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Abstract: Background: Previous studies have suggested that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with a decreased rate of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced mortality, seasonality of, and susceptibility to AECOPD in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) population is scarce. Methods: We conducted a national population-based retrospective study using data from the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia from 2015 to February 2021, with 2015–2019 as the reference. We extracted patient and healthcare data for AECOPD, dividing AECOPD into severe, resulting in hospitalisation, and moderate, requiring outpatient care. The national COPD population was generated based on dispensed prescriptions of inhalation therapies, and moderate AECOPD events were analysed based on dispensed AECOPD medications. We extracted data on all-cause and non-COVID mortality. Results: The numbers of severe and moderate AECOPD were reduced by 48% and 34%, respectively, in 2020. In the pandemic year, the seasonality of AECOPD was reversed, with a 1.5-fold higher number of severe AECOPD in summer compared to winter. The proportion of frequent exacerbators (2 AECOPD hospitalisations per year) was reduced by 9% in 2020, with a 30% reduction in repeated severe AECOPD in frequent exacerbators and a 34% reduction in persistent frequent exacerbators (2 AECOPD hospitalisations per year for 2 consecutive years) from 2019. The risk of two or more moderate AECOPD decreased by 43% in 2020. In the multivariate model, pandemic year follow-up was the only independent factor associated with a decreased risk for severe AECOPD (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61–0.84; p < 0.0001). In 2020, non-COVID mortality decreased (−15%) and no excessive mortality was observed in the COPD population. Conclusion: In the pandemic year, we found decreased susceptibility to AECOPD across severity spectrum of COPD, reversed seasonal distribution of severe AECOPD and decreased non-COVID mortality in the COPD population.
Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- mortality, pandemics, seasons, exacerbation, acute exacerbation, seasonal variations, population study
Published in DiRROS: 14.03.2022; Views: 656; Downloads: 369
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Abstract: Large amounts of buckwheat waste are generated annually by the industry and are used in several different ways. To date, there has been little research regarding its suitability as a medium for growing seedlings in nurseries. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze the suitability of common and Tartary buckwheat wastes (brans and husks) as media used for raising seedlings. A pot experiment with five different treatments was carried out, in which silver fir root parameters were analyzed and compared 6 and 12 months after summer truffle-spore inoculation. A significantly higher concentration of the antioxidant rutin was confirmed in Tartary buckwheat bran compared to other buckwheat waste used. We also confirmed a significantly positive effect of added Tartary buckwheat husks on specific root length, root tip density, and specific root tip density compared to added common buckwheat husks or Tartary buckwheat bran, for which a significantly negative effect on branching density was confirmed. A significantly negative effect of added buckwheat husks and Tartary buckwheat bran was confirmed for summer truffle mycorrhization level.
Keywords: buckwheat waste, root growth, summer truffle, forest nursery, silver fir, inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi
Published in DiRROS: 09.02.2022; Views: 994; Downloads: 650
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Abstract: The timing of leaf phenology tends to be crucial in controlling ecosystem processes such as the acquisition of carbon and water loss as well as in controlling tree nutrient cycling. To date, tree phenology has mostly been associated with environmental control (e.g., temperature and photoperiod) in a relationship with inheritance, while it has rarely been linked with ectomycorrhizal community compositional changes through the host tree’s phenological stages. Seasonal variations of fungal communities have been widely studied, but little is known about mycorrhiza community composition changes along phenological stages. Therefore, we analyzed ectomycorrhizal communities associated with silver fir and their compositional changes during the transition between phenological stages. The phenological stages of each individual tree and time of bud break were monitored weekly for two years and, at the same time, ectomycorrhiza was harvested from selected silver fir trees. In total, 60 soil cores were analyzed for differences in the ectomycorrhizal community between phenological stages using Sanger sequencing of individual ectomycorrhizal morphotypes. A significant difference in beta diversity for an overall ectomycorrhizal community was confirmed between analyzed time periods for both sampled years. Species-specific reactions to transitions between phenological stages were confirmed for 18 different ectomycorrhizal taxa, where a positive correlation of Russula ochroleuca, Russula illota, Tomentella sublilacina, and Tylospora fibrillosa was observed with the phenological stage of bud burst.
