Licensed by the Council of Ministers, no. 697 dated 18 June 2009, it opened its doors in the academic year 2009-2010, offering programs in two faculties: Faculty of Social Sciences (programs in Science Teaching Legal, Political Science and Psychology General Administration) and the Faculty of Economics with Learning programs in Banking and Finance-Business Administration. During the first academic year, about 1,000 students attended studies. A year later, this new institution offered undergraduate degrees in study programs: Preschool Teacher Education, Primary Education Teacher, English Language, Nursing, Engineering Computer and Information Technology, thus finalising the 2010-2011 academic year with the opening of two new faculties: Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering. Academic Year 2010-2011 finds the University of Berat with about 2600 students in the first cycle of study.
This dataset provides information on dental anxiety and psychological distress experienced by patients in Albania and Germany. Data were collected using the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Additional information on oral health and dental care behaviors was also obtained. The dataset contains the responses from 263 patients (N = 133 German and N = 130 Albanian) who completed questionnaires between December 2019 and July 2020. The variables include measures of dental anxiety (DAS), psychological distress (BSI-18), and self-reported oral health behaviors such as the tooth brushing frequency, frequency of dental visits, frequency of tartar removal, and frequency of professional teeth cleaning. The dataset also includes measures of subjective health status and oral health-related self-efficacy. The dataset enables for cross-cultural comparisons and supports further research into the relationship between dental anxiety, psychological distress, and oral health practices.
Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of several malignancies, driven by shared pathophysiological mechanisms including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and dysregulated growth factor signaling. This study adopts a narrative and mechanistic review design, synthesizing evidence from preclinical and selected clinical studies to examine how marine-derived nutraceutical compounds potentially modulate molecular pathways implicated in diabetes-induced carcinogenesis. The review focuses on key bioactive classes, including marine polysaccharides (e.g., fucoidan and alginate), omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), polyphenols (fucoxanthin and phlorotannins), and marine peptides. Across experimental models, these compounds have been consistently associated with reduced markers of oxidative stress, suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators (e.g., NF-κB and IL-6), and modulation of insulin-related pathways such as IGF-1/PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling. Reported effects include reductions in reactive oxygen species levels, downregulation of inflammatory cytokine expression, and improved metabolic biomarkers in in vitro and animal models. However, the evidence remains largely preclinical, with substantial heterogeneity in compound composition, dosing, and bioavailability across studies. Consequently, direct clinical efficacy cannot be inferred. Key limitations include reliance on experimental models, limited quantitative comparability across studies, and translational barriers related to standardization, pharmacokinetics, and long-term safety. Overall, this review provides a mechanistic framework that may inform future translational and clinical investigations, while underscoring the need for rigorously designed human studies.
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are among the most serious and costly complications of diabetes, characterised by delayed healing, frequent infections, and a high risk of recurrence. Despite advances in wound care, many current therapies fail to address the multifactorial pathophysiology of diabetic wounds, including vascular dysfunction, immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and microbial imbalance. In this context, topical probiotics have emerged as a promising microbiome-based strategy aimed at restoring microbial balance while promoting tissue repair. This review summarises current evidence on the use of topical probiotics in diabetic wound healing, with a particular focus on DFUs, outlining key pathophysiological barriers to healing and examining how probiotic therapies may counteract these processes through antimicrobial, antibiofilm, immunomodulatory, and pro-angiogenic mechanisms. Preclinical studies suggest that topical probiotics may promote accelerated wound closure, reduce bacterial burden, modulate inflammatory responses, and enhance collagen deposition and angiogenesis following topical probiotic application. Early clinical studies investigations remain limited to small pilot studies and case series but have reported preliminary signals of enhanced healing and acceptable short-term tolerability in small exploratory cohorts. In addition, recent advances in probiotic delivery, such as bioengineered dressings, postbiotic formulations, and nano-enabled systems designed to improve stability and therapeutic performance, are also discussed. While existing data indicate biological plausibility and early clinical feasibility, larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials and deeper mechanistic investigations are still required to confirm efficacy, clarify safety in high-risk populations, and enable responsible clinical translation.
The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of single-session surgery for cystic lesions in the oral and maxillofacial region that are complicated by secondary purulent inflammation. Methods: A case series of patients with suppurated cystic lesions was carried out. Every patient received a single surgical procedure that included complete debridement, cyst enucleation, and prompt reconstruction with “Sticky Bone” composite and Advanced Platelet-Rich Fibrin (A-PRF). In an ambulatory setting, procedures were carried out under local anesthesia. Results: Every case with primary healing (per primam) had a full resolution. During follow-up periods of six to eighteen months, no significant complications or recurrences were noted. Bone regeneration and optimal tissue healing were made possible by the incorporation of regenerative materials. Conclusion: single-session surgical management is a practical and effective alternative to traditional staged protocols, significantly reducing treatment duration, medical expenses, and patient morbidity while preserving superior clinical outcomes.
Total tooth loss significantly impacts chewing, phonation, and facial aesthetics, negatively impacting overall well-being. Background/objectives:This study aims to evaluate patients' perceptions of complete removable dentures in relation to their quality of life, with particular attention to functional, psychological, and social dimensions. Methods:A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to analyze the subjective perceptions of patients wearing complete removable dentures. Fifty completely edentulous patients were selected, 27 men and 23 women, aged between 65 and 83 years. A structured 10-item questionnaire was developed by selecting and adapting items from the OHIP-EDENT framework, focusing on three dimensions: functional comfort, psychological well-being, and social participation. This instrument represents neither the original OHIP-EDENT nor a formally validated translation or cross-cultural adaptation; it should be considered an exploratory measure of patient-reported outcomes, and its unvalidated nature is an acknowledged methodological limitation of this study. Responses were recorded using a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire's internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha, Given the ordinal nature of the Likert scale data, the Friedman test was used as the primary inferential statistical method to compare differences between the three dimensions, with one-way repeated measures ANOVA applied as a complementary parametric analysis (p < 0.05). Results:The mean scores showed higher values in the functional dimension (3.37 ± 1.18) and in the psychological dimension (3.23 ± 1.05), while the social dimension showed a significantly lower score (2.06 ± 1.01), indicating greater difficulties in social relationships. The repeated measures analysis of variance confirmed that these differences are not random, but statistically significant with results of F(2,98) = 52.4 p < 0.001. The Friedman test further confirmed these differences X2(2) = 48, p < 0.001 strengthening the solidity of the results. Conclusion:Within the limits of this cross-sectional observational study, and without any claim to causal inference, the social dimension showed the lowest scores reported by patients in this sample, suggesting it may represent an area of greater perceived difficulty. These results are exploratory and descriptive and cannot be interpreted as evidence of a direct effect of prosthetic rehabilitation on quality of life.
