Association between body mass index and prevalence of multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the prevalence of multimorbidity in Serbia according to sex and body mass index (BMI) categories, and to examine the association between BMI and multimorbidity. In addition, this study examined the relationships between the main demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population (age, settlement, education) and multimorbidity. STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the 2013 Serbian National Health Survey. METHODS: This study analyzed data from 13,103 participants aged ≥20 years with BMI data. The associations between BMI, age, education and multimorbidity were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of multimorbidity was higher than the overall prevalence of a single disease (26.9% vs 20.7%). The proportion of participants who reported two or more chronic diseases increased with each BMI category in both sexes, reaching the highest values in obese category III. Odds ratios (ORs) for the prevalence in all morbidity groups increased gradually with BMI category, and the highest OR values were found in obese category III. Males of obese category III were seven times more likely to have multimorbidity [OR 7.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.2-12.6] than males of normal weight, whereas females of obese category III were nine and a half times more likely to have multimorbidity (OR 9.5, 95% CI 4.0-22.4) than females of normal weight. In the multivariable analysis, age (both sexes), low and middle level of education (males), and rural settlement and low level of education (females) were found to be predictors of multimorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: This study found positive associations between obesity and multimorbidity and between overweight and multimorbidity. Recognizing these associations is of great importance from both clinical and public health perspectives because this could lead to an integrated approach for patients.

[Comparison of clinical data, ultrasonography, mamography and histological findings obtained by ex tempore biopsy for breast cancer diagnosis].

Breast cancer is really one from tumor with highest mortality in this country as well as in the word. For early detection of the loco-regional breast cancer and disease confirmation, many diagnostic procedures were recommended with aims to help in decision for surgery treatment. This comparative study reported data by clinical analyses, ultra-sonography, mammography and histological findings obtained after ex tempore biopsy, in 59 women with breast cancer aged from 16 to 69. The highest incidence of cancer was obtained in women over 61 years of age, although high rate of breast cancer was found in aging between 21 to 50 years. The fibroadenoma were founded in 40.68%, while malignant carcinoma ductale in 13.55% of all cases. Correlation between applied analyses for fibroadenoma was found in 86.05% cases, while in malignant lesions this percentage was highest (93.33%). Apart of these methods applied for early diagnosis in general hospital and obtained statistical significance in diagnosis, new techniques based on molecular level (hormone receptor status) must be used.

Counterpropagating self-trapped beams in optical photonic lattices.

Dynamical properties of counterpropagating (CP) mutually incoherent self-trapped beams in optically induced photonic lattices are investigated numerically. A local model with saturable Kerr-like nonlinearity is adopted for the photorefractive media, and an optically generated two-dimensional fixed photonic lattice introduced in the crystal. Different incident beam structures are considered, such as Gaussians and vortices of different topological charge. We observe spontaneous symmetry breaking of the head-on propagating Gaussian beams as the coupling strength is increased, resulting in the splitup transition of CP components. We see discrete diffraction, leading to the formation of discrete CP vector solitons. In the case of vortices, we find beam filamentation, as well as increased stability of the central vortex ring. A strong pinning of filaments to the lattice sites is noted. The angular momentum of vortices is not conserved, either along the propagation direction or in time, and, unlike the case without lattice, the rotation of filaments is not as readily observed.

Counterpropagating beams in nematic liquid crystals.

The behavior of counterpropagating self-trapped optical beam structures in nematic liquid crystals is investigated. A time-dependent model for the beam propagation and the director reorientation in a nematic liquid crystal is numerically treated in three spatial dimensions and time. We find that the stable vector solitons can only exist in a narrow threshold region of control parameters. Below this region the beams diffract, above they self-focus into a series of focal spots. Spatiotemporal instabilities are observed as the input intensity, the propagation distance, and the birefringence are increased. We demonstrate undulation, filamentation, and convective dynamical instabilities of counterpropagating beams. Qualitatively similar behavior as of the copropagating beams is observed, except that it happens at lower values of control parameters.

Two dimensional counterpropagating spatial solitons in photorefractive crystals.

We demonstrate experimentally the existence of two transverse-dimensional counterpropagating (CP) incoherent spatial solitons in a 5 x 5 x 23 mm SBN:60Ce photorefractive crystal and investigate their dynamical behavior. We carry out numerical simulations that confirm our experimental findings. Substantially different behavior from the copropagating incoherent solitons is found. A symmetry breaking transition from stable overlapping CP solitons to unstable transversely displaced CP solitons is observed. We perform linear stability analysis that predicts the threshold for the split-up transition, in qualitative agreement with numerical simulations and experimental results.

Counterpropagating optical vortices in photorefractive crystals.

We present a comprehensive numerical study of (2+1)D counterpropagating incoherent vortices in photorefractive crystals, in both space and time. We consider a local isotropic dynamical model with Kerr-type saturable nonlinearity, and identify the corresponding conserved quantities. We show, both analytically and numerically, that stable beam structures conserve angular momentum, as long as their stability is preserved. As soon as the beams loose stability, owing to radiation or non-elastic collisions, their angular momentum becomes non-conserved. We discover novel types of rotating beam structures that have no counterparts in the copropagating geometry. We consider the counterpropagation of more complex beam arrangements, such as regular arrays of vortices. We follow the transition from a few beam propagation behavior to the transverse pattern formation dynamics.

Dynamics of counterpropagating multipole vector solitons.

Dynamical behavior of counterpropagating (CP) mutually incoherent vector solitons in a 5 x 5 x 23 mm SBN:60Ce photorefractive crystal is investigated. Experimental study is carried out, displaying rich dynamics of three-dimensional CP solitons and higher-order multipole structures, and a theory formulated that is capable of capturing such dynamics. We find that our numerical simulations agree well with the experimental findings for various CP beam structures. Linear stability analysis is also performed, predicting a threshold for the modulational instability of CP beams, and an appropriate control parameter is identified. We attempt at utilizing these results to CP solitons, but find only qualitative agreement with the numerical simulations and experimental findings. However, when broader hyper-Gaussian CP beams are used in simulations, an improved agreement with the theory is obtained.

Transverse modulational instabilities of counterpropagating solitons in photorefractive crystals.

We study numerically the counterpropagating vector solitons in SBN:60 photorefractive crystals. A simple theory is provided for explaining the symmetry-breaking transverse instability of these solitons. Phase diagram is produced that depicts the transition from stable counterpropagating solitons to bidirectional waveguides to unstable optical structures. Numerical simulations are performed that predict novel dynamical beam structures, such as the standing-wave and rotating multipole vector solitonic clusters. For larger coupling strengths and/or thicker crystals the beams form unstable self-trapped optical structures that have no counterparts in the copropagating geometry.