Young Male Conscripts Research Articles

Positive Exercise Test and Obstructive Spirometry in Young Male Conscripts Associated with Persistent Asthma 20 years Later

Background. Asthma often begins in childhood or early adulthood and is a common disease among conscripts. The identification of long-term predictive factors for persistent asthma may lead to improved treatment opportunities and better disease control. Objective. Our aim was to study the prognostic factors of the severity of asthma among 40-year-old male conscripts whose asthma began in youth. Methods. We studied 119 conscripts who were referred to the Central Military Hospital during 1987–1990 due to asthma and who attended a follow-up visit approximately 20 years later. Asthma severity was evaluated during military service according to the medical records, and 20 years later during a follow-up visit using Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. We used the results of lung function and allergy tests at baseline as predictors of current persistent asthma. Results. Compared with baseline, asthma was less severe at follow-up: 11.8% of subjects were in remission, 42.0% had intermittent asthma, 10.9% had mild persistent asthma, and 35.3% had moderate/severe persistent asthma (p < .001). In multivariate models, a positive exercise test at baseline yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 3.2 (95% CI 1.0–9.8, p = .046), a decreased FEV1/FVC % predicted an OR of 4.0 (95% CI 1.7–9.3, p = .002), and a decreased FEF50% % predicted an OR of 2.8 (95% CI 1.3–6.4, p = .012) for current persistent asthma. Conclusions. About half of the men had persistent asthma at the 20-year follow-up. Positive exercise tests and obstructive spirometry results were related to the persistence of asthma and may be useful long-term prognostic factors for asthma severity.

Prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in an unselected young male multi-ethnic South-East Asian population undergoing pre-participation cardiovascular screening: results of the Singapore Armed Forces Electrocardiogram and Echocardiogram screening protocol

Resting 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) have been employed in the pre-participation evaluation of young asymptomatic subjects to detect pre-existing heart diseases. Although the incorporation of routine ECG in pre-participation screening remains controversial, there is increasing evidence that cardiomyopathies and ion channelopathies have ECG changes as the initial manifestation. The causes of sudden cardiac death in young people show significant geographical variation. We aim to determine the prevalence and spectrum of ECG abnormalities in a young male South-East Asian population. The Singapore Armed Forces Electrocardiogram and Echocardiogram (SAFE) protocol is an ECG-based pre-participation cardiac screening programme modelled after the Italian system. From October 2008 to May 2009, a total of 18 476 young male conscripts (mean age 19.5 years old, range 16-27) underwent mandatory pre-enlistment medical screening at a single medical facility. Subjects with abnormal ECG findings were classified into two groups: Group A had ECG changes that fulfilled a pre-specified checklist to screen for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and were referred for transthoracic echocardiogram; Group B had other ECG abnormalities [such as Brugada pattern, Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) pattern, long QTc] and were referred for secondary screening at a tertiary institution. Of the 18 476 subjects screened, 7.0% (n= 1285) had ECG abnormalities. Of note, 19 (0.10%) had Brugada pattern, 25 (0.14%) had WPW pattern, and 31 (0.17%) had prolonged QT interval on ECG. The prevalence of ECG abnormalities was significantly higher in Chinese than in South Asians (7.2 vs. 5.7%, P= 0.003). The prevalence of ECG abnormalities in a young, South-East Asian male population was 7.0%. There were significant ethnic differences, with ECG abnormalities more prevalent in Chinese than in South Asians (7.2 vs. 5.7%, P= 0.003). The inclusion of universal ECG, in addition to history and physical examination, may increase the sensitivity of a cardiovascular screening programme. Knowledge of the spectrum and prevalence of ECG abnormalities and disease conditions would be pivotal in designing customized screening programmes.

