Dear Editors We read with interest the manuscript published by Viana et al.. These authors observed in a small cohort of paralytic poliomyelitis (PP) and postpolio syndrome (PPS) patients a significant circadian fatigue in both forms. The authors also evaluated polysomnographic variables lacking correlations between PSG data and fatigue. In PP, an acute disease resulting in flaccid paralysis, i...

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis is prevailing in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of private practitioners (PPs) regarding tuberculosis management have been reported only in urban areas of Pakistan. This survey was conducted for the first time in a rural area of Sindh, Pakistan. METHODS This survey was conducted in January 2007 at Thatta, a rural district...

Principal curves and surfaces are nonlinear generalizations of principal components and subspaces, respectively. They can provide insightful summary of high-dimensional data not typically attainable by classical linear methods. Solutions to several problems, such as proof of existence and convergence, faced by the original principal curve formulation have been proposed in the past few years. Ne...

Peripersonal space (PPS) is the space surrounding us within which we interact with objects. PPS may be modulated by actions (e.g. when using tools) or sense of ownership (e.g. over a rubber hand). Indeed, intense and/or prolonged use of a tool may induce a sense of ownership over it. Conversely, inducing ownership over a rubber hand may activate brain regions involved in motor control. However,...

The post-pericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is a common complication after cardiac surgery, occuring in 10-40% of patients. PPS may prolong hospitalization, and even serious complications like tamponade and constrictive pericarditis may occur. Early diagnosis and treatment may reduce morbidity. In 50 patients transferred to our hospital after cardiac surgery we found an increase in pro-inflammatory ...

Methods The Baecke questionnaire for the evaluation of habitual physical activity (HPA), assessment of quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref), and the Fatigue Severity Scale were administered to patients with PPS, poliomyelitis sequelae (PS) and to a control group (CG). Participated in the study 116 individuals (PPS=52,PS= 28,CG=36). Results Patients with PPS tended to increase their HPA from 10 to 20...

It has been shown in vitro that only specific dietary fibers contribute to immunity, but studies in vivo are not conclusive. Here, we investigated degree of polymerization (DP) dependent effects of β2→1-fructans on immunity via microbiota-dependent and -independent effects. To this end, conventional or germ-free mice received short- or long-chain β2→1-fructan for 5 days. Immune cell populations...

BACKGROUND Phosphene thresholds (PT) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as well as paired-pulse suppression (PPS) of visually evoked potentials (VEP) are used to characterize visual cortex excitability, however, their relation remains unknown. METHODS We measured PT after single TMS over the occipital lobe, and recorded VEPs after paired-pulse stimulation at short stimulus-ons...

In Croatia, primary health care for pre-school children is organized by pediatricians (PPs) for children in urban and family doctors (FDs) for children in remote areas. This study was undertaken with the aim to determine the trends in preventive activities (general, targeting, and control check-ups and total visits) in both services (FDs, PPs), between 1995 and 2012. The main adapt source was t...

A hemangioma of the parapharyngeal space (PPS) is an extremely rare tumor and is responsible for 0.5-1% of all tumors occurring in the PPS. We report a case of PPS venous hemangioma in a 49-year-old woman presenting with diffuse swelling in the submandibular region. A preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan showed a cystic mass with multiple calcifications in the PPS. The calcific nodules we...