ASSESSING SALIVARY CORTISOL IN RESEARCH OF SHIFT WORK RISKS AMONG CASINO EMPLOYEES IN BULGARIA

Although the effects of shift work on casino employees have been documented, no data exists describing the effect of stress on the hormone secretion. The present quantitative study evaluates the use of salivary cortisol concentration as a biomarker of the stress level among casino employees in Bulgaria. This new data emphasize the need to examine the circadian rhythm of cortisol in a casino environment

Pleuropneumonia in a 7 Year Old Boy

Background: Pleuropneumonia takes a prominent place in childhood morbidity. Very often in children it can be manifested with atypical clinical presentation. Objective: To present atypical case of Pleuropneumonia in a seven year old boy. Methods: Seven year old boy with acute onset headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and febrile. On physical examination conscious, febrile (39 C), pale, dehydrated, pharynx hyperemic, abdominal distension and pain on abdominal palpation. Blood test with leucocytosis (Le= 31), elevated infalamotory markers (CRP=221mg/l), abdominal ultrasound with normal findings. Abdominal x ray - Mesohypogastric righ with distended intestinal viscera and with hydroaeric levels in formation. Due to suspicion of an acute abdomen, the child was transferred to the surgical department. After 12 hours of obsrevation still febrile, dehydrated, but with acute appearance of tachidispnea and chest pain on the left hemitorax. On examination febrile 40 C, tachidispnoic. Lung auscultation - vesicular breathing weakened to the left in the middle and basal parts. Chest x ray - Paracardiac basal left with larger zone of non-homogeneous shading in addition to inflammatory consolidation, right with peribronchitic infiltrates and sings of pleural effussion - Left dome of the diaphragm isn’t followed and left frenicocostal sinus is shaded. Pleural ultrasound showed pleural effusion in left frenicocostal sinus. Results: After appropriate antibiotic treatment, oxygen therapy, corticotherapy and inhalation therapy with a complete regression of the auscultatory finding. Control chest x ray and pleural ultrasound with complete regression of inflammatory consolidation and pleural effusion. Conclusion: Very often pleuropneumonia in children can be manifested with atypical clinical picture and it’s a diagnostic and therapeutic problem because it’s often not recognized and not thought of

Immunohistochemical Expression of TGF-Β1, SMAD4, SMAD7, TGFβRII and CD68-Positive TAM Densities in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for 80% of the thyroid malignancies that are characterised by slow growth and an excellent prognosis. Over-expression of SMAD4 protein restores TGF-β signalling, determines a strong increase in anti-proliferative effect and reduces invasive potential of tumour cells expressing it.AIM: The study aimed to analyse the immunohistochemical expression of TGF-β1 and its downstream phosphorylated SMAD4, element and of the inhibitory SMAD7 PTC variants and their association with the localisation of TAMs within the tumour microenvironment.METHODS: For this retrospective study we investigated 69 patients immunohistochemistry with antibodies against TGF-β, TGF – β-RII, SMAD4, SMAD7, CD68+ macrophages.RESULTS: Patients with low infiltration with CD68+ cells in tumour stroma has significantly shorter survival (median of 129.267 months) compared to those with high CD68+ cells infiltration (p = 0.034). From the analysis of CD68+ cells in tumour border and tumour stroma correlated with expression of TGF-β1 / SMAD proteins, we observed that the positive expression of TGF-β1 in tumour cytoplasm, significantly correlated with increased number of CD68+ cells in tumour border (X2 = 5,945; р = 0.015).CONCLUSION: TGF-β enhances motility and stimulates recruitment of monocytes, macrophages and other immune cells while directly inhibiting their anti-tumour effector functions

Optimization of rapid and simple HPLC-DAD method for analysis of glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine in potatoes

A simple and rapid HPLC-DAD method has been developed for separation of glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine in potatoes. Several HPLC method variables have been tested, including series of mobile phases with different amount of organic modifier acetonitrile in the mobile phase, the effect of buffer concentration and pH, as well as the effect of temperature and flow rate on the retention and resolution of the analysed analytes. Separation of solanine and chaconine was performed on a Shimadzu Shim-pack GIST C18 column (250 mm × 4 mm I.D., 5 μm particle size). Satisfactory resolution and relatively short analysis time were obtained when separation was performed at ambient temperature with isocratic elution, using the optimal mobile phase consisting of 30 % (v/v) acetonitrile and 70 % KH2PO4 with concentration of 20 mM and pH 6,57. The flow rate on the mobile phase was 1 mL/min and detection of solanine and chaconine was performed on a wavelength of 204 nm

Attributable deaths and disability-adjusted life-years caused by infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU and the European Economic Area in 2015: a population-level modelling analysis

Background: Infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria are threatening modern health care. However, estimating their incidence, complications, and attributable mortality is challenging. We aimed to estimate the burden of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria of public health concern in countries of the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) in 2015, measured in number of cases, attributable deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Methods: We estimated the incidence of infections with 16 antibiotic resistance–bacterium combinations from European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) 2015 data that was country-corrected for population coverage. We multiplied the number of bloodstream infections (BSIs) by a conversion factor derived from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control point prevalence survey of health-care-associated infections in European acute care hospitals in 2011–12 to estimate the number of non-BSIs. We developed disease outcome models for five types of infection on the basis of systematic reviews of the literature. Findings: From EARS-Net data collected between Jan 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2015, we estimated 671 689 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 583 148–763 966) infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, of which 63·5% (426 277 of 671 689) were associated with health care. These infections accounted for an estimated 33 110 (28 480–38 430) attributable deaths and 874 541 (768 837–989 068) DALYs. The burden for the EU and EEA was highest in infants (aged <1 year) and people aged 65 years or older, had increased since 2007, and was highest in Italy and Greece. Interpretation: Our results present the health burden of five types of infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria expressed, for the first time, in DALYs. The estimated burden of infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU and EEA is substantial compared with that of other infectious diseases, and has increased since 2007. Our burden estimates provide useful information for public health decision-makers prioritising interventions for infectious diseases

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations : human health sector

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eufound Correspondent. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Oscar MolinaThis study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the human health sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue, and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of Eurofound's studies on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in the EU Member States. This study identified the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) - representing employees - and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers' Association (HOSPEEM) - representing employers - as the most representative European-level social partner organisations in the human health sector. The member organisations of the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI) and UNI Europa also organise employees in the sector in several Member States

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations : private security sector

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eufound Correspondent. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Oscar MolinaThis study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the private security sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of Eurofound's representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in the EU Member States. This study identified the Confederation of European of Security Services (CoESS) (representing employers) and UNI Europa Private Security (representing employees) as the most representative European-level social partner organisations in the private security sector

Female entrepreneurship : Public and private funding

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eufound Correspondent. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Oscar MolinaFemale entrepreneurs represent just a small proportion of the total number of entrepreneurs in the European Union today. Some of the hurdles facing female entrepreneurs - or would-be entrepreneurs - are related to getting adequate funding, access to the right networks, and finding the right information and advice. In the last few years, some private funds have realised that female founders are not always well served and there is a market gap when it comes to investing in women-led enterprises. This report examines the use of private funds to invest in female entrepreneurs in the European Union and Norway. In addition, it investigates the prevalence of public finance tools and public support schemes that effectively remove barriers and enable women to become competent entrepreneurs