(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major threat to global health and on the educational field. The purpose of this study is to identify and illustrate the psychosocial adaptation of nursing students to the sudden and exclusive application of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) Methods: A qualitative interview research has been designed. Two focus groups of seven members each and six individual interviews were conducted in a sample of undergraduate nursing students in Greece from 3 March 2021, to 9 April 2021.; (3) Results: A qualitative thematic analysis of the data identified six themes: 1. Challenges; 2. Concerns; 3. Social changes; 4. Negative Emotions; 5. Evaluation; and 6. Teaching strategies.; (4) Conclusions: During its implementation, it identified gaps and weaknesses in the entire academic community. The study of the psychosocial adaptation of the academic community is considered crucial, as it can highlight the individual difficulties in distance learning and contribute to the improvement of the methods of its the improvement of its methods.

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of frailty on loneliness among older adults receiving home care, in correlation to their socioeconomic and homebound statuses. This cross-sectional study recruited 218 individuals aged ≥65 years receiving home-based health services from the “Help at Home” program in the Region of Evrytania, Greece through an open invitation from the municipality authorities from March to June 2022. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) was used for the evaluation of frailty, the UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3 was used for loneliness, and social isolation was accessed through five questions (living alone, frequency of interaction with children, relatives, friends, and participation in social organizations). The mean age of the participants was 81.48 ± 9.06, 61.9% were female, 54.1% experienced high levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 mean 45.76 ± 11.10 [range 20–68]), and 46.3% of the participants were found to be socially isolated. Also, 58.3% of the individuals were identified as frail (TFI mean 5.95 ± 3.07) [TFI range 0–13], with 57.3% experiencing physical frailty, 43.6% experiencing psychological frailty, and 27.1% experiencing social frailty. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using UCLA-3 as the dependent variable revealed that loneliness across all domains of TFI was significantly higher in participants with frailty (total frailty [Yes] 49.27 vs. [No] 40,87 p < 0.001) (physical frailty [Yes] = 48.99 vs. [No] = 41.42, p < 0.001, psychological: 48.60 vs. 43.57 p < 0.001, and social: 53.38 vs. 42.94 p < 0.001), particularly compared to non-frail individuals, even after adjusting for potential confounding effects (covariates: gender, age, marital status, family status, living status, educational level, annual income, chronic diseases, homebound status, and social isolation). Our findings indicate that frail older adults experienced higher levels of loneliness, suggesting that frailty and loneliness are independently associated among older adults who receive home-based healthcare.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a head and neck cancer (HNC) with a high mortality rate. OSCC is developed in the oral cavity and it is triggered by many etiologic factors and can metastasize both regionally and distantly. Recent research advances in OSCC improved our understanding on the molecular mechanisms involved in and the initiation of OSCC metastasis. The key roles of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in OSCC are an emerging area of intensive research as the ECM macromolecular network is actively involved in events that regulate cellular morphological and functional properties, transcription and cell signaling mechanisms in invasion and metastasis. The provisional matrix that is formed by cancer cells is profoundly different in composition and functions as compared with the matrix of normal tissue. Fibroblasts are mainly responsible for matrix production and remodeling, but in cancer, the tumor matrix in the tumor microenvironment (TME) also originates from cancer cells. Even though extensive research has been conducted on the role of ECM in regulating cancer pathogenesis, its role in modulating OSCC is less elucidated since there are several issues yet to be fully understood. This critical review is focused on recent research as to present and discuss on the involvement of ECM macromolecular effectors (i.e., proteoglycans, integrins, matrix metalloproteinases) in OSCC development and progression.

Background: In‐hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) requires coordinated interdisciplinary action. Nurses are often first responders and essential members of resuscitation teams, yet the attributes that define their effectiveness remain unclear. Although team performance has been widely studied, few works have systematically examined nursing competencies in this context. This is the first Delphi‐based study in Greece defining key nursing attributes within in‐hospital resuscitation teams. Aim: To achieve expert consensus on the key attributes characterizing effective nursing participation in IHCA teams. Study Design: A two‐round Delphi study was conducted with experts in resuscitation and critical care. Round one involved thematic analysis of semi‐structured interviews. In round two, experts rated attributes on a 10‐point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as mean ( M ) > 8 and coefficient of variation (CV) < 20%. Descriptive statistics and Kendall's W assessed agreement across domains. Results: Thirty‐nine attributes were identified and grouped into seven domains: education, experience, physical condition, psychological resilience, technical skills and non‐technical skills. Thirty‐five attributes met the consensus criteria. Highest agreement was observed for ALS certification, stress resilience, closed‐loop communication, adaptability and teamwork. Strongest consensus emerged in non‐technical ( M = 9.75, CV = 3.79%) and technical ( M = 9.61, CV = 5.62%) domains. Conclusions: This study provides an evidence‐informed framework of competencies and personal qualities underpinning nurses' effectiveness in resuscitation teams, emphasizing both technical expertise and non‐technical skills—especially closed‐loop communication, composure and collaboration. Relevance to Clinical Practice: The framework supports clearer role delineation, structured competency development and enhanced team effectiveness in IHCA management.

The role of the nurse in a resuscitation team: Looking for the determinants of efficiency and quality efficiency Georgios Kipourgos1, Albani Elen | POSTER

Introduction: It is true that the comparison of conventional and electronic cigarettes is a topic that has been discussed a lot and concerns both citizens and health professionals worldwide. The rates of smokers in Greece are high in combination with the fact that smokers are more likely to get seriously ill from covid-19, it was the reason to investigate this topic. Aims: To investigate the citizens knowledge and attitude about the electronic and conventional cigarette. Study Design: It was a comparative descriptive research. Place and Duration of Study: The questionnaires were given to citizens who lived in the prefecture of Achaia (one of the largest prefectures in Greece). The present survey was conducted between March and May 2020. Methodology: A questionnaire was developed with 28 questions. The Chronbach alpha reliability was .75. The sample consisted of 681 citizens. The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 25 program. Results: The majority of citizens had very good knowledge (57.6%) while 20.3% had good knowledge. Most citizens were non-smoker (64.3%), they did not use electronic cigarette (91%) but they did try in the past (52.3%). Regarding electronic cigarette, they believe that it was not replaced the conventional, was not helpful for quit smoking and it was harmful as much as the conventional one. Finally, the cheaper price of e-cigarette contributes to its choice. Age, permanent residence and educational level significantly correlated with knowledge score (p<0.05). Conclusion: The majority of citizens were non-smokers while the conventional cigarette is still the first preference of the citizens. Although citizens' knowledge of conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes was very good, it is necessary for health professionals to enrich their knowledge and inform citizens efficiently about smoking.