Emotional functions in transsexuals after the first step in physical transformation

Osoby transseksualne muszą stawić czoła wielu problemom zdrowotnym, społecznym i biurokratycznym związanym z podjęciem decyzji o transformacji. Liczne wyzwania występują zarówno przed, w trakcie jak i po zabiegach medycznych. W dążeniu do poprawy jakości życia osób transseksualnych pożądane wydaje się zatem zbadanie funkcji psychologicznych w trakcie postępowania medycznego. Obecne badania prowadzono w celu określenia kondycji emocjonalnej tej grupy pacjentów i obejmowały one 28 transseksualistów w trakcie transformacji z płci biologicznej F/M oraz dwie grupy kontrolne; mężczyzn i kobiet w podobnym wieku. Jako metody badania wykorzystano następujące skale psychometryczne: CECS (Skala Kontroli Emocjonalnej M. Watson i S. Greer w polskiej adaptacji Z. Juczyńskiego), ISCL (polska adaptacja Inwentarza Lęku dla Dorosłych w adaptacji T. Sosnowskiego ) i GSES (polska adaptacja Z. Juczyńskiego i K. Wrześniewskiego Skali Uogólnionej Samoskuteczności R. Schwarzer, M. Jerusalem). Wyniki uzyskane w grupie badanych osób transseksualnych (F/M) porównano z wynikami analogicznych testów przeprowadzonych w grupach kontrolnych. Pacjenci transseksualni F/M prezentowali wyniki bardzo podobne do grupy mężczyzn w zakresie poczucia samoskuteczności, oraz stanu i cechy lęku, podczas gdy ich subiektywna ocena kontroli lęku była bardziej zbliżona do grupy kontrolnej kobiet i istotnie statystycznie niższa niż w grupie kontrolnej męskiej. Transsexuals have to face multiple medical, social and bureaucratic problems. These problems are not only encountered before the transformation, but also during and after medical procedures. In the search for improvement of transsexual individuals’ quality of life during therapy, it seems desirable to supplement hormonal treatments with psychological explorations. This study was conducted with the aim of defining emotional conditions and included 28 transsexual female-to-male (F/M) patients and two gender-divided control groups (males and females) of similar age. The following psychometric scales were used: CECS (Courtauld Emotional Control Scale constructed by M. Watson and S. Greer in the Polish Adaptation by Z. Juczyński), ISCL (the Polish Adaptation of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults by T. Sosnowski), and GSES (the Polish Adaptation of the R. Schwarzer, M. Jerusalem Generalized Self-Efficacy Scaleby Z. Juczyński and K. Wrześniewski). Transsexual F/M patients appeared very similar to males in the male control group in terms of their subjective selfefficacy and state-trait anxiety, while their subjective belief of anxiety and fear control was more comparable to that of the female controls. It was also found to be statistically significantly lower than in the male controls

Tourism and Recreation: Contemporary Threats and Opportunities for Development

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed pape

Mathematical principles of the RSA algorithm

Kryptosystem RSA znalazł zastosowanie w wielu protokołach używanych do bezpiecznej komunikacji. Niniejsza praca przedstawia matematyczne podstawy gwarantujące poprawności operacji szyfrowania i deszyfrowania wiadomości w RSA. Pierwszy rozdział przedstawia definicje struktur algebraicznych. W następnym, przedstawione są użyteczne twierdzenia. Następnie zdefiniowane są operacje szyfrowania i deszyfrowania wraz z dowodem poprawności oraz implementacją. W ostatnim rozdziale znajduje się omówienie wybranych testów pierwszości wraz z implementacjami.RSA cryptosystem has been applied in a number of secure communication protocols. This paper presents the mathematical foundations for ensuring the correctness of operations encryption and decryption messages in RSA. The first chapter gives definitions of algebraic structures. The next are shown useful theorems connected with number theory. Then there are defined operation of encryption and decryption with proof of correctness and implementation. The last chapter is a discussion of some primality testing with implementations

Vitamino C, kaip maisto papildo , vartojimo poveikis varžybinio lygio sportininkams atliekant didinamo krūvio pratimus

Twenty-one male basketball player (22-33 yr.) volunteered to participate in the experiment and gave their written consent. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control (control group-C) (n=10) or vitamin C (VC) (n=11) – supplemented group. The mean values (X) and standard deviation (±SD) of age and body height were 27,1±4,0 yr and 194,0±8,8 cm, while VO2max 44,7±4,2 ml/min/kg for the supplemented group and 23,3±1,3 yr, 190.0±3,3 cm, and VO2max 46,7±7,8 for the control group. During the experiment both groups were on a mixed, isocaloric diet (25% proteins, 55% carbohydrates, 20% fat). The average daily caloric and vitamin C intake from the diet of the C group equalled 3578±186 kcal and 75.6±7.7 mg. Respective values for the C group were 3715±127 kcal and 81.3±6.9 mg. All of the tested subjects performed similar, high intensity basketball training, six times per week, ranging from 90 to 120 min daily. Eleven subjects supplemented their diet with 240 mg of vitamin C (Acerola C – Nutrilite USA) taken as eight capsules three times daily (3 in the morning - 2 at midday and 3 capsules in the evening) for 2 weeks. Remaining subjects did not ingest any supplements (control group-C). No differences were observed in oxygen uptake during the progressive endurance exercise test between the supplemented and control groups during initial testing and after 14 days of the experiment. Vitamin C supplementation did not significantly effect resting creatine kinase (CK) activity as well as the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and uric acid (UA). On the other hand the progressive endurance exercise protocol caused a significant rise (p<0,05) in CK activity which remained at that level after 30 min of recovery. The level of UA and MDA after exercise rose insignificantly. After 30 min of recovery statistically significant differences were registered only in case of UA. Vitamin C supplementation did not affect the amount of leukocytes and reticulocytes in peripheral blood (Tab. 2 and 3). On the other hand after exercise and during the 30th min of recovery in the group supplemented with vitamin C a tendency for lower leukocyte count was observed in comparison to the control group. Similar tendencies were registered in case of reticulocytes (Tab. 2 and 3). The endurance exercise protocol caused a significant increase (p<0,01) in the leukocytes and reticulocytes count, both after 12 min of exercise and after its cessation (Tab. 2 and 3). After 30 min of recovery a decrease of leukocytes and reticulocytes count in blood was observed which were slightly higher than at rest. It seems that dietary vitamin C content of the tested subjects was sufficient and an additional intake through supplementation did not cause significant metabolic changes and did not effect VO2max values during the endurance exercise protocol.Eksperimente savanoriškai dalyvavo 21 krepšininkas (22–23‑ejų metų), jie visi pateikė savo raštiškus sutikimus. Tiriamieji atsitiktine tvarka buvo suskirstyti į dvi grupes: kontrolinę (C) grupę (n = 10) ir vitaminą C vartojusią (VC) grupę (n=11). Buvo nustatyti amžiaus, ūgio ir VO2max vidurkiai (X) ir standartiniai nuokrypiai (±SD): papildus (vitaminą C) vartojusios grupės amžius buvo 27,1 ± 4,0 metai, ūgis 194,0 ± 8,8 cm, VO2max 44,7 ± 4,2 ml/min/kg, o kontrolinės grupės šie rodikliai atitinkamai buvo 23,3±1,3 metai, 190,0±3,3 cm ir VO2max 46,7 ± 7,8 ml/min/kg. Eksperimento metu abiejų grupių valgiaraštis buvo mišrus, izokalorinis (25 % baltymų, 55 % angliavandenių, 20 % riebalų). C grupės kasdienis vidutinis suvartotas kalorijų ir vitamino C kiekis buvo 3578 ± 186 kcal ir 75,6±7,7 mg, VC grupės – 3715 ± 127 kcal ir 81,3 ± 6,9 mg. Visi tiriamieji atliko panašias didelio intensyvumo 90–120 min trukmės krepšinio pratybas šešis kartusper savaitę kasdien. [...

Assessment of the Impact of Pentafecta Parameters Affecting the Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

Prostate cancer is being detected in increasingly younger men. These patients expect to preserve their current quality of life and quickly recover after treatment. Medical technology and surgical techniques are advancing along with the growing expectations of patients. In addition, the universal method of assessing the quality of outcomes after operations is constantly being researched. As of today, biochemical remission alone, after radical prostatectomy, is insufficient for the patient. Therefore, multi-parametric evaluation methods are being developed, such as trifecta, which assesses biochemical remission, continence, and erectile function. The improvement over the trifecta is the pentafecta, which additionally evaluates postoperative complications and infiltration of surgical margins. Our study was conducted within a group of patients who were surgically treated for prostate cancer in 2017 at the Clinic of Urology and Urological Oncology of the Pomeranian Medical University. We recruited 237 men for the study. From that group, 131 men met the criteria to be included in the analysis. Maintaining continence (87.78%) is the easiest pentafecta parameter to obtain and will have the greatest impact on quality of life in the future. Maintaining biochemical remission (82.44%) is the second most important aspect for the patient. Retaining erectile function is the most difficult pentafecta parameter to obtain (29.01%) while having little impact on the quality of life. Negative surgical margins (66.41%) showed a negligible impact on the quality of life. The occurrence of complications (32.07%) has a negative impact on the quality of life of patients, but only during the treatment of complications

Urethral stone of unexpected size: case report and short literature review

Urolithiasis is a well-known disease. Stones can form in all parts of the urinary tract. Diagnosis and treatment usually do not create clinical problems. However from time to time in daily practice doctors are confronted with casuistic cases. Here, we report a 54-year-old man with a large stone localized to the urethra. Because of the size of the stone, confirmed on radiography, and the presence of a cutaneous fistula, open surgery was performed. Due to urethral stricture, the patient required a second stage of reconstructive surgery. This case emphasizes that unusual presentation of urolithiasis may occur, and different surgical approaches as well as other surgical manipulations in such cases must be considered

Inhibition of Advanced Glycation End-Product Formation and Antioxidant Activity by Extracts and Polyphenols from Scutellaria alpina L. and S. altissima L.

Methanolic extracts from the aerial parts and roots of two Scutellaria species, S. alpina and S. altissima, and five polyphenols from these plants demonstrated a significant ability to inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGE) in vitro. S. alpina, which is richer in polyphenolic compounds, had strong antiglycation properties. These extracts demonstrated also high activity in the FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power), antiradical (DPPH) and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. Among the pure compounds, baicalin was the strongest glycation inhibitor (90.4% inhibition at 100 μg/mL), followed by luteolin (85.4%). Two other flavone glycosides had about half of this activity. Verbascoside was similar to the reference drug aminoguanidine (71.2% and 75.9%, respectively). The strong correlation observed between AGE inhibition and total flavonoid content indicated that flavonoids contribute significantly to antiglycation properties. A positive correlation was also observed between antiglycative and antioxidant activities. The studied skullcap species can be considered as a potential source of therapeutic agents for hyperglycemia-related disorders