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Biomedical subjects

G Belojević

Publications and source records attributed to G Belojević.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Effects of noise on mental performance with regard to subjective noise sensitivity.

Objective and subjective effects of moderate levels of recorded traffic noise [Leq = 55 dB(A) and 75 dB(A)] on mental performance were studied in a laboratory setting. A total of 45 subjects (23 males and 22 females) were investigated with respect to subjective noise sensitivity (SNS). Four cognitive tasks were applied involving different psychological functions: Short-Term Memory (STM), Search and Memory 5 (SAM 5) (vigilance), Hidden Figures (HF) (spatial reasoning) and Mental Arithmetic (MA) (parallel processing). Three groups of 15 subjects were defined according to their scores on Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale as tolerant, moderately sensitive or highly sensitive to noise. A similar level of performance was observed in the three groups under quiet conditions [30 dB(A) Leq], but under noisy conditions significant differences (P < 0.05) were seen between them on the STM (words) and MA (total results) tasks, and the lowest performance accuracy was demonstrated by the noise-sensitive subjects. SNS was the primary factor responsible for these differences. There were no significant differences between the groups in respect of the SAM 5 and HF tasks, under either quiet or noisy conditions. Annoyance while performing tasks under noisy conditions was regularly and significantly higher among subjects judged to be noise sensitive on Weinstein's scale, as compared with those judged to have low or moderate SNS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[The effect of a preventive health care program in a textile plant].

A two-month field experiment was carried out on a sample of 95 women spinners and weavers in a textile plant. In the experimental group, which consisted of 54 workers, a programme of four preventive health measures was applied. The workers were asked to wear a combination of ear-muffs and cotton-wool offering optimal hearing protection and to take up individual mini programmes of physical exercise at work; they were offered a meal of the Pliva dietetic preparation Vitamalt before work and Donat-Mg natural mineral water from Zdravilisce Rogaska Slatina as a magnesium supplement. The measures from the programme were accepted and respected by 85-94% of the workers. As a result, fatigue at work was significantly reduced, and the subjectively estimated work satisfaction was markedly improved. A statistically insignificant trend towards the rise of productivity was also noticed during the period of programme application.

Diet↗
PubMed1991

[Specific hormone reactions to aircraft noise in pregnant women].

In order to find out if there is some specific hormonal reaction to JET aircraft noise, a group of eight pregnant women, living in a small suburban community near the airport "Beograd", were investigated. Pregnant women in the first three-months of pregnancy were exposed to the aircraft noise of 75-85 dB/A during 60 minutes, before and after that blood and urine samplers were taken for analyses. Those preliminary result of the level of cortisone, cortisol, testosterone and prolactin suggested that aircraft noise modified the hormonal reaction. Further investigation is needed in order to point out some other possibilities.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1990

Failure of industrial noise to change the patterns of vanilmandelic acid and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in the urine of the female weavers with hearing loss.

The field experiments were undertaken on two consecutive working days on seven female weavers with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and a control group of seven sewers with normal hearing. The first day, urine was collected during the shift (06:00-14:00 h) and at home (17:00-05:00 h) for measurements of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OH) levels. The following day, the procedure was repeated, but for vanilmandelic acid (VMA) analysis. No significant changes in the hormone levels were found, both concerning the different occupational noise exposure and the periods of a working day.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗
PubMed1990

[The importance of work conditions in the textile industry to worker absenteeism].

A study was performed in the "Belgrade Wool Co." as a retrospective epidemiological investigation, for a three-year period (1985-1987), on a sample of 134 blue-collar female workers. The following statistically significant facts were established: in favourable working conditions (sewing department) the older workers (above the age of 35 years) were absent from work because of illness longer than the younger workers; the number of the younger workers (age 35 years or under) with sick absences increased as working conditions worsened (wool-mills compared to sewing departments). Respiratory diseases made the most frequent cause of absence from work. Harder working conditions influenced the morbidity structure as cause of absenteeism resulting in the rise of prevalence of mental disorders among the younger workers, and of locomotor and circulatory diseases among the older ones. The younger workers showed a rising trend in the severity and frequency of injuries as causes of absence from work, which correlated with the degree of deterioration of working conditions. Finally, under extremely hard working conditions (wool-mills) the rate of occupationally induced injuries among the younger workers was as much as three times higher than among the older ones, and the duration of sick absences was longer.

