Percutaneous cryoanalgesia for pain palliation: Current status and future trends.

Cryoanalgesia, otherwise termed cryoneurolysis, refers to application of extreme cold upon peripheral nerves for palliation of pain associated to nerve lesions or biomechanical syndromes of neoplastic and non-neoplastic substrate. Application of cryoanalgesia initiates a cascade of pathophysiologic events interrupting nerve conduction of painful stimuli without irreversible nerve damage. Cryoanalgesia is considered a safe procedure with minimal risk of complications when performed with percutaneous approaches under imaging guidance.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia - a review.

Introduction: Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a clonal myeloid neoplasm, denoted by overlapping myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative features, with poor overall survival and high transformation rate to acute myeloid leukemia.

Areas Covered: This review, following a thorough Medline search of pertinent published literature, discusses the diagnostic criteria, the pathogenesis, and the complex genetic landscape of the disease. Prognostication, response criteria, therapeutic management of patients, efficacy of established and novel treatment modalities are thoroughly reviewed.

Reference Values of Thrombolastometry Parameters in Healthy Term Neonates.

Background: Thromboelastometry (ROTEM), as a point of care test, is an attractive tool for rapid evaluation of hemostasis. Currently, no reference ranges exist for all ROTEM assays in neonates, limiting its use in this vulnerable population. The aim of the present study was: (1) to establish reference ranges for standard extrinsically activated (EXTEM), intrinsically activated (INTEM), and fibrinogen polymerization (FIBTEM) ROTEM assays in whole blood samples of healthy term neonates; (2) to determine the impact of gender, delivery mode, and hematocrit on ROTEM parameters.

Modelling Prosaccade Latencies across Multiple Decision-Making Tasks.

Oculomotor decision making can be investigated by a simple step task, where a person decides whether a target has jumped to the left or the right. More complex tasks include the countermanding task (look at the jumped target, except when a subsequent signal instructs you not to) and the Wheeless task (where the jumped target sometimes then quickly jumps to a new location). Different instantiations of the LATER (Linear Approach to Threshold with Ergodic Rate) model have been shown to explain the saccadic latency data arising from these tasks, despite it being almost inconceivable that completely separate decision-making mechanisms exist for each.

Identification of Two Novel Circular RNAs Deriving from and Investigation of Their Potential Value as a Molecular Signature in Colorectal Cancer.

The utility of circular RNAs (circRNAs) as molecular biomarkers has recently emerged. However, only a handful of them have already been studied in colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to identify new circRNAs deriving from , a member of the BCL2 apoptosis-related family, and investigate their potential as biomarkers in CRC.

Erdheim-Chester Disease and Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Mutated in a Patient with Clonal Hematopoiesis: A Case Report.

Background: Erdheim-Chester Disease (ECD) is a clonal non-Langerhans histiocytosis, classified as a macrophage-dendritic cell neoplasm in the 2016 WHO classification. The exact cell of origin of ECD is unknown, although some limited evidence suggests that it arises from myeloid progenitors.

Case Presentation: A 43-year-old patient, diagnosed with mutated ECD, developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with wild-type , 15 months after the initial ECD diagnosis.

Analytical methodologies for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: Protocols and future perspectives.

In March 2020 the World Health Organization announced a pandemic outbreak. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative pathogen for the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The authorities worldwide use clinical science to identify infected people, but this approach is not able to track all symptomatic and asymptomatic cases due to limited sampling capacity of the testing laboratories.

Revised Exon Structure of l-DOPA Decarboxylase () Reveals Novel Splice Variants Associated with Colorectal Cancer Progression.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly heterogenous malignancy with an increased mortality rate. Aberrant splicing is a typical characteristic of CRC, and several studies support the prognostic value of particular transcripts in this malignancy. l-DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) and its derivative neurotransmitters play a multifaceted role in physiological and pathological states.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and myelodysplastic syndrome: Disappearance of cytogenetic abnormalities.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare life-threatening disease resulting from clonal hematopoietic stem cell evolution. There is a strong link between PNH and other acquired bone marrow failure syndromes, including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Cytogenetic, morphological abnormalities or both are observed in the range of MDS/PNH diagnosis.

Monte Carlo studies in Gold Nanoparticles enhanced radiotherapy: The impact of modelled parameters in dose enhancement.

Purpose: Over the last decades, Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been presented as an innovative approach in radiotherapy (RT) enhancement. Several studies have proven that the irradiation of tumors containing AuNPs could lead to more effective tumor control than irradiation alone. Studies with low kV photons and AuNPs conclude in encouraging results regarding the level of radioenhancement.

Where are we with pre-exposure prophylaxis use in Central and Eastern Europe? Data from the Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group.

Objectives: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection is an important intervention for control of the HIV epidemic. The incidence of HIV infection is increasing in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Therefore, we investigated the change in PrEP use in CEE over time.

Association Between Sleep Disturbances and Frailty: Evidence From a Population-Based Study.

Objective: To explore the association between both self-reported quality and quantity sleep characteristics and frailty status in a large non-sex-specific population of older individuals in Greece.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting And Participants: In total, 1984 older individuals (≥65 years old) were drawn from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD).

