Search

The relationship between maternal age and the occurrence of cerebral palsy is still highly controversial. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of maternal age on the risk of CP development, taking into account all significant risk factors and the division into single, twin, full-term, and pre-term pregnancies.

One of the most significant biological factors predisposing to cerebral palsy (CP) are infections. The paper aims to analyze neonatal infections’ influence in the risk of CP development with consideration of all significant risk factors including single, twin, full-term and pre-term pregnancies.

Increased bilirubin level in blood is mentioned among the potential factors with causal effect on cerebral palsy. The objective of the study was the analysis of its effect on the risk of cerebral palsy, considering all the significant risk factors as well as division into singleton, twin, term and preterm births. The research included a group of 278 children with cerebral palsy from selected educational-therapeutic institutions in Poland. The control group consisted of data from medical records of 435 neonates born in God’s Mercy Hospital in Limanowa, Poland. The analysis considered socio-economic factors, factors associated with pregnancy and parturition as well as accompanying disturbances and diseases of the children. Constructed models of logistic regression were used in statistcal analysis. The results were presented as the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Testing the effect of increased bilirubin level in blood showed that the increased level of bilirubin is a significant predictor of CP in the categories of all children (OR 2.52, 95% CI: 1.47–4.33), children from singleton births (OR 2.66, 95% CI: 1.55–4.57), term births (OR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.24–3.84), term singleton births (OR 2.35, 95% CI: 1.31–4.21), preterm births (4.87, 95% CI: 1.56–15.21) and preterm singleton births (OR 3.62, 95% CI: 1.24–10.58). Increased bilirubin level is an independent risk factor in the development of cerebral palsy.

In the literature there are no unequivocal assessments of the effect of paternal age on the risk of cerebral palsy (CP). The objective of the studies was the analysis of the influence of paternal age on this risk, considering all the important risk factors and division into singleton and twin, as well as term- and preterm-born infants. The inquiry included a group of 278 children with cerebral palsy from selected education-therapeutic institutions in Poland. The control group consisted of the data from medical records of 435 neonates born in God’s Mercy Hospital in Limanowa, Poland. The data were based on a questionnaire designed to obtain information which would make it possible to ascertain the probable etiological factors. Constructed models of logistic regression were used in statistical analysis. The results were presented as the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Though the estimation with a complex model of logistic regression showed no significant effect of paternal age on the occurrence of cerebral palsy, it confirmed it as a stronger predictor compared to maternal age. Disregarding paternal of age while considering maternal age and other risk factors may lead to a bias in the estimations of the risk cerebral palsy.

The anthropological analysis and assessment of the living conditions of historical populations should be comprehensive. Due to the scarcity of the well-preserved skeletal remains of a population buried at the cemetery in Wyszyński Street, Wrocław, each piece of information is particularly important in providing the complementary information about living and health conditions of late medieval and early modern inhabitants of Wrocław. This study aims to assess the living conditions of the late medieval and early modern Wrocław inhabitants. This aim was reached by analyzing the frequency of non-metrical cranial and postcranial traits, physiological stress indicators, and pathological lesions. The importance of these traits for population studies is also discussed. For 98 skeletons (22.4% male and 37.8% female) from a cemetery located in Wyszyński Street, (15th –18th centuries AD), the frequencies (p) of the following traits were analyzed: 38 non-metric cranial and 9 post-cranial traits, the morphological indicators of physiological stress (i.e. cribra orbitalia and enamel hypoplasia), caries and pathological lesions on bones. Among the non-metric cranial traits, only nine (23.7%) were not observed. The most frequent (from p= 0.30 to p=0.65) were foramen parietale, incisura frontalis accesoria seu foramen frontale accesorius, foramen supraorbitale, M3 mandibulare, ossicula suturae lambdoideae, and foramen mastoideum extrasuturale. Only three non-metric post-cranial traits were observed, but with low frequency (p=0.01 and 0.02). Cribra orbitalia was present in 37.0% of the skeletons while enamel hypoplasia was present in only 2.6%. Susceptibility to caries occurred in 68% of the cases while carries lesions occurred in 31.2%. Among pathological changes, the most frequent were degenerative changes (21.6%) and injuries (19.6%). Owing to the poorly preserved remains, the complete assessment of the living conditions of the population was difficult. The number of the observed traits would have probably increased, had the number of complete and well-preserved skeletons been higher. The results of the study suggest that the living conditions of the studied population were poor. It is hypothesized that the cemetery was a burial place for prisoners and victims of various epidemics that affected the city. But since the historical sources of this cemetery are scarce, it is hard to unequivocally state its purpose with certainty.