Neuromuscular training with injury prevention counselling to decrease the risk of acute musculoskeletal injury in young men during military service: a population-based, randomised study

BackgroundThe rapidly increasing number of activity-induced musculoskeletal injuries among adolescents and young adults is currently a true public health burden. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a neuromuscular training programme with injury prevention counselling is effective in preventing acute musculoskeletal injuries in young men during military service.MethodsThe trial design was a population-based, randomised study. Two successive cohorts of male conscripts in four companies of one brigade in the Finnish Defence Forces were first followed prospectively for one 6-month term to determine the baseline incidence of injury. After this period, two new successive cohorts in the same four companies were randomised into two groups and followed prospectively for 6 months. Military service is compulsory for about 90% of 19-year-old Finnish men annually, who comprised the cohort in this study. This randomised, controlled trial included 968 conscripts comprising 501 conscripts in the intervention group and 467 conscripts in the control group. A neuromuscular training programme was used to enhance conscripts' motor skills and body control, and an educational injury prevention programme was used to increase knowledge and awareness of acute musculoskeletal injuries. The main outcome measures were acute injuries of the lower and upper limbs.ResultsIn the intervention groups, the risk for acute ankle injury decreased significantly compared to control groups (adjusted hazards ratio (HR) = 0.34, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.15 to 0.78, P = 0.011). This risk decline was observed in conscripts with low as well as moderate to high baseline fitness levels. In the latter group of conscripts, the risk of upper-extremity injuries also decreased significantly (adjusted HR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.99, P = 0.047). In addition, the intervention groups tended to have less time loss due to injuries (adjusted HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.04).ConclusionsA neuromuscular training and injury prevention counselling programme was effective in preventing acute ankle and upper-extremity injuries in young male army conscripts. A similar programme could be useful for all young individuals by initiating a regular exercise routine.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier number NCT00595816.

The Association of Schizophrenia Risk D-Amino Acid Oxidase Polymorphisms With Sensorimotor Gating, Working Memory and Personality in Healthy Males

There is evidence supporting a role for the D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) locus in schizophrenia. This study aimed to determine the relationship of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the DAO gene identified as promising schizophrenia risk genes (rs4623951, rs2111902, rs3918346, rs3741775, and rs3825251) to acoustic startle, prepulse inhibition (PPI), working memory, and personality dimensions. A highly homogeneous study entry cohort (n = 530) of healthy, young male army conscripts (n = 703) originating from the Greek LOGOS project (Learning On Genetics Of Schizophrenia Spectrum) underwent PPI of the acoustic startle reflex, working memory, and personality assessment. The QTPHASE from the UNPHASED package was used for the association analysis of each SNP or haplotype data, with p-values corrected for multiple testing by running 10,000 permutations of the data. The rs4623951_T-rs3741775_G and rs4623951_T-rs2111902_T diplotypes were associated with reduced PPI and worse performance in working memory tasks and a personality pattern characterized by attenuated anxiety. Median stratification analysis of the risk diplotype group (ie, those individuals homozygous for the T and G alleles (TG+)) showed reduced PPI and working memory performance only in TG+ individuals with high trait anxiety. The rs4623951_T allele, which is the DAO polymorphism most strongly associated with schizophrenia, might tag a haplotype that affects PPI, cognition, and personality traits in general population. Our findings suggest an influence of the gene in the neural substrate mediating sensorimotor gating and working memory, especially when combined with high anxiety and further validate DAO as a candidate gene for schizophrenia and spectrum disorders.

The Influence of Schizophrenia-Related Neuregulin-1 Polymorphisms on Sensorimotor Gating in Healthy Males

Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) variations have been shown to modulate schizophrenia candidate endophenotypes related to brain structure and function. The objective of this cross-sectional genetic association study was to determine the relationship of six core single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the NRG1 gene identified as promising schizophrenia risk genes (rs6994992, SNP8NRG221132, SNP8NRG241930, rs3924999, rs2439272 and rs10503929) to prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex, a well validated schizophrenia endophenotype. PPI was tested in a highly homogeneous study entry cohort (n = 445) of carefully screened healthy, young male army conscripts originating from the Greek LOGOS project (Learning on Genetics of Schizophrenia Spectrum). The QTPHASE from the UNPHASED package was used for the association analysis of each single-nucleotide polymorphisms or haplotype data. Reduced PPI, particularly at 75-dB_120-msec and 85-dB_60-msec trials, was related to the SNP8NRG241930 G allele and especially the rs6994992 T allele and rs2439272 C allele. Haplotype analysis followed up by risk versus no-risk groups Analysis of variance confirmed that the rs10503929 and rs3924999 SNPs were also associated with PPI reductions, when combined with rs2439272. We provide solid evidence for a role of NRG1 risk genotype variations in PPI reductions in a large and demographically and genetically highly homogeneous cohort of healthy young males. These results further validate NRG1 as a candidate gene for the schizophrenia and spectrum disorders and improve our understanding of its functional mechanisms within the human brain because they suggest an influence of the gene in the neural substrate mediating sensorimotor gating.

