The Role of the Religion Vis-à-vis the 'Health Challenges' of Covid-19

Αim: In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent the undergraduate students of the Department of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki felt the need to come closer to their own religiosity, spirituality or faith. Materials and methods: Empirical research was conducted by means of an anonymous questionnaire, comprising demographics and items focusing on religiosity, spirituality and faith. The results of the survey were processed using MICROSOFT EXCEL IBM SPSS STATISTICS 24 statistical processing software. Results:  To overcome health dilemmas, the wide majority of  students did not focus on religious & spiritual practices (70% & 66.7%) while at the same time their religiosity & spirituality was not enhanced (74% & 78%). However, for the same period 53% of the students stated that their faith was enhanced. Conclusions-Discussion: While overall students’ religiosity & spirituality indicators were low, for the same period they stated that their faith in overcoming health distress was strengthened, which triggers new questions and prompts further research in the field of humanities.&nbsp

Exploring elements of an effective practitioner-patient relationship in dentistry

Purpose: The present study, having human-centered orientation (empathy) as an index of the doctor-patient relationship, aims to record the degree of user/patient satisfaction with the health services provided by the Department of Oral Medicine/ Pathology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.Materials and Methods: Quantitative analysis of the research was conducted using a four-item anonymous questionnaire on satisfaction: (a) communication (b) information/ awareness (c) respect/ acceptance and (d) interest/ understanding. The participants were 600 patients with oral diseases of various severity. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM Statistics SPSS 20 and 25.Results: The participants were 61.7% females (median age 58.5 years) and 38.3% males (median age 60 years). According to the scores the patients’ satisfaction was: a) communication (97.8%), (b) information/ awareness (85.8%), (c) respect/ acceptance (78.8%), and (d) interest/ understanding (67.7%).Conclusion: Quantitative analysis of the empirical study established that the patients of Department of Oral Medicine revealed a fairly high rate of satisfaction. However some service parameters (interest/ understanding) need further attention and for this reason improvement proposals have been tabled

Covid-19 Pandemic and e-learning: The case of the School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

ABSTRACT: Aim: The present study aims to investigate the School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece, undergraduate students’ views on e-learning experience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Empirical survey was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire which consisted of demographic characteristics and close-ended structured items on e-learning. The results of the survey were processed using MICROSOFT EXCEL IBM SPSS STATISTICS 24 software. Results: The majority of students (69.1%) reported a rather negative evaluation of e-learning, while the 51.8% of students reported positive ones. Conclusion: In the present study, the students attributed more negative than positive features to e-learning during the pandemic, confirming in the most convincing way that the health hazards of the pandemic had a distinctive societal impact and caused turbulence in Education as well, leading to student discontent. On this basis, the positive points and challenges of e-learning are highlighted, and subsequently strategies for educational preparation are proposed, to the benefit of knowledge and progress of society

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD20 in Decidual and Trophoblastic Tissue Specimens of Patients with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Recurrent miscarriages affect up to 5% of couples. CD3+ (T-lymphocytes), CD4+ (helper T-lymphocytes), CD8+ (cytotoxic T-lymphocytes), and CD20+ (B-lymphocytes) cells may participate in the pathophysiology of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). The aim of this study was to investigate the complicity of these molecules in RPL. The experimental specimens were obtained from 20 females who underwent miscarriages in the first gestational trimester, while the control group’s specimens consisted of 20 females who proceeded with voluntary pregnancy termination during the same period. Tissue samples were taken from the decidua basalis, decidua parietalis, and trophoblast (placental chorionic villi) and were studied using immunohistochemical methods. Monoclonal antibodies were used against CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD20 cells. The lymphocyte levels in the decidua parietalis displayed profound disparities among the two groups. The decidua basalis and trophoblast exhibited almost the same disparities regarding positive CD cells. The comparison of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the endometrial tissue revealed a significant difference between the two groups of study. The analysis uncovered a strong relationship between RPL and the presence of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD20+ cells in the decidua parietalis tissue. The number of positive T cells was decreased in the decidual basalis and chorionic villi, proving that their absence significantly disrupts the balance of the immunological environment

Immunohistochemical study of IL-10 and CD46 in placental tissues in recurrent pregnancy loss

Purpose: The is to clarify the role of IL-10 and CD46 in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), via an immunohistochemical case-control study in placenta tissues.Materials and Methods: This is a case-control study in which the experimental group consisted of 20 women, 30 to 42 years old, who miscarried during the first trimester of pregnancy for unknown reasons, while the control group consisted of 20 women, 27 to 39 years old, who had voluntarily performed in termination of pregnancy in the first trimester. An immunohistochemical study was performed on histological samples of decidua basalis, decidua parietalis and trophoblast, using the immunohistochemical markers IL-10 and CD46. The results were statistically analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test.Results: A statistically significant difference in IL-10 expression was detected between the control group and the miscarriage group on decidual cells (p-value .0001). There was increased immunohistochemical staining on the decidua of the control group in comparison to the miscarriage group. Regarding CD46, the immunohistochemical analysis did not reveal a statistically significant difference between the two groups in either the decidual or trophoblastic cells.Conclusion: IL-10 seems to be associated with the RPL phenomena. It is necessary to further investigate the involvement of immune factors with RPL.

Fabrication of 3D printed hollow microneedles by digital light processing for the buccal delivery of actives

In the present study, two different microneedle devices were produced using digital light processing (DLP). These devices hold promise as drug delivery systems to the buccal tissue as they increase the permeability of actives with molecular weights between 600 and 4000 Da. The attached reservoirs were designed and printed along with the arrays as a whole device. Light microscopy was used to quality control the printability of the designs, confirming that the actual dimensions are in agreement with the digital design. Non-destructive volume imaging by means of microfocus computed tomography was employed for dimensional and defect characterization of the DLP-printed devices, demonstrating the actual volumes of the reservoirs and the malformations that occurred during printing. The penetration test and finite element analysis showed that the maximum stress experienced by the needles during the insertion process (10 N) was below their ultimate compressive strength (240-310 N). Permeation studies showed the increased permeability of three model drugs when delivered with the MN devices. Size-exclusion chromatography validated the stability of all the actives throughout the permeability tests. The safety of these printed devices for buccal administration was confirmed by histological evaluation and cell viability studies using the TR146 cell line, which indicated no toxic effects.</p

Synergistic antitumour potency of a self-assembling peptide hydrogel for the local co-delivery of doxorubicin and curcumin in the treatment of head and neck cancer

Combination therapy has been conferred with manifold assets leveraging the synergy of different agents to achieve sufficient therapeutic outcome with lower administered drug doses and reduced side effects. The therapeutic potency of a self-assembling peptide hydrogel for the co-delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) and curcumin (CUR) combination was evaluated against head and neck cancer cells. The dual loaded peptide hydrogel enabled control over the rate of drug release based on drug's aqueous solubility. A significantly enhanced cell growth inhibitory effect was observed after treatment with the combination drug loaded hydrogel formulations compared to the respective combination drug solution. The synergistic pharmacological effect of selected hydrogel formulations was further confirmed with enhanced apoptotic cell response, interference in cell cycle progression and significantly altered apoptotic/anti-apoptotic gene expression profiles obtained in dose levels well below the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of both drugs. The in vivo antitumour efficacy of the drug loaded peptide hydrogel formulation was confirmed in HSC-3 cell-xenografted SCID mice and visualized with μCT imaging. Histological and TUNEL assay analyses of major organs were implemented to assess the safety of the topically administered hydrogel formulation. Overall, results demonstrated the therapeutic utility of the dual drug-loaded peptide hydrogel as a promising approach for the local treatment of head and neck cancer.</p