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M Kovac

Publications and source records attributed to M Kovac.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Geographic and extraterrestrial aspects of morbidity and/or mortality patterns from myocardial infarction and stroke.

Two authors (M.K. and M.M.) provided insight into a manuscript submitted by them elsewhere for publication and kindly offered for meta-analysis data on the monthly incidence from January 1989 up to December 2004, of 6094 cerebral infarctions, 414 intracerebral and 277 subarachnoid hemorrhages, cases admitted at the Neurological Clinic in Nové Zamky, Slovakia. Spectral components with a period exceeding (beyond = trans) the length of the calendar year--transyears--reported originally by M.K. and M.M. are here also documented linearly on original data without and after detrending by the fit of first- or second-order polynomials. For intracerebral and subarachnoidal hemorrhage, the zero-amplitude (no-rhythm) assumption is rejected (P < 0.05, not corrected for multiple testing) for the transyear but not for a precise 1.0-year trial period. As reported earlier by M.K. and M.M., the transyear's amplitude is larger than the calendar year's amplitude for all three series of stroke incidence in Slovakia. The putative importance of the new findings stems from earlier and new analyses revealing other spectral components that are presumed signatures of magnetoperiodisms, e.g. about 50- and 7-year components in about five decades of diagnostically unqualified, pooled data on stroke in Minnesota. There is, however, the danger of relatively small numbers providing artifacts for loosely defined transyears. The original cosinor approach by M.K. and M.M., testing anticipated periods, had its strength. The observation of a quindecadal component in mortality from strokes in Minnesota supports the presence of signatures of effects from extraterrestrial space in acute human pathology such as strokes, myocardial infarctions and sudden cardiac death. Magnetoperiodic mechanisms remain to be investigated further as added strokes accumulate in Nové Zamky and greater Slovakia as well as for sudden cardiac death where transyears have been documented in the Czech Republic, in Arkansas and particularly in Minnesota, but not elsewhere (as yet?). This study is also a plea for worldwide access to morbidity, mortality and natality data that constitute a largely unexploited treasure, brought to the fore mainly for relatively short-term comparisons of the effect of interventions against the fiction of imaginary baselines.

Death, Sudden, Cardiac↗
PubMed2005

Secular rhythms and Halberg's paraseasonality in the time occurrence of cerebral stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To obtain the optimal information concerning the time course of the morbidity od cerebral stroke. BACKGROUND: Recently, long years' cycling, similar to that in sun and geomagnetic activity, is observed in various biomedical variables. Other discovery is that of transyear (over one year) and cisyear (under one year) rhythms,originating also in the sun, in medicine. SUBJECTS: There were 6100 patients with cerebral infarction, 415 with intracerebral and 277 with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted at Clinic of Neurology in Nové Zámky (area with 70 km radius and 180 000 inhabitants). Their monthly numbers were registered since January 1989 up to December 2004. METHODS: The data were processed by Halberg's cosinor regression. Presence of linear trend and of the period lengths of 10.5 (solar Schwabe-cycle), 5.25, 7.04 (geomagnetic activity cycling), 3.52, 1.70, 1.50, 1.30 (solar wind cycling), 1.20, 1.00 and 0.50 years was tested. Level of statistical significance was set at alpha = 0.05. RESULTS: In all three time series, significant linear trends were found with the estimated monthly increase by 0.8% of the estimated starting mesor value for infarction, 1.2% for cerebral and 1.9% for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Both the solar and geomagnetic cycling with their second harmonics were significant in all three clinical diagnoses. The transyear with period length of 1.3 year was significant in both hemorrhages while in infarction only its borderline significance was achieved. Nevertheless, its amplitude was always higher (by 15 to 83%) than that of 1.00 year estimated cosinusoid. CONCLUSION: All presented time series document increasing trends in the morbidity on cerebral stroke in the given geographic area. The presence of secular, years lasting cycles adds to relatively long list of similar chronocosmoepidemiologic analyses, so far generally ignored due to insufficient understanding of inferential statistics and chronobiology among doctors. The transyear paraseasonality represents a new element in these studies. To honour the nestor of the world chronobiology, who highly acknowledged the work of Ladislav Dérer, the designation "Halberg's paraseasonality" is proposed (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 17).

Chronobiology Phenomena↗
PubMed2004

The effect of dietary arsenic additions on the distribution of selenium and iodine in eggs and tissues of laying hens.