Oral contraceptive agents are currently the most popular and one of the most effective methods for preventing pregnancy. The data shows that over 300 million women in the world use contraceptive drugs containing synthetic hormones to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Their effects may affect other systems, leading to the occurrence of various problems associated with the use of the drug. The aim of the study is to estimate the frequency of prevalence of subjective effects associated with the use of combined hormonal contraception with a predominance of gestagens by young women Surveys were conducted among female students of Wrocław universities from December 2010 to January 2011. They covered 257 women aged statistically 23.58 (SD=2.95). They were divided into three age classes: 19-22, 23-24, 25-28. The individual age of menarche and the hormonal type of body were determined. Only persons with a gestagenic or estrogenic type of body were qualified for the study. Results: 64.6% of all respondents declared the use of hormonal contraception. Combined agents with a predominance of gestagens constituted 87% in this group. Their use brings both positive (90%) and negative (65%) aspects. The most common positive effects include high contraceptive effectiveness, regulation of menstruation and minimisation of skin problems. The most frequent negative effects include: weight gain, spotting, breast swelling and decreased libido. Surprisingly, the study did not show any correlation between the hormonal type and the occurrence of side effects. There was no significant statistical relationship between the type of hormonal contraception used and the hormonal type.

In the study two human skulls recovered from archaeological excavations at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Wrocław, dating from the 13-14th centuries were assessed. Direct measurements of each skull were recorded, and X-ray images in P-A, lateral and basal projections were taken. The skulls represented adult males. Large, bony, lobular tumours were found on the palatine bones of both skulls. X-ray examination identified these tumours as osteoid osteomas, which are benign bone tumours that may originate in the periosteum or may be located inside the bone, distorting the maxilla or mandible. However, osteoid osteoma of the palatine is very rare. This study extends our knowledge regarding the health and diseases of historical populations.

Since the foramina provide important reference points to radiologists and surgeons, and because their shape and size may affect the blood supply to the cerebellum and the brainstem, the knowledge of the variation of foramina transversaria is essential from the medical point of view. The variation in the number, size and shape of foramina transversaria was studied based on 129 skeletons (68 male, 61 female, total of 1065 foramina) from the environs of Sypniewo. In both sexes single foramina were the most frequent (ca. 70%); in females no double foramina were observed, while triple foramina appeared only twice. In males double foramina formed ca. 40% and triple foramina were very rare. The shape and size of foramina depended to the same extent on the position of the vertebra and on the body side.

