Albanian Population Research Articles

The Beginning of the Parliamentary in Albania (1920-1924)

The years that followed post World War 1, proved to be a difficult time for the renovation of the Albanian population. A few radicalized Albanian patriots, with varying views on politics went as far as to hold meetings in the Congress with the common cause of improving the state of the country. These delegates were chosen from all different parts of the country and served as representatives of those parts. They were representing the country as well as its sovereignty. Of all these organizations, one in particular stood out. The Congress of Lushnja (28-31 January 1920) was the one to put best practice methods into place with regards to rebuilding Albania. As of this moment, the process of institutional and legislative europeanization in the country begins. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p449

The Disintegration of Yugoslavia (1989-2001)

The fragile state so-called had already begun to decay from within itself during the past decade because of many factors, but mostly from ethnic conflicts. Among other nations who were not satisfied with its constitutional order and the Serbian chauvinist aggression were Slovenes, Croats and Albanians. Unlike the others, Albanians were the only ones who dared to challenge the very strong political and military system of the federation that was built with decades. The reasons were numerous. Already for many years Serbian and Yugoslav governments under the umbrella of Milosevic were perpetrators of continued violence over the entire Albanian population in Yugoslavia. The Albanian question in Yugoslavia despite Milosevic’s government attempts to remain as an internal issue of Yugoslavia (or Serbia and Macedonia), it was still found very soon in the round tables of the major world powers who would later be the most powerful advocates of Albanians in their pathway for their freedom and independence. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n6p403

The Diagnostic Value of Flow Cytometry Imunophenotyping in an Albanian Patient Population with a Preliminary Clinical Diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Objective: Based on the flow cytometry multiparametric immunophenotyping methodology we studied some useful cell marker criteria needed for the practical differentiation of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia from other chronic limphoproliferative diseases with a leukemic component.Materials and Methods: The applied methodology is a four color flow cytometry multiparametric immunophenotyping technique using EDTA blood samples taken from 84 consecutive patients diagnosed with CLL through a preliminary clinical and white blood cell examination. The following fluorescent stained monoclonal antibodies were used: CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD11c, CD19, CD20, CD23, CD25, FMC7 and kappa/lambda light chains.Results: From the 84 individuals tested, 2 out of them (2.4%) resulted with a abnormal T-cell population while 82 (97.6%) showed a pathological B cell line. 58 (69.1%) patients resulted with typical CLL markers (CD19+CD5+CD23+) while 5 (5.9%) of them presented a non typical chronic lymphocytic leukemia profile (CD19+CD5+CD23-). 19 (22.6%) out of patients displayed an abnormal CD19+CD5- B cell population. A statistically significant correlation was found between the clinical stage of CLL and the positivity for the CD38 marker (p=0.04).Conclusion: Flow cytometry immunophenotyping is a fundamental examination for the final diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The expression of CD38+ in CLL patients stands for a more advanced clinical stage.

The Diagnostic Value of Flow Cytometry Imunophenotyping in an Albanian Patient Population with a Preliminary Clinical Diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Objective: Based on the flow cytometry multiparametric immunophenotyping methodology we studied some useful cell marker criteria needed for the practical differentiation of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia from other chronic limphoproliferative diseases with a leukemic component.Materials and Methods: The applied methodology is a four color flow cytometry multiparametric immunophenotyping technique using EDTA blood samples taken from 84 consecutive patients diagnosed with CLL through a preliminary clinical and white blood cell examination. The following fluorescent stained monoclonal antibodies were used: CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD11c, CD19, CD20, CD23, CD25, FMC7 and kappa/lambda light chains.Results: From the 84 individuals tested, 2 out of them (2.4%) resulted with a abnormal T-cell population while 82 (97.6%) showed a pathological B cell line. 58 (69.1%) patients resulted with typical CLL markers (CD19+CD5+CD23+) while 5 (5.9%) of them presented a non typical chronic lymphocytic leukemia profile (CD19+CD5+CD23-). 19 (22.6%) out of patients displayed an abnormal CD19+CD5- B cell population. A statistically significant correlation was found between the clinical stage of CLL and the positivity for the CD38 marker (p=0.04).Conclusion: Flow cytometry immunophenotyping is a fundamental examination for the final diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The expression of CD38+ in CLL patients stands for a more advanced clinical stage.

