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Number of results: 15
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Abstract

I n t r o d u c t i o n: A high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to be a strong biomarker of inflammation.

A i m: We sought to evaluate the impact of NLR on long-term all-cause and cardio-vascular (CV) mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Ma t e r i a l a n d Me t h o d s: A total of 84 chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 patients with 54 of them on HD, with a median age of 61.5 (51.3–74.8) years were enrolled. The association between NLR and clinical biomarkers was investigated. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to find significant predictors of all-cause and CV mortality at follow-up.

R e s u l t s: The median NLR (interquartile range) was 3.0 (2.1–4.1). Patients with NLR ≥3.9 (the highest tertile) had higher five-year all-cause mortality then remaining patients (53.6% vs. 30.4%; p = 0.039). On the contrary, only a trend towards increased CV mortality was observed (25.0% vs. 42.9%; p = 0.10). NLR ≥3.9 was a significant predictor of all-cause mortality at five years [hazard ratio (95%CI): 2.23 (1.10– 4.50); p = 0.025] in Cox regression model adjusted for age, gender, and diabetes status. Similarly, while using NLR as continuous variable a significant association between NLR and all-cause mortality was confirmed even after adjustment for covariates [hazard ratio per 1 unit increase (95%CI): 1.26 (1.06–1.51); p = 0.009] with the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.64. Correlations between NLR and WBC, concentration of fibrinogen, albumin were observed.

C o n c l u s i o n s: Asymptomatic inflammation measured by NLR showed an association with long-term all-cause mortality in stage 5 CKD patients, even while white blood cell count was in the normal range.

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Authors and Affiliations

Karolina Woziwodzka
Artur Dziewierz
Magdalena Pawica
Agnieszka Panek
Marcin Krzanowski
Paulina Gołasa
Paweł Latacz
Magdalena Burkat
Marek Kuźniewski
Katarzyna Krzanowska
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Abstract

Laboratory studies were carried out on the effects of an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation of Azadirachtin (AZ) (6 g a.s./l EC) on four major cotton pests in Senegal: Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Helicoverpa armigera Hϋbner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) and Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). In both S. littoralis (SL) and H. armigera (HA), larval weight loss was observed 48 h after treatment. Appreciable weight gain was only observed in SL larvae at dosages of 0.05 and 0.1 g a.s. /l AZ, 72 h after treatment. In both SL and HA, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the control larvae and those treated with 0.1 to 1.5 g a.s. /l AZ. At a dosage of 1.5 g a.s./l, AZ caused 60% mortality in SL and 0% mortality in HA, 72 h after treatment. The treatment with AZ at dosages of 0.05 and 1.5 g a.s./l resulted in 50 and 30% malformation in SL and HA pupae respectively. The duration of development from the IV instar larva to pupa in both lepidopterans increased progressively with AZ dosage. SL was more susceptible to AZ than HA. No growth disrupting effects were observed in A. gossypii (AG) and T. urticae (TU) where EC50 values of 1.49 and 1.36 g a.s./l AZ respectively were obtained. The implications of the effects of AZ on further field trials against cotton pests are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

George Ekukole
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Abstract

Various theories have been put forward on the demographic and health effects and consequences of socioeconomic development. In this study, we used the theoretical findings of the epidemiologic transition as a starting point to examine the 2020 values of the three main cancer indicators (incidence, mortality, prevalence). These values were compared with socioeconomic development variables for 170 countries. The countries were grouped using hierarchical clustering, and linear discriminant analysis was used to evaluate how appropriate the clustering was. Principal component analysis was used to examine, by group, which parameters are significant in each principal component and what background factors underlie the data. The results seem to confirm the association between cancer and socioeconomic background.
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Authors and Affiliations

Ilona Székely Kovácsné
1
Éva Fenyvesi
2
Tibor Pintér
2

  1. Budapest Business School, FCHT, Department of Methodology for Business Analysis
  2. Budapest Business School, FCHT, Department of Economics and Business Studies
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Abstract

Maternal mortality has posed a great problem in the health sector of most African countries. Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio remains high despite efforts made to meet millennium development goal 5 (MDG5). This study used the Lagos state community health survey 2011 and the Lagos state health budget allocations 2011 to examine the effect of government expenditure on maternal mortality ratio. Factors like inadequate transportation facilities, lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructures, which contribute to high maternal mortality rate, can be traced back to revenue though under different ministries. The other ministries need to work and support the ministry of health in the fight against maternal, especially in Lagos state. Secondary data was compiled from the state budget, records of death in different local governments in the state and relevant reviewed literature. Regression analysis was used to analyze the hypothesis and it was discovered that government expenditure does not have a significant effect on maternal mortality based on the R-square coefficient. However, correlation coefficient gives a contrasting result. Hence, further research work, government expenditure from other local government areas need to be taken into consideration to arrive at a valid conclusion. It is difficult to ascertain how much of the revenue allocated was put to appropriate use, due to a high level of corruption.

