This paper compares the Portuguese and Bulgarian consumer price indices (CPI) and attempts to identify some areas in which the CPI compilation methodology could be improved in the two countries. This work is organised into six sections. The first section briefly describes the organisational structure on which the production of the CPI is based in the two countries. The second section focuses on...

BACKGROUND To determine the relationship between central blood pressure (CBP) indices and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in adults over the age of 50. METHODS A cross-sectional study conducted using a non-invasive SphygmoCor XCEL device. CBP indices and brachial blood pressure were measured in 50 inpatients and outpatients. MCI was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) inst...

Anaemia is defi ned by the haemoglobin concentration in peripheral blood being below the normal 14 gm/dL (SD ± 2) for women, 16 gm/dL (SD ± 2) for men and 12 gm/dL (SD ± 2) for children. The number of red blood cells is also usually reduced, below the normal 4.8 × 10/mm (SD ± 0.6) for women and 5.4 × 10/mm (SD ± 0.9) for men. The haematocrit is the proportion of red blood cells in the blood – n...

Red blood cells (RBC) and reticulocyte parameters were determined on peripheral blood from a subset of patients enrolled in the multicenter study of hydroxyuea (HU) in sickle cell anemia. Multiple blood samples were obtained every 2 weeks. Cellular indices were measured by flow cytometry. Generalized linear models were used to determine the relationship between the longitudinal trajectories of ...

BACKGROUND Methylmercury (MeHg) easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and accumulates in the brain. Accumulated MeHg will cause neurological symptoms. We report four pediatric cases of neuropsychological findings with high blood MeHg concentrations. CASE PRESENTATION Four children were admitted for follow-up study because their total mercury (THg) concentration in the blood was found to be h...

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of the diet containing Laurencia caspica (red algae) on blood parameters and digestive enzymes activity of goldfish after 90-day period. Goldfish (weight 6.10±0.1 gr) were divided to four experimental groups (30 individuals in each replication) including experimental treatment of the control group (without using red algae) and three trea...

Phenytoin has known immunosuppressive properties, and a recent pilot study has indicated that it may have a second line effect in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To evaluate this role 60 patients with active RA were randomly allocated to receive either oral phenytoin or intramuscular gold. The two treatment groups were comparable at the outset (Mann-Whitney U test). Twenty four patients completed 24...