Assessment of Cervical Cytological Data in Albanian Females

Cervical cancer is one of the most common female malignancies with high mortality rates in developing countries. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities by cervical cytology (CC) and the analysis of risk factors in Albanian population. A total of 5,416 conventional pap smear tests collected between January 2009 and January 2012 from Tirana University Hospital Obstetrics-Gynecology "Queen Geraldine" were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 258 (4.8%) cases had epithelial abnormalities. The numbers and rates were as follows: atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASCUS; n=150 [2.76%]); atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS; n=8 [0.14%]); low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL; n=87 [1.6%]); high- grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL; n=10 [0.18%]); and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n=3 [0.05%]). The prevalence of cervical cytological abnormality in our study was 4.8%. A larger community-based study may establish the exact prevalence of malignant and premalignant lesions, so as to plan for future screening.

Transition Education and Quality of Life

Ortega Y. Gasset in his book The Mission of the University says that knowledge is the biggest achievement of the human being. Today's society is that of the third wave, when school and university are the main institutions of social fabric. Looking from a sociological perspective, education is the determinator of social mobility and achievement in a micro and macro context in a globalised world. The Republic of Macedonia is a small Balkan country that is passing through a long period of transition, where unemployment, vulnerability and social exclusion are typical elements of social reality. The number people living below the national poverty line increased from 4% of the population in 1991 to 20% in 1996. According to State Statistical Office data, in 2008 the percentage of poor people in the Republic of Macedonia was 28.7%, which is more than a fourth of the whole population. The survey findings of research done in 2010 (UNDP) show that 40% of respondents said that their financial situation was worse than average. The empirical part of this study is based on a survey (546 respondents) done in June-July 2012 in three regions inhabited mostly by the Albanian population, aiming to give a real picture about correlation between two indicators, education and life conditions.

HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 allele associations in an Albanian patient population with rheumatoid arthritis: correlations with the specific autoantibody markers and inter-population DRB1 allele frequency variability

The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and its specific autoantibodies varies in different populations. This variability depends on the genetic polymorphism of the immune response genes among which the HLA system plays a major role. In this context, we studied the HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 first-level allele frequencies in 100 Albanian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and taking into account their rheumatoid factor (RF) and anticitrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) serologic subgroups, we compared them with the respective frequencies in a population of 191 Albanian individuals without known pathology. No differences were found between the controls and the RA patient group as a whole, but three statistically significant differences were found: an increase in DRB1*04 among ACPA+, RF+ and ACPA+/RF+ patients, a significant decrease in DRB1*11 among ACPA+/RF+ and also a decrease in DRB1*13 among RF+ patient subgroups. Comparing allele frequencies of putatively associated RA alleles in different European populations revealed a significant negative correlation between the RA predisposing DRB1*04 and protective DRB1*11 allele frequencies. A statistically significant correlation was also found between RA prevalence rates and DRB1*04 as well as DRB1*11 frequencies. The relatively low frequencies of DRB1*04 and high DRB1*11 in the Albanian population might explain the rather low positivity rate of ACPA and RF antibodies among the Albanian RA patients. These specific association patterns suggest that this first study of RA in an Albanian population should be followed up to include second level or higher definition of HLA alleles and to compare RA patterns among European populations.

Epidemiology of goiter and benign tumors of the thyroid gland in Albania.

Aim:The aim of this study was to describe the demographic characteristics and disease patterns among patients with thyroid nodular abnormalities (goiter) and benign tumors of the thyroid gland in Albania, a transitional country in South Eastern Europe.Methods:Our study included all patients diagnosed with goiter and/or benign tumors of the thyroid gland who were hospitalized at the University Hospital Center (UHC) “Mother Teresa” in Tirana between 2004 and 2012 (N=2258). All patients underwent the same examination and interviewing procedures. Demographic characteristics included gender, age, and place of residence. Binary logistic regression was used to compare the demographic characteristics between patients with benign tumors of the thyroid gland and those with goiter.Results:Overall, there were 2204 patients with goiter and 54 patients with benign tumors of the thyroid gland hospitalized at UHC over the period 2004-2012. There was no evidence of statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics (age, gender, or place of residence) between patients with benign tumors of the thyroid gland and those with goiter.Conclusions:Our study provides useful evidence on the epidemiology of benign tumors of the thyroid gland and the thyroid nodular abnormalities (goiter) in the Albanian population. Future studies in Albania should assess the main determinants of thyroid gland disorders and compare them with findings pertinent to other similar populations.