Libkovice is a village in the northwestern Czech Republic that was demolished at the end of the last century due to the expansion of a nearby mine. The former church cemetery has been a subject to bioarchaeological excavation and research, where some 850 burials from the 13th to the 19th Century have been discovered so far. With the application of stable isotope analysis, it has also been possible to uncover the dietary patterns of this exemplary rural Central European community, which was the aim of this study. The materials analyzed here consist of samples from long bones of 56 burials and 18 animal bones discovered in Libkovice during the 2019/21 excavations. It has been employed stable carbon (δ13C) isotope analysis to determine the average contributions of foods derived from the C3 plants. Statistically significant differences were found between the analyzed fauna and human samples for nitrogen (F=47.4 p<0.05) and carbon (F=19.18 p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the analyzed animal and human samples between the specify centuries. When considering the ages of various human individuals, the results indicated statistically significant differences in nitrogen isotopes (F= 7.71 p<0.05) between children from the infants I group and older children together with adults from the Middle Ages, as well as between children from the infants I group and adults (F= 3.3, p<0.05) from the modern times. The proportion of food from C3 plants that made up the diets of the studied population was on average 89%, and the potential proportion of freshwater fish in the diet could be higher than 80%. The similarity between the chronologically diverse groups may indicate similar strategies for food acquisition. The results obtained for the population of Libkovice are very similar to the diets of the populations living in Central Europe broadly during the two periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents forensic, bioarchaeological and historical research on eight human skulls discovered during the 2018 restoration of a nineteenth-century pastor's tomb in the village of Gostków in Poland (which, until 1945, had been Giesmannsdorf in Germany). Local rumours suggested that the tomb had been used as a mass grave at the end of World War II for the remains either of war-crimes victims or of a murder-suicide incident. The research was undertaken at the request of the Fundacja Anna w Gostkowie (Anna Foundation in Gostków), which maintains the cemetery, and confirmed detailed witness accounts that the tomb contained the remains of two related German families in which some individuals had killed the others, including several children, and then themselves. The authors also discuss the phenomenon of suicides under war conditions and the cognitive, social and ethical problems of researching this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution is a reply to and a commentary on the article by David A. Colson and Dr. Peggy Hoyle, 'Satisfying the Procedural Prerequisites to the Compulsory Dispute Settlement Mechanisms of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention: Did the Southern Bluefin Tuna Tribunal Get It Right?' 34(1) Ocean Development & International Law 59-82 (2003). Colson and Hoyle took the view that Southern Bluefin Tuna Tribunal did not reach the correct answer. The author's survey of the Southern Bluefin Tuna and the Mox Plant cases, in light of the doctrine of procedural and substantive parallelism between the umbrella UN Law of the Sea Convention and its numerous implementing special treaties covered by Articles 281-282, leads her to conclude that the Southern Bluefin Tuna Arbitral Tribunal did get it right. Keywords compulsory jurisdiction, Mox Plant cases, peaceful settlement of disputes, Southern Bluefin Tuna case,

