Search results for "seasons"
showing 10 items of 361 documents
Prevalence of glaucoma and distribution of intraocular pressure in a population. The Casteldaccia Eye Study.
2009
IOP was measured in 1062 middle-aged and elderly subjects of a small Sicilian town, enrolled in a population based survey. The mean IOP was 15.1 +/- 3.7 mmHg without interocular or sex differences. A small but significant age-dependent increase of IOP was found. Circadian and seasonal influences were recorded: IOP was higher in the morning and in winter. The prevalence of chronic open-angle glaucoma was 1.2%, but it grew to 3.6 if only subjects aged 70 years or more were considered. IOP of 24 mmHg or more was found in 2.7%, while 4.3% of subjects showed IOP of 21 mmHg or more. This survey shows that mean IOP of the Mediterranean population studied is similar to the IOP found in other epidem…
Mean temperature and humidity variations, along with patient age, predict the number of visits for renal colic in a large urban Emergency Department:…
2012
Background: A marked geographic variability has been reported in stone disease, partially attributed to the Mean Annual Temperature (MAT), as well as to the seasonal fluctuations of climatic conditions. Accordingly, peaks in Emergency Department (ED) visits for renal colic are commonplace during the summer. Materials and methods: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of day-by-day climate changes on the number of visits as a result of renal colic in the ED (City of Parma, northern Italy, temperate continental climate). A total of 10,802 colic episodes were retrieved from the database during a period of 3286 days (January 2002 to December 2010). Results: The analysis of the data …
Association between affective temperaments and season of birth in a general student population.
2011
Abstract Background Several studies indicate a significant association between birth season and personality and neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of our present study was to investigate the association between affective temperaments and season of birth in a nonclinical sample. Methods 366 university students completed the standardized Hungarian version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A). Ordinary Least Squares regression was applied to explain the relationship between TEMPS-A subscale and birth season of the respondents. Results We found a significant association between temperament scores and birth season in the case of the Hy…
Effect of Salmeterol on Seasonal Changes in Airway Responsiveness and Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Pollen-Sensitive Asthmatic Subjects
2002
Objective Using a model of natural allergen exposure, we examined the effect of regular treatment with salmeterol on allergen-induced changes in airway responsiveness and exhaled nitric oxide (ENO). Design Double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study. Setting Specialist allergy unit in a university hospital. Patients Asthmatic patients sensitized to pollen allergens were randomly allocated to monotherapy with salmeterol (n = 14) or placebo (n = 13). Interventions Salmeterol, 25 μg, and placebo inhalers, two puffs bid, for 6 weeks. Measurements Spirometry, the level of a provocative concentration of a substance (methacholine) causing a 20% fall in FEV 1 (PC 20 ), the PC 20 level for adenos…
Determinants of physical activity in daily life in candidates for lung transplantation
2012
BACKGROUND: Participation in daily physical activity (PA) has never been objectively assessed in candidates for lung transplantation (LTx). The main research questions were: 1) How active are LTx-candidates in daily life? 2) What are determinants of activity behavior before LTX? METHODS: Ninety-six candidates for LTx (diagnosis of COPD or interstitial lung disease; mean age 55 ± 7 years) underwent measurements of PA, pulmonary function, 6-min walking distance (6MWD), muscle force and health-status (SF-36 scale). RESULTS: Patients were markedly inactive (5% of waking hours walking, 26% standing and 69% sedentary). Backward multiple regression identified 6MWD (expressed as % of predicted valu…
Rotavirus genotypes co-circulating in Europe between 2006 and 2009 as determined by EuroRotaNet, a pan-European collaborative strain surveillance net…
2011
SUMMARYEuroRotaNet, a laboratory network, was established in order to determine the diversity of co-circulating rotavirus strains in Europe over three or more rotavirus seasons from 2006/2007 and currently includes 16 countries. This report highlights the tremendous diversity of rotavirus strains co-circulating in the European population during three years of surveillance since 2006/2007 and points to the possible origins of these strains including genetic reassortment and interspecies transmission. Furthermore, the ability of the network to identify strains circulating with an incidence of ⩾1% allowed the identification of possible emerging strains such as G8 and G12 since the beginning of…
More than a leap of faith: the impact of biological and religious correlates on reproductive behavior.
2004
Using a conceptual model that integrates both social and biomedical factors of causation, this paper tries to delineate the pathways through which the reproductive characteristics of a multidenominational community are characterized. In total, 5513 historical entries from family reconstitution were available. Selection of data was guided by the inclusion of information about religious affiliation. Only married couples with children as well as single mothers with the relevant information were considered. Of these, 1855 entries were of Roman Catholic (C), 1143 of Lutheran/Protestant (L/P2), and 609 of Reformed Calvinist (R) denomination. The analysis documented differential nuptiality and fer…
Maximal Aerobic Power Characteristics of Male Professional Soccer Players, 1989–2012
2013
Purpose:The purpose of this investigation was to quantify maximal aerobic power (VO2max) in soccer as a function of performance level, position, age, and time of season. In addition, the authors examined the evolution of VO2max among professional players over a 23-y period.Methods:1545 male soccer players (22 ± 4 y, 76 ± 8 kg, 181 ± 6 cm) were tested for VO2max at the Norwegian Olympic Training Center between 1989 and 2012.Results:No differences in VO2max were observed among national-team players, 1st- and 2nd-division players, and juniors. Midfielders had higher VO2max than defenders, forwards, and goalkeepers (P < .05). Players <18 y of age had ~3% higher VO2max than 23- to 26-y-old…
Diagnosis of Influenza: Only a Problem of Coding?
2013
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> To evaluate the characteristics of hospital discharge diagnoses of influenza measured by using specific International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) codes. <b><i>Subjects and Methods:</i></b> The study was conducted for the 3 years 2007, 2008 and 2011. The database included (1) administrative and clinical data on Sicilian patients admitted to acute care hospitals and (2) data from the influenza virological surveillance of 10 European countries (FluNet database). All Sicilian patients diagnosed with at least 1 ICD-9 CM code for influenza (487.0, 487.1 and 487.9) were considere…
Seasonal variations in the onset and healing rates of venous leg ulcers
2010
Objectives As many vascular pathologies exhibit circannual fluctuation, the aim of this study was to assess the chronobiological features of venous ulcers. Methods Based on a retrospective survey of the case histories of 391 venous ulcer patients, the rates of ulcer onset and healing in each month were analysed statistically; a time series was constructed to evaluate the seasonality. Results There was a significantly higher frequency of ulcer onset during the warmer part of the year (April–October), and onset showed strong seasonality. Healing rates were also unequally and statistically significantly distributed throughout the year: ulcers that appeared or that were treated with specialized…