Grafit-murali kao vid nacionalnog samoodržanja - '… jer odavde nema nazad!' - srpska Gernika

Main theme in this paper are mural graffiti as specific group of graffiti which emerges in last decade of 20th century and which remain to this day. Author deals with their theoretical research and generalization, in order to pay attention towards domestic mural - graffitism in further elaboration. A specific movement in domestic mural - graffitism originates in the northern part of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica which is designated by author as national-cohesive. It is based on mural-graffiti which is known by sentence written in the upper part of picture: 'jer, odavde nema nazad!' ('..because there is no way back!'). This mural-graffiti express all of the dilemmas of the Serbs in the northern part of Kosovo and Metohia, and it originated as the result of desperate aspirations to save the Serbian part of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica, but as well the wider territory, from Albanian (Shqiptar) territorial pretensions and secessionism from the Serbian state. Greater (southern) part of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica hold Albanian population. With its text and message this graffiti could be only compared with only one masterpiece in Europe - 'Gernika' that was painted by Spanish artist Picasso. Hence, author theoretically and competently explicate, believing that mural - graffiti in Kosovska Mitrovica, according to many factors, has that particularly value which has 'Gernika' for the Europe and the World. While 'Gernika' express global protest in order not to repeat the suffering of innocent civils in a war, thus 'Serbian Gernika' reflexes in itself 'roar and cry', strength and dedication of one part of the Serbian people to remain on theirs homeland, no matter how can that be hazardous for them. In days that will come and in days that preceded to the, so called 'Bruxelles Agreement' (in according to, Serbian population must fall under the jurisdiction of the self-proclaimed 'establishment of Republic of Kosovo'), this kind of message and picture on the wall could be determined and fatal for the Serbian people. Question is, whether the Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica obey their 'oath' on the wall? From their answer in great degree depends and their destiny to come.

Prevalence of hypodontia in the permanent dentition of Macedonian population

Hypodontia or tooth agenesis is a condition at which the patient is missing one or more teeth due to a failure of those teeth to develop. This is not only an aesthetic, but also a functional deficiency. The incidence of congenitally missing teeth depends on etiological factors that affect tooth development, as well as which dentition is concerned, sex or race and geographic distribution. The tooth agenesis is mostly seen in teeth that are formed last in a given class (lateral incisors, second premolars and third molars). The aim of this study was to calculate the prevalence of congenitally missing teeth in population of FYROM and, through a review of the literature, to compare these results to other populations in the world. For this purpose a retrospective, transversal and cross-sectional study was made, where dental history and anamnesis of 8160 patients (3671 males and 4489 females) were examined, as well as their panoramic radiographs. The patients were 8-18 years old. The data was statistically analyzed with programme Statistica 7.0. The prevalence of hypodontia population of FYROM was 7.52%. Most commonly congenitally missing tooth in patients with hypodontia was mandibular second premolar (35.5% left and 34.53% right). Tooth agenesis predominated in females and in ethnic Albanian population, without significance.

There is no elevation of immunoglobulin e levels in Albanian patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Background. Studies in several ethnic groups reported high incidence of elevated levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATD), especially in patients with Graves' disease. Objective. To study association between serum levels of IgE and thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibodies (TRAb) in Albanian patients with ATD. Material and Methods. Study was performed in 40 patients with Graves' disease, 15 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and 14 subjects in the control group. The IgE levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay, whereas the TRAb levels were measured by radioreceptor assay. Results. In all groups of subjects the IgE levels were within reference values (<200 kIU/L). Significant difference in mean concentration of IgE was found between two groups of Graves' disease patients, and those with normal and elevated TRAb levels (22.57 versus 45.03, P < 0.05). Positive correlation was found between TRAb and IgE only in Graves' disease patients (r = 0.43, P = 0.006). Conclusion. In Albanian patients with ATD there is no elevation of IgE levels. This could be the result of low prevalence of allergic diseases in Albanian population determined by genetic and environmental factors.