During archaeological excavations in burial sites, sometimes stoned organic objects are found, in addition to human remains. Those objects might be of a different origin, depending on various factors influencing members of a community (i.e. diseases, trauma), which provides information about their living conditions. The St. Nicholas Church archaeological site (Libkovice, Czechia) in the 18th century horizon of the cemetery, yielded a maturus-senilis female skeleton with a stone object in the left iliac fossa. This object was an oviform cyst-like rough structure, measuring 54 mm in length, 35 mm in maximum diameter and 0.2–0.7 mm shell thickness. Within the object there were small fetal bones (long bones, i.e. femur and two tibias, two scapulas, three ribs, vertebrae and other tiny bone fragments). Methods utilized to analyze the outer and inner surface morphology of the cyst and its inside, included: X-ray, CT imaging, SEM, histological staining and EDS. The EDS analysis revealed the presence of primarily oxygen, calcium and phosphorus in bone samples, and oxygen and silicon, in stone shell. Based on the length of the femur (20.2 mm) and tibia (16 mm) shafts, the fetal age was determined as being in the 15–18 week of pregnancy. The differential diagnosis was conducted, including for the three most probable cases: fetiform teratoma (FT), fetus-in-fetu (FIF) and lithopedion. The possibility of fetiform teratoma was discounted due to the presence of an anatomically correct spine, long bones and the proportions of the find. Although the low calcium content in the shell (2.3% atom mass), the lack of skull bones and the better developed lower limbs indicate fetus-in-fetu rather than lithopedion, the analyses results are unable to conclusively identify the object under one of these two categories since there are insufficient such cases in excavation material with which to draw comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marginal zone B-cell lymphomas are indolent, slow-growing lymphomas derived from mature B cells. They represent about 8% of all lymphomas and about 50% of all primary gastric lymphomas. Based on numerous epidemiological and microbiological studies, Helicobacter pylori is believed to be responsible for the progression of gastric MALT lymphomas (GML). Lymphoid tissue is physiologically absent from the stomach. However, GML can arise from chronic H. pylori infection and immune cell infiltration. This review article describes the mechanisms favouring the development of H. pylori-induced GML, and suggests potential targets for a more effective remission of lymphomas localized within the stomach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate whether climatic conditions impact the size of the anterior orbital opening in humans. The previous research has shown that morphology of the human orbit, a trait strongly related to the shape of the cranium, varies significantly among populations. However, the mechanisms of this variation are still debatable. Besides such evolutionary forces as genetic drift, climatic conditions may be involved. Thermoregulatory processes affect skull shape, and thus may also influence orbital morphology. Methods A total of 846 dry skulls of male and female adults from three climatic areas (i.e., warm, temperate, and cold) of Europe were evaluated. The areas of the left and right orbital openings were measured using the three-dimensional contact scanner MicroScribe G2L, and analyzed with regard to climate. Results The results reveal a statistically significant association with climatic conditions on the area of orbital opening in accordance with Bergmann's rule. The anterior orbital opening area was smaller in male individuals from the cold climate, and larger in individuals from the warm climate areas. Conclusions These data may support the hypothesized association between size of the orbital opening and adaptation to different climatic conditions, but only in males. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:845-850, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the St. Nicholas Church archaeological site (Libkovice, Czechia; the 18th century cemetery) a female skeleton with a stone object in the left iliac fossa was found. It was a cyst-like structure. The measures of it were 54 mm in length and 35 mm in maximum diameter. Within the object fetal bones (long bones, i.e. femur and two tibias, two scapulas, three ribs, vertebrae and other tiny bone fragments) were revealed. The methods used for the analysis were intended to describe the external and internal morphology of the object and its content: X-ray, CT imaging, SEM, histological staining and EDS. The EDS analysis revealed the presence of primarily oxygen, calcium and phosphorus in bone samples, and oxygen and silicon, in stone shell. The measurements of the femur (20.2 mm) and tibia (16 mm) shafts allowed to estimate the fetal age as the 15-18 week of pregnancy. During the differential diagnosis three most likely cases were taken into account: fetiform teratoma (FT), fetus-in-fetu (FIF) and lithopedion. FT was excluded due to the presence of long bones and their proportions, and due to the presence of an anatomically correct spine. Of the other two possible variants, fetus-in-fetu is more likely than lithopedion, due to the lack of a skull, better development of lower limbs, and low calcium content in the shell. The results do not allow to clearly answer the question which of these two cases is the object due to the insufficient number of similar discoveries in the excavation material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of fluoride in three superficial enamel layers of human teeth obtained from archaeological excavations. Comparative analysis concerned the teeth from burial sites dated to the third millennium BC and 13-15th centuries AD. Enamel samples were collected by acid etch biopsy with the use of perchloric acid and, in the obtained biopsies, fluoride content was determined by potentiometry using a fluoride ion-selective electrode. It was found that the fluoride contents were significantly higher, in each of the three layers of enamel, in the teeth which were older in terms of historical age. This diversity is most likely to have occurred due to the post-mortem fluoride sorption from the surrounding environment, mainly from the soil. The research presented in this paper confirms the possibility of using fluoride determinations in hard tissues to assess the historical age of human remains from archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the second part of a two-part article surveying state practice regarding Disputed and Unresolved Maritime Boundary Delimitations or Other Land or Maritime Disputes under the Rules of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). It reviews basic principles and the interpretation of the 1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention and the CLCS Rules. As the 2006 Barbados/Trinidad and Tobago Award and the 2012 ITLOS Bangladesh v. Myanmar Judgment reaffirmed, the CLCS Recommendations must in no way prejudice exist-ing and prospective boundary delimitations, nor must they prejudice other land or maritime disputes. All practical means of giving effect to such "without prejudice" principles are care-fully analysed. Part One covers Latin America and the Wider Caribbean, Northeast and Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific. The present Part Two covers South Asia and the Middle Last, East Africa-Indian Ocean, South Africa, West Africa and North Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first part of a two-part article surveying state practice regarding Disputed and Unresolved Maritime Boundary Delimitations or Other Land or Maritime Disputes under the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) Rules. It reviews basic principles and the interpretation of the 1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention and the CLCS Rules. As the 2006 Annex VII Barbados/Trinidad and Tobago Award and the 2012 ITLOS Bangladesh v. Myanmar Judgment reaffirmed, the CLCS Recommendations must in no way prejudice existing and prospective boundary delimitations, nor must they prejudice other land or maritime disputes. All practical means of giving effect to such "without prejudice" principles are carefully analysed. The present Part covers Latin America and the Wider Caribbean, Northeast and Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific. Part Two will cover South Asia and the Middle East, East Africa--Indian Ocean, South Africa, West Africa and North Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ultrasound (US) has become a ubiquitous technological process in a large variety of scientific disciplines. However, little information exists on the use of ultrasound to enhance biological processes and/or processing and consequently this paper provides an overview of work reported to date on this topic. This review provides a brief introduction to ultrasound and the history of ultrasound as applied to bioprocesses. This is followed by a discussion of the influence of US on discrete enzyme systems, enzymes used in bioremediation, microbial fermentations and enzymatic hydrolysis of biopolymers. Augmentation of anaerobic digestion by US is then considered along with enhancement of enzymes in food science and technology. The use of ultrasonically stimulated enzymes in synthesis is then considered and other relevant miscellaneous topics are described. It is concluded that the precise mechanism of action of US in bio-processing remains to be elucidated though a variety of plausible suggestions are made. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports on the decision by the Annex VII Barbados/Trinidad and Tobago Arbitral Tribunal which dismissed Trinidad's objections against Barbadian fishing in what it believes are beyond their maritime boundary. The tribunal also upheld its jurisdiction to delimit the two countries' overlapping continental shelf areas.

