Microalbuminuria is a frequent finding in several acute clinical conditions and predicts poor outcome; its role in acute ischemic stroke, however, is unknown. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence and predictive power of microalbuminuria in acute stroke patients and to establish the relationship between microalbuminuria and the patients’ clinical status. We studied 60 patients admitted within 24 h of their first ischemic stroke, 50 patients with a history of ischemic stroke, and 30 control subjects without known cerebrovascular diseases. Neurological deficit was assessed by the Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS) on admission and on days 1, 7, 14, and 30. Urinary albumin excretion was measured using immunonephelometric method, with 24-hour collections performed on day 2. Outcome was assessed by 30-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality. Microalbuminuria was found in 46.7% of patients with acute stroke, 16% of subjects with a history of stroke, and 16.7% of controls. On admission, acute stroke patients with microalbuminuria had more severe neurological deficit (median of SSS score on admission was 28 vs. 40, and on day 1, 22 vs. 39, both p < 0.05; Mann-Whitney U test) and more often had a decreased level of consciousness (32 vs. 10%, p < 0.05; Fisher exact test). Mortality was higher in the group of patients with microalbuminuria in acute stroke (21 vs. 3% after 30 days, 39 vs. 6% after 90 days and 50 vs. 9% after 1 year, p < 0.05 for all differences; Fisher exact test). In logistic regression analysis, microalbuminuria was found to be an independent predictor of 1-year mortality after ischemic stroke (OR = 6.0; p = 0.022; 95% CI = 1.3–27.7).

No abstract

Generally valid translation of the seven colors of the rainbow into the sounds of an octave was established. Over 500 replies were collected from all over the world to the questions about associations between those colors and the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami) and between those colors and seven selected odors (ethereal, floral, camphor, pungent, putrid, peppermint, musky). Based on the replies, a list of standard associations was constructed. Units of taste, called mniams, and odor, called fooys, were introduced. These units, together with the specific permutation system, provided quantification of sensory impressions, quantitative evaluation of deviations from the standard, and translation of one sensory impression into another. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Standardization of sensory impressions could be helpful in the understanding and interpretation of emotions. Expression of the sensory impressions with some units might provide a quantification of temporary and permanent deviations from the standards. It could also be a convenient tool in passing information to people with malfunctions of certain sensors, or people with unusual talents and abilities. Simultaneous involvement of standardized expressions of human sensory impressions would be possible providing an increased efficiency of transmission of multisensory information and an increase in human sensitivity to the signals coming from outside. Trained conjugated perception of sensory impressions would be helpful in early warning against approaching disasters, health breakdowns, and so on. Potentially, some feelings called intuition would be lifted to the position of interpretable impressions. The presented method should be of particular interest to the fields of psychology, psychiatry, criminology, sociology and therapy. It should also attract the attention of product designers, and of sensory analysts in food designing and nutrition.

During the first days of ischaemic stroke of undetermined aetiology, dynamic cerebral autoregulation is compromised in the non-affected hemisphere, but not in the hemisphere with ischaemic lesion.

Daily urinary albumin excretion correlates with the body temperature in acute stroke patients, but the predictive power of both these variables is independent of that association.