The aim of the work was to determine the short-term effect (19 days) of dietary As additions (30 microg As/g in the form As2O3) on the Se and I concentrations in eggs and tissues of 49-week-old Rhode Island Red laying hens. Se and I concentrations were determined in eggs collected from the 8th to the 10th and from the 17th to the 19th days of the experiment. After 19 days, blood was collected by anterior heart puncture, and after slaughter the liver, kidney, lung, muscle (musculus pectoralis superficialis) and feathers were collected. Se and I concentrations were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis and the results expressed on a dry matter basis. In the control and the exposed group, the highest Se concentrations were found in kidney, followed by liver, blood, lung, muscle, and feathers. In the control group the highest I concentration was found in feathers, followed by kidney, blood, lungs, liver, and muscle. In the trial group, the order was almost the same, except that blood concentration was lower than in liver. As2O3 added to the feed significantly increased the Se concentration in the lung (p = 0.0216), I concentration in muscle (p = 0.0112) and significantly decreased I concentration in blood (p = 0.0371). It had no effect on the concentrations of Se and I in egg yolk and white.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2003

A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled evaluation of three doses of botulinum toxin type A (Dysport) in the treatment of spastic equinovarus deformity after stroke.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Calf muscle hypertonicity following stroke may impair walking rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to assess botulinum toxin (Dysport) in post-stroke calf spasticity. METHODS: A prospective, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study was performed to evaluate dysport at 500, 1,000 or 1,500 units in 234 stroke patients. They were assessed at 4-week intervals over 12 weeks. RESULTS: The primary outcome measure, 2-min walking distance and stepping rate increased significantly in each group (p < 0.05, paired test), but there was no significant difference between groups (including placebo). Following dysport treatment, there were small but significant (p = 0.0002-0.0188) improvements in calf spasticity, limb pain, and a reduction in the use of walking aids, compared to placebo. Investigators' and patients' assessments of overall benefit suggested an advantage for dysport over placebo, but this was not significant. Sixty-eight patients reported 130 adverse events, with similar numbers in each group. The few severe events recorded were not considered to be treatment-related. CONCLUSION: Dysport resulted in a significant reduction in muscle tone, limb pain and dependence on walking aids. The greatest benefits were in patients receiving dysport 1,500 units, but 1,000 units also had significant effects. Dysport 500 units resulted in some improvements. Since few adverse events were reported, this therapy is considered safe and may be a useful treatment in post-stroke rehabilitation of the leg. Possible reasons why functional improvements in gait parameters were not observed are also discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Etiology and risk factors of 180 cases of native valve endocarditis. Report from a 5-year national prospective survey in Slovak Republic.

Risk factors, etiology, and outcome of 180 cases of infective endocarditis (IE) in the Slovak Republic for 5 years were prospectively studied in a national survey. According to the Duke Endocarditis Service Criteria (1994), 169 cases were considered definitive and 21 possible/probable. The aortic valve was infected in 46.7%, mitral in 47.2%, and tricuspidal/pulmonary in 6.1% of cases. The majority of endocarditis cases was caused by Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (33.3%); only 12.2% were due to viridans streptococci; 11.7% were due to Enterococcus faecalis; 6.1% due to Haemophilus spp.; 10.1% due to other organisms; and 26.7% were culture negative. Single positive cultures of CNS were not considered clinically significant. More than 25% of 180 patients were older than 60 years. Rheumatic fever was a risk factor in 35.5%, dental surgery in 20.5%, prior cardiosurgery in 7.8%, and neoplasia in 6.7%. All patients were treated with antimicrobials (average length of therapy was 29.5 days) and 33.3% of patients also had surgery (valvular prosthesis replacement). Forty (22.2%) died, and 140 (77.8%) survived at day 60 after the diagnosis of endocarditis was made. All 40 deaths were attributable to infection. Univariate analysis comparing deaths and survivors did not show significant differences in most of the recorded risk factors between both groups, except age > 60 (40.0% versus 21.4%, p < 0.05), staphylococcal etiology (55.0% versus 27.1%, p < 0.04), and antibiotic therapy < 21 days (without surgery) (65.0% versus 3.6%, p < 0.01). These risk factors were significantly more frequently associated with deaths. Viridans streptococcal IE and surgical therapy in addition to antibiotics were associated with lower mortality in comparison to staphylococcal endocarditis (p < 0.045) or to cases treated with antibiotics only (p < 0.05). In comparison to other nationally based surveys in Europe (Greece, Croatia, France), the percentage of culture-negative endocarditis and spectrum of pathogens differed significantly.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Rationing of hospital services in the Australian health system.

This article reports on the rationing in the Australian hospital sector and explains why it has been undertaken. It also briefly overviews the Australian health system in order to provide a necessary background for the issue of rationing itself. Rationing of hospital services has occurred because governments in Australia have limited hospital sector resources trying to ensure the containment of their health budgets. The resources available to hospitals have been insufficient to ensure that the supply of services meets the demand for such services. Therefore, in order to contain hospital budgets rationing has been required. Medicare, the universal health insurance system, assures that access to public hospital services is on the basis of clinical needs. However, due to the federal nature of government in Australia, the available services are determined by health system structural interrelationships and direct government regulation. For example, services provided in the community sector, and funded by the Commonwealth government, are prime candidates for being removed from the hospital sector by State/Territory governments. Similarly, expensive services with a wide range of usage are candidates for regulation to contain costs.

