Elucidating the Role of the T Cell Receptor Repertoire in Myelodysplastic Neoplasms and Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

T cells, as integral components of the adaptive immune system, recognize diverse antigens through unique T cell receptors (TCRs). To achieve this, during T cell maturation, the thymus generates a wide repertoire of TCRs. This is essential for understanding cancer evolution, progression, and the efficacy of immunotherapies.

Exploring Narrative Ability in Greek-Speaking Children with High-Functioning ASD: Associations with Memory and Attention.

: Narration is a sensitive tool for the assessment of language in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD) since mild language deficits beyond the sentential level are not always noticeable through the administration of standardized language tests targeting the lexical or sentential level. This study investigated the narrative ability of monolingual Greek-speaking HF-ASD children in comparison to that of their typically developing (TD) peers and explored the associations between narrative variables, ADHD symptomatology, and memory skills in the participants on the autistic spectrum. : The participants were 39 children aged 7 to 12 years, 19 with HF-ASD and 20 age-matched, vocabulary-matched, and cognitively matched TD peers.

Examining Specific Theory-of-Mind Aspects in Amnestic and Non-Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Their Relationships with Sleep Duration and Cognitive Planning.

The study examined the relationships between specific Theory-of-Mind (ToM) dimensions, cognitive planning, and sleep duration in aging adults. The sample included 179 participants, comprising 46 cognitively healthy individuals, 75 diagnosed with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), and 58 with non-amnestic (naMCI). The mean age of the participants was 70.

Release Profile and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil-Incorporated, Optimally Stabilized Type I Collagen Hydrogels.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the drastically increasing major global health threats due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics as traditional antimicrobial agents, which render urgent the need for alternative and safer antimicrobial agents, such as essential oils (EOs). Although the strong antimicrobial activity of various EOs has already been studied and revealed, their characteristic high sensitivity and volatility drives the need towards a more efficient drug administration method via a biomaterial system. Herein, the potential of EO incorporated in functionalized antibacterial collagen hydrogels was investigated.

The interplay between sex, lifestyle factors and built environment on 20-year cardiovascular disease incidence; the ATTICA study (2002-2022).

Background And Aim: This study aims to investigate the role of the built environment in terms of urban-rural disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemiology, focusing on middle- and long-term CVD risk assessment. Moreover, this study seeks to explore sex-specific differences in urban and rural settings.

Methods: The ATTICA Study is a prospective study conducted from 2002 onwards.

A proteogenomic analysis of the adiposity colorectal cancer relationship identifies GREM1 as a probable mediator.

Background: Adiposity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). The pathways underlying this relationship, and specifically the role of circulating proteins, are unclear.

Methods: Utilizing two-sample univariable Mendelian randomization (UVMR), multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR), and colocalization, based on summary data from large sex-combined and sex-specific genetic studies, we estimated the univariable associations between: (i) body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) and overall and site-specific (colon, proximal colon, distal colon, and rectal) CRC risk, (ii) BMI and WHR and circulating proteins, and (iii) adiposity-associated circulating proteins and CRC risk.

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in the Context of McCune-Albright Syndrome: A Case Report.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical manifestation of various underlying causes, characterized by the combination of clinical and imaging findings associated with the posterior cerebral areas and relating to arterial hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. No association was made so far between PRES and McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS), a rare genetic disorder resulting in fibrous dysplasia. A 33-year-old female with MAS was presented to the emergency department of the 417 Army Share Fund Hospital in Athens (Greece) after seizure activity with two episodes of ocular upward deviation and transient facial palsy, each lasting a few minutes, followed by a postictal phase.

Conducting Pairwise and Network Meta-analyses in Updated and Living Systematic Reviews: a Scoping Review Protocol.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review will be to describe existing guidance documents or studies reporting on the conduct of meta-analyses in updated systematic reviews (USRs) or living systematic reviews (LSRs).

Introduction: The rapid increase in the medical literature poses a substantial challenge in keeping systematic reviews up to date. In LSRs, a review is updated with a pre-specified frequency or when some other signalling criterion is triggered.

Comprehensive Genome Profiling for Treatment Decisions in Patients with Metastatic Tumors: Real-World Evidence Meta-Analysis and Registry Data Implementation.

Background: Although precision oncology has rapidly been developed in recent years, its real-world impact and challenges in healthcare implementation remain underexplored. Through a meta-analysis of real-world evidence (RWE), we aimed at investigating the applicability and clinical impact of comprehensive cancer genome profiling (CGP) in cancer patients with metastatic solid tumors.

Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, and Web of Science for RWE studies on CGP and matched therapies in metastatic solid tumors (publication period: 2012-2023).

Voice-related quality of life after total laryngectomy: a scoping review of recent evidence.

Background: Laryngeal cancer often leads to total laryngectomy (TL), which results in the loss of natural voice, necessitates voice rehabilitation and affects the individuals Quality of Life (QoL). Despite advancements in treatment, Voice-Related QoL (VRQoL) post TL remains a neglected area in the field of rehabilitation. This study seeks to fill this gap by evaluating though a scoping review the impacts of TL on patients' voice-related QoL.

Loneliness, social isolation, and living alone: a comprehensive systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of mortality risks in older adults.

Loneliness, social isolation, and living alone are significant risk factors for mortality, particularly in older adults. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify their associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults, broadening previous research by including more social factors. Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, APA PsycINFO, and CINAHL until December 31, 2023, following PRISMA 2020 and MOOSE guidelines.

Heterotopic Triplet Pregnancy After Assisted Reproductive Techniques: A Systematic Review.

Heterotopic pregnancy is defined as the simultaneous presence of an intrauterine and an extrauterine pregnancy and is considered a rare condition. As a part of this entity, heterotopic triplet pregnancy, defined as the presence of three embryos, with at least one being ectopic, is exceedingly rare. In recent years, the broad use of assisted reproductive techniques to help infertile couples has contributed to the constant rise of non-spontaneous heterotopic triplets.

Antiangiogenic potential of extracts and molecular docking study by targeting VEGFR-2 pathway.

Background: Anti-angiogenesis or inhibition of blood vessel formation is the best way to prevent the growth and metastasis of tumors. Natural sources like plants are currently being explored for its antiangiogenic activity as they are factories of various phytochemicals. The goal of the current study is to investigate the antiangiogenic potential of () by using chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and molecular docking.

De novo and inherited dominant variants in U4 and U6 snRNAs cause retinitis pigmentosa.

The U4 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) forms a duplex with the U6 snRNA and, together with U5 and ~30 proteins, is part of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP complex, located at the core of the major spliceosome. Recently, recurrent variants in the U4 RNA, transcribed from the gene, and in at least two other genes were discovered to cause neurodevelopmental disorder.

First generation vanadium-based PTEN inhibitors: Comparative study in vitro and in vivo and identification of a novel mechanism of action.

PTEN, a tumor suppressor phosphatase, regulates cellular functions by antagonizing the growth promoting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway through the dephosphorylation of the second messenger PIP. Many preclinical cellular and animal studies have used PTEN inhibitors to highlight specific disease contexts where acute activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway might offer therapeutic advantages. In the present study we have re-evaluated first-generation PTEN inhibitors, including established bisperoxo-vanadium complexes (bpVs).

Sonography of Salivary Gland Tumors and Disorders.

Diseases of the salivary glands are as common as they are diverse and can have different causes. Clinicians can differentiate salivary gland changes based on chronic systemic diseases, congenital and vascular malformations, and benign and malignant tumors. Acute infectious pathologies can also arise as a result of obstructive pathologies.

Anatomic and Functional Reconstruction of the Abdominal Wall in Prune Belly Syndrome: A Case Report.

Prune belly syndrome (PBS), or Eagle-Barrett syndrome, is a rare congenital disorder marked by abdominal wall muscle deficiency, urinary tract anomalies, and cryptorchidism, causing significant abdominal wall laxity and functional impairment. This case report discusses an innovative approach to abdominal wall reconstruction in a 19-year-old male patient with PBS and associated conditions, including chronic renal failure and spina bifida. Previously, he underwent distal ureterectomy and vesicoureteral reimplantation at the age of two years to correct urinary tract dilation and bilateral orchiopexy.

Automated analysis for glaucoma screening of retinal videos acquired with smartphone-based ophthalmoscope.

Widespread screening is crucial for the early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. The development of portable technologies, such as smartphone-based ophthalmoscopes, able to image the optical nerve head, represents a resource for large-scale glaucoma screening. Indeed, they consist of an optical device attached to a common smartphone, making the overall device cheap and easy to use.

The prevalence of mental health issues among nursing students: An umbrella review synthesis of meta-analytic evidence.

Background: The ongoing global student mental health crisis indicates the urgent need for updated research specifically targeting nursing students. Considering their anticipated transition into healthcare professions, their mental well-being is critical, not only for their academic performance but also for the quality of care they will deliver in their professional roles.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of mental health issues among nursing students by synthesizing data from systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Dietary-Lifestyle Patterns and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global) Systematic Literature Review.

Background: While healthy dietary and lifestyle factors have been individually linked to lower colorectal cancer (CRC) risks, recommendations for whole diet-lifestyle patterns remained unestablished due to limited studies and inconsistent pattern definitions.

Objective: This updated review synthesized literature on dietary-lifestyle patterns and CRC risk/mortality.

Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched through 31 March 2023 for randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies examining adulthood dietary patterns combined with modifiable lifestyle factors such as adiposity, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and/or others.

Global, regional, and national trends in drug use disorder mortality rates across 73 countries from 1990 to 2021, with projections up to 2040: a global time-series analysis and modelling study.

Background: Drug use disorder (DUD) poses a major public health crisis globally, necessitating immediate attention to global trends and future projections to develop effective health policies and interventions. Thus, we aimed to estimate the global trends in DUD mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 and future projections of DUD deaths until 2040 across 73 countries.

Methods: In this time-series analysis and modelling study, we investigated the global trends in DUD mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 using the WHO Mortality Database and forecasted future trends through 2040.

The treatment interventions and targets of cancer cachexia research during the past decade: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: Cachexia is a detrimental multifactorial syndrome that has been strongly associated with cancer. A growing body of data concerning its management is being generated from the ongoing advances of experimental cancer cachexia research. This study aimed to delineate the broad landscape of cancer cachexia research, by comprehensively presenting the treatment interventions and targets of cancer cachexia during the past decade.