The disease burden of β-thalassaemia revisited.

Objective: The complexity of β-thalassaemia with associated morbidity, lifelong daily expensive treatment, and multidisciplinary care results in a considerable disease burden. Our study aimed to revisit the β-thalassaemia burden using epidemiological, clinical, and financial indicators related to patients, families, and healthcare systems.

Methods: Patient density measures, transfusion indices, complication rates, universal health coverage, and other indicators were tabulated by country and region.

Marketing Management and Policymaking for Medical Cannabis: Overcoming Barriers and Shaping Strategies.

Objective: Medical cannabis has emerged as a promising therapeutic option, but its market acceptance faces significant regulatory, societal, and scientific challenges. This study explores pharmaceutical business managers' perspectives on marketing strategies, brand architecture, and the value proposition of medical cannabis, aiming to identify approaches to overcome these barriers and guide policymaking.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 pharmaceutical managers to explore key challenges and strategies.

The Indo-European Cognate Relationships dataset.

The Indo-European Cognate Relationships (IE-CoR) dataset is an open-access relational dataset showing how related, inherited words ('cognates') pattern across 160 languages of the Indo-European family. IE-CoR is intended as a benchmark dataset for computational research into the evolution of the Indo-European languages. It is structured around 170 reference meanings in core lexicon, and contains 25731 lexeme entries, analysed into 4981 cognate sets.

Trichilemmal Keratinized Lesion of the Upper Palpebral Conjunctiva: A Case Report.

Objective: To present a case of keratinized lesion of the upper palpebral conjunctiva in a patient without prior ocular or systemic history.

Methodology: A case of keratinized lesion located at the upper palpebral conjunctiva in a 21-year-old female patient was managed at the Department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospital of Heraklion. Comprehensive clinical assessments, surgical excision, histopathological examinations, and relevant investigations were conducted to characterize the lesion and identify clinical and histological features.

Structural diversities and magnetic properties of azido- and dicyanamido-bridged coordination polymers with 4,5-diphenylimidazole as a terminal ligand.

With the aim of assessing the role and impact of pseudohalides on the molecular and supramolecular structures of copper(II)/heavily substituted imidazole complexes, the synthesis and characterization of the complexes {[Cu(N)(HL)]} (1), {[Cu{N(CN)}(HL)]·MeCO} (2·MeCO) and [Cu(NCO)(HL)]·MeCN (3·MeCN) have been carried out; HL is the 4,5-diphenylimidazole ligand. The organic molecule behaves as a monodentate ligand through the pyridine-type nitrogen atom of the imidazole ring. The 1D polymer 1 is made up of undulating {-Cu-(N)-Cu-(N)-} chains, with the HL ligands extending from both sides of the chains.

Extraction and analysis of cannabinoids: A decade of progress, challenges and future directions.

Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug worldwide and its rapid expansion into medical and recreational markets has highlighted the need for effective analytical techniques. The analysis of major cannabinoids and their metabolites in different matrices has recently gained considerable attention in fields such as forensics, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and the cannabis food industry. However, the complexity of these matrices, ranging from biological samples to cannabis-infused products, raises significant challenges that require selective and effective extraction methods prior to chromatographic analysis.

Simulation of drug transport in airway surface liquid considering mucus flow and ciliary interaction.

The effective delivery of pharmaceuticals to the respiratory tract is significantly influenced by the three-dimensional covalent network structure of mucus and the motility of cilia within the airway surface liquid (ASL). This study investigates the dissolution and absorption of three distinct drugs-Salbutamol sulfate (SAL), Tiotropium bromide (TIO), and Rifampicin (RIF)-in the ASL, focusing on individual particles of each drug with an initial diameter of 5 µm. A three-dimensional numerical model that characterizes mucus as a nonlinear viscoelastic fluid was employed for this analysis.

Group A Streptococcal Invasive Infections Among Children in Cyprus.

An increase in invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections among children under 15 years of age was reported in several countries between late 2022 and early 2023. This retrospective study aims to describe the epidemiology and clinical features of iGAS infections in children in Cyprus during the same period. Medical records of patients under 16 years old admitted with iGAS infection to the Archbishop Makarios Hospital, the only tertiary paediatric referral centre in Cyprus, between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2024, were reviewed.

