Respiratory Status in Children and Exposure to Animal Allergens-The Problem of Reverse Causality in Cross-Sectional Studies.

Background: Some epidemiological studies suggest that early exposure to animal allergens during infancy reduces the risk of bronchial asthma in school-age children. However, the observed associations in some cases may be an effect of the study used (epidemiological observational studies, especially a cross-sectional study) and indicate reverse causality.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the association between exposure to animal allergens and the prevalence of respiratory diseases, including bronchial asthma, considering the potential impact of reverse causality on the observed relationships.

Socioeconomic and Health Determinants of the Prevalence of COVID-19 in a Population of Children with Respiratory Diseases and Symptoms.

Background: Most epidemiological studies indicate that bronchial asthma is not a risk factor for COVID-19, but previous analyses have not additionally focused on the socioeconomic determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms.

Aims: This research aimed to investigate the correlation between the socioeconomic status of families and the prevalence of respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms in children, in addition to exploring their association with the prevalence of COVID-19. The study involved a cross-sectional epidemiological investigation conducted in 2022, encompassing 2454 students from elementary schools in Poland.

Pre- and Postnatal Determinants Shaping the Microbiome of the Newborn in the Opinion of Pregnant Women from Silesia (Poland).

Pre- and postnatal factors influence the formation of the newborn's microbiome as early as birth and the intrauterine period has a substantial impact on the composition of the baby's gastrointestinal microbiota and its subsequent development. This study intends to measure pregnant women's knowledge of the importance of microbiota for the health of the newborn. The sample was selected based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Risk factors for reoperation after surgical treatment for degenerative spinal disease in Poland: a nationwide retrospective study of 38,953 hospitalisations.

Introduction: Degenerative spinal disease (DSD) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions and a leading cause of sickness absence. It also contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of reoperation after surgical treatment of DSDs in Poland, and to identify risk factors for reoperation.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nutrition, Sleep, Physical Activity, and Mood Disorders of Polish Children.

The harmful consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on children are its impact on eating habits, physical activity, sleep, and mood disorders. In the future, this may result in a higher prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's eating behavior and lifestyle.

Properties of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases in the View of Patients (Silesia, Poland).

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Lifestyle plays an important role in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, apart from pharmacotherapy and diagnostics. Numerous studies confirm that the type and quality of fat consumed in the diet have a huge impact on the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Microplastic in Food and Water: Current Knowledge and Awareness of Consumers.

In recent years, the widespread of microplastics in the food chain and environment became a topic of much research. This article focused on the knowledge and awareness of people with higher education levels-mostly young ones. The aim of this study is to analyze to what extent consumers know about and are aware of the source of microplastics, the level of exposure, and potential health hazards connected to the contamination of food and water with microplastics.

Caesarean delivery and risk of childhood asthma development: meta-analysis.

Introduction: Several studies indicate that delivery by caesarean section may be one of the risk factors for the development of childhood asthma.

Aim: A meta-analysis was carried out to establish the relationship between delivery by caesarean section and asthma in children.

Material And Methods: After a review of bibliographic databases, 41 articles were obtained and 12 of which were accepted for further analysis.

Spinal muscular atrophy: epidemiology and health burden in children - a Polish national healthcare database perspective before introduction of SMA-specific treatment.

Introduction: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most frequent autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorders. It leads to progressive muscle weakness, premature death or permanent ventilation. Significant disability, scoliosis, severe pulmonary infections and other problems require in- and outpatient medical care.

Health inequalities among students of lower secondary schools in Bytom, Poland.

Introduction And Objective: Poverty and low level of education pose the biggest threats to public health. Moreover, they generate inequalities in public healthThe aim of the study was to check if there are any inequalities in health among teenagers living in Bytom, Poland.

Material And Methods: In 2011 and 2012, an epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,099 students from lower secondary schools from Bytom.

Assessment of explicit and implicit linguistic impairments in patients with aphasia after resection of tumour of the left cerebral hemisphere. Preliminary results.

Background And Purpose: Classical definitions of aphasia des-cribe deficits of different language levels (syntactic, semantic, phonologic) hindering the ability to communicate. Recent studies indicate, however, that impairment of particular aspects of linguistic competencies in aphasia differs in severity. Contemporary approach to the aphasic symptoms presents them as disturbed access of linguistic representations to the awareness system.

Epidemiology of glial and non-glial brain tumours in Europe.

