Weight of diagnostic characteristics in the assess ment of tourism potential of rural areas according to Siedlce inhabitants

The presented work is an attempt to determine the importance of individual diagnostic characteristics conditioning rural tourism development by calculating their weights. The research was conducted in 2020 and involved the inhabitants of the city of Siedlce. The research method comprised a diagnostic survey. The authors’ research tool of choice was a questionnaire. The research pertained to an assessment of characteristics reflecting the tourism potential of rural areas in Poland. Evaluation of attitudes was based on a 10-grade Likert scale. The resulting point scores were used to calculate weights of characteristics affecting tourism development in rural areas. The characteristics representing structural resources which had the greatest impact on rural tourism development included: presence of natural water bodies in the commune, number of historic sites,number of food and beverage serving establishments, convenient road access to the commune’s administrative centre, and distance between the locality and the nearest town whose population exceeds 20 thousand inhabitants. Considering functional resources, indicators which may enhance an area’s attractiveness to tourists include commune’s ability to obtain EU funds and their expenses on tourism and entrepreneurship

The accommodation and transport modes of choice of Siedlce and Siedlce poviat residents engaged in domestic religious tourism in the years 2017-2019

The objective of the present work was to fill in the research space exploring the existential issues of people participating in religious tourism. The authors undertook to indicate places of accommodation and transport modes of choice for the purpose of religious trips made by people living either in the town of Siedlce or in the surrounding area called Siedlce poviat. The following determinants were used while establishing the aim of the study: gender, age andlevel of education. The study here involved the method of diagnostic survey whose research tool was the authors’ own questionnaire. The analysis conducted in the study reported here demonstrated significant relationships between accommodation of choice and gender, level of education as well as age of the pilgrims. By far the greatest number of respondents used accommodation offered in pilgrim hostels. The majority of subjects travelling for religious purposes in Poland participated in walking pilgrimages. Despite a convenient location of Siedlce poviat with regard to airports, tourists from the study area did not choose this mode of transport at all. The objective of the present work was to fill in the research space exploring the existential issues of people participating in religious tourism. The authors undertook to indicate places of accommodation and transport modes of choice for the purpose of religious trips made by people living either in the town of Siedlce or in the surrounding area called Siedlce poviat. The following determinants were used while establishing the aim of the study: gender, age andlevel of education. The study here involved the method of diagnostic survey whose research tool was the authors’ own questionnaire. The analysis conducted in the study reported here demonstrated significant relationships between accommodation of choice and gender, level of education as well as age of the pilgrims. By far the greatest number of respondents used accommodation offered in pilgrim hostels. The majority of subjects travelling for religious purposes in Poland participated in walking pilgrimages. Despite a convenient location of Siedlce poviat with regard to airports, tourists from the study area did not choose this mode of transport at all.

Intelligent organization in a local administrative unit : from theoretical design to reality

Purpose: The theoretical purpose of this paper is determining the essence of an intelligent organization (IO) in a local administrative unit (LAU) including identification of benefits and risks for local development connected with the development of IO in LAU. The practical purpose is presenting a concept of methods to identify the development level of IO in LAU. Design/Methodology/Approach: The work method is literature studies. In addition, two methods of evaluating the level of development of IO in LAU are proposed. The article makes use of statistical methods based on the vector of standardized sums. Findings: It is found that literature lacks a generally accepted definition of IO in LAU and many features characteristic of the development of IO in LAU are identified. The development of IO in LAU is a source of many benefits to local development, but it is also connected with the occurrence of some risks. The study proposes a set of features describing IO including their scoring. The paper also propose an indicator of the level of development of IO in LAU2 in Poland (municipality) in 2018 based on a set of variables (IO LAU2). Research has shown a positive correlation between the level of development of IO in LAU and the level of urbanization, investment attractiveness and economic growth. Practical Implications: The results of studies can be used by LAU for designing the strategy of developing an intelligent organization. They can provide valuable practical guidance about the type of activities to be implemented to ensure that LAU can evolve into IO. Originality/Value: The work proposes a definition of IO in LAU. Two methods of evaluating the level of development of IO in LAU are put forward. The first method allows pre-selection of LAU in terms the level of development of IO based on data available in public statistics. The next stage of the study can use the criteria of summary evaluation of the level of development of IO in the LAU, proposed in this work, according to a percentage scale. The presented methodological concept is universal – it can be used to evaluate the level of development of IO in taxonomic units at different levels and in different countries.peer-reviewe