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Authors and Affiliations

Musodiq Adewale Abdulahi
Fadhilat Motunrayo Adegbite
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Abstract

I n t r o d u c t i o n: Fecal calprotectin (FC) rises significantly in intestinal inflammation accompanied by neutrophil activation — such as Clostridium diffi cile infection (CDI). The aim of the study was to evaluate the benefi t of FC testing in assessing the severity of CDI.

Ma t e r i a l s a n d M e t h o d s: The study group included 76 patients with CDI hospitalized in the Jagiellonian University Hospital in Krakow from July 2017 till January 2018. FC levels were measured using an EIA (Enzyme Immunoassay). Demographic, clinical information and blood tests were recorded using standardized data collection forms. The selection of patients into non-severe and severe groups was carried out in accordance with the ESCMID criteria (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) and some modifications to those criteria were proposed.

R e s u l t s: The studied population included 76 patients (39 men and 37 women) with CDI aged from 24 to 98 years (mean: 72). Median calprotectin level was 739 (Q25–Q75: 612–799 μg/g), characteristic of patients with colitis. A statistically signifi cant diff erence in FC concentration in patients with severe vs non-severe CDI was observed (severe — 770 vs non-severe — 659 μg/g, p = 0.009). FC directly correlated with platelets level; however, no correlation between FC level and the blood parameters prognostic for CDI (leukocyte, neutrophil count, albumin, creatinine levels) was found.

C o n c l u s i o n: FC level is an indication of ongoing intestinal inflammation in CDI patients. FC level significantly correlated with CDI severity, which demonstrates that FC could serve as a predictive marker for assessing CDI severity.

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Authors and Affiliations

Mirosław Dróżdż
Grażyna Biesiada
Hanna Pituch
Dorota Wultańska
Piotr Obuch-Woszczatyński
Michał Piotrowski
Jolanta Kędzierska
Mateusz Michalak
Aleksander Garlicki
Jacek Czepiel
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Abstract

Background/Aim: Factors influencing the survival of the nursing home population have not yet been clearly defined. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of nutritional, mental, functional, disease and pharmacological factors on the survival of nursing home residents with severe disabilities.
Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with a 9-year follow-up period among nursing home residents with a Barthel score ≤40. The initial assessment included the following scales: Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF), Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS), the Barthel Index, and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Comorbidities, medications and all-cause mortality were extracted from medical records. The analyzed cohort was divided into two groups: Deceased — residents who died ≤3 years and Survivors — those who survived >3 years of observation.
Results: Survivors (n = 40) and Deceased (n = 48) did not differ significantly in terms of age, sex, systolic and diastolic BP, the Barthel Index, number of diseases and medications used. Survivors had significantly higher scores in MNA-SF (p <0.001) and AMTS (p <0.003) than Deceased. Moreover, Survivors had hyper-tension significantly more often and took aspirin and ACE inhibitors (p <0.05). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the MNA-SF score significantly affected mortality [OR = 0.62, (95%CI, 0.46– 0.84), p <0.001].
Conclusion: Higher MNA-SF scores were a factor that significantly affected the survival of nursing home residents, while functional status assessed using the Barthel Index had no effect on survival. MNA-SF was found to be a useful tool for assessing the risk of death in a nursing home.
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Authors and Affiliations

Anna Kańtoch
1
Jadwiga Wójkowska-Mach
2
Barbara Wizner
1
Piotr Heczko
2
Tomasz Grodzicki
1
Barbara Gryglewska
1

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, University Hospital in Kraków, Kraków, Poland
  2. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
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Abstract

The subject of this study was Rhizopertha dominica F. population. The primary question referred to was the process of the lesser grain borer population spread depending on nutritional preferences of this species. The aim of performed laboratory experiments was to examine the adults’ ability to choose preferred kinds of food i conditions of free migration among them and to analyze the dynamics of population size. Sex ratio and the migration rate were also analyzed. Four types of food were used during the experiments: wheat, oat flakes, pearl barley and semolina. The experiments were conducted at 28°C and 60 ± 5% of relative humidity. Results of the study revealed that oat flakes were the most favourable nutriment for adult R. dominica whereas wheat grain was the most favourable for the population size since larvae were protected by grains and thus their increased number could survive. No population development in semolina was observed. It was the result of too small granulation of this food.