Ethnically homogeneous settlements in ethnically heterogeneous environment

Ethnic homogeneity of settlements, or in other words, formation of ethnically homogeneous settlements in ethnically heterogeneous environment, such as Vojvodina, as well as the regions of Raska and Pcinja, is the issue which will be discussed in this paper. The analysis involves total population according to their ethnic affiliation (the 2011 Census), at the level of settlements. The estimates on the number of Albanian population at the level of settlements were made for the needs of this paper considering the fact that the census was not successful on the entire territory of the Republic because the ethnic Albanian boycotted it. Spatial distribution analysis and the determination of majority of population at the level of settlements represent the research focus of the paper. Furthermore, the aim of this paper was to point out certain ethnic characteristics of Serbian population (excluding Kosovo and Metohija), with the emphasis on the continuous trend of increasing number of people who do not want to declare their ethnic affiliation.

Tobacco Smoking Habits, Attitudes, and Beliefs among Albanian Nurse Students

Background. Available information about tobacco smoking habits, attitudes, and beliefs among Albanian nurse students shows some discrepancies and requires further investigation. Material and Methods. Cross-sectional school-based survey using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire in the Tirana Nurse University in December 2012 about tobacco smoking habits, attitudes, and beliefs. Results. Sixty hundred fifty one students (mean age 20.0 years; males 19%, females 81%) completed the questionnaire with an overall response rate of 87%. Current smokers were 19%; of this group, 37% of males and 49% of females were occasional smokers. Among current smokers, males smoked more than females (46% versus 13%; P&lt;0.01). The knowledge about smoking was generic; only a part (24%) of students reported having received a formal specific training on smoking related issues. The percentage of current smokers who reported at least one serious attempt to quit was 64%. Most students (78%) reported recent exposure to second hand smoke at home. Most students (84%) were felt to be a model of healthy lifestyle, but only a part (42% of the total) was recognized to have a role in advising smokers to quit. Conclusions. Smoking habits of Albanian nurse students are not higher than those of other European countries and Albanian population of similar age and gender. Our students showed many positive attitudes towards tobacco. Targeted training about smoking related issues should be mandatory in nursing schools.

Societal Insecurities in Western Balkans. A Case Study on Macedonia

Societal security is particularly efficient as an analytical tool to understand the security concerns of “multiethnic states”, the relationship between the country's regime (the majority group) and the minority groups. During the dissolution of Yugoslavia, nationalism, disintegration, ethnic identity were the main security issues in the Western Balkans in the last decade of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twentieth century. In this paper, the relationship between the Macedonian and Albanian population in Macedonia is considered in the perspective of the social insecurity established after the creation of the independent Macedonian state as a “national state” of the ethnic Macedonian majority and not a “citizen-state” of all ethnicities and identities as well as in the perspective of linguistic disparity between Macedonians and Albanians, both cases constituting two application instances of this analytical approach. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n13p407

Phylogenetic position and taxonomy of the enigmatic Orobanche krylowii (Orobanchaceae), a predominatly Asian species newly found in Albania (SE Europe)

We report on the occurrence of Orobanche krylowii in the Alpet Shqiptare (Prokletije, Albanian Alps) mountain range in northern Albania (Balkan Peninsula). The species was previously known only from eastern-most Europe (Volga-Kama River in Russia), more than 2500 km away, and from adjacent Siberia and Central Asia. We used morphological evidence as well as nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences to show that the Albanian population indeed belongs to O. krylowii and that its closest relative is the European O. lycoctoni, but not O. elatior as assumed in the past. Both Orobanche krylowii and O. lycoctoni parasitize Ranunculaceae (Thalictrum spp. and Aconitum lycoctonum, respectively). We provide an identification key and a taxonomic treatment for O. krylowii, and suggest the IUCN category CE (critically endangered) for the highly disjunct Albanian population.

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in Tirana, Albania

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide concern. Knowledge of the HCV genotype is clinically important because it predicts the rate of response to therapy and guides the treatment duration. Moreover, it allows molecular epidemiology to be performed. To our knowledge, the prevalence of HCV genotypes has been assessed only once in Albania, using a line probe genotyping assay. We determined HCV genotypes by population sequencing of HCV-infected patients in Tirana, Albania. HCV genotype and sequence analyses were performed for serum samples collected from January 2011 through May 2012 from 61 HCV-seropositive patients using population sequencing of the NS3 protease gene and alternatively the NS5b gene and the 5' untranslated region (UTR). HCV RNA was retrieved from the blood samples of 50 patients. The HCV NS3 protease gene was sequenced for 28 patients and NS5b and/or 5'UTR fragments were sequenced for an additional 22 patients. The predominant genotype was 1b in 25 patients (50%), followed by genotypes 2c, 4a, 3a, and 1a in 18%, 14%, 8%, and 6% of cases, respectively. Best matches for these HCV RNAs in GenBank were obtained in different countries worldwide. One NS3 protease naturally harbored an amino acid conferring minor drug resistance to newly available HCV protease inhibitors. In conclusion, HCV-1b was predominant in the present Albanian population, as in southeastern Europe.

Cyber Security and National Security Awareness Initiatives in Albania: A Synergy Approach

Technological advances have changed the manner in which ordinary citizens conduct their daily activities. Many of these activities are carried out over the Internet. These include filling tax returns, online banking, job searching and general socializing. Increased bandwidth and proliferation of mobile phones with access to Internet in Albania imply increased access to Internet by the Albanian population. Such massive increased in access to Internet increases vulnerabilities to cyber crime and attacks and threatens the national security. As a result, Albania remains one of the countries that are targeted by phishing attacks. As a response, various entities engage in cyber security awareness initiatives and trainings with the aim to create cyber security awareness (CSA) among the citizens and the state institutions that operate in Albania. In the absence of a worthy national cyber security policy, however, these awareness initiatives and programmes are delivered through a variety of independent mechanisms. Various entities engage in cyber security awareness training each with its specific objectives and focus areas. It is argued in this paper that cyber security is complex and multi-faceted. No single solution can effectively address it and none of the participant actors can fight it by it's own. While the current means to create cyber security awareness does make impact, the fragmented and uncoordinated nature thereof have a potential to create its own dynamics. The focus of organizations and different institutional actors is, to deliver on their own objectives translates to some extent into the optimization of the behavior of individual entities as opposed to the optimization of the national cyber security awareness as a whole. This paper evaluates the extent to which the current cyber security awareness initiatives address the cyber security threats and risks. The assessment is based on the initiatives objectives, alignment of the program to the cyber threats, and the target audience. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n10p614

A Relationship Expressed in a Stamp

Albania in a historic journey has left numerous evidences in support of our nacional history writting. Those are in content and most variable forms. All together constitute a large reservoir of resources that enables today’s articles that we read histori today. The long and beautiful way of the stamp is a valuable asset for all the peoples in the world, in gjeneral and particular for the Albanians. As an adekuate view of the history of the Albanian population, she always had her unrepeatable face. The road that this stamp has followed is similar to the path followed by the Albanian people in history. In this article to explain history I would try to follow somewhat a different path. I will to try to speak through the language of stamps, even for the relations that were created between the two strands of the Adriatic coast. It is in this path, i will try to infer the remaining tracks in the relations that Albania has had with the neighbouring country during the XIX century and onwards. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n10p630

Migration, remittances and socio-cultural dynamics: the case of Albanians from the Republic of Macedonia

This article examines the patterns of contemporary labour mobility and migrations in search of better living conditions and livelihoods amongst the Albanian population in the Republic of Macedonia. Effects of migration are studied in the context of the social and cultural practices and connections which individuals and groups carry and develop, and their reflections on the places of origin. Special attention is paid to the effects of financial and social remittances upon living conditions, infrastructure and architecture in home places; the changes in local social organization and family–kin relationships; and the ways connections and relationships between migrants and non-migrants affect individuals’ roles and social status.

Cultural Adaptation of a Survey to Assess Medical Providers’ Knowledge of and Attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in Albania

Though the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Southeastern Europe is one of low reported prevalence, numerous studies have described the pervasiveness of medical providers’ lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the Balkans. This study sought to culturally adapt an instrument to assess medical providers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in Albania. Cultural adaptation was completed through development of a survey from previously validated instruments, translation of the survey into Albanian, blinded back translation, expert committee review of the draft instrument, focus group pre-testing with community- and University Hospital Center of Tirana-based physicians and nurses, and test-retest reliability testing. Blinded back translation of the instrument supported the initial translation with slight changes to the idiomatic and conceptual equivalences. Focus group pre-testing generally supported the instrument, yet some experiential and idiomatic changes were implemented. Based on unweighted kappa and/or prevalence adjusted bias adjusted kappa (PABAK), 20 of the 43 questions were deemed statistically significant at kappa and/or PABAK ≥0.5, while 12 others did not cross zero on the 95% confidence interval for kappa, indicating their probable significance. Subsequently, an instrument to assess medical providers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS for an Albanian population was developed which can be expanded within Albania and potentially to other countries within the Balkans, which have an Albanian-speaking population.