A New Recycling Technology to Produce Premixed Thermal Insulating Mortars from Polyurethane Waste Foams.

The increasing demand for sustainable construction materials has driven research into the reuse of plastic waste for renewable building applications. This study introduces a new lightweight insulating mortar for floor and roof systems, utilizing recycled rigid polyurethane (PU) foam as the primary aggregate. The binder mainly consists of Portland cement, with no added sand, and includes minor additives to enhance mechanical, physical, and thermal properties.

The Relationship Between Electrocardiographic Findings and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Results in Patients with Acute Myocarditis: A Retrospective Analysis.

Electrocardiography (ECG), though non-specific, is widely applied as a valuable tool in the diagnostic work-up of acute myocarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has become a key non-invasive tool. This study assessed the association of ECG findings (at baseline), echocardiographic parameters, circulating biomarkers, and CMR imaging features (myocardial edema and late gadolinium enhancement-LGE) in patients with acute myocarditis.

A Validation Study of the COPSOQ III Greek Questionnaire for Assessing Psychosocial Factors in the Workplace.

Background: Over the past two decades, the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) has been established as a valid instrument to measure psychosocial stress at work. Currently, the COPSOQ international network is responsible for monitoring and improving the COPSOQ. In 2019, a new questionnaire was published, and the Greek version is now being validated.

The "Testing Effect" in Undergraduate Endodontic Education: The Impact of Regular Low Stakes Testing on Learning Outcomes and Student Engagement.

Aim: This study investigates the impact of regular testing on learning outcomes in undergraduate endodontic education. Specifically, it examines whether students perform better at the end of the course on previously tested material compared to non-tested material and explores the role of students' engagement and perceptions of testing in this effect.

Methodology: A within-participants experimental design was employed with 81 third-year dental students enrolled in a preclinical endodontics course.

Seed Coatings with Melatonin-Embedded Hydrogel Biopolymers as Green Tools to Mitigate Salinity Stress in Tomato Plants.

Improving plant tolerance against abiotic stress factors is important for sustaining global food security. Plants show prolonged, increased tolerance upon exposure to suboptimal environmental conditions when treated at the seed stage with certain chemical agents of natural or synthetic origin, resulting in higher crop yields. Polymers such as naturally derived hydrogels (HYDR) provide a smart delivery system for phytohormones.

Nanostructured Higher Manganese Silicide Thermoelectrics Developed by Mechanical Alloying Using High-Purity and Recycled Silicon.

Mechanical alloying (MA) has been proven to be an energy-efficient synthetic route for the development of high-performance thermoelectric (TE) materials. Higher Manganese Silicide (HMS) phases of the general formula Mn(SiAl) (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) were prepared by MA implementing a short-time ball-milling process.

Electron Microscopy Analysis of Hf-Induced Nanostructural Modifications in (Ti,Zr,Hf)NiSn Half-Heusler Thermoelectrics.

The structural features of Sb-doped (Ti,Zr)NiSn and (Ti,Zr,Hf)NiSn half-Heusler (HH) thermoelectrics have been identified down to the atomic scale using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. TEM sheds light on the morphology, phases present, size distributions and elemental variations between the two samples. Both materials consist of the HH phase, at both micro- and nanoscale levels, and comprise particles with two size ranges, 115 and 223 nm, on average, for large HH particles and 4-17 nm for nanoparticles for both materials.

From Screening to Therapy: A Personalized Approach to ROP in a National NICU Setting.

: We aimed to investigate the incidence, treatment patterns, and associated risk factors of type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in the only tertiary-level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Cyprus. : This retrospective study included all infants screened for ROP between January and December 2023. Data were collected from standardized NICU discharge summaries and included gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), multiple birth, systemic infection, blood transfusion, oxygen therapy, surgical interventions, and ROP outcomes.

Search for a Neutral Gauge Boson with Nonuniversal Fermion Couplings in Vector Boson Fusion Processes in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

The first search for a heavy neutral spin-1 gauge boson (Z^{'}) with nonuniversal fermion couplings produced via vector boson fusion processes and decaying to tau leptons or W bosons is presented. The analysis is performed using LHC data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, collected from 2016 to 2018 with the CMS experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. The data are consistent with the standard model predictions.

