Towns in the regional policy of activation of peripheral areas – choosing problems – the case of northern Poland

In Polish regions there are big differences of the level of development between metropolitan areas (and others surroundings of big cities) and peripheral ones. These differences refere also to the factors and chances of development – in the peripheral areas there are little of them. What could help the activation of those areas is the development of some of the cities, including the localization of the investments. But the development usually requires the support of regional politics resources. In the area of the authors' interests there are problems of regional politics, 1) Which cities should be supported to activate the best peripheral areas of the regions? 2) What kind of transformations of the city space should be supported as part of that politics? Author analyses the problems and relations presented above and designs scenarios of activation of the chosen peripheral areas of provinces in northern Poland.

The use of Kashubian regional architecture in the creation of a cultural heritage tourism offer in the rural areas of selected communes of the Pomeranian Voivodeship

In Kashubia, as a cultural region, tourism manifests itself in various forms. One of them is rural cultural tourism,utilizing, inter alia, the material assets, unique character and wealth of secular and sacred architecture. The aim ofthis article is to determine the use of Kashubian regional architecture in the creation of a cultural heritage tourism offer in selected communes of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Research conducted by the author has shown that Pomeranian historic objects of sacred and secular architecture can be used to develop the heritage tourism offer, consistent with the idea of sustainable tourism. Some of the facilities are part of existing tourism products, e.g. cultural routes, museums, and theme parks, such as the Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie. However, the tourist potential of numerous  monuments is not fully used mainly due to insufficient tourism development, as well as lack of reliable information and promotion, and this affects sightseeing.In Kashubia, as a cultural region, tourism manifests itself in various forms. One of them is rural cultural tourism,utilizing, inter alia, the material assets, unique character and wealth of secular and sacred architecture. The aim ofthis article is to determine the use of Kashubian regional architecture in the creation of a cultural heritage tourism offer in selected communes of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Research conducted by the author has shown that Pomeranian historic objects of sacred and secular architecture can be used to develop the heritage tourism offer, consistent with the idea of sustainable tourism. Some of the facilities are part of existing tourism products, e.g. cultural routes, museums, and theme parks, such as the Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie. However, the tourist potential of numerous  monuments is not fully used mainly due to insufficient tourism development, as well as lack of reliable information and promotion, and this affects sightseeing

Gospodarka lokalna w teorii i praktyce

Artykuł prezentuje fragment badań na temat strategii rozwoju lokalnego gmin województwa pomorskiego. Analizuje je pod kątem konstrukcji oraz porównuje z przyjętym schematem – modelem teoretycznym.Alicja Sekuł

Low metabolic activity of biofilm formed by Enterococcus faecalis isolated from healthy humans and wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)

It is widely known that Enterococcus faecalis virulence is related to its biofilm formation. Although Enterococci are common commensal organisms of the gastrointestinal tract, the difference between commensal and pathogen strains remain unclear. In this study, we compare the biochemical profile of the biofilms formed by two groups of medical and two groups of commensal strains. The medical strains were isolated as pathogens from infections of urinary tract and other infections (wounds, pus and bedsores), and the commensal strains were taken from faeces of healthy volunteers and faeces of wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) living in an urban environment. The properties of biofilms formed by medical and commensal strains differed significantly. Commensal strains showed lower metabolic activity and glucose uptake and higher biofilm biomass than the medical ones. Consistent with glucose uptake experiments, we found that the glucose dehydrogenase gene was more expressed in medical strains. These results indicate that higher metabolic activity and lower protein concentration of E. faecalis cells within biofilms are formed during infections.This work was supported by the Medical University of Gdansk research grant (GUMed W-65) and was financed partly by University of Gdansk research grant (BW 1440-5-0099-7). We are grateful to Katarzyna Zolkos for her help in catching mallards and Magdalena Remisiewicz for correcting the English. Catarina Seabra helped in preparing assays

Risk factors for serious morbidity, prolonged length of stay and hospital readmission after laparoscopic appendectomy : results from Pol-LA (Polish Laparoscopic Appendectomy) multicenter large cohort study

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) for treatment of acute appendicitis has gained acceptance with its considerable benefits over open appendectomy. LA, however, can involve some adverse outcomes: morbidity, prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) and hospital readmission. Identification of predictive factors may help to identify and tailor treatment for patients with higher risk of these adverse events. Our aim was to identify risk factors for serious morbidity, prolonged LOS and hospital readmission after LA. A database compiled information of patients admitted for acute appendicitis from eighteen Polish and German surgical centers. It included factors related to the patient characteristics, peri- and postoperative period. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for serious perioperative complications, prolonged LOS, and hospital readmissions in acute appendicitis cases. 4618 laparoscopic appendectomy patients were included. First, although several risk factors for serious perioperative complications (C-D III-V) were found in the univariate analysis, in the multivariate model only the presence of intraoperative adverse events (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.32-12.65, p = 0.014) and complicated appendicitis (OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.74-7.61, p = 0.001) was statistically significant. Second, prolonged LOS was associated with the presence of complicated appendicitis (OR 2.8, 95%CI: 1.53-5.12, p = 0.001), postoperative morbidity (OR 5.01, 95% CI: 2.33-10.75, p < 0.001), conversions (OR 6.48, 95% CI: 3.48-12.08, p < 0.001) and reinterventions after primary procedure (OR 8.79, 95% CI: 3.2-24.14, p < 0.001) in the multivariate model. Third, although several risk factors for hospital readmissions were found in univariate analysis, in the multivariate model only the presence of postoperative complications (OR 10.33, 95% CI: 4.27-25.00), reintervention after primary procedure (OR 5.62, 95% CI: 2.17-14.54), and LA performed by resident (OR 1.96, 95%CI: 1.03-3.70) remained significant. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe procedure associated with low rates of complications, prolonged LOS, and readmissions. Risk factors for these adverse events include complicated appendicitis, postoperative morbidity, conversion, and re-intervention after the primary procedure. Any occurrence of these factors during treatment should alert the healthcare team to identify the patients that require more customized treatment to minimize the risk for adverse outcomes