Aim of this study was to estimate how knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects the shape of femoral condyles by comparing the radiuses of condylar curves between healthy and OA knees. Seventeen female and five male patients with established diagnosis of knee OA were included in the study. Radiuses of medial and lateral condylar curves were calculated from the side view knee X-ray by original mathematical equation and compared to referent values of healthy knees, after adjusting to body height. The average radiuses of condylar curves were between 52.6 +/- 6.2 and 17.6 +/- 3.5 mm medially, and between 43.3 +/- 8.4 and 15.4 +/- 3.7 mm laterally for 0 degrees and 90 degrees femoral flexion contact points, respectively The OA knees had longer curve radiuses medially and laterally at 0 degrees, 10 degrees, and 20 degrees femoral flexion contact points in comparison to the healthy sample (P < 0.001; t-test). Our results suggest that the shape of the femoral condyles in OA knees is changed. It should be aware not only in researching of OA etiology, but also in designing of knee endoprostheses, in a manner to achieve better individual sizing.

Modern Bosnia and Herzegovina is a multi-ethnic and multi-religion country, with a very stormy history. Certain archaeological findings indicate continuous population of its territory since the Paleolithic. In time, vast number of different factors jointly influenced fascinating diversity of local human populations. A great number of small, more or less isolated, indigenous populations, make this area quite attractive for population-genetic surveys of different levels and approaches. Austro-Hungarian military physicians conducted the very first known bio-anthropological analyses of Bosnia-Herzegovina population at the end of the 19th century. Thus, the first step towards resolving the genetic structures of local B&H human populations was made. The studies that followed (conducted throughout most of the 20th century) were primarily based on the observation of various phenotypic traits. This stage was followed by the examination of various cytogenetic and fundamental DNA based molecular markers. The efforts undertaken over the last three centuries revealed "human genetic treasure" in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, even now, after all the studies that were conducted, many interesting features remain to be discovered and described within the existing local human populations.

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) is a potent mutagen and a suspected human carcinogen present in particulate matter of diesel exhaust and ambient air pollution. Employing an assay with human p53 knock-in (Hupki) murine embryonic fibroblasts (HUFs), we examined p53 mutations induced by 3-NBA and its active metabolite, N-hydroxy-3-aminobenzanthrone (N-OH-3-ABA). Twenty-nine immortalized cultures (cell lines) from 89 HUF primary cultures exposed at passage 1 for 5 days to 2 microM 3-NBA harboured 22 different mutations in the human DNA-binding domain sequence of the Hupki p53 tumour suppressor gene. The most frequently observed mutation was GC to TA transversion (46%), corroborating previous mutation studies with 3-NBA, and consistent with the presence of persistent 3-NBA-guanosine adducts found in DNA of exposed rodents. Six of the transversions found solely in 3-NBA-treated HUFs have not been detected thus far in untreated HUFs, but have been found repeatedly in human lung tumours. (32)P-post-labelling adduct analysis of DNA from HUF cells treated with 2 microM 3-NBA for 5 days showed a pattern similar to that found in vivo, indicating the metabolic competence of HUF cells to metabolize 3-NBA to electrophilic intermediates. Total DNA binding was 160 +/- 56 per 10(7) normal nucleotides with N(2)-guanosine being the major adduct. In contrast, identical treatment with N-OH-3-ABA resulted in a 100-fold lower level of specific DNA adducts and no carcinogen-specific mutation pattern in the Hupki assay. This indicates that the level of DNA adduct formation by the mutagen is critical to obtain specific mutation spectra in the assay. Our results are consistent with previous experiments in Muta Mouse and are compatible with the possibility that diesel exhaust exposure contributes to mutation load in humans and to lung cancer risk.

O dengue e a arbovirose de maior incidencia nos centros urbanos da America do Sul, America Central, Sudeste Asiatico e Pacifico Ocidental. No continente americano, o virus do dengue e transmitido pelo mosquito Aedes aegypti. Introduzida em 1996, a doenca tornou-se um dos principais problemas de saude urbana no municipio de Belo Horizonte, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Em 2000, a Secretaria Municipal de Saude de Belo Horizonte e a Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais desenvolveram um estudo soroepidemiologico o Inquerito de Soroprevalencia de Dengue no Municipio de Belo Horizonte (ISDBH) com o objetivo de quantificar a soropositividade pelo virus do dengue nos Distritos Sanitarios Centro-Sul, Leste e Venda Nova. Esta dissertacao, apresentada na forma de dois artigos, reprocessa sob um enfoque analitico os dados obitdos a partir do ISDBH. O primeiro artigo Fatores Associados a Infeccao do Dengue em Belo Horizonte: Caracteristicas Individuais e Diferencas Intra-urbanas discute a analise da infeccao nos Distritos Sanitarios pesquisados em amostra probabilistica de 627 individuos. A prevalância global de infeccao foi de 23,3%, com 95% de nivel de confianca. Dos soropositivos, 17,9% foram infectados pelos sorotipos DEN-1 e DEN-2; 4,9% somente pelo DEN-1 e 0,8% somente pelo DEN-2. Individuos soropositivos, quando, comparados aos soronegativos, eram mais frequentemente moradores dos Distritos Sanitarios Leste e de Venda Nova, nao mudaram de municipio e/ou bairro ou casa e moravam em edificacoes horizontais. Baixa renda associou-se a maior soropositividade, assim como habitacoes horizontais relacionaram-se a infestacao de vetores e a falta de mobilidade espacial do individuo associou-se com a alta taxa de infeccao. O segundo artigo Investigacoes sobre Amostragem de Inquerito Soroepidemiologico de Dengue: a Participacao da Populacao analisa a participacao dos individuos, considerando as perdas na amostragem e a distribuicao espacial dos participantes. Do universo de 1.010 individuos visitados (considerando os sorteios dos imoveis e, dentro do imovel, o do individuo), 358 (35,5%) nao aderiram a pesquisa ou nao foram encontrados, configurando as perdas previamente recompostas na amostragem original. As perdas foram caracterizadas em quatro subgrupos: por casa fechada, recusa, agendamento impossivel e outros motivos. A analise descritiva do perfil dos participantes incluiu as variaveis regiao e motivo de nao-participacao. Utilizou-se o teste da Funcao K de Ripley para observacoes espaciais dos eventos. As perdas por Distrito Sanitario 53,3% no Distrito Sanitario Centro-Sul, 36,5% no Leste e 27,2% no de Venda Nova foram antecipadamente recompostas. As analises apontaram a distribuicao espacial homogenea entre participantes e nao-participantes, a relevância da recomposicao antecipada das perdas e a maior frequencia da recusa motivada. A investigacao da distribuicao espacial da amostra subsidia a discussao sobre as condicoes ambientais e de ocupacao do espaco urbano em diferentes regioes do municipio de Belo Horizonte e propicia informacoes para distintas intervencoes para o controle dos vetores.

Aims: Evidence suggests patients from CALD backgrounds may have poorer health outcomes, due to a complex interplay of factors. We aimed to investigate inhospital outcomes for such patients admitted to our new Aged Care Rapid Investigation and Assessment (ARIA) unit. Methods: ARIA heralds a new development within our tertiary hospital, comprising a specialised multidisciplinary team casefinding older patients for admission to a rapidaccess geriatric unit. We prospectively included all such patients admitted to ARIA over a 14 month period and investigated whether CALD status was associated with hospital length of stay (LOS), ED LOS, new RACF admission, inhospital death, or 90day representation. Results: In total, 58% (107/185) patients were from CALD backgrounds, most commonly Italy (22), China (10) and Vietnam (8). Twothirds (69/107) patients were classified as nonEnglish speaking (NES; insufficient English to communicate their history). Compared to nonCALD patients, patients from CALD background were frailer (mean premorbid CSHA score 5.86 versus 5.59, P = 0.03); no differences were seen in terms of age (P = 0.35), sex (P = 0.19) or Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.11). On multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, delirium, dementia and RACF residence, those from CALD background had a longer ED LOS (adjusted regression coefficient 2.59, P = 0.048; 9 versus 7 hours). CALD background was not associated with other markers of poor outcome. NES status alone was not associated with outcomes assessed. Conclusions: In this cohort of older inpatients, CALD status was not associated with poorer outcomes. Further research might focus on patient and provider factors influencing possible improvements in care and outcomes for these patients. POSTER PRESENTATIONS