And the first shall be the last

This study analyzes the puzzle of Hungarian economic drifting in a long run perspective. The underlying puzzle for the investigation is why bad policies are invariably popular and good policies unpopular, thus why political and economic rationality never overlap. The first part of the article summarizes in eight points the basic features of the postwar period. Then six lessons are offered, which might be useful for other countries in transition or for students of comparative economics and politics, lessons that can be generalized on the basis of the individual country experience

Periodontitis related to cardiovascular events and mortality : a long-time longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE: The present study assessed if individuals ≥ 60 years of age with periodontitis are more likely to develop stroke or ischemic heart diseases, or at a higher risk of death for 17 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: At baseline individuals ≥ 60 received a dental examination including a panoramic radiograph. Periodontitis was defined as having ≥ 30% sites with ≥ 5-mm distance from the cementoenamel junction to the marginal bone level. Medical records were annually reviewed from 2001 to 2018. Findings from the medical records identifying an ICD-10 code of stroke and ischemic heart diseases or death were registered. RESULTS: Associations between periodontitis and incidence of ischemic heart disease were found in this 17-year follow-up study in all individuals 60-93 years (HR: 1.5, CI: 1.1-2.1, p = 0.017), in women (HR: 2.1, CI: 1.3-3.4, p = 0.002), and in individuals 78-96 years (HR: 1.7, CI: 1.0-2.6, p = 0.033). Periodontitis was associated with mortality in all individuals (HR: 1.4, CI: 1.2-1.8, p = 0.002), specifically in men (HR: 1.5, CI: 1.1-1.9, p = 0.006) or in ages 60-72 years (HR: 2.2, CI: 1.5-3.2, p = 0.000). Periodontitis was more prevalent among men (OR: 1.8, CI: 1.3-2.4, p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with periodontitis have an increased risk for future events of ischemic heart diseases and death. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Improving periodontal health in older individuals may reduce overall mortality and ischemic heart diseases. Both dental and medical professionals should be aware of the associations and ultimately cooperate

Paragonimiasis

[Extract] Paragonimiasis is a zoonotic disease caused by lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus. Humans usually become infected by eating freshwater crabs or crayfish containing encysted metacercariae of these worms. However, an alternative route of infection exists: ingestion of raw meat from a mammalian paratenic host. Adult worms normally occur in pairs in cysts in the lungs from which they void their eggs via air passages. The pulmonary form is typical in cases of human infection due to P. westermani, P. heterotremus, and a few other species (Table 5.1). Worms may occupy other sites in the body, notably the brain, but lung flukes have made their presence felt in almost every organ. Ectopic paragonimiasis is particularly common when infection is due to members of the P. skrjabini complex (Table 5.1). Human paragonimiasis occurs primarily in the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, with different species being responsible in different areas (Table 5.1)