Alexithymia as a Screening Index for Male Conscripts with Adjustment Disorder

This study investigated both whether alexithymia is a predictor for mental health and adjustment disorder, and its pathway relationships. Total of 158 young male conscripts diagnosed with adjustment disorder and another 155 young normal male controls were enrolled. Structural equation modeling showed, parental bonding influence personality, then affects alexithymic traits, and then affects mental health, finally further develop adjustment disorder. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) found the optimal cutoff point for screening of adjustment disorder using DIF of the TAS-20 was 21/22, resulting in a sensitivity of 0.84, specificity of 0.87, PPV of 0.87, and NPV of 0.84. The DIF of alexithymia can be used as a screening index for adjustment disorder. With the high degree of association between alexithymia and other psychiatric disorders, especially in those relatively lacking in the ability to empathize, future studies should investigate whether DIF can be generalizable to the screening of other empathy-related and psychiatric disorders.

Schizophrenia-Related Neuregulin-1 Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Lead to Deficient Smooth Eye Pursuit in a Large Sample of Young Men

Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) variations have been shown to modulate schizophrenia candidate endophenotypes related to brain structure and function. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of NRG1 on several oculomotor schizophrenia endophenotypes. The effects of 5 core single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the NRG1 gene to oculomotor parameters in a battery of oculomotor tasks (saccade, antisaccade, smooth eye pursuit, fixation) were investigated in a sample of 2243 young male military conscripts. Additive regression models, bootstrap and permutation techniques, were used as well as structural equation modeling and haplotype analysis. A deficit in global smooth eye pursuit performance measured using the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was related to the risk allele of SNP8NRG243177, and a deficit in global smooth eye pursuit performance measured using the saccade frequency was related with the risk allele of SNP8NRG433E1006. Structural equation modeling confirmed a global effect of NRG1 genotype on smooth eye pursuit performance using the RMSE, while the effect on saccade frequency was not confirmed. Haplotype analysis further confirmed the prediction from the structural equation modeling that a combination of alleles corresponding to the Icelandic high-risk haplotype was related to a deficit in global pursuit performance. NRG1 genotype variations were related to smooth eye pursuit variations both at the SNP level and at the haplotype level adding to the validation of this gene as a candidate gene for the disorder.

Factorial composition of the Aggression Questionnaire: A multi-sample study in Greek adults

The primary aim of the current article was the evaluation of the factorial composition of the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ 29) in the Greek population. The translated questionnaire was administered to the following three heterogeneous adult samples: a general population sample from Athens, a sample of young male conscripts and a sample of individuals facing problems related to substance use. Factor analysis highlighted a structure similar to the one proposed by Buss and Perry [Buss, A.F., Perry, M., 1992. The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 63, 452–459]. However, the refined 12-item version of Bryant and Smith [Bryant, F.B., Smith, B.D., 2001. Refining the architecture of aggression: a measurement model for the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality 35, 138–167] provided a better fit to our data. Therefore, the refined model was implemented in further analysis. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was applied in order to assess the variability of the 12-item AQ across gender and samples. The percentage of factor loading invariance between males and females and across the three samples defined above was high (higher than 75%). The reliability (internal consistency) of the scale was satisfactory in all cases. Content validity of the 12-item AQ was confirmed by comparison with the Symptom Check-List 90 Revised.