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Authors and Affiliations

Małgorzata Kłyś
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Abstract

Perinatal calf mortality in dairy herds has been reported worldwide. The etiology of stillbirth is multifactorial, and can be caused by various species of bacteria and environmental factors. Among them some potential pathogens from the Mollicutes class such as Mycoplasma (M.) spp. and Ureaplasma (U.) diversum can be isolated from the bovine genital tract and other organs of the suspected cattle. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the bacteria belonging to the Molli- cutes class i.e. M. bovis, M. bovigenitalium, M. canadense, M. canis, M. arginini, M. bovirhinis, M. dispar, M. alkalescens and U. diversum could have an impact on perinatal calf mortality in selected Polish dairy farms. The material was: 121 stillborn calves (SB), 21 live born calves (C) and 131 cows (dams) from 30 Polish Holstein-Friesian herds. Samples were examined from all the SB calves’ and six control euthanized calves’ abomasal contents and lung samples collected during necropsy, and from the dams’ serum and placenta. In dams the serological ELISA, and in calves and placenta samples molecular PCR/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, methods were used. Screening of dams’ sera for antibodies to M. bovis (ELISA) showed seven dams positive for M. bovis, whereas none of the nine examined Mollicutes microorganisms were detected in the placenta and calves.

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Authors and Affiliations

E. Szacawa
P. Jawor
K. Dudek
D. Bednarek
T. Stefaniak
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Abstract

The United Nations General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 to achieve an equitable and sustainable future for all by 2030. This study aims to model the relationship between government revenue per capita, quality of governance and the targets of several of these goals, including the coverage of the critical determinants of health; water, sanitation, healthcare, and education. We used government revenue because the policies and practices of international and multinational organisations - including corporations and banks - are more likely to influence revenue rather than government spending in countries in which they are engaged. Also, government revenue reflects a government's ability to spend across all sectors rather than just health or education. An unbalanced non-linear panel data model was employed, and annual data on 217 countries over the period 1960-2000 was used. The coverage of the Sustainable Development Goal variables was expressed as percentages and measures of the quality of governance included in the model. A linear relationship between revenue and the determinants of health would not be appropriate; therefore, we employ a logistic function. A standard panel logistic function would impose the same shape “S” curve on all countries, which is inappropriate. Therefore, we augment the parameters of the logistic function with measures of the quality of governance in each country, which allows each country to have a different “S” shape as the quality of its governance varies. Our study found that increased government revenue is associated with increased progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. An improvement in the quality of governance could amplify this effect. This modelling and its accompanying visualisations can predict the potential of an increase in government revenue in an individual country regarding progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Authors and Affiliations

Bernadette O'hare
1
Steve G. Hall
2

  1. St Andrews University, United Kingdom
  2. Leicester University, United Kingdom, Pretoria University, South Africa
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Abstract

Postharvest insect pests constitute major threats to food security because they cause qualitative and quantitative damage to agricultural produce. Therefore, eco-friendly and cost-effective measures should be used for their management. In this study, five botanical powders ( Trema orientalis and Crataeva religiosa leaves; and Citrus tangelo, Citrus maxima and Citrus aurantifolia peels) were admixed with Spintor® [1.25 active ingredient (a.i.) mg · kg –1] and evaluated as toxicants against Tribolium castaneum. Each botanical powder and spintor was solely applied at 1000 mg · kg –1 millet seeds. Spintor-botanical powder mixtures admixed at a ratio of 1 : 1 (w/w) were applied at 500 and 1000 mg · kg –1, corresponding to 0.313 and 0.625 a. i. mg · kg –1 for spintor in the mixtures, respectively. On the 14th day of exposure, the Citrus species admixed with spintor and applied at 500 mg · kg –1 evoked significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentage mortality (72.22–90.28%) than what was observed in the mixture of spintor with T. orientalis (22.08%) or the mixture of spintor with C. religosa (17.92%) applied at 500 mg · kg –1. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the Kaplan-Meier estimates of the treatments against the insects. The time required to kill 50% of the assayed insects (LT50) when Citrus species were admixed with spintor at 500 mg · kg –1 (10 days) was shorter than 14 days observed in the mixture of spintor with T. orientalis or C. religiosa. Therefore, admixing spintor with any of the Citrus powders [at 1 : 1 (w/w)] applied at 500 mg · kg –1 seed is recommended for the protection of millet seeds against T. castaneum.,
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Authors and Affiliations

Oludele Ajiboye
1
Samuel Adelani Babarinde
1
ORCID: ORCID
Gabriel Olulakin Adesina
1
Oludayo Christopher Olusoji
2
Timothy Abiodun Adebayo
1
Kasali Amofe Adelasoye
1

