohydrate metabolism dysregulation with subsequent glucometabolic repercussions, either hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Glycemic disorders further affect patients' quality of life and represent a therapeutic dilemma for physicians.

The effect of smoking on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and the OGTT profile during pregnancy.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between smoking and the risk of GDM, as well as with the OGTT profile during pregnancy.

Patients And Methods: A total of 7437 pregnant women were studied. OGTT was performed at the 3rd trimester.

The Hamster Model of Sequential Oral Carcinogenesis: An Update.

Animal models are valuable tools for studying human cancer as well as for preclinical trials. The hamster model of chemically induced sequential oral carcinogenesis was developed by our group a decade ago in order to study the multistep process of alterations in gene expression during carcinogenesis. The purpose of this review was to discuss the utility of the hamster model of sequential oral carcinogenesis regarding the deciphering of the main pathways altered.