Self-Reported Physical Activity Improves Prediction of Body Fatness in Young Adults

To examine self-reported physical activity levels from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) as an independent predictor of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured percent body fat (%BF) from body mass index (BMI), gender, and race. Two hundred and seventy-eight students, aged 18-24 yr, volunteered to participate. There were 133 males (85 white and 48 black) and 145 females (77 white and 68 black). Total activity levels were quantified in MET hours per week (MET h wk(-1)) using the IPAQ short form. Height and weight were measured, and BMI values were calculated (kg m(-2)). %BF was assessed using DXA. Linear regression analysis was used to develop and compare a body fat prediction equation with (full) and without (reduced) the variable MET-h.wk. Both models included BMI, gender, and race as predictor variables. The prediction sum of squares (PRESS) statistic was used to cross-validate both models, and the individual predictive accuracy was compared using modified Bland-Altman plots. Mean +/- SD values were as follows: BMI = 24.4 +/- 4.1 kg m(-2), %BF = 24.5 +/- 9.3%, and MET h wk(-1) = 37.4 +/- 21.9. Gender, BMI, and race explained 81% of the variance in %BF, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.07. The full model with MET-h.wk improved the prediction of %BF by 2% (R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 3.87). When cross-validated, the corresponding PRESS statistics for the reduced and full model were 4.10 and 3.90, respectively. Bland-Altman limits of agreement were greater for the reduced model compared with the full model (-8.09, 8.10 vs -7.67, 7.68). These results suggest that %BF can be predicted with greater precision and accuracy in a young adult population when MET-h.wk are included in addition to BMI, gender, and race.

Is low IQ associated with an increased risk of developing suicidal thoughts?

Studies in young male conscripts suggest that low IQ scores are associated with an increased risk of suicide. Mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. To investigate the association of IQ, as indexed by the national adult reading test (NART), with the incidence of, and recovery from, suicidal thoughts. An 18-month follow-up of 2,278 of the adults who took part in the Britain's second national psychiatric morbidity survey who completed the NART at baseline. There was no evidence that poor performance on the NART was associated with an increased incidence of suicidal thoughts over the 18 month follow-up (adjusted odds ratio per 10 unit increase in NART-IQ 1.08 (95% CI 0.86-1.36). However, amongst the 155 subjects with suicidal thoughts at baseline, those with low NART-IQ were least likely to recover from them: the adjusted odds of recovery per 10 unit increase in NART-IQ was 1.42 (95% CI 0.96-2.10). The association between low IQ and an increased risk of suicide may be because people with low IQ experience suicidal thoughts for more prolonged periods than those with high IQ or because low IQ increase the likelihood that people experiencing suicidal thoughts act upon them.

Impact of Schizophrenia Candidate Genes on Schizotypy and Cognitive Endophenotypes at the Population Level

Aspects of cognitive function and schizotypy have been proposed as potential endophenotypes for schizophrenia. It is unknown whether the expression of these endophenotypes at the population level is modulated by the genetic variability of candidate susceptibility genes for schizophrenia. We examined the potential impact of 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the DTNBP1, NRG1, DAOA/G32, and DAAO genes, on cognition and self-rated schizotypy, in a representative population of 2243 young male military conscripts. Single SNP and haplotype associations were evaluated. The DTNBP1 SNPs rs2619522 and rs760761 exhibited several single marker associations, the minor alleles being associated with lower attention capacity but also a decrease in positive and paranoid schizotypy scores. The DTNBP1 haplotype load had borderline associations with nonverbal IQ, paranoid schizotypy, and sustained attention. For individual NRG1 polymorphisms, isolated but weak signals of association were noted with sustained attention and working memory but not schizotypy. The risk allele of functional SNP8NRG243177 was associated with reduced spatial working memory capacity. An isolated effect of DAAO haplotype variability was noted on negative and disorganization schizotypy. No convincing association of DAOA/G32 variability was detected. The DTNBP1 and, less so, NRG1 and DAAO variants might exert gene-specific modulating effects on schizophrenia endophenotypes at the population level.