Absenteeism↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The hardness of drinking water and cardiovascular diseases].

The paper deals with the results of the investigations so far, which have pointed out an inverse correlation between drinking-water hardness and morbidity and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases. Among the water hardness elements special attention has been given to magnesium, as its deficiency in organism is likely to present an important risk factor for cardiovascular disorders. The options of preventive measures in this field are discussed-adding of magnesium to soft drinking-waters, salt enriched with magnesium, consumption of natural mineral waters, or Mg supplements.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of urban noise on mental health].

The results of the latest studies on the effects of urban noise on mental health are presented in this paper. Numerous psychiatric symptoms have been frequently noticed in the population of the settlements with a high level of urban noise: fatigue, headaches, tension, anxiety, irritability, bad concentration, insomnia, whith a consequently high consumption of psychotropic medicines. Higher admission rates in psychiatric hospitals have been noticed from noisy areas in comparison with low noise regions. By use of diagnostic psychiatric interviews it has been shown as well, that in sensitive categories of population positive correlation can be expected between the number of persons with mental disorder and the level of environmental noise. Noise annoyance and sleep disturbance, namely shortening or absence of the sleep phase 4 and REM, are the basic negative psychological effects of noise, with an adverse effect on mental health in general.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Subjective sensitivity to noise].

It is likely that individual variations in subjectively estimated noise sensitivity influence different social and psychophysiological reactions of people exposed to noise. Subjective noise sensitivity might be a relatively stable personal characteristic. A correlation have been found between high sensitiveness to noise and some medical symptoms (sleep disturbance, nervousness, depression), and worse work performance in noisy environments. An introvert person with neurotic symptoms is more frequently found in people highly sensitive to noise. Testing for subjective sensitivity to noise might be helpful in professional selection and orientation for noisy work-places as well as in housing advising.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of a reducing diet and physical activity in obese individuals with arterial hypertension].

The effects of reducing diet of 4.4 MJ with reduced daily sodium chloride intake and physical activity (walking and floor exercise) in 90 patients of the Counseling office for Dietetics (23 males and 67 females) with excessive obesity and arterial hypertension (AH) were examined. Although both groups of patients were of the similar nutritional status, rate of the body mass loss during the diet was significantly higher in males (p < 0.05). At the end of the diet therapy, beside reduced body mass, significantly lower average systolic and diastolic pressure (p < 0.01) was observed in both sexes. Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlation between the weight loss rate and reduced diastolic pressure (p < 0.05) only in females.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Aluminum and Alzheimer's disease].

Neuro-toxic effects of aluminium, with disorders mainly in motor coordination, have been proved in epidemiological studies of subjects professionally exposed to aluminium. However, there is, as yet, no adequate evidence that neurotoxicity of aluminium leads to progressive dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is likely that long-term use of drinking water with a high aluminium concentration, with pH about or less than 7.0, and with low fluoride concentration, is associated with the increased relative risk of Alzheimer's disease. The use of aluminium-containing antiacids, antiperspirants and beverages from aluminium cans, are probably of small importance concerning Alzheimer's disease. The relation of aluminium cumulated in the brain to onset of Alzheimer's disease is still unclear, as neuro-pathological lesions, which can be noticed in acute dementia caused with aluminium, significantly differ from those in Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, morphological and biochemical characteristics of neurofibrillary tangles which occur in the brain after experimental injection of aluminium are different from the tangles in Alzheimer's disease. Results of the studies concerning aluminium concentrations in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease are incoherent. To resolve this scientific problem it is necessary to follow-up the prognosis of neurotoxic disorders caused by aluminium. It should be clarified as well whether aluminium in neuro-pathological findings of Alzheimer's disease is an artefact caused by alumino-silicates present in most reagents for tissue-staining.

Aluminum↗