Iodine deficiency with high prevalence of goitre was recognized among pregnant women in an area that previously appeared to be iodine sufficient. An unexpected mild iodine deficiency was also noted in the non-pregnant control group. Reassessment and continuous monitoring of iodine nutritional status is warranted even in populations that are apparently considered to be 'at no risk' of iodine deficiency, especially in pregnant women. Regular administration of iodine, starting at preconception or in early pregnancy and continuing during the period of nursing, is recommended in these regions.

BackgroundThe signs and symptoms of acute alcohol intoxication resemble those of vertebrobasilar stroke. Due to their shared symptoms including double vision, nystagmus, dysarthria, and ataxia, the differential diagnosis of alcohol intoxication and vertebrobasilar stroke may pose a challenge. Moreover, if alcohol intoxication and stroke occur simultaneously, the signs and symptoms of stroke may be attributed to the effects of alcohol, leading to delayed stroke diagnosis and failure to perform reperfusion therapy.Case presentationsThree cases of alcohol intoxication and stroke are presented. The first patient (female, 50 years old) had dysarthria, nystagmus and trunk ataxia on admission. Her blood alcohol level was 2.3‰. The symptoms improved after forced diuresis, but 5.5 h later progression was observed, and the patient developed diplopia and dysphagia in addition to her initial symptoms. Angiography showed occlusion of the basilar artery. Intraarterial thrombolysis was performed. The second patient (male, 62 years old) developed diplopia, dysarthria and trunk ataxia after consuming 4-units of alcohol, and his symptoms were attributed to alcohol intoxication. Two hours later, neurological examination revealed dysphagia and mild right-sided hemiparesis, which questioned the causal relationship between the symptoms and alcohol consumption. Cerebral CT was negative, and intravenous thrombolysis was administered. The third patient (male, 55 years old) consumed 10 units of alcohol before falling asleep. Three hours later, his relatives tried to wake him up. He was unresponsive, which was attributed to alcohol intoxication. When he woke up 8 h later, right-sided hemiparesis and aphasia were observed, and cerebral CT already revealed irreversible ischemic changes.ConclusionsOur cases show that alcohol consumption may interfere with stroke diagnosis by mimicking the signs and symptoms of vertebrobasilar stroke. Moreover, attributing the symptoms of stroke to alcohol intoxication may delay stroke diagnosis resulting in failure of reperfusion therapy. Based on our observations we conclude that stroke should be considered in the case of worsening symptoms, dysphagia, hemiparesis and disproportionately severe signs that cannot be attributed to the amount of alcohol consumed. In the case of ambiguity, ambulance should be called, and if stroke cannot be excluded, specific therapy should be administered.

Objective: To investigate factors affecting conscious iodine intake among pregnant and lactating women in a rural area in Hungary. Methods: Pregnant women were studied and followed during lactation. Urinary and breast milk iodine concentration (UIC and MIC) were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Potential interfering factors, including age, educational status and smoking were assessed. Results: During pregnancy and lactation, mild iodine deficiency was observed; median UIC were 66 and 49 µg/L, respectively. Educational status was found to be a strong determinant of both iodine nutrition and smoking status during pregnancy (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) and lactation (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01). While smoking and non-smoking lactating mothers had similar concentrations of urinary iodine (median UIC: 47 and 51 µg/L, p = 0.95), the breast milk of smoking mothers contained less iodine (median MIC: 150 and 203 µg/L, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Both low iodine intake and smoking contribute to the higher risk of iodine deficiency in women with lower educational status. In smokers, MIC is often low in spite of normal UIC, presumably due to the iodine transport blocking effect of the cigarette smoke towards breast milk; normal UIC may be misinterpreted as sufficient iodine supply towards the child. Antenatal health promotion strategies should focus on young women with lower educational status, even in regions where sufficient iodine intake has been achieved in non-pregnant adults.

When using artificial insemination in porcine reproduction, one of the most important requirements is the suitable quality of semen regarding its total motility (TM) and progressive motility (PM). Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) is an appropriate method to analyse the quality of semen. Recently a portable instrument has been developed to help specialists in their everyday field work. In our study, semen quality was measured simultaneously by the portable device (Ongo) and a laboratory CASA system (Microptic) to compare TM and PM values obtained by these appliances at a concentration of 50 × 106 spermatozoa/mL. Agreement between measurements was evaluated with a Bland-Altman plot. Strong correlation was found between the investigated instruments for all the three parameters, i.e. sperm concentration, TM and PM. However, a few measurements fell outside the defined range of acceptance.

Introduction In the majority of European countries, driving after drinking small-moderate amount of alcohol is legal. Motivated by our previous studies on cerebral hemodynamics, we aimed to study whether a small-moderate blood alcohol content (BAC), at which driving is legal in some countries (0.8 g/L), influences the neuronal activity, neurovascular coupling, and cerebral vasoreactivity. Methods Analyses of pattern-reversal visual evoked potential (VEP) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) examinations were performed in thirty young healthy adults before and 30 min after alcohol consumption. Cerebral vasoreactivity was evaluated by breath holding test in both middle cerebral arteries. By using a visual cortex stimulation paradigm, visually evoked flow velocity response during reading was measured in both posterior cerebral arteries (PCA). Results The BAC was 0.82 g/L and 0.94 g/L 30 and 60 min after drinking alcohol, respectively. Latency of the VEP P100 wave increased after alcohol consumption. Resting absolute flow velocity values increased, whereas pulsatility indices in the PCA decreased after alcohol ingestion, indicating vasodilation of cerebral microvessels. Breath holding index and the visually evoked maximum relative flow velocity increase in the PCA and steepness of rise of the flow velocity curve were smaller after than before alcohol consumption. Conclusion BAC close to a legal value at which driving is allowed in some European countries inhibited the neuronal activity and resulted in dilation of cerebral arterioles. Cerebral vasodilation may explain the decrease of cerebral vasoreactivity and might contribute to the disturbance of visually evoked flow response after alcohol consumption.