To the central nervous system (CNS) belong a heterogeneous group of glial and non glial rare cancers. The aim of the present study was to estimate the burden (incidence, prevalence, survival and proportion of cured) for the principal CNS cancers in Europe (EU27) and in European regions using population-based data from cancer registries participating in the RARECARE project. We analysed 44,947 rare CNS cancers diagnosed from 1995 to 2002 (with follow up at 31st December 2003): 86.

Correlation of clinical findings and results of percutaneous balloon compression for patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

Objective: To investigate pain relief and recurrence after percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) and its association with type of pain, prior surgery, or other clinical factors.

Methods: Fifty-nine patients with medically refractory trigeminal pain were enrolled into this study. Patients were divided into those with typical trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and those with other types of trigeminal pain or "atypical pain.

Blood flow velocity in the arteries of the anterior cerebral artery complex in patients with an azygos anterior cerebral artery aneurysm: a transcranial color-coded sonography study.

Objective: It is presumed that increased blood flow through the single azygos anterior cerebral artery (Az) may contribute to the formation of an Az aneurysm. The aim of this study was to assess the blood flow velocities in the arteries of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) complex in patients with the Az aneurysm.

Patients And Methods: A series of three patients (2 men, aged: 65, 52 and 41) with an aneurysm (unruptured in two cases) of the distal Az was examined.

MR imaging of brainstem atrophy in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Background: To enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the clinical diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), neuroradiological parameters established in pathologically proven cases are needed.

Methods: We examined brainstem atrophy in five pathologically confirmed PSP patients (three men, mean age at death 77 years, range 64-84 years). Time interval between symptom onset and MRI ranged from 1 to 5 years, and between MRI and death from 33 to 52 months.

Aldehydic lipid peroxidation products in human brain astrocytomas.

Among mediators of oxidative stress, highly reactive secondary aldehydic lipid peroxidation products can initiate the processes of spontaneous mutagenesis and carcinogenesis and can also act as a growth-regulating factors and signaling molecules. We explored whether these aldehydes and histone H3 mRNA levels could serve as biomarkers of malignancy and predictive factor in human brain astrocytomas. Histone H3 mRNA, a biomarker of cellular proliferation, was analyzed by QRT-PCR (TaqMan).

Unilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson disease.

Object: The object of this study was to assess the results of unilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for management of advanced Parkinson disease (PD).

Methods: A clinical series of 24 patients (mean age 71 years, range 56-80 years) with medically intractable PD, who were undergoing unilateral magnetic resonance imaging-targeted, electrophysiologically guided STN DBS, completed a battery of qualitative and quantitative outcome measures preoperatively (baseline) and postoperatively, using a modified Core Assessment Program for Intracerebral Transplantations protocol. The mean follow-up period was 9 months.

Frontotemporal dementia and Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 with the N279K tau mutation.

We present a case of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) harboring the N279K mutation in the MAPT gene from the family known as pallido-ponto-nigral degeneration (PPND). This 49-year-old man was followed for 17 years. He presented at age 41 years with left leg stiffness and en-bloc turning.

Clinical-pathologic study of biomarkers in FTDP-17 (PPND family with N279K tau mutation).

The objective of this clinical-pathologic study was to identify biomarkers for a pallidopontonigral degeneration (PPND) kindred of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) harboring the N279K tau mutation. Five affected subjects, one at-risk who later became symptomatic, and one at-risk asymptomatic mutation carrier, had abnormal (18)fluorodeoxyglucose PET demonstrating asymmetric temporal lobe hypometabolism. All except the asymptomatic mutation carrier had abnormal brain MRI.

Corticobasal degeneration -- clinico-pathological considerations.

Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare sporadic 4-repeat tauopathy. We report here the first Polish case of pathologically proven CBD. Our patient developed clumsiness of the right hand at age 63 years.

[Percutaneous ventriculoatrial shunt: experience with 179 cases].

Background And Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of percutaneous placement of a distal catheter on treatment results in patients with hydrocephalus undergoing ventriculoatrial shunt (VA) implantation.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included 184 patients aged 14-80 years (mean: 48 yrs) with hydrocephalus who were treated with VA shunt between 1990-2003. In 179 patients the cardiac catheter was introduced by catheterization of the internal jugular vein, rarely the subclavian or external jugular vein, using the Seldinger technique and standard equipment for central vein catheterization.

Frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17.

Frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the MAPT gene which encodes the microtubule-associated protein tau. This hereditary tauopathy is a rare clinical syndrome, affecting approximately two hundred kindreds and about six hundred individuals bearing thirty nine known MAPT mutations. The disorder is thought to be related to the altered proportion of tau protein isoforms or the ability of tau to bind to microtubules and to promote microtubule assembly and organization.