The role of intelligent organisations in creating favourable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship

Purpose: The theoretical purpose of this study was to determine the essence of smart specialisation in local administrative units, together with the identification of its impact on the level of entrepreneurship and socio-economic development of spatial units. The empirical purpose was to indicate the relationship between the level of development of intelligent organisations (IO) in counties and the degree of entrepreneurship intensity. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper uses the method of literature studies, the standardised sums method, the weighted correlation method and cartographic analysis. Findings: Intelligent specialisation in a local administrative unit (LAU) can contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and accelerate the socio-economic development of the area. Investment attractiveness is more important for stimulating the development of entrepreneurship than intelligent organisation in local administrative units at the county level in Poland. Practical Implications: Results of the research can be used by local administrative units to shape the development strategy of an intelligent organization as well as of a smart specialisation. They can provide valuable practical guidance and synergies. Originality/Value: The paper identifies key features of the smart specialization strategy. The paper defines the intelligent organizations development level index in local administrative units of the county level in Poland in 2018 based on a set of variables. A method of constructing typologies of local administrative units is based on indices determining the level of intelligent organization, investment attractiveness and entrepreneurship. The methodological concept can be used to assess the level of development of IOs in taxonomic units of different levels in different countries.peer-reviewe

Combination of whole body cryotherapy with static stretching exercises reduces fatigue and improves functioning of the autonomic nervous system in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Funding Information: This article has been supported by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under Grant No. PPI/APM/2018/1/00036/U/001. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Background: The aim of this study was to explore the tolerability and effect of static stretching (SS) and whole body cryotherapy (WBC) upon fatigue, daytime sleepiness, cognitive functioning and objective and subjective autonomic nervous system functioning in those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) compared to a control population. Methods: Thirty-two CFS and eighteen healthy controls (HC) participated in 2 weeks of a SS + WBC programme. This programme was composed of five sessions per week, 10 sessions in total. Results: A significant decrease in fatigue was noted in the CFS group in response to SS + WBC. Some domains of cognitive functioning (speed of processing visual information and set-shifting) also improved in response to SS + WBC in both CFS and HC groups. Our study has confirmed that WBC is well tolerated by those with CFS and leads to symptomatic improvements associated with changes in cardiovascular and autonomic function. Conclusions: Given the preliminary data showing the beneficial effect of cryotherapy, its relative ease of application, good tolerability, and proven safety, therapy with cold exposure appears to be an approach worth attention. Further studies of cryotherapy as a potential treatment in CFS is important in the light of the lack of effective therapeutic options for these common and often disabling symptoms.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Effects of whole-body cryotherapy and static stretching are maintained 4 weeks after treatment in most patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Funding Information: This article/publication is based upon work from COST Action CA15111 ”European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, EUROMENE,” supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology, weblink: www.cost.eu , access date: 09.06.2022). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsIn the previous study, whole-body cryotherapy (WBC)+static stretching (SS) has been shown 25 to reduce the severity of some symptoms in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) noted just after 26 the therapy. Here we consider the effects of treatment and explore the sustainability of 27 symptom improvements at four weeks (one-month) follow-up. Twenty-two CFS patients were 28 assessed one month after WBC+SS programme. Parameters related to fatigue (Chalder 29 Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ), Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)), 30 cognitive function (Trial Making test part A and B (TMT A and TMT B and its difference 31 (TMT B-A)), Coding) hemodynamic, aortic stiffness (aortic systolic blood pressure (sBP 32 aortic)) and autonomic nervous system functioning were measured. TMT A, TMT B, TMT B33 A and Coding improved at one month after the WBC+SS programme. WBC+SS had a 34 significant effect on the increase in sympathetic nervous system activity in rest. WBC+SS had 35 a significant, positive chronotropic effect on the cardiac muscle. Peripheral and aortic systolic 36 blood pressure decreased one month after WBC+SS in comparison to before. Effects of 37 WBC+SS on reduction of fatigue, indicators of aortic stiffness and symptoms severity related 38 to autonomic nervous system disturbance and improvement in cognitive function were 39 maintained at one month. However, improvement in all three fatigue scales (CFQ, FIS and 40 FSS) was noted in 17 of 22 patients. In addition, ten patients were treated initially but they 41 were not assessed at 4 weeks, and are thus not included in the 22 patients who were examined 42 on follow-up. The overall effects of WBC+SS noted at one month post-treatment should be 43 interpreted with caution.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Campylobacter jejuni dsb gene expression is regulated by iron in a Fur-dependent manner and by a translational coupling mechanism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many bacterial extracytoplasmic proteins are stabilized by intramolecular disulfide bridges that are formed post-translationally between their cysteine residues. This protein modification plays an important role in bacterial pathogenesis, and is facilitated by the Dsb (disulfide bond) family of the redox proteins. These proteins function in two parallel pathways in the periplasmic space: an oxidation pathway and an isomerization pathway. The Dsb oxidative pathway in <it>Campylobacter jejuni </it>is more complex than the one in the laboratory <it>E. coli </it>K-12 strain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the <it>C. jejuni </it>81-176 genome, the <it>dsb </it>genes of the oxidative pathway are arranged in three transcriptional units: <it>dsbA2</it>-<it>dsbB</it>-<it>astA, dsbA1 </it>and <it>dba</it>-<it>dsbI</it>. Their transcription responds to an environmental stimulus - iron availability - and is regulated in a Fur-dependent manner. Fur involvement in <it>dsb </it>gene regulation was proven by a reporter gene study in a <it>C. jejuni </it>wild type strain and its isogenic <it>fur </it>mutant. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed that analyzed genes are members of the Fur regulon but each of them is regulated by a disparate mechanism, and both the iron-free and the iron-complexed Fur are able to bind <it>in vitro </it>to the <it>C. jejuni </it>promoter regions. This study led to identification of a new iron- and Fur-regulated promoter that drives <it>dsbA1 </it>gene expression in an indirect way. Moreover, the present work documents that synthesis of DsbI oxidoreductase is controlled by the mechanism of translational coupling. The importance of a secondary <it>dba-dsbI </it>mRNA structure for <it>dsbI </it>mRNA translation was verified by estimating individual <it>dsbI </it>gene expression from its own promoter.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present work shows that iron concentration is a significant factor in <it>dsb </it>gene transcription. These results support the concept that iron concentration - also through its influence on <it>dsb </it>gene expression - might control the abundance of extracytoplasmic proteins during different stages of infection. Our work further shows that synthesis of the DsbI membrane oxidoreductase is controlled by a translational coupling mechanism. The <it>dba </it>expression is not only essential for the translation of the downstream <it>dsbI </it>gene, but also Dba protein that is produced might regulate the activity and/or stability of DsbI.</p