Impact of schizophrenia candidate genes on schizotypy and cognitive endophenotypes at the population level

BackgroundAspects of cognitive function and schizotypy have been proposed as potential endophenotypes for schizophrenia. It is unknown if the expression of these endophenotypes at the population level is modulated by the genetic variability of candidate susceptibility genes for schizophrenia.MethodsWe examined the potential impact of 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within five susceptibility genes for schizophrenia (COMT, DTNP1, NRG1, DAOA/G32 and DAAO genes) on cognition and self-rated schizotypy, in a representative population of 2,243 young male military conscripts. Single SNP and haplotype associations were evaluated.ResultsVal carriers of the COMT val 158 met polymorphism, were associated with higher scores on the negative schizotypy factor, and a greater variability of response in attention capacity. DTNP1 SNPs rs2619522 and rs760761 exhibited several single marker associations, the minor alleles being associated with lower attention capacity but also a decrease in positive and paranoid schizotypy scores. DTNP1 haplotype load had borderline associations with non verbal IQ, paranoid schizotypy and sustained attention. For individual NRG1 polymorphisms, isolated but weak signals of association were noted with sustained attention and working memory, but not schizotypy. The risk allele of functional SNP8NRG243177 was associated with reduced spatial working memory capacity. An isolated effect of DAAO haplotype variability was noted on negative and disorganization schizotypy. No convincing association of DAOA/G32 variability was detected.ConclusionDTNP1 and val 158 met COMT, and less so NRG1 and DAAO variants, may exert gene-specific modulating effects on schizophrenia endophenotypes at the population level.

Experiences of patients with insulin‐treated diabetes in conscript military service

To determine how young adults with insulin therapy manage daily care of diabetes during the physically demanding conditions of conscript military service, and to evaluate the effects of military service on glycaemic control and on the incidence of acute diabetic complications. An observational study of 47 young male volunteer conscripts receiving insulin therapy was carried out at the Signal Regiment in Riihimäki from January 2001 to July 2005. Outcome measures were drop-out rate from service, management of diabetes care, glycaemic control, and occurrence of severe hypoglycaemia or ketoacidosis during service. Forty (85%) diabetic conscripts completed service, with service time ranging from 180 to 362 days, and seven (15%) interrupted service. One-third of conscripts reported difficulties during military training with insulin injections and blood glucose testing. The mean HbA(1c) during service increased by 0.6% units (P = 0.007) from baseline. Five events of severe hypoglycaemia in three conscripts (overall incidence rate 0.15 per patient-year) and one ketoacidosis event occurred. Diabetic conscripts were chosen for leadership training more often than non-diabetic conscripts. Our data suggest that selected and motivated adolescents on insulin therapy can manage the daily care of diabetes and maintain appropriate glycaemic control during service, although the risk of severe hypoglycaemia exists.

Psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) in young male obligatory conscripts: A two years test–retest study

The aim of this paper was the assessment of the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), within the Athens Study of Psychosis Proneness and Incidence of Schizophrenia (ASPIS). The Greek version was administered to 1355 young male conscripts in the Greek Air Force. The Perceptual Aberration Scale (PAS) and Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were also included in the study in order to evaluate convergent and discriminant validity. Two years later the SPQ was re-administered to 145 of the conscripts followed by the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (SCID-II). The Greek SPQ version replicated the original author’s high internal reliability findings (0.91) providing evidence of convergent (0.70), discriminant (0.32–0.47) and criterion (0.81) validity. The stability estimator of the SPQ was found to be 0.53 while negative schizotypal features appeared to be more stable over time than positive ones. Thirty three percent of the individuals over the 90th percentile of the total SPQ score had a clinical diagnosis of Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) via the SCID-II interview, while none of the remaining individuals appeared to have this disorder.

