Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is highly aggressive type of cancer for which the available treatment often causes patients severe side effects. Eugenol (Eug) is the major active constituent of clove essential oil and is known to possess antitumor properties. The present study aimed to assess the in vitro cytotoxicity of eugenol in SCC-4, tongue squamous carcinoma cells, and also in HGF, human gingival fibroblasts. Both cell lines were treated with five concentrations of Eug (0.1–1 mM) for 72 h. Cellular viability was assessed, followed by cellular morphological evaluation and by staining of the nuclei and cytoskeleton. RT-PCR was conducted in order to find the effect eugenol had on the expression on Bad, Bax, and Bcl-2 genes. Eugenol induced a dose-dependent decrease in viability in both cell lines, with the SCC-4 cells being significantly more affected. HGF cells detached from the plate at the highest concentrations used, while SCC-4 cells changed their morphology in a dose-dependent manner, with rounding, floating cells, and confluency loss being observed. Apoptotic-like signs such as chromatin and actin filaments condensation were clearly seen in SCC-4 cells, while RT-PCR revealed a significantly increased expression of pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Bad. Therefore, eugenol exerts its cytotoxic effect in tongue squamous cell carcinoma through inducing apoptosis.

Background/Objectives: Public transportation drivers are exposed to a variety of occupational hazards. The scope of this study is to describe the most significant changes in symptoms and work-related disorders in the last decade in a sample of professional drivers from a large Romanian city, and, in particular, the cardio-metabolic and musculoskeletal impact. Methods: A retrospective study on 186 professional tram, trolley, and bus drivers from a total number of 344 employed by the company was conducted. The initial values (pre-employment) of the BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glycemia, and musculoskeletal complaints were compared to the values of the last employment check-up. Results: After an average follow-up period of 11 years, BMI increased from 27.69 (SD = 4.68) to 30.06 (SD = 5.2) (p < 0.0001), cholesterol from 201.7 (SD = 39.87) to 212.62 (SD = 42.51), (p = 0.04). The number of cases of high blood pressure (25 to 56, p < 0.0001) and musculoskeletal complaints increased from 3 initial cases to 26 cases of neck pain (p = 0.07), from 2 to 49 cases of dorsal pain (p = 0.02), and from 18 to 59 cases of lumbar pain (p < 0.0001). High blood pressure and low back pain were significantly correlated with tenure, independent of other factors. Conclusions: As tenure is important in the development of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, specific interventions should be developed in the early stages of the drivers’ career.

Background/Objectives: Native valvular heart disease (VHD) lacks established lesion-modifying pharmacotherapy. Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) improve heart-failure and cardiorenal outcomes, but their relevance to VHD differs by phenotype and treatment setting. Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from inception to 27 July 2026, together with trial registries, conference proceedings and reference lists. Evidence was synthesized by clinical setting, study design and mechanistic proximity to valve tissue. Results: Functional/secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) currently provides the most convincing valve-related signal: EFFORT and DEFORM showed concordant reductions in MR severity with favorable remodeling surrogates, consistent with HF-directed unloading rather than a primary leaflet effect. DapaTAVI provides the strongest hard-outcome evidence after the mechanical correction of aortic stenosis, reducing the 1-year death/worsening-HF composite in selected high-risk patients. In 28,940 HF patients from the SHEBAHEART registry, SGLT2i use was associated with reduced death/HF hospitalization and a 28% lower adjusted risk of tricuspid-regurgitation progression, but these data remain observational. Native aortic-stenosis progression is supported only by target-trial emulation, and no dedicated clinical evidence exists for native aortic regurgitation. Conclusions: SGLT2is should be integrated into guideline-directed HF therapy when indicated. In secondary MR, reassessment after optimized therapy should precede mitral intervention when clinically appropriate. A post-TAVI benefit should be interpreted as cardiorenal/HF protection, not valve modification. The current evidence does not justify SGLT2is solely to modify an untreated native valve lesion.

Background and Objectives: The worldwide shift toward psychiatric deinstitutionalization has aimed to enhance patient autonomy, social integration, and overall quality of life. However, limited studies have examined how concurrent substance use—particularly alcohol, marijuana, and inhalable drugs—affects clinical outcomes in these populations. This study aimed to evaluate psychiatric patients with varying degrees of institutionalization and investigate whether substance use complicates or exacerbates treatment outcomes. We hypothesized that individuals using substances would demonstrate worse psychosocial functioning, higher healthcare costs, and increased readmission rates. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 95 participants recruited from long-term care facilities. Participants completed the SF-36 survey validated in Romanian. Financial data were collected to gauge direct and indirect healthcare expenditures. Results: Results indicated that 34.7% of participants reported alcohol use, 12.6% used marijuana, and 9.5% used inhalable substances. Substance-using patients experienced higher mean hospitalization costs of approximately USD 3251.8, compared to non-users (USD 2743.6, p = 0.032). Quality-of-life scores were significantly lower among substance users (mean SF-36 score 58.4 vs. 66.7, p = 0.027). Rates of relapse and readmission were also notably higher in the substance-using cohort (42.1%) relative to non-users (29.8%, p = 0.041). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first Romanian study—and one of only a handful in Europe—to quantify how specific substance-use profiles simultaneously alter quality of life and direct healthcare costs in a deinstitutionalized psychiatric population. Our findings highlight the need for integrated interventions targeting both mental health and substance abuse.

