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Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity in the elderly population. COPD leads to a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQL), but the factors which contribute to this are not well understood. A better understanding of the factors which determine HRQL should lead to an improved care for such patients. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate possible age-related differences in HRQL in a population of patients with a similar severity of obstruction. Methods: A total of 180 consecutive COPD patients were enrolled into the study. We analyzed spirometric data, BODE index and its components, and comorbidities were assessed by the Charlson index. HRQL was assessed by the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results: The cohort consisted of 93 'younger' patients (mean age 54.8 ± 3.1 years) and 87 older patients (mean age 73.1 ± 5.5 years). Patients in both groups had a similar severity of obstruction: FEV1 (%from predicted) was 39.9 ± 13.2% in the elderly group compared to 41.7 ± 11.7% in the younger group (p > 0.05). The forward stepwise regression analysis shows that the BODE index, the Charlson index, and the rate of exacerbations are important predictors of deterioration of HRQL in elderly COPD patients, which explains 29% of the total SGRQ score. In the younger COPD patients, the coefficient of determination R² was 0.27, but the predictors were the BODE index and the rate of exacerbations. Conclusions: The BODE index, the Charlson index, and the rate of exacerbations were found to be the major determinants of HRQL in elderly COPD patients, while in younger COPD patients, the BODE index and the rate of exacerbations were influential factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant positive effects, particularly on psychological state in patients who completed the follow-up pulmonary rehabilitation programs, are indicated by a large number of studies. Yet, a remarkable proportion of selected patients drop out from these programs. In this study, we investigated existing differences on psychological variables among COPD patients who complete and those who drop out from pulmonary rehabilitation programs. The study included 144 patients, 43 (29.9%) of whom did not complete the program. SCL-90 was used for the assessment of psychological symptoms. On the SCL-90-R scale 55.6% of patients had abnormal findings. Patients who discontinued the programhad higher rates of depression and somatization compared to those who completed it. Regarding the psychopathology scales of SCL-90R,we found that patientswho discontinued the programshowed higher levels of psychopathology on the scales of somatization, depression, paranoid ideation, and psychotism compared to those who completed the program. The final regression model showed that patients with low educational status and psychotism were more likely to leave the program. In conclusion, psychopathology contributes to patients dropping out from a COPD rehabilitation program; thus, psychological assessment prior to inclusion in rehabilitation programs may reduce dropouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an inventory of the cartographic collections of the Lucian Blaga Central University Library in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The Special Collections of the library houses the cartographic collection, which presents the history of the represented geographical areas. Some of the German cartographers whose works are part of the collection include Sebastian Münster, Gerhard Mercator and Philip Cluverius.

An abstract of the article "Bronchiectasis in Patients With COPD: An Irrelevant Imaging Finding or a Clinically Important Phenotype?" by Epaminondas Kosmas and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "The Presence of OSA Syndrome Is Predicted by Nocturnal Gastroesophageal Reflux" by Silvia Dumitru and colleagues is presented.

The article profiles Ioan Hentea, who will retire as librarian of the Lucian Blaga Central University Library in Cluj-Napoca, Romania in 1997. Hentea was born in Noslac village on September 24, 1931 and is said to receive a good education. He came to the Central University Library in 1986 and was appointed assistant director of the library in 1990. The author considers Hentea as a model of librarianship.

The Special Collections of the "Lucian Blaga" Central University Library could be considered a museum of Romanian and European culture. A researcher into medieval and modern Romanian and especially Transylvanian history is able to find a rich source of historical documents from the Transylvanian families of ancient lineage. The earliest document dates from 1228. There are also 20 century documents. We must mention also the proceedings, the registers, the guild registers as well as historical, social, political, juridical, literary, religious and musical codexes and manuscripts in Latin, Hungarian, German, Slavic, Romanian and even some in Oriental languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Excessive Yawning Is Not a Characteristic of Daytime Sleepiness Due to Sleep Apnea Syndrome" by Panos Demertzis and colleagues is presented.