2015/16 seasonal vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation with influenza a(H1N1)pdm09 and B among elderly people in Europe: Results from the I-MOVE+ project

We conducted a multicentre test-negative caseâ\u80\u93control study in 27 hospitals of 11 European countries to measure 2015/16 influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against hospitalised influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and B among people aged â\u89¥ 65 years. Patients swabbed within 7 days after onset of symptoms compatible with severe acute respiratory infection were included. Information on demographics, vaccination and underlying conditions was collected. Using logistic regression, we measured IVE adjusted for potential confounders. We included 355 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 cases, 110 influenza B cases, and 1,274 controls. Adjusted IVE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 42% (95% confidence interval (CI): 22 to 57). It was 59% (95% CI: 23 to 78), 48% (95% CI: 5 to 71), 43% (95% CI: 8 to 65) and 39% (95% CI: 7 to 60) in patients with diabetes mellitus, cancer, lung and heart disease, respectively. Adjusted IVE against influenza B was 52% (95% CI: 24 to 70). It was 62% (95% CI: 5 to 85), 60% (95% CI: 18 to 80) and 36% (95% CI: -23 to 67) in patients with diabetes mellitus, lung and heart disease, respectively. 2015/16 IVE estimates against hospitalised influenza in elderly people was moderate against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and B, including among those with diabetes mellitus, cancer, lung or heart diseases

3D VISUALIZATION FOR A RESIDENTIAL AREA IN CLUJ-NAPOCA CITY

In this study a 3 Dimension modeling of a city area has been done using GIS technologies and starting with a topographic base drawing. This kind of modeling is very popular among urban planners and helps them correlate spatial processes with the localization of the place affected by a certain process. Also simulations can be made when having a city’s 3D layer in front of you and you start analyzing factors that influence everyday life, not only natural but also human ones

INFLUENCE OF IODINATED OIL AND MARGARINE ON THE THYROID SYSTEM OF RATS

Iodine deficiency is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world today. Food fortification is an important compliment to food-based approaches, and iodine fortification of foods as one of the strategies for the control of iodine deficiency. Manufacturing and consumption of sunflower oil fortified with iodine as well as derivative products on it basis is a perspective direction for elimination of alimentary dependent iodine deficiency disorders. The present work examines morphological changes in the thyroid system of rats at the experimental mercatholile-induced hypothyroidism. As well it determines the influence of iodinated oil and margarine on the thyroid system of rats. It specifies the safe value of iodinated oil and margarine for rats. In-vivo study demonstrated the efficacy of fortification of lipid products with iodine under iodine deficiency status

Technical Report: Potential risks to human health of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (European Commission)

Following a request from the European Commission, the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) reviewed recent evidence to assess potential risks to human health posed by Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) emissions. The review of the published research conducted by the SCHEER has led to valuable conclusions and identified certain gaps in knowledge on potential risks to human health from LEDs. The Committee concluded that there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from LEDs emission in normal use (lamps and displays) by the general healthy population. There is some evidence that exposure to light in the late evening, including that from LED lighting and/or screens, may have an impact on the circadian rhythm. At the moment, it is not yet clear if this disturbance of the circadian system leads to adverse health effects. Vulnerable and susceptible populations (young children, adolescents and elderly people) have been considered separately. Children have a higher sensitivity to blue light and although emissions may not be harmful, blue LEDs (between 400 nm and 500 nm) including those in toys may be very dazzling and may induce photochemical retinopathy, which is a concern especially for children below three years of age. Older people may experience discomfort from exposure to light that is rich in blue light. Although there are cellular and animal studies showing adverse effects raising concerns, particularly in susceptible populations, their conclusions derive from results obtained either using exposure conditions that are difficult to relate to human exposures or using exposure levels greater than those likely to be achieved with LED lighting systems in practice. Some LEDs present potential health concerns due to temporal light modulation (flicker) at frequencies of 100 Hz and above. Reliable information on the dose-response relationship for adverse health effects for the healthy general public is not available in the scientific literature for all wavelengths emitted by LED devices. Since the use of LED technology is still evolving, the Committee considers that it is important to closely monitor the risk of adverse health effects from long-term LED use by the general population.Depto. de Optometría y VisiónFac. de Óptica y Optometríapu

Optical method for monitoring of photodynamic inactivation of bacteria

Photodynamic inactivation is a new promising approach to treat bacterial infections. Usually, the evaluation of the efficacy of this method is done through time-consuming and labor-intensive microbiological test methods. This paper describes the development and implementation of an optical method to evaluate the photodynamic inactivation of bacteria based on non-invasive diffuse reflectance measurements. Five Staphylococcus aureus cultures and 15 mice have been used in this study. A skin lesion was created on the back of all animals, and it was contaminated with S. aureus (5.16 ± 0.013 log CFU/ml). Toluidine Blue O (c = 8.67 × 10 − 3 M) has been used as a photosensitiser agent. The bacterial cultures and animals were exposed to laser radiation (λ = 635 nm, P = 15 mW, DE = 8.654 J/cm2) for 20 min. The photodynamic inactivation of bacteria was monitored by acquiring the wounds’ reflection spectra at different time points and by microbiological exams on the bioptical material. The good correlation between the diffuse reflectance and colony-forming units demonstrates the value of this optical method based on diffuse reflectance measurements as a rapid technique to monitor photodynamic bacterial inactivation