The genital anatomy of Orcula jetschini (Romania), Orcula zilchi (Bulgaria), and Orcula wagneri (Albania) is described. Based on anatomical features (morphology of the penial caecum) shell characters (sculpture and shape) and unpublished molecular data the genus Orcula is subdivided into three subgenera. Orcula zilchi was classified within the monotypic subgenus Orcula (Hausdorfia) subgen. n.; ...

BACKGROUND Health literacy (HL) may be an important determinant of health, but this concept is largely under-researched in Albania, a transitional country in the Western Balkans which is currently undergoing major political and socioeconomic changes. We aimed to assess the sociodemographic distribution of HL in this transitional South Eastern European country aspiring to join the European Union...

Potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) are a serious and frequent health issue, leading to often preventable and predictable adverse drug reactions and other negative outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of potential drug-drug interactions and characterize them in patients hospitalized in an Infectious Diseases hospital in Albania. We conducted a cross sectional s...

Aim. We aimed to assess the prevalence and lifestyle correlates of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the adult population of Albania, a Mediterranean country in Southeast Europe which has experienced major behavioral changes in the past two decades. Methods. A cross-sectional study, conducted in 2012, included a population-representative sample of 845 individuals (≥18 years) residing in...

OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the prevalence and socioeconomic and behavioral correlates of obesity in adult population of Albania, a transitional country in the western Balkans. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2007-2009 in the Albanian capital, including a sex-stratified random sample of 997 Tirana residents aged 25-65 years (83% response). A structured interview included dat...

Though the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Southeastern Europe is one of low reported prevalence, numerous studies have described the pervasiveness of medical providers' lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the Balkans. This study sought to culturally adapt an instrument to assess medical providers' knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in Albania. Cultural adaptation was completed through development o...

AIM The aim of this study was to describe the demographic characteristics and disease patterns among patients with thyroid nodular abnormalities (goiter) and benign tumors of the thyroid gland in Albania, a transitional country in South Eastern Europe. METHODS Our study included all patients diagnosed with goiter and/or benign tumors of the thyroid gland who were hospitalized at the Universit...

BACKGROUND This study examines the associations between lifecourse adversity and physical performance in old age in different societies of North and South America and Europe. METHODS We used data from the baseline survey of the International Study of Mobility in Aging, conducted in: Kingston (Canada), Saint-Hyacinthe (Canada), Natal (Brazil), Manizales (Colombia) and Tirana (Albania). The stu...

Abstract The communist period in Albania was a time of intense photographic production. Much more than previous periods, photography perceived by those power as an indispensable tool while at the same becoming accessible to almost entire population. Many photographs from survived end regime and can now be used study history memory that period. To historical value, however, diversity genres prac...

In this paper, we report for the first time two spider species Albania, four Bulgaria and Greece: Altella lucida (Simon, 1874) (Bulgaria), Eresus moravicus Rezác, 2008 (Bulgaria Greece), Filistata insidiatrix (Forsskål, 1775) (Albania), Harpactea samuili Lazarov, 2006 (Greece), Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) Pritha parva Legittimo, Simeon, Di Pompeo et Kulczycki, 2017 (Bulgaria) vestita 18...