During the decade-long Qatar v. Bahrain proceedings, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered two Judgments on jurisdiction and admissibility (1994–1995), followed by its decision not to rely on the 82 Qatar documents challenged by Bahrain (1999), and by Judgment on the merits (2001). This article surveys how these complex proceedings led to settlement of a long-standing dispute in the Arabian/Persian Gulf to the satisfaction of both parties and how have they enriched the contributions of the Court to the development of international law. The contributions of the two Qatar v. Bahrain (Jurisdiction and Admissibility) Judgments, including their Opinions, are highlighted in the context of important issues pertaining to the interpretation of treaties and various aspects of the jurisdiction conferred upon the ICJ by a "framework agreement" (as distinct from a compromis). The analysis of the Qatar v. Bahrain (Merits) Judgment, including its Opinions, substantiates the significant consolidation and further development—in continuation of the formidable jurisprudence of the ICJ and other tribunals, notably the Eritrea/ Yemen Arbitral Tribunal—of the principles and rules governing the acquisition of territorial sovereignty and maritime boundary delimitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the Southern Bluefin Tuna case, which arose out of a dispute under the trilateral Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna between Australia and New Zealand, on one hand, and Japan, on the other. Arbitration of the case; Jurisdictional effect of different settlement provisions in related treaties; Relationship with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Eritrea-Yemen Arbitral Tribunal unanimously resolved in its two awards the disputed territorial sovereignty over the Red Sea islands (Phase I, 1998) and the delimitation of an international maritime boundary (Phase II, 1999) in one of the most strategically sensitive regions of the world. This article surveys the progress made by each of the awards in the development of principles and rules of international law in the respective subject matters of the awards. While due attention is paid to the consistency of the awards with the preceding decisions of the International Court of Justice and arbitral tribunals concerning acquisition of territorial sovereignty and equitable maritime delimitation, distinct features, such as rejection by the 1998 Eritrea-Yemen Award of the existence of a principle of reversion of a newly independent state to the ancient title to territory, are also examined. The analysis of the 1999 Award focuses on the complex decision-making process which led the Arbitral Tribunal to equitable delimitation of the Eritrea-Yemen international maritime boundary by means of a single allpurpose boundary. The resultant line substantiates the governing role of equidistance between opposite states. The Tribunal also reappraised the role of resource-related factors and the principle of proportionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considers the contribution of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to the development of the law of the sea and environmental law. Role and jurisprudence of the ICJ; Participation of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS); Proliferation of judicial bodies; Relationship between the ICJ and the ITLOS.

Discusses the award of the Arbital Tribunal in the first stage of the Eritrea/Yemen proceedings. Details of the award, the Eritrea/Yemen Territorial Sovereignty and Scope of the Dispute; Hostilities between the countries; Membership of the Tribunal; Reasoning of the Tribunal for the award; Importance of this award.

Presents the case Spain versus Canada decided by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning conservation and management measures taken by Canada regarding vessels fishing in the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization regulatory area. ICJ jurisdiction under the optional clause; Relevance of legality of acts to validity of reservation; High seas; Amendment of Canadian Coastal Fisheries Protection Act.

Discusses the jurisprudence of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany which was inaugurated by two Saint Vincent and the Grenadines v. Guinea M/V Saiga cases. Resulting arrest of the oil tanker M/V Saiga; Application of the respective provisions of the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention.