Tobacco smoking has long been identified as the most important risk factor for upper aero-digestive tract cancers. To investigate the effect of different tobacco types and the benefit of smoking cessation, we analyzed data from a case-control study of 784 cases of mouth, pharynx, and larynx cancers and 1,578 non-cancer controls in three metropolitan hospital areas in Brazil. Subjects were interviewed as to their smoking and drinking habits, demographics, environmental exposures, occupational history, health characteristics, and diet. Controlling for total tobacco and alcohol consumption, risks for ex-smokers compared with current smokers decreased substantially with time since cessation of the habit. Compared with never smokers, ex-smokers of >20 years had a relative risk (RR) of 1.98 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-3.8] for all upper aerodigestive tract cancers. RRs for long-term (>20 years) ex-smokers tended to be lower for mouth (RR = 1.61) and pharynx (RR = 1.52) than for larynx (RR = 3.63) cancers. The benefit of quitting was strongest for commercial cigarettes (RR = 1.45, 95% CI = 0.7-3.0) for ex-smokers of >10 years, as compared with smoking of black tobacco (RR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.4-4.6), cigars (RR = 2.59, 95% CI = 0.6-11.6), and pipe tobacco (RR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.3-8.8).

ABSTRACT. The main objective of the first survey was the investigation of the prevalence and distribution of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and cigarette smoking in the study area. The data‐collection phase lasted from October 1984 to May 1985. A two‐stage cluster sample of 5312 persons of German nationality was drawn from a population of 282,279 inhabitants, aged 25–64. The data were gathered through interview, physical examination and self‐administered questionnaire. A response of 79 % was achieved. Sixteen percent of men and 10 % of women had high blood pressure (BP) values (≥ 160/95 mmHg). Only 16 % of male and 34 % of female hypertensives had controlled BP values. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (≥6.72 mmol/L = ≥260 mg/dl) was 26 % in men and 22 % in women. Forty percent of men and 22 % of women reported they were current cigarette smokers. Among participants, aged 25–44, cigarette smoking was the most prevalent risk factor in men and women. Thirty‐seven percent of men and 52 % of women, aged 25–64, had none of the three major risk factors.

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The purpose of this study was to isolate fungi from the quarter milk of cow udders in 9 dairy farms. The samples were collected between May 1996 and April 2000 in the Lublin region. Six hundred and four milk samples collected from the quarters of 172 cows with clinical and subclinical mastitis were examined. Milk samples were plated as soon as possible on blood agar (BA), Mac Conkey agar, aesculin-tallium acetate-crystal violet blood agar, and Sabouraud agar with chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Fifty eight (9.6%) of the samples were positive for fungi. All of the fungal isolates were yeasts of the genera Candida, Rhodotorula and Trichosporon. We also isolated Streptococcus agalactiae (4.9%), Str. spp.(6.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (10.4%), coagulase-negative staphylococci-CNS (36.6%), Escherichia coli (3.5%), other microorganisms (2.6%) and no growth (25.8%).

A b s t r a c tThe content of Aesculus pollen in aeroplankton of Lublin, located in central-eastern Poland, was studied during the period 2001-2012. The volumetric method was used for the study. The following parameters were determined: start, end, and duration of the pollen season, days of maximum concentration, and total annual pollen counts. Correlation coefficients were calculated between the start of the pollen season and meteorological parameters. The study showed that during the period 2007-2012 the onset of the Aesculus pollen season occurred on average 4 days earlier than in the years 2001-2006. The total annual pollen counts were in the range of 53-271, with an average number of 117. The average pollen counts did not differ significantly in the first and second year of a 6-year period of the study. The analysis of the correlation coefficients showed that there were significant positive correlations only between the season start date and minimum temperature of the first decade of May. The highest Aesculus pollen concentration occurred between 6 and 22 May. The flowers of A. hippocastanum demonstrate an ambophilous pollination strategy due to partial insect and wind pollination.

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