Explainable artificial intelligence in the prediction of high-risk asymptomatic carotid plaques based on ultrasonic image features.

Background: The addition of ultrasonic plaque texture features to clinical features in patients with asymptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis (ACS) improved the ability of a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model to identify plaques that are likely to produce stroke. However, SVM like many Artificial Intelligence (AI) black-box models lack transparency, limiting their adoption in critical settings. Explainable AI (XAI) techniques offer potential solutions by making model decision more interpretable.

Tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair versus surgery for tricuspid regurgitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the safety, early and late mortality, morbidity and long-term function of the tricuspid valve (TV) following tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) compared to surgical tricuspid valve (TV) repair/replacement (TVR) for tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

Methods: This review investigates through two different databases for original studies that evaluated patients with TR who underwent either T-TEER or TVR was until December 2024. The outcomes of interest were safety, morbidity, mortality and long-term function following T-TEER vs TVR.

Synergistic mechanotherapy and sonopermeation guided by mathematical modeling for solid tumor treatment.

The progression of tumors and their response to treatment are significantly influenced by the presence of elevated mechanical solid stress. This solid stress compresses intratumoral blood vessels, leading to reduced blood flow (hypoperfusion) and insufficient oxygen levels (hypoxia), both of which hinder the delivery of oxygen and therapeutic agents. As a result, these conditions promote tumor growth, resistance to treatment, and ultimately undermine the effectiveness of therapies.

THE IMPACT OF NATIONAL CONTEXT ON COVID-19 VACCINE HESITANCY ACROSS EUROPE: A MULTI-LEVEL APPROACH.

This study investigates vaccine hesitancy among the 50+ population in Europe and Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the role of national contexts alongside individual determinants. Utilizing data from the SHARE Corona Surveys (SCS1 and SCS2), the analysis includes over 48,000 respondents across 28 countries. The framework is guided by the WHO's Complacency, Convenience, and Confidence (3Cs) model to explore factors influencing vaccination intent.

Skin in the game: a review of computational models of the skin.

With the vast advances in computing technology, computational (or in silico) modelling has emerged as a transformative tool in dermatology. These findings can provide novel insights into complex biological processes and aid in the development of innovative therapeutic and regenerative strategies for the skin. Modelling combines experimental data and knowledge across multiple disciplines, serving as a common framework to elucidate the workings of the skin.

Added value of ophthalmic artery Doppler in prediction of pre-eclampsia: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a multisystem pregnancy-specific disorder, and its screening remains a global health priority. The primary goals of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to accumulate all available data to assess the potential added value of maternal ophthalmic artery (OA) Doppler indices in combination with several established biophysical markers for the prediction of preterm and term PE, and to update the current knowledge regarding the clinical relevance of this biophysical marker.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Synthesis of Highly Ordered Amphiphilic Polymer Conetwork Hydrogels via the Topologically Precise Interconnection of Two Highly Incompatible Polymers.

Here, hydrophobic polyisobutylene and hydrophilic poly-(ethylene glycol), both of reasonably high molar masses, have been end-linked, yielding amphiphilic polymer conetwork (APCN) hydrogels that can self-organize in water into well-ordered lamellar structures. The cross-linking of hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymer segments produces networks that typically exhibit sphere-like nanodomains in water and in the bulk, but the orderly interconnection of relatively large and highly incompatible polymers leads to hydrogels that internally assemble into lamellae. This unprecedented result may be attributed to the weak force-field established by the presence of a minimal concentration of homogeneously distributed cross-links in the case of the present system, which must be contrasted to a higher concentration of randomly placed cross-linking points, which destroy long-range ordering in conventional APCN hydrogels.

Evaluation of spill-over effects of antiretroviral treatment on sharing injecting equipment in a sociometric network of people who inject drugs.

The evidence on risk compensation due to antiretroviral treatment (ART) use for people, who inject drugs (PWID), is limited. Moreover, interventions, including ART administration, frequently have spill-over effects, i.e.