Body mass index, central obesity, and dietary patterns in a group of young adult men

Over the last decades, obesity has been increased in alarming rates not only in our country but also worldwide, tending to become one of the major health problems in the western world. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and body mass index, as well as central obesity in young adult men. Method and Material: Study sample consisted of 1,000 army recruits and data was collected during their first referral for medical examination post recruitment. Collection of data was performed by means of a specifically designed questionnaire, which recruits were asked to complete themselves. Basic anthropometric measures were calculated and recorded by the examining physicians. Analysis of data was performed using the SPSS 15 statistical package and one-way ANOVA and t-tests were applied for the statistical process. Results: Regarding age, 13.8% of participants were 19-21 years old; 50.8% were 22-24 years old, and 30.7% were 25-27 years old, while 4.7% of participants were 28-30 years old. Regarding educational background, a 4.7% had received only basic education; 31.6% had received high-school education; and 63.7% had attended some college or university. 54.8% of participants considered their weight being "normal"; 5.1% considered weight being slightly or excessively above normal rates; and 40.3% reported that their weight was below normal rates. However, measurement results showed that only 58.7% of recruits were actually of normal body weight; 37.2% were overweight; and 4.1% were obese. Regarding central obesity, 50.3% of responders were classified as belonging to "low risk" group, with a 48.6% belonging to "moderate risk" group, and another 1.1% to "high risk" group. Statistic analysis of data revealed that the specific pattern of nourishment is associated to body mass index and to central obesity. More in advance, it was found that persons possessing optimal body weight were consuming significantly more frequently poultry, fish, or roast beef, p=0,022, as well as less bread, p=0,036 compared to the overweight participants. In addition, persons possessing optimal body weight were found to consume more frequently refreshers, sports drinks or soft drinks, p=<0,001, as well as snacks and desserts, p=<0,001 compared to both overweight and obese persons. Interestingly, persons with normal body weight reported consuming significantly more frequently fast-food meals, eggs, and sandwiches in their lunch-time, p=0,007 and p=0,040, respectively. Relatively to central obesity, recruits in "moderate risk" consumed significantly more frequently fast-food meals, p=0,005, more bread, p=0,035 and less fruit, p=0,030 than those in "low risk" for central obesity. Conclusions: Results of the present study suggest that the pattern of nourishment is not directly correlated to body mass index, but rather to central obesity

Three nontrivial solutions for Neumann problems resonant at any positive eigenvalue

We consider a semilinear Neumann problem with a parametric reaction which has a concave term and a perturbation which at ±∞ can be resonant with respect to any positive eigenvalue. Using variational methods based on the critical point theory and Morse theory, we show that there exists a critical parameter value λ ∗ > 0 such that if λ ∈(0, λ ∗ ), then the problem has at least three nontrivial smooth solutions

The value of PRL in predicting prolactinοma in hyperprolactinemic PCOS

Background To identify a serum prolactin (PRL) cut‐off value indicative of a PRL‐producing adenoma in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and hyperprolactinemia and characterize such patients. Materials and methods In the present retrospective case‐control study the medical records of 528 PCOS women were reviewed. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in PCOS patients with PRL levels ≥94.0 ng/mL and/or symptoms suspicious of a pituitary adenoma (PA). Prolactinoma diagnosis was made in the presence of an MRI‐identifiable PA with biochemical and radiological response to dopamine agonists. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine a serum PRL threshold that could identify hyperprolactinemic PCOS subjects with prolactinomas. Clinical, metabolic and endocrine parameters were also analysed. Results Among 528 patients with PCOS, 60 (11.4%) had elevated PRL levels. Of 44 (73.3%) patients who had pituitary imaging, 19 had PAs, 18 normal MRI and 7 other abnormalities. Patients harboring prolactinomas had significantly higher PRL levels compared to patients without adenomas (median PRL 95.4 vs. 49.2 ng/mL, p<0.0001). A PRL threshold of 85.2 ng/mL could distinguish patients with prolactinomas with 77% sensitivity and 100% specificity [Area Under the curve (AUC) (95%) 0.91(0.8‐1.018), p=0.0001]. PCOS women with prolactinomas were younger and had lower LH levels compared to women without prolactinomas. Conclusions In women with PCOS, PRL levels exceeding 85.2 ng/mL are highly suggestive of a prolactinoma warranting pituitary imaging. Pituitary MRI could also be considered in young PCOS patients with milder PRL elevation and low LH levels

Constant sign and nodal solutions for a class of nonlinear Dirichlet problems

We consider a nonlinear Dirichlet problem with a Carathéodory reaction which has arbitrary growth from below. We show that the problem has at least three nontrivial smooth solutions, two of constant sign and the third nodal. In the semilinear case (i.e., p =2), with the reaction f(z, .)being C1and with subcritical growth, we show that there is a second nodal solution, for a total of four nontrivial smooth solutions. Finally,when the reaction has concave terms and is subcritical and for the nonlinear problem (i.e., 1 <p <∞) we show that again we can have the existence of three nontrivial smooth solutions, two of constant sign and a third nodal

SARS-CoV-2 sero-surveillance in Greece: evolution over time and epidemiological attributes during the pre-vaccination pandemic era

BACKGROUND: Nation-wide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence surveys provide valuable insights into the course of the pandemic, including information often not captured by routine surveillance of reported cases. METHODS: A serosurvey of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was conducted in Greece between March and December 2020. It was designed as a cross-sectional survey repeated at monthly intervals. The leftover sampling methodology was used and a geographically stratified sampling plan was applied. RESULTS: Of 55,947 serum samples collected, 705 (1.26%) were found positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with higher seroprevalence (9.09%) observed in December 2020. Highest seropositivity levels were observed in the "0-29" and "30-49" year age groups. Seroprevalence increased with age in the "0-29" age group. Highly populated metropolitan areas were characterized with elevated seroprevalence levels (11.92% in Attica, 12.76% in Thessaloniki) compared to the rest of the country (5.90%). The infection fatality rate (IFR) was estimated at 0.451% (95% CI: 0.382-0.549%) using aggregate data until December 2020, and the ratio of actual to reported cases was 9.59 (7.88-11.33). CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of seroprevalence estimates aligned with the course of the pandemic and varied widely by region and age group. Young and middle-aged adults appeared to be drivers of the pandemic during a severe epidemic wave under strict policy measures

Functional role of the secretin/secretin receptor signaling during cholestatic liver injury

Liver diseases are a major health concern and affect a large proportion of people worldwide. There are over 100 types of liver disorders, including cirrhosis, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatitis. Despite the relevant number of people who are affected by liver diseases, and the increased awareness with regard to these disorders, the number of deaths corresponding to liver injury is expected to increase in the foreseeable future. One of the possible reasons for this is that a complete comprehension of the mechanisms of hepatic damage involving specific liver anatomical districts is lacking, and, as a consequence, current treatments available are suboptimal

Epidemiology of intra-abdominal infection and sepsis in critically ill patients: “AbSeS”, a multinational observational cohort study and ESICM Trials Group Project

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of intra-abdominal infection in an international cohort of ICU patients according to a new system that classifies cases according to setting of infection acquisition (community-acquired, early onset hospital-acquired, and late-onset hospital-acquired), anatomical disruption (absent or present with localized or diffuse peritonitis), and severity of disease expression (infection, sepsis, and septic shock). Methods: We performed a multicenter (n = 309), observational, epidemiological study including adult ICU patients diagnosed with intra-abdominal infection. Risk factors for mortality were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: The cohort included 2621 patients. Setting of infection acquisition was community-acquired in 31.6%, early onset hospital-acquired in 25%, and late-onset hospital-acquired in 43.4% of patients. Overall prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was 26.3% and difficult-to-treat resistant Gram-negative bacteria 4.3%, with great variation according to geographic region. No difference in prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was observed according to setting of infection acquisition. Overall mortality was 29.1%. Independent risk factors for mortality included late-onset hospital-acquired infection, diffuse peritonitis, sepsis, septic shock, older age, malnutrition, liver failure, congestive heart failure, antimicrobial resistance (either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacteria, or carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria) and source control failure evidenced by either the need for surgical revision or persistent inflammation. Conclusion: This multinational, heterogeneous cohort of ICU patients with intra-abdominal infection revealed that setting of infection acquisition, anatomical disruption, and severity of disease expression are disease-specific phenotypic characteristics associated with outcome, irrespective of the type of infection. Antimicrobial resistance is equally common in community-acquired as in hospital-acquired infection