Background and Objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been consistently linked to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and adverse outcomes; however, the extent to which DM independently predicts mortality and cardiovascular complications in real-world hospitalized cohorts remains debated, particularly in Eastern Europe. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of DM on cardiovascular complications and in-hospital outcomes among adults hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Materials and Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective observational cohort study including consecutive adult patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 2020 and December 2024 at the “Victor Babeș” Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology, Timișoara, Romania. DM status (type 1, type 2, or newly diagnosed diabetes) was defined using structured dataset fields. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included ICU admission, length of stay, pulmonary embolism (PE) on CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), and a composite of in-hospital cardiovascular/thromboembolic complications. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for clinically relevant covariates (age, sex, BMI, vaccination status, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, prior ischemic stroke, and admission creatinine). Results: A total of 395 patients were included; 98 (24.8%) had DM. Diabetic patients exhibited a high cardiometabolic burden (arterial hypertension: 83.7% vs. 77.4%, p = 0.242) and higher admission renal markers (urea: 55.6 [41.0–79.1] vs. 48.6 [39.2–68.0] mg/dL, p = 0.047; creatinine: 1.04 [0.76–1.52] vs. 0.88 [0.59–1.33] mg/dL, p = 0.008). In-hospital mortality was numerically higher in DM (9.2% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.560), as was ICU admission (7.1% vs. 4.7%, p = 0.503), without statistical significance. PE on CTPA occurred in 13.3% of DM vs. 11.4% of non-DM patients (p = 0.763). In univariable analysis, DM was not significantly associated with mortality (OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.62–3.19; p = 0.422) or ICU admission (OR 1.55, 95% CI 0.61–3.97; p = 0.356). After multivariable adjustment, DM remained not independently associated with mortality (adjusted OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.42–2.83; p = 0.854) or ICU admission (adjusted OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.42–3.36; p = 0.747). Conclusions: In this real-world Eastern European cohort of hospitalized adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection, diabetes mellitus was common and associated with significantly worse renal function at admission, but it was not statistically associated with in-hospital mortality or ICU admission after multivariable adjustment; however, the limited number of events and low events-per-variable raise concerns about model stability and potential false-negative findings. These findings support a risk-marker model in which adverse COVID-19 outcomes in diabetic patients are driven primarily by clustered vulnerability and organ dysfunction rather than diabetes status alone.

Background/Objectives: Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring have emerged as promising strategies to improve outcomes in heart failure (HF), but prior meta-analyses reported conflicting results, partly due to insufficient differentiation between intervention modalities. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the impact of distinct telemedicine strategies on clinically relevant outcomes in HF. Methods: Conducted according to PRISMA 2020 and a prospectively registered PROSPERO protocol (CRD420261355507), this analysis included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing telemedicine-based strategies—non-invasive telemonitoring, structured remote patient management (RPM), or haemodynamic-guided monitoring—against standard care, identified through searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL (inception to 15 March 2026). Random-effects meta-analyses (DerSimonian–Laird) were performed, with predefined subgroup, sensitivity, and publication bias analyses. Results: Sixteen RCTs (n = 8618) were included. Telemedicine significantly reduced all-cause mortality (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.73–0.92; I² = 34%; GRADE: moderate), all-cause hospitalization (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71–0.88; GRADE: moderate), HF-related hospitalization (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.59–0.78; GRADE: high), and composite outcomes (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.67–0.84; GRADE: moderate). A prespecified subgroup analysis revealed a significant mechanistic gradient (p for interaction = 0.008): haemodynamic-guided monitoring conferred the largest mortality reduction (RR 0.71), followed by structured RPM (RR 0.79), whereas non-invasive telemonitoring alone did not reach statistical significance (RR 0.93; p = 0.14). Conclusions: Telemedicine-based strategies yield clinically meaningful reductions in mortality and hospitalization in HF, but benefit is contingent upon intervention intensity and physiological specificity. Haemodynamic-guided monitoring and structured RPM provide robust outcome reductions, whereas passive telemonitoring alone is insufficient. These findings support consideration of structured remote patient management and haemodynamic-guided monitoring in appropriately selected patients and settings, while implementation and comparative effectiveness research remains necessary.