The sentence intelligibility in different types of noise regarding people with a normal hearing ability.

The capability of speech understanding can be tested in the form of sentences. This report describes the origin of a new test in the Czech language to evaluate the sentence intelligibility with the presence of the competitive disturb noise. The results of the test depend on the test project, sentence material, competitive signal, test evaluation, and hearing conditions. Pilot results were obtained from 3 different noises (Speech noise, Babble noise, Cocktail party noise) at 16 people with a normal hearing ability. The Speech noise, which is recommended by a technical standard, mask sentences very poorly. On the other hand, the Babble noise and the Cocktail party noise, which are used to mask sentences in different languages, mask at lower intensities.

Periodicity of arrhythmias in healthy elderly men at the moderate altitude.

The 24-hour periodicity of supraventricular (SVPB) and ventricular (VEB) extrasystoles in healthy elderly men (age 49-69 years) was studied at two altitudes during 24 h Holter ECG monitoring. At the low altitude (200 m, n = 26), SVPB were more frequent than VEB. The highest occurrence of SVPB was at 17:00 h, the lowest at 01:00 and 02:00 h (P<0.001). The highest occurrence of VEB was at 09:00 h, the lowest one at 04:00 h (P<0.001). At 1350 m (n=9) the incidence of both SVPB and VEB was approximately twofold higher compared to that at the low altitude (P<0.001). The highest occurrence of SVPB was at 13:00 h, the lowest at 06:00 h (P<0.001). VEB were the most frequent at 10:00 h and 13:00 h, while the lowest frequency was observed at 06:00 h (P<0.001). Our results indicate that the incidence of SVPB and VEB in healthy persons at the moderate altitude is twofold and its periodicity is shifted compared to the low altitude. The cause of increased occurrence of extrasystoles is probably due to beta-adrenergic activation of the heart at the higher altitude.

[Pollenosis in children in the Tatra Mountain region]. / Polinóza detí tatranského a podtatranského regiónu.

BACKGROUND: During the last 20 years we can observe a marked rise of allergic diseases in the child and adult population with a dominant increase of pollenoses in children. It is assumed that this adverse development is due to changes in the ecosystem caused above all by contamination of the living environment. Our objective was to examine school children in Tatranská Strba and Strbské Pleso as regards sensitization to different groups of pollen allergens. By investigating several factors associated with the development of the disease, the authors wanted to elucidate the prevalence of pollenosis in the environment devoid of industrial exhalations. METHODS AND RESULTS: The investigated group comprised 160 school children aged 6-15 years (mean age 10.4 years) incl. 83 boys (mean age 10.1 years) and 77 girls (mean age 10.7 years). Skin tests revealed sensitization to pollen allergens in 50 boys (60.2%) and 35 girls (45.5%). Positivity to grass pollen was found in 35.7%, to weeds and bushes in 16.3% and to pollen from trees in 7.8%. The percentage of positivity to individual types of pollen allergens as well as the maximum of clinical complaints corresponds to the type of vegetation where the children live. The influence of genetic factors was manifested at the 92% level of significance (p = 0.056), after Yates' correction (p = 0.081). Atopic children have in 62.4% a positive family-history. In conjunction with the incidence of allergoses the test of rank correlation confirmed statistically significant agreement between sick and healthy children as regards the period of breastfeeding (p = 0.0024), beginning of attendance of preschool facilities (p = 0.0052) as well as the month of birth (p = 0.0150). CONCLUSIONS: From the investigation ensues that the local vegetation has an impact on the specific sensitization of individual subjects and plays a part in the manifestation of pollenosis in a relatively clean environment--the High Tatras being considered such. It can be assumed that the coincidence of genetic factors, lifestyle and factors of the outdoor environment participate in the rising prevalence of pollenosis.

[Traumatic hemobilia. A case report (author's transl)]. / Posttraumatische Hämobilie. Ein kasuistischer Beitrag.

A case of traumatic hemobilia is reported. After ligation of the left hepatic artery and additional dearterialisation a third bleeding period occured due to a porto-hepatic communication, diagnosed by a transumbilical portography. A left hepatic lobectomy was finally necessary to achieve hemostasis. This case demonstrates that a selective artery ligation for the treatment of hemobilia is only successful if a complete dearterialisation is performed at the first operation. Furthermore a porto-hepatic communication may require partial hepatectomy.