An Analysis of the Links between Smoking and BMI in Adolescents: A Moving Average Approach to Establishing the Statistical Relationship between Quantitative and Dichotomous Variables

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of smoking on BMI in male adolescents and explore the relationship between smoking status and diet. Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study into the health and diet of adolescents was carried out based on a representative sample of 375 vocational school male students aged 16–17 in the city of Chelyabinsk (Russian Federation). The students and their parents filled out verified questionnaires on their socioeconomic status, diet, and smoking status. Students’ height and body weight were measured. A comparative analysis of diets was performed between groups of smokers and non-smokers (149 and 226 individuals, respectively), and the relationship between smoking, body mass index, and actual diet was estimated. The methods used included descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, comparison of proportions, and moving average. Results: Non-smoking adolescent boys tended to have excess body mass compared with smokers (19.0% and 12.1%, respectively). Smokers (adolescent boys) consumed less meat, cereals, beans, and cheeses and more sweet beverages, added sugar, coffee, and alcohol. The bulk of the smokers’ diet was composed of carbohydrates (p = 0.026) and, to a lesser extent, proteins (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Significant differences were discovered in the diet between smokers and non-smokers (among adolescent boys), and smoking was associated with several indicators of unhealthy diet patterns. This is an important conclusion for developing a future program that could additionally protect at-risk groups of adolescents

Body plethysmography in early diagnostics of dust-related respiratory pathology in industrial workers exposed to silicon-containing aerosols

The article dwells upon the usage of body plethysmography techniques and the evaluation of the lungs diffusing capacity in early diagnostics of dust-related respiratory pathology in industrial workers exposed to silicon-containing aero-sols. The purposes of the study were: i) to look at these tools diagnostic perfor-mance with respect to disorders of pulmonary ventilation and gas exchange in siliconaerosols exposed workers; ii) to articulate the indications for body-plethysmographic assessment of the external respiration function. Our team has narrowed on patients with chronic bronchitis and silicosis, and the workers with a high risk of pneumoconiosis. The cases of disorders of pulmonary ventilation and gas exchange have been described. It has been shown that, for a comprehensive study of the external respiration function, patients should be picked-up based on their determined lung diffusing capacity.Статья посвящена применению методов бодиплетизмографии и определения диффузионной способности легких в ранней диагностике пылевой патологии органов дыхания у работников промышленных предприятий, подвергающихся воздействию кремнийсодержащих аэрозолей. Цель работы: показать возможности бодиплетизмографии и диффузионной способности легких в диагностике вентиляционных нарушений и легочного газообмена у работников, подвергающихся воздействию кремнийсодержащих аэрозолей и сформулировать показания для исследования функции внешнего дыхания методом бодиплетизмографии. Внимание сосредоточено на обследовании больных хроническим бронхитом, силикозом и работников группы риска по развитию пневмокониоза. Описаны варианты нарушения вентиляционной функции легких и легочного газообмена. Показано, что отбор пациентов для углубленного исследования функции внешнего дыхания необходимо проводить по диффузионной способности легких

Annelid phylogeny and the status of Sipuncula and Echiura

BACKGROUND: Annelida comprises an ancient and ecologically important animal phylum with over 16,500 described species and members are the dominant macrofauna of the deep sea. Traditionally, two major groups are distinguished: Clitellata (including earthworms, leeches) and "Polychaeta" (mostly marine worms). Recent analyses of molecular data suggest that Annelida may include other taxa once considered separate phyla (i.e., Echiura, and Sipuncula) and that Clitellata are derived annelids, thus rendering "Polychaeta" paraphyletic; however, this contradicts classification schemes of annelids developed from recent analyses of morphological characters. Given that deep-level evolutionary relationships of Annelida are poorly understood, we have analyzed comprehensive datasets based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes, and have applied rigorous testing of alternative hypotheses so that we can move towards the robust reconstruction of annelid history needed to interpret animal body plan evolution. RESULTS: Sipuncula, Echiura, Siboglinidae, and Clitellata are all nested within polychaete annelids according to phylogenetic analyses of three nuclear genes (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, EF1α; 4552 nucleotide positions analyzed) for 81 taxa, and 11 nuclear and mitochondrial genes for 10 taxa (additional: 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, ATP8, COX1-3, CYTB, NAD6; 11,454 nucleotide positions analyzed). For the first time, these findings are substantiated using approximately unbiased tests and non-scaled bootstrap probability tests that compare alternative hypotheses. For echiurans, the polychaete group Capitellidae is corroborated as the sister taxon; while the exact placement of Sipuncula within Annelida is still uncertain, our analyses suggest an affiliation with terebellimorphs. Siboglinids are in a clade with other sabellimorphs, and clitellates fall within a polychaete clade with aeolosomatids as their possible sister group. None of our analyses support the major polychaete clades reflected in the current classification scheme of annelids, and hypothesis testing significantly rejects monophyly of Scolecida, Palpata, Canalipalpata, and Aciculata. CONCLUSION: Using multiple genes and explicit hypothesis testing, we show that Echiura, Siboglinidae, and Clitellata are derived annelids with polychaete sister taxa, and that Sipuncula should be included within annelids. The traditional composition of Annelida greatly underestimates the morphological diversity of this group, and inclusion of Sipuncula and Echiura implies that patterns of segmentation within annelids have been evolutionarily labile. Relationships within Annelida based on our analyses of multiple genes challenge the current classification scheme, and some alternative hypotheses are provided

Statistical Parsimony Networks and Species Assemblages in Cephalotrichid Nemerteans (Nemertea)

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that statistical parsimony network analysis could be used to get an indication of species represented in a set of nucleotide data, and the approach has been used to discuss species boundaries in some taxa. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Based on 635 base pairs of the mitochondrial protein-coding gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), we analyzed 152 nemertean specimens using statistical parsimony network analysis with the connection probability set to 95%. The analysis revealed 15 distinct networks together with seven singletons. Statistical parsimony yielded three networks supporting the species status of Cephalothrix rufifrons, C. major and C. spiralis as they currently have been delineated by morphological characters and geographical location. Many other networks contained haplotypes from nearby geographical locations. Cladistic structure by maximum likelihood analysis overall supported the network analysis, but indicated a false positive result where subnetworks should have been connected into one network/species. This probably is caused by undersampling of the intraspecific haplotype diversity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Statistical parsimony network analysis provides a rapid and useful tool for detecting possible undescribed/cryptic species among cephalotrichid nemerteans based on COI gene. It should be combined with phylogenetic analysis to get indications of false positive results, i.e., subnetworks that would have been connected with more extensive haplotype sampling

Complex Formation of Ni2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ Ions with Benzothiazolylformazans Containing Oxyethylene Groups

The ability of benzothiazolylformazans containing oxyethylene groups to form complexes with Ni2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ ions was studied. The introduction of the oxyethylene groups extends the range of complex-forming metals and gives rise to new properties of metal formazanates

Preconcentration and photometric determination of lead

It has been shown that Sulfarsazen and 1-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)-3-ethyl-5-(2-benzoxazolyl)formazan (Formazan VIII) can be used for the photometric determination of lead and give identical results at a specified significance level. The detection limits attained with the use of Sulfarsazen and Formazan VIII are 0.2 μg/mL and 0.16 ng/mL, respectively, and the latter reagent provides a better precision of determination. © 1997 MAHK Hayka/Interperiodica Publishing