Australia↗
PubMed1997

Major vascular injury in civilian practice in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent of the problem of major vascular injuries in our practice and also to analyse the causes and the results of our management of these injuries at Mpilo Central Hospital. DESIGN: A study of eight patients who were treated for major vascular injuries at Mpilo Central Hospital between 1989 and 1994. SETTING: Mpilo Central Hospital, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: Eight patient who were treated for major vascular injuries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Causes of vascular injury, other injuries, haemodynamic state on admission, surgical procedures carried out, complications and outcome. RESULTS: All three major vascular injuries due to stab wounds were successfully repaired. Of the four patients with major vascular injuries due to complicated orthopaedic injuries, two had successful repair of the vascular injury but the other two underwent amputation. The eighth patient who sustained an arterial injury during the course of a difficult operation for a tumour on the left forearm had a successful repair of the vascular injury. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that stab wounds and complicated orthopaedic injuries are the main cause of major vascular injury in civilian practice in our community. The importance of adequate resuscitation, early diagnosis and early appropriate surgical intervention is emphasized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Acute anterior myocardial wall infarct caused by aortic dissection].

Acute myocardial infarction and aortal dissection are two different entities mostly occurring separately. According to the fact that both are severe diseases their simultaneous occurrence and interdependence present high risk for patients and a differential diagnostic dilemma for physicians. The case of S.J., a 52-year old female patient is a combination of aortic dissection and acute myocardial infarction caused by dissection of aorta and retrograde dissection of the left coronary artery main branch.

Aortic Dissection↗
PubMed1993

[Modern approach to the therapy of viral croup].

Viral croup as the most frequent of laryngeal obstructions in childhood appears in the form of spasmodic croup and acute laryngotracheitis. The evaluation of the severity of laryngeal obstruction can be made by using score systems. In more severe forms of viral croup the inhalation of 0.25 ml/kg 2.25% epinehrine and a single dose dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg i.m. is recommended.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Multivariate genetic evaluation in swine combining data from different testing schemes.

A computational strategy is presented that allows rapid implementation of genetic evaluations using multivariate mixed models. Data generated in different testing programs such as field tests of boars and gilts, litter recording schemes and station tests of sibs may be combined to provide an estimate of the aggregate genotype. Residual and additive genetic covariance structures are given for the multivariate evaluation of individual measurements and group averages because they often are collected for sib groups at test stations using a modified animal model. Pseudo code is given for the implementation of a "generic" testing structure illustrated by a numerical example based on six traits from field tests of boars and four traits from station tests of sibs. BLUPs for all six traits are calculated for boars, parents and sib groups. Aggregate genotypes that correspond to the selection indices commonly used are calculated for selection candidates.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1990

Genetic and environmental trends in German swine herdbook populations.

Environmental and genetic trends for swine herdbook populations for Germany for the years 1979 to 1987 were estimated using mixed model methodology on test station data. Daily gain (DG), feed conversion efficiency (FCE), lean-to-fat ratio (R) and meat quality (Goefo) were analyzed simultaneously with different incidence matrices. Breed, season and test station were fixed effects; herd, litter and additive genetic effects for sib groups were random effects. Because the relationship data were incomplete, unknown ancestors were assigned to genetic groups. Carcass weight was included as a covariable for R. In DG, FCE and R, season was defined as month of test over all breeds and test stations. On the other hand, season for Goefo was replaced by slaughter location-date interaction. Cumulative genetic responses from the multivariate analysis for the component traits of the aggregate genotype ranged from 22 g to 55 g in DG, -.7 to 3.2 units in Goefo, -.1 to .5 in valuable cuts, and -.04 to -.15 in FCE. Cumulative monetary response over these 9 yr. per pig were $4.3, $3.7, $6.2 and $5.1 for German Landrace, German Large White, Pietrain and German Landrace B. Important environmental trends were found in FCE, Goefo and R. Total genetic improvement amounted to 1.6% of the value of national pork production in Germany during these 9 yr. With incomplete convergence, the genetic response was underestimated and environmental trends were overestimated.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Complications of hydatid disease].

... Echinococcosis still persist as a problem in our surgical experience based on well known operative method. The difficulty that we have here has to do with a fact that our patients ask for doctor treatment in enlarging cystic from or with present complications such as rupture of hydatid cyst as the bile duct and 3 bronchobiliary fistula that we took care of in our surgical department. According to statistic informations appearance of echinococcosis complications is more often in our experience than others we find in the world statistics.

Echinococcosis↗