Seroprevalence of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among the Personnel and Students of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece: A Preliminary Report.

Due to early implementation of public health measures, Greece had low number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 severe incidents in hospitalized patients. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (ΝΚUA), especially its health-care/medical personnel, has been actively involved in the first line of state responses to COVID-19. To estimate the prevalence of antibodies (Igs) against SARS-CoV-2 among NKUA members, we designed a five consecutive monthly serosurvey among randomly selected NKUA consenting volunteers.

Access to medicines for rare diseases: beating the drum for primary ciliary dyskinesia.

https://bit.ly/3j5blfM.

Use of biologicals in allergic and type-2 inflammatory diseases during the current COVID-19 pandemic: Position paper of Ärzteverband Deutscher Allergologen (AeDA), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allergologie und Klinische Immunologie (DGAKI), Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Allergologie und Umweltmedizin (GPA), Österreichische Gesellschaft für Allergologie und Immunologie (ÖGAI), Luxemburgische Gesellschaft für Allergologie und Immunologie (LGAI), Österreichische Gesellschaft für Pneumologie (ÖGP) in co-operation with the German, Austrian, and Swiss ARIA groups, and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI).

Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment of patients with allergic and atopy-associated diseases has faced major challenges. Recommendations for "social distancing" and the fear of patients becoming infected during a visit to a medical facility have led to a drastic decrease in personal doctor-patient contacts. This affects both acute care and treatment of the chronically ill.

A cost of illness analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma for the Greek healthcare setting.

Aim: To estimate the cost per patient for hepatocellular carcinoma in Greece, a setting that is currently facing financial constraints.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma patient management strategies are associated with significant costs. Despite this, patient level data on healthcare resource use and cost-of-illness analyses of hepatocellular carcinoma remain rather scarce in the international literature.

Characterization of 16S rRNA methylase genes in Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Athens Metropolitan area, 2015-2016.

The aim of this study was to characterize the 16S rRNA methylase (RMT) genes in aminoglycoside-resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in 2015-2016 in hospitals in Athens, Greece. Single-patient, Gram-negative clinical isolates resistant to both amikacin and gentamicin (n = 292) were consecutively collected during a two-year period (2015-2016) in five tertiary care hospitals in Athens. RMT genes were detected by PCR.

A Case of Meningococcal and HSV-2 Meningitis in a Patient Being Treated with Ustekinumab for Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris.

Unlabelled: Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare chronic inflammatory papulosquamous dermatosis affecting both adults and children. Six subtypes of PRP have been described. Recently, the management of PRP with biologic immunosuppressive agents regularly used in psoriasis has been supported by several case reports and series.

Association study indicates combined effect of interleukin-10 and angiotensin-converting enzyme in basal cell carcinoma development.

Cytokines involved in inflammatory and immune response have been associated with risk for development of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). In this study, three functional DNA polymorphisms affecting gene expression were investigated in 54 BCC patients and 111 healthy controls: interleukin-1b (IL-1b) +3953C/T, interleukin-10 (IL-10) - 1082G/A and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms. Significant increase of the variant alleles was observed in IL-10 - 1082G (P = 0.

Dementia in People from Ethnic Minority Backgrounds: Disability, Functioning, and Pharmacotherapy at the Time of Diagnosis.

Objectives: Increasingly, older populations in the United Kingdom and other well-resourced settings are ethnically diverse. Despite a concern that the prevalence of dementia is expected to rise, very little is known about the association of ethnicity and dementia among aging older adults. The current study aimed to compare ethnic group differences in symptom profile, functioning and pharmacotherapy at dementia diagnosis.

A novel, mitochondrial, internal tRNA-derived RNA fragment possesses clinical utility as a molecular prognostic biomarker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Objectives: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia among adults. The prognosis of CLL patients varies considerably. Transfer RNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) constitute a class of small non-coding RNA fragments excised from mature tRNAs and pre-tRNAs located in nuclei as well as in mitochondria.

Emergence of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance through distinct genomic adaptations in KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of sequence type 39 during treatment.

Three ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains of ST39 were isolated in Greece, from rectal swabs of three patients after 10-15 days of treatment. The patients were treated with ceftazidime-avibactam as monotherapy or in combination with colistin. Two of these strains harbored a D179Y or a D179V substitution in the Ω loop of KPC-2, corresponding to KPC-33, or to the novel KPC-57, respectively.

The Impact of Dietary Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load on Postprandial Lipid Kinetics, Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Risk.

Many recent studies have acknowledged postprandial hypetriglyceridemia as a distinct risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This dysmetabolic state is the result of the hepatic overproduction of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) and intestinal secretion of chylomicrons (CMs), which leads to highly atherogenic particles and endothelial inflammation. Postprandial lipid metabolism does not only depend on consumed fat but also on the other classes of nutrients that a meal contains.

Implementation of surgical site infection surveillance in low- and middle-income countries: A position statement for the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Surgical site infection (SSI) rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) range from 8 to 30% of procedures, making them the most frequent healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) with substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic impacts. Presented here is an approach to surgical site infection prevention based on surveillance and focused on five critical areas identified by international experts. These five areas include 1.