Keywords: Abies alba (Mill.), ectomycorrhizal community, phenological stages
Published in DiRROS: 20.12.2021; Views: 821; Downloads: 605
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Abstract: Izhodišča: Raziskave kažejo, da bi lahko nizkofrekvenčno magnetno polje (NF MP) gostote več kot 0,4 µT povečalo tveganje za nastanek otroških levkemij. Raziskali smo to tveganje zaradi izpostavljenosti NF MP zaradi bivanja v bližini daljnovodov in transformatorskih postaj v Sloveniji. Metode: Iz Registra raka Republike Slovenije smo pridobili georeferencirane podatke za vse otroke in mladostnike, stare 0–19 let, zbolele z levkemijo v letih 2005–2016, ter za referenčno populacijo vseh enako starih otrok in mladostnikov. Razdelili smo jih v pet skupin glede na izpostavljenost NF MP v okolici daljnovodov in transformatorskih postaj. Za oceno izpostavljenosti NF MP smo uporabili modelirane vrednosti na drobni prostorski mreži. Relativno tveganje za levkemije smo ocenili s standardiziranim količnikom incidence. Dodatno smo raziskali časovni trend pojavljanja levkemij v obdobju 1967–2016 ter geografsko razporejanje. Rezultati: V letih 1967–2016 je za levkemijami zbolelo 841 otrok in mladostnikov (16 na leto). V letih 2005–2016 je velika večina vseh otrok in mladostnikov (99,5 %) v Sloveniji živela na območjih z NF MP, manjšim od 0,1 μT. Med 195 primeri levkemij se je v 0,1 ≤ NF MP < 0,2 µT blizu daljnovodov razvrstil eden (SKI = 2,4, IZ: 0,1−13,3), v bližini transformatorskih postaj pa pet primerov (SKI = 3,0; IZ: 0,97−7,0). V področju gostote NF MP, večje od 0,2 μT, ni bilo zbolelih. Levkemije se niso statistično značilno geografsko razporejale. Zaključki: V Sloveniji nobenega primera levkemij med slovenskimi otroci in mladostniki, starimi do vključno 19 let, ki živijo v okolici daljnovodov in transformatorskih postaj, ne moremo pripisati vplivu izpostavljenosti NF MP.
Keywords: ocena tveganja, otroci, levkemije, nizkofrekvenčno magnetno polje, daljnovodi, transformatorske postaje
Published in DiRROS: 14.12.2021; Views: 1060; Downloads: 492
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Abstract: Onkološki bolniki so bili že ob začetku pandemije covida-19 prepoznani kot skupina s povečanim tveganjem zapletov ob morebitni okužbi z virusom SARS-CoV-2, vendar so bili izključeni iz registracijskih raziskav cepiv proti covidu-19. Šele v zadnjih mesecih imamo na voljo več raziskav, ki so preučevale učinkovitost cepljenja pri onkoloških bolnikih z različnimi načini zdravljenja. Te so pokazale dobro učinkovitost (tako z razvojem humoralnega kot celičnega odgovora) in varnost cepiv predvsem pri bolnikih s solidnimi raki. Pričakovano slabši humoralni odziv je bil pri hematoloških bolnikih oziroma ga skoraj ni bilo pri bolnikih na terapiji anti-CD20 in terapiji z zaviralci Brutonove kinaze. Vendar je bil pri hematoloških bolnikih ohranjen celični odgovor in tako je smiselno cepljenje tudi pri tej skupini bolnikov, tudi s tretjim odmerkom. Pri bolnikih, ki so predhodno preboleli okužbo s SARS-CoV-2 ter bili nato cepljeni, so ugotavljali bistveno boljši humoralni odgovor kot pri cepljenju neprebolevnikov.
Keywords: cepljenje, onkološki bolniki, covid-19, humoralni odgovor, celični odgovor
Published in DiRROS: 14.12.2021; Views: 1038; Downloads: 432
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