Chicken Anti-Campylobacter Vaccine – Comparison of Various Carriers and Routes of Immunization

Campylobacter spp, especially the species Campylobacter jejuni, are important human enteropathogens responsible for millions of cases of gastro-intestinal disease worldwide every year. C. jejuni is a zoonotic pathogen, and poultry meat that has been contaminated by microorganisms is recognized as a key source of human infections. Although numerous strategies have been developed and experimentally checked to generate chicken vaccines, the results have so far had limited success. In this study, we explored the potential use of non-live carriers of Campylobacter antigen to combat Campylobacter in poultry. First, we assessed the effectiveness of immunization with orally or subcutaneously delivered GEM (Gram-positive Enhancer Matrix) particles carrying two Campylobacter antigens: CjaA and CjaD. These two immunization routes using GEMs as the vector did not protect against Campylobacter colonization. Thus, we next assessed the efficacy of in ovo immunization using various delivery systems: GEM particles and liposomes. The hybrid protein CjaAD, which is CjaA presenting CjaD epitopes on its surface, was employed as a model antigen. We found that CjaAD administered in ovo at embryonic development day 18 by both delivery systems resulted in significant levels of protection after challenge with a heterologous Campylobacter jejuni strain. In practice, in ovo chicken vaccination is used by the poultry industry to protect birds against several viral diseases. Our work showed that this means of delivery is also efficacious with respect to commensal bacteria such as Campylobacter. In this study, we evaluated the protection after one dose of vaccine given in ovo. We speculate that the level of protection may be increased by a post-hatch booster of orally delivered antigens