Cyber-Mobilization: The New "Levée en Masse"

The means and ends of mass mobilization are changing, bypassing the traditional state-centered approach that was the hallmark of the French Revolution and leaving advanced Western democracies merely to react to the results. Today's dynamic social, economic, and political transitions are as important to war as were the changes at the end of the 18th century that Clausewitz observed. Most important is the 21st century's levee en masse, a mass networked mobilization that emerges from cyber-space with a direct impact on physical reality. Individually accessible, ordinary networked communications such as personal computers, DVDs, videotapes, and cell phones are altering the nature of human social interaction, thus also affecting the shape and outcome of domestic and international conflict. Although still in its early stages, this development will not reverse itself and will increasingly influence the conduct of war. From the global spread of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks, to the rapid evolution of insurgent tactics in Iraq, to the riots in France, and well beyond, the global, non-territorial nature of the information age is having a transformative effect on the broad evolution of conflict, and we are missing it. We are entering the cyber-mobilization era, but our current course consigns us merely to react to its effects. Background: The Levee en Masse in the French Revolution The French Revolution marked the beginning of the age of modern warfare, characterized by the culmination of a fundamental shift from dynastic warfare between kings to mass participation of the populace in national warfare. Although the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 is commonly cited as the point of origin for the sovereign state, the French Revolution marks its true consolidation, with the formal abolition of the Holy Roman Empire as the result of Napoleon's conquests in 1806. (1) The character of war is constantly in flux: the American Revolutionary War was associated with many of the same anti-authoritarian passions that powered the French Revolution. But as George Washington's correspondence reflected, without national institutions to support the army, the problem of mobilizing and directing resources hobbled the American colonists' war effort. The key element in the firm establishment of the modern secular state within the West, and a watershed in the evolution of modern war, was the state's connection with the mass mobilized army. And at the heart of that new army was the levee en masse. The French term levee has two meanings in this context, both and uprising, each of which is important for understanding the nature of the levee en masse and its relationship to the dramatic changes that occurred in warfare at the time. (2) In its first meaning, the levy referred literally to the 23 August 1793 decree by the French National Convention that the entire population was obliged to serve the war effort. As a result, all single men between the ages of 18 and 25 were required to join the army. The French population at the time was the second largest in Europe, bested only by the Russians, and thus it supported a huge military mobilization: by September 1794, the French Republic had 1,169,000 men under arms, out of a total population of about 25 million. (3) For comparison, the current population of France is approximately 61 million, with about 134,000 on active duty. (4) The percentage of population mobilized during the wars of the French Revolution was unprecedented in Europe, in itself a revolutionary achievement. Therefore, the first meaning of the word referred literally to the goal of mass mobilization: the provision of large numbers of soldiers supported by the people. For all of his brilliance as a general, Napoleon could not have accomplished his dramatic transformation of the European landscape without the broad-based participation of the French populace, both its young male conscripts and its civilian labor, and his ability to harness these things for the army. …

Exhaled nitric oxide and exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction in young male conscripts: association only in atopics

This study was conducted to evaluate how bronchial responsiveness to direct and indirect stimuli relate to nitric oxide producing airway inflammation, and whether the relationship differs between atopic and nonatopic patients with various degrees of bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation in a group of otherwise homogenous young men. We studied 181 consecutive non-smoking steroid-naive young male conscripts referred to military hospital because of respiratory symptoms suggesting asthma. Skin prick tests, spirometry, measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), and standardized airway challenges with histamine and exercise were performed. 128 patients were atopic. FENO was significantly higher in the atopic group, median 21.2 ppb, compared to 10.2 ppb in the nonatopic group. Still, 36% of all nonatopic patients had elevated FENO. Bronchial responsiveness to histamine (HIB) was similar in the two groups, but exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) was stronger in atopics (P < 0.01). FENO associated significantly with atopy (P < 0.001), severity of EIB (P < 0.001) and HIB (P = 0.006) in multiple linear regression model. In separate regression models for atopic and nonatopic patients FENO associated with severity of EIB and HIB in atopic patients only. The results were similar when patients with confirmed diagnosis of asthma were analyzed separately. Our results indicate that FENO significantly associates with EIB and HIB in atopic, but not in nonatopic steroid-naïve patients with asthmatic symptoms. The finding suggests that in such atopic patients degree of airway hyperresponsiveness may reflect severity of airway inflammation. However, in nonatopic patients with similar symptoms other mechanisms of airway hyperresponsiveness may be more important.

