Incidence of ulcerative colitis in Central Greece: A prospective study

AIM: To study the incidence of ulcerative colitis UC in the prefecture of Trikala, Central Greece. METHODS: A prospective and population based epidemiological study of UC from 1990 to the end of 1994 was conducted. Trikala is a semirural prefecture of Central Greece with a population of 138 946 (census 1991). Three gastroenterologists (one hospital based, two private doctors) of the prefecture participated in this study. RESULTS: During the study period, 66 new historically verified cases of UC were recorded. The mean annual incidence of the disease in 1990-1994 was 11.2 per 105 inhabitants (95%CI: 8.7-14.3). There was no difference between men and women (annual incidence: 10.5 and 12.0 per 105 inhabitants respectively), either among urban, semirural or rural populations (annual incidence: 11.7, 17.1 and 9,9 per 105 inhabitants respectively). The majority (56%) of the patients never smoked and a quarter were ex-smokers. About a half of all cases had proctitis. CONCLUSION: UC is common in Central Greece and its incidence is similar to that in North-Western European countries.

Is the Mock Transfer Enough Reliable to Evaluate Hysterometry for Embryo Transfer?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the mock transfer during in vitro fertilization process Method: A case-control study was conducted on 134 patients included in IVF/ICSI cycles. From the hysterometry obtained during the mock transfer, the ideal embryo replacement site, i.e. two cm from the uterine fundus has been determined. Results: Significant differences were noted between the area estimated from the mock transfer and the area where the embryo was deposited during the actual embryo transfer. In fact, 15.9% of the patients had a difference between four and six cm, and 32% of the patients returning for a subsequent transfer had at least 2 cm of difference between the embryo deposit zones. This difference was significant (P 0.00) Conclusion: More than ultrasound guidance, the challenge with embryo transfer is to be able to minimize variations in the length of the uterus. This would make it possible to determine the ideal transfer depot area without multiple manipulations.

Impact of climate change on dengue fever epidemics in South and Southeast Asian settings:A modelling study

The potential for dengue fever epidemic due to climate change remains uncertain in tropical areas.This study aims to assess the impact of climate change on dengue fever transmission in four South and Southeast Asian settings.We collected weekly data of dengue fever incidence,daily mean temperature and rainfall from 2012 to 2020 in Singapore,Colombo,Selangor,and Chiang Mai.Projections for temperature and rainfall were drawn for three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways(SSP126,SSP245,and SSP585)scenarios.Using a disease transmission model,we projected the dengue fever epidemics until 2090s and determined the changes in annual peak incidence,peak time,epidemic size,and outbreak duration.A total of 684,639 dengue fever cases were reported in the four locations between 2012 and 2020.The projected change in dengue fever transmission would be most significant under the SSP585 scenario.In comparison to the 2030s,the peak incidence would rise by 1.29 times in Singapore,2.25 times in Colombo,1.36 times in Selangor,and>10 times in Chiang Mai in the 2090s under SSP585.Additionally,the peak time was projected to be earlier in Singapore,Colombo,and Selangor,but be later in Chiang Mai under the SSP585 scenario.Even in a milder emission scenario of SSP126,the epidemic size was projected to increase by 5.94%,10.81%,12.95%,and 69.60%from the 2030se2090s in Singapore,Colombo,Selangor,and Chiang Mai,respectively.The outbreak durations in the four settings were projected to be prolonged over this century under SSP126 and SSP245,while a slight decrease is expected in 2090s under SSP585.The results indicate that climate change is expected to increase the risk of dengue fever transmission in tropical areas of South and Southeast Asia.Limiting greenhouse gas emissions could be crucial in reducing the transmission of dengue fever in the future.