In Italy, food-borne outbreaks of opisthorchiasis have occurred since 2003, all of them originating from some lakes in Central Italy where the only European liver fluke, Opisthorchis felineus (Rivolta, 1884) is endemic. The aim of the present study is to investigate the factors that may facilitate the life cycle of O. felineus in the area of Bolsena Lake, the knowledge of the local population about opisthorchiasis, and preventative healthcare measures. We performed a descriptive observational study through the submission of questionnaires to three target populations: fishermen who fish exclusively in Bolsena Lake, restaurateurs whose businesses are close to the lake and general population living in the province of Viterbo. Results showed hazardous behaviours and eating habits in the three target populations, as well as a poor knowledge of opisthorchiasis and preventative healthcare measures., Paola Scaramozzino, Roberto Condoleo, Enrica Martini, Teresa Bossù, Silvia Aquilani, Valentina Spallucci, Elisabetta Aquilini, Selene Marozzi., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Previous research suggested that several genetic polymorphisms are associated with increased risk of ischaemic stroke (IS) in young adults. However, the predictive biomarkers of IS in young adults are still unclear. Our aim was to assess the contribution of modifiable and genetic factors in IS in young adults. In total, 40 stroke patients and 40 healthy controls aged 20 to 50 years were recruited. Data on modifiable factors were collected, then participants were genotyped for seven SNPs linked to thrombophilia: ACE rs1799752, PAI-1 rs1799889, APOE rs1412 and rs429358, FV rs6025 and rs1800595, and FII rs62623459. Significantly increased risk factors: hypertension and dyslipidaemia in stroke patients compared with the controls: 50.0 % vs 27.5 % and 75.0 % vs 40.0% (P = 0.039 and P = 0.002, respectively) were observed. Stroke patients compared with controls did not differ in distribution of ACE, APOE, FV, and FII variants. The 4G4G homozygotes of the PAI-1 gene were significantly more prevalent in stroke patients compared to the controls: 42.5 % vs 17.5 %, (P = 0.033). In the group with the small vessel occlusion subtype of stroke, statistically significant overrepresentation of 4G4G homozygotes and frequency of the 4G allele compared with controls: 57.1 % vs 17.5 % and 0.7 vs 0.45 (P = 0.026 and P = 0.03, respectively) were observed. Independent predictors of stroke incident were: dyslipidaemia (OR (95% CI) = 4.2 (1.4–12.4)) and 4G4G genotype (OR (95% CI) = 3.9 (1.1–13.7)). These results confirm the contribution of dyslipidaemia and 4G4G genotype in the increased risk of IS in young Bosnian adults.
Diabetes mellitus type 2 ranks among the strongest predictors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) while the association of type 1 diabetes with CVD is more complex. We studied differences between type 1 and 2 diabetic women regarding association of cardiovascular risk factors with preclinical atherosclerosis expressed as intima-media thickness of common carotid (IMT CCA) and femoral arteries (IMT CFA) measured by high resolution ultrasound. Women with type 1 (n=203) and type 2 diabetes (n=123) were examined with regard to the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. In type 1 diabetic women strong association between IMT CCA and body mass index, waist circumference, and total body fat was found in contrast to type 2 diabetic women. In type 2 diabetic women strong association between IMT CCA and fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and atherogenic index of plasma (log TG/HDL cholesterol) was observed in contrast to type 1 diabetic women. In type 1 diabetic women, IMT CFA was associated with body fat in contrast to type 2 diabetic women. Preclinical atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetic women was strongly associated with factors reflecting body fat and its distribution, while in type 2 diabetic women preclinical atherosclerosis was associated with markers reflecting glucose and lipid metabolic disorders., P. Piťhová, K. Štechová, J. Piťha, V. Lánská, M. Kvapil., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Knowledge about the influence of latent toxoplasmosis on development and general biological condition of children is scant and thus the aim of the present study was to investigate these aspects in some detail. We compare school children in rural area seropositive and seronegative to the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) in terms of their developmental age, body mass and body height, physical fitness and end-of-term grades. Additionally, we evaluated the risk factors of infection with T. gondii such as the presence of cats in the household and eating raw meat products. With IFAT and ELISA tests, the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies was 41% (190 children examined) and the rate of infection was higher in girls (44%) than in boys (36%). No significant differences were observed in morphological features and physical fitness of examined children. In girls the level of developmental age measured with electrophoretical mobility of nuclei method was significantly higher and school performance significantly lower for those infected with Toxoplasma than for uninfected; this finding was particularly intriguing. Only boys who ate raw meat products were more likely to be seropositive. The study provides some new information on gender differences in reaction to Toxoplasma infection.
Myocardial Infarction (MI) also known as heart attack is one of the most dangerous cardiovascular diseases. Accurate early prediction can effectively reduce the mortality rate caused by MI. The early stages of MI may only have subtle indications which can be varied in variable risk factors and making diagnosis difficult even for experienced cardiologists. In this paper the computer aided detection system is proposed to find the risk level of MI using the supervised classifier. The MI prediction system is developed using Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN), Cascade Correlation Neural Network (CNN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Genetic Optimized Neural Network (GAANN), Particle Swarm Optimized Neural Network (PSONN) and also the performance of the Computer Aided Detection system is analyzed using various performance metrics.
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for many diseases. It could be associated with sarcopenia. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine whether smoking is an isolated risk factor for sarcopenia. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Science Direct for articles addressing the relationship between cigarette smoking and sarcopenia. A total of 12 studies containing information on 22,515 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated for each study group and for all studies together. An OR was also calculated separately for each sex. We used a fixed-effect model in overall estimation and in males, because results of small studies were significantly different from the results of large studies in those cases and in females where the estimation showed only moderate heterogeneity we used a random-effect model. According to proposes of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. The resulting OR in the fixed-effect model was 1.12 (95 % CI 1.03-1.21), OR for each sex was in the fixed-effect model 1.20 (95 % CI 1.06-1.35) in males and in the randomeffect model 1.21 (95 % CI 0.92-1.59) in females. The results of this meta-analysis indicate that cigarette smoking as an isolated factor may contribute to the development of sarcopenia. However, the results of the individual studies were largely inconsistent due to different approaches of measuring the main variables which affected the results., M. Steffl, R. W. Bohannon, M. Petr, E. Kohlikova, I. Homerova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Článek přináší přehled rizikových a protektivních rodinných faktorů spojených s konzumací alkoholu dětmi a adolescenty. Jeho cílem je identifikovat, popsat a srovnat výsledky výzkumů zabývajících se rodinnou strukturou, styly výchovy, nastavováním pravidel a kontrolou jejich dodržování, rodinnými vazbami, komunikací a konzumací alkoholu v rodině. Výzkumy byly hodnoceny podle typu projektu, věku účastníků, kritérií pro znáhodnění výzkumných souborů a účinků rodinných faktorů predikujících konzumaci alkoholu dětmi a adolescenty. Systematický přehled uvedených výzkumů ukazuje, že nejvíce pozornosti ve výzkumech rodinných rizikových a protektivních faktorů je věnováno konzumaci alkoholu v rodině, rodičovské kontrole, rodinným vazbám a komunikaci rodičů s dětmi. Specifické kombinace a interakce těchto faktorů způsobují, že každý faktor může být hodnocen jako rizikový i protektivní podle různých rodinných situací., The study presents a review of risk and protective family factors associated with alcohol use among children and adolescents. The aim is to identify, describe and contrast research results regarding family structure, parental styles, monitoring and setting rules, attachment, communication and alcohol consumption in family. Studies were classified according to their research design, age group of participants, criteria for sample randomization and effects of family factors predicting use of alcohol among children and adolescents. The systematic overview of presented studies shows that most attention in family risk and protective factors research is focused on alcohol consumption in family, parental monitoring, attachment and parent-child communication. Specific combinations and interactions of these factors cause that every factor can be evaluated as risky and protective according to different family situation., Lenka Čablová, Michal Miovský., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Zhrnutie. Cieľom tohto prehľadového článku je popísať objektívne pôrodnícke a populačné faktory, ktoré sa podieľajú na vzniku posttraumatickej stresovej poruchy (PTSP) po pôrode, a tiež spôsoby, akými sa vzájomne ovplyvňujú so subjektívnymi faktormi, s cieľom identifikovať ženy, u ktorých je zvýšené riziko rozvoja symptómov PTSP po pôrode. Výsledky. Výskyt PTSP 4 až 6 týždňov po pôrode sa odhaduje na 5,77 % v celkovej populácii žien po pôrode a na 12,64 % v rizikovej subpopulácii. Pôrodnícke faktory sa javia byť do značnej miery mediované emocionálnou podporou rodiacej ženy zo strany zdravotníckeho personálu, ako aj prítomnosťou a podporou sprevádzajúcej osoby. Subjektívne vnímanie pôrodu rodiacimi ženami a miera kontroly, ktorú počas pôrodu pociťujú, patria medzi najsilnejšie faktory, ktoré ovplyvňujú riziko vzniku PTSP po pôrode. Včasná intervencia v podobe poskytovania dostatočných informácií a emocionálnej podpory počas pôrodu, ako aj v období po pôrode a rôzne formy sociálnej podpory znižujú riziko vzniku chronickej formy PTSP. Limity. Vzhľadom na špecifiká pôrodných systémov sa môže miera výskytu PTSP a zastúpenie rizikových faktorov v českom a slovenskom prostredí líšiť od výskytu a zastúpenia v krajinách, z ktorých pochádzajú zdroje zahrnuté v tomto prehľadovom článku. and Objectives. The aim of this article is to describe objective obstetric and population factors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth, the ways in which they interact with subjective factors, in order to identify those women who are at an increased risk of developing PTSD symptoms after delivery. Methods. The Web of Science database was used to search the literature. The keywords “posttraumatic stress disorder”, “PTSD”, “childbirth”, “trauma” and “risk factors” were entered. Out of 79 resulting articles in English, 48 articles dealing with the topic of postpartum PTSD were selected, of which 29 directly dealt with the identification and description of risk factors for the development of postpartum PTSD. Additional relevant literature has been obtained through the study of these articles. Results. The incidence of PTSD at 4-6 weeks after childbirth is estimated at 5.77% in the total population of postpartum women, and in the at-risk subpopulation, the estimate is 12.64%. Obstetric factors appear to be largely mediated by the emotional support of birthing woman from medical staff as well as by the presence and support of the accompanying person. Subjective perception of childbirth by the women giving birth, and the degree of control they feel during the birth process are among strongest factors which influence the risk of developing PTSD after childbirth. Early intervention in the form of providing comprehensive information and emotional support during childbirth, as well as in the postpartum period, and various forms of social support reduce the risk of developing a chronic form of PTSD. Study limitations. Due to the specifics of childbirth systems across geographies, the incidence rate of PTSD and the representation of risk factors in the Czech and Slovak environments can differ from the incidence and representation of those countries included in the resources for this review article.