Narrowing of Lumbar Spinal Canal Predicts Chronic Low Back Pain More Accurately than Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Young Finnish Male Conscripts

The objective of this magnetic resonance imaging study was to evaluate the role of degenerative changes, developmental spinal stenosis, and compression of spinal nerve roots in chronic low back (CLBP) and radicular pain in Finnish conscripts. The degree of degeneration, protrusion, and herniation of the intervertebral discs and stenosis of the nerve root canals was evaluated, and the midsagittal diameter and cross-sectional area of the lumbar vertebrae canal were measured in 108 conscripts with CLBP and 90 asymptomatic controls. The midsagittal diameters at L1-L4 levels were significantly smaller in the patients with CLBP than in the controls. Moreover, degeneration of the L4/5 disc and protrusion or herniation of the L5/S1 disc and stenosis of the nerve root canals at level L5/S1 were more frequent among the CLBP patients. Multifactorial analysis of the magnetic resonance imaging findings provided a total explanatory rate of only 33%. Narrowing of the vertebral canal in the anteroposterior direction was more likely to produce CLBP and radiating pain than intervertebral disc degeneration or narrowing of the intervertebral nerve root canals.

Frequency of Bicuspid Aortic Valve in Young Male Conscripts by Echocardiogram

The database of echocardiographic examinations performed during the military screening of 20,946 young men in northeastern Italy was systematically reviewed to assess the frequency, hemodynamic characteristics, and aortic sizes of subjects with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs). One hundred sixty-seven patients with BAVs were identified (0.8%), of whom 80 (48%) were diagnosed de novo during military screening. Aortic insufficiency was the predominant hemodynamic lesion in 110 subjects (66%), mild in 90, and moderate to severe in 20. Patients with BAVs displayed larger aortic sizes than controls at each aortic level, and the degree of dilation was related to the presence but not the severity of aortic insufficiency.

Factorial composition of self-rated schizotypal traits among young males undergoing military training.

The aim of this study within the Athens Study of Psychosis Proneness and Incidence of Schizophrenia (ASPIS) was the examination of the latent structure of schizotypal dimensions among a large population of young male conscripts in the Greek Air Force during their first week of military training. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on 1,355 reliable responders to the self-rated Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), which covers all nine aspects of DSM-III-R schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). A four-factor model (cognitive/perceptual, paranoid, negative, and disorganization schizotypal dimensions) provided a better fit to the data than did other competing models (one-, two-, three-, four, and five-factor models). This result is in agreement with recent findings supporting the notion of a multidimensional construct of the schizotypy and related schizophrenia phenotype.

Suicidal Ideation, Substance Use, and Sense of Coherence in Greek Male Conscripts

This study aimed to estimate the comorbidity of suicidal behavior and substance use in young male conscripts and to analyze the association between personal coping resources and the severity of these behaviors. A total of 1,098 Greek male conscripts participated in this study, completing the Antonovsky's sense of coherence questionnaire and a standard questionnaire concerning their lifetime and current suicidal and substance-use behavior. A proportion of 11.7% and 24%, respectively, had lifetime and current feelings that life is not worth living. The differences between past and current death wishes (8.9% vs. 9.2%), suicidal thoughts (8.3% vs. 7.6%), and suicide attempts (2.4% vs. 2.9%) were not significant. All of the subgroups with suicidal ideation or behavior showed a significantly lower sense of coherence questionnaire score as compared with the whole sample. The comorbidity of past and current suicide thoughts and substance use ranged from 16.4% to 33.3% and 31.4% to 44.2%, respectively, depending on the kind of the substance. Finally, the subjects with past or current substance use had a significantly higher incidence of past or current, respectively, suicidal ideation or behavior, as compared with those without a history of substance use. We suggest the necessity of the early detection of these high-risk behaviors applying closer monitoring and integrated prevention programs.