Managerial Competencies in Knowledge Context: Comparative Analysis of Poland and United Kingdom

The present study aims at defining the importance of the managerial competencies, taking particular interest in knowledge, in students' prospective professional career and the level in which these competencies were gained in the course of their studies. The empirical material was collected on the basis of a diagnostic survey carried out from 2009 to 2010 in Lublin, Poland and Huddersfield, Great Britain. The group of respondents consisted of the final year university students of economics and management. The research results revealed that, among both respondent groups, the importance of evaluated competencies exceeded the level of competencies gained during their studies

Skills and Learning Styles of Innovative Companies’ Employees

When faced with various challenges, modern organizations must be able to function effectively. These challenges include globalization, technological advancements, necessity to operate in the state of permanent flux, and finally, generation of intellectual capital, which delivers the competitive edge. As a consequence, the management of a modern organization and its diverse staff, which enables the company to operate effectively without generating losses or conflicts, becomes critical. Nowadays, organizations have to constantly look for innovative ways of conducting business. The conclusion drawn from observing successes of such organizations proves that taking a closer look at the issue of Human Resources (HR) diversity’s role is worthwhile. Especially the analysis of managerial skills and learning styles in the context of companies’ innovation seems of particular relevance. The managerial skills and their development are the basis for successful management processes in a modern company. The aim of this study was to identify and assess skills and learning styles of innovative companies’ employees. The empirical material was collected in 2016 on the basis of a research conducted among employees of innovative companies established in Poland. The results of the present research allowed to analyze the impact of the respondents’ independent variables on their skills and learning styles. As a result of the study, recommendations for managers and Human Resources Management (HRM) specialists were formulated on how to successfully manage employees’ various skills and learning styles

Wykorzystanie ultrasonografii płuc podczas kardiologicznej oceny osoby aktywnej fizycznie po przebytym COVID-19

Zarówno trwająca pandemia wywołana SARS CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), jak i zwiększająca się liczba ozdrowieńców po przebytej chorobie koronawirusowej 2019 (COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019) stawia przed pracownikami ochrony zdrowia nowe wyzwania. Jednym z nich jest zaplanowanie oceny pacjentów po przebytym zakażeniu w celu bezpiecznego powrotu do aktywności zawodowej, fizycznej i społecznej oraz uniknięcia niezdiagnozowanych, potencjalnie zagrażających życiu powikłań. Istotnym elementem tej oceny jest dobór metod obrazowania ewolucji zmian śródmiąższowych płuc. Choć „złotym standardem” pozostaje badanie tomografii komputerowej klatki piersiowej wysokiej rozdzielczości, to zwiększa się zainteresowanie badaniem ultrasonograficznym płuc, które może stanowić jej wartościowe uzupełnienie i jest coraz chętniej wykonywane przy okazji badania echokardiograficznego. W publikacji zaprezentowano propozycję wykorzystania tej metody diagnostycznej u 34-letniego pacjenta, trenera sportowców na poziomie wyczynowym, po przebytym objawowym COVID-19, u którego istotne klinicznie zmiany śródmiąższowe wycofały się całkowicie w stosunkowo krótkim czasie.Zarówno trwająca pandemia wywołana SARS CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), jak i zwiększająca się liczba ozdrowieńców po przebytej chorobie koronawirusowej 2019 (COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019) stawia przed pracownikami ochrony zdrowia nowe wyzwania. Jednym z nich jest zaplanowanie oceny pacjentów po przebytym zakażeniu w celu bezpiecznego powrotu do aktywności zawodowej, fizycznej i społecznej oraz uniknięcia niezdiagnozowanych, potencjalnie zagrażających życiu powikłań. Istotnym elementem tej oceny jest dobór metod obrazowania ewolucji zmian śródmiąższowych płuc. Choć „złotym standardem” pozostaje badanie tomografii komputerowej klatki piersiowej wysokiej rozdzielczości, to zwiększa się zainteresowanie badaniem ultrasonograficznym płuc, które może stanowić jej wartościowe uzupełnienie i jest coraz chętniej wykonywane przy okazji badania echokardiograficznego. W publikacji zaprezentowano propozycję wykorzystania tej metody diagnostycznej u 34-letniego pacjenta, trenera sportowców na poziomie wyczynowym, po przebytym objawowym COVID-19, u którego istotne klinicznie zmiany śródmiąższowe wycofały się całkowicie w stosunkowo krótkim czasie

Lung ultrasound as a part of cardiological assessment of physically active person after COVID-19

Both the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 pandemic and increasing number of survivors after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) state new challenges. One of them is proper assessment after infection in order to safe return to professional, physical and social activity and avoidance of undiagnosed, potentially life-threating complications. Significant element is a choice of diagnostic methods for evaluation of the parenchymal changes within the lungs. Despite high resolution computed tomography is still a gold standard, the use of lung ultrasonography is still increasing. It is a complementary diagnostic method which might be performed simultaneously with echocardiography. We present the proposition of use lung ultrasound in a 34-year-old patient, elite athletes- trainer after COVID-19, who developed parenchymal lung changes and recovered from them in a short time interval

The Effect of a High-Fat Diet on the Fatty Acid Composition in the Hearts of Mice

The Western diet can lead to alterations in cardiac function and increase cardiovascular risk, which can be reproduced in animal models by implementing a high-fat diet (HFD). However, the mechanism of these alterations is not fully understood and may be dependent on alterations in heart lipid composition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an HFD on the fatty acid (FA) composition of total lipids, as well as of various lipid fractions in the heart, and on heart function. C57BL/6 mice were fed an HFD or standard laboratory diet. The FA composition of chow, serum, heart and skeletal muscle tissues was measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Cardiac function was evaluated by ultrasonography. Our results showed an unexpected increase in polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and a significant decrease in monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs) in the heart tissue of mice fed the HFD. For comparison, no such effects were observed in skeletal muscle or serum samples. Furthermore, we found that the largest increase in PUFAs was in the sphingolipid fraction, whereas the largest decrease in MUFAs was in the phospholipid and sphingomyelin fractions. The hearts of mice fed an HFD had an increased content of triacylglycerols. Moreover, the HFD treatment altered aortic flow pattern. We did not find significant changes in heart mass or oxidative stress markers between mice fed the HFD and standard diet. The above results suggest that alterations in FA composition in the heart may contribute to deterioration of heart function. A possible mechanism of this phenomenon is the alteration of sphingolipids and phospholipids in the fatty acid profile, which may change the physical properties of these lipids. Since phospho- and sphingolipids are the major components of cell membranes, alterations in their structures in heart cells can result in changes in cell membrane properties

The pollution of surface water in the agricultural catchment against the background of agrarian structure and production intensity

The intensification of agricultural production is one of the factors determining economic development. Increasing mechanisation and use of fertilisers in agriculture lead to higher yields, but at the same time they can pose a threat to the environment. The overuse of chemical fertilisers contributes to increased concentration of nutrients in agricultural runoff. One of such areas is the Szreniawa River catchment, the study area located in the southern part of Poland. In this catchment, intensive mostly mechanical ploughing is applied in, for