  1. Department of Crop and Environmental Protection, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
  2. Fruit Improvement Unit, National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Abstract

Air Pollution in Poland – Condition, Causes and Effects. In the recent years the air in Poland seems to be the most polluted in Europe (it is worse only in a few times smaller Bulgaria). The concentration of particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), represented by benzo(a)pyrene are among the highest in European Union countries. They are highly toxic, especially PAHS, which damage the hematopoietic system, accumulate in living organisms leading to a cancerous process, they cause damages to the central nervous system and infertility. It is estimated that high air pollution causes 45-47 thousands premature deaths in Poland every year, as well as growth frequency of allergies and chronic diseases. Polish society loses about 520,000 potential years of life, and the economy of 18.5 million work days. It’s a very high price. The weather determines to a large extent the air pollution. The smog episode is usually accompanied by low wind speed or atmospheric silence, reduction of visibility and thermal inversions. However, the biggest problem is low emission, which is mainly related to individual heating of buildings (78-87% of the total emission of benzo(a)pyrene. The reasons for such poor sanitary condition of the air in Poland are complex and to a large extent they result from spatial chaos and lack of spatial planning, but also from general policy country. The most important reasons are i.a.: the lack of a planning policy and a sustainable transport policy, persistent subsidies for unprofitable coal mines, the lack of a policy promoting renewable energy sources and “clean” technologies, high gas price (the highest in Europe) and no subsidies for the poorest, scattered buildings which hinders access to system heat, inefficient and unsuitable transport based on road transport road and individual cars (often old, Diesel) etc.
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Authors and Affiliations

Magdalena Kuchcik
Paweł Milewski
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Abstract

The subject of this study was the lesser grain borer Rhizopertha dominica F. The aim of the experiments was to verify the hypothesis suggesting that the course of simultaneous vertical migration and horizontal spread of the R. dominica population is determined by nutritional and habitat selectivity. The following products were used as nutrients in the experiments: wheat, oat flakes, pearl barley and semolina. It was found that the course of a migration process is connected with nutritional preferences determined mainly by a nutrient type and its granulation. At the initial stage of the study the highest emigration was noted in the oat flakes. After a time the highest migration was directed to as follows: wheat, oat flakes, pearl barley and semolina. Females showed a higher migratory activity.

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Authors and Affiliations

Małgorzata Kłyś
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Abstract

Studies on the relative toxicity of different bio-rational insecticides against second instar larvae and adults of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci were carried out on Experimental Farm and in the laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Suez Canal. Eight insecticides Dipel 2x, BioFly, Agrin, BioGuard, Spinosad, Neemix, Mectin and Match were all evaluated for their relative toxicity towards T. tabaci with recommended dose, half of recommended dose and quarter of recommended dose in the laboratory and only recommended dose under field conditions. Spinosad was the most toxic among the tested insecticides followed by Mectin, Match and Agrin when used against thrips adults. The respective values of LC50 of those insecticides were 0.048 cm/l, 0.070 cm/l, 0.079 cm/l and 0.137 g/l. Also, Spinosad was the most effective insecticide against second instar larvae followed descendingly by: Agrin, Match and Dipel 2x. Toxicity index values at LC50 level show such superior efficiency of Spinosad (100%) when applied against adults and second instar larvae of onion thrips under labora tory conditions. All insecticides under field conditions caused reduction of infestations of thrips. For the residual effect post application, all insecticides gave significant reductions in thrips numbers at the 21 day post treatment except for: Agrin and Match. Spinosad, Mectin, Neemix and BioFly gave the best control and continued to suppress thrips populations till 21 days after treatment. Spinosad was non harmful and Dipel 2x, Agrin were slightly harmful, BioGuard was significantly harmful whereas BioFly, Match and Mectin were very harmful to Orius albidipennis.

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Authors and Affiliations

Mahmoud Farag Mahmoud
Mohamed A.M. Osman
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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced the number of orthopedic surgeries world-wide. The main reason for this was an introduction of numerous restrictions in the field of mobility, which resulted in reduction of circumstances predisposing to injuries. This had a positive impact on the overall readiness of the health system to fight the pandemic, thanks to saving human and material resources that could be successfully allocated in order to fight a new, previously unknown threat. On the other hand, such aimed administration of the system was not indifferent in terms of care quality directed towards traumatized patients, often requiring immediate measures (risk of infection transmission). This study aims to evaluate in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 operated on proximal femur fractures. An attempt was also made to determine predictors influencing mortality rate among patients operated over the analyzed period.
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Authors and Affiliations

Artur Fałek
1
Szymon Skwarcz
1
Marek Paździor
1

  1. Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Surgery, Independent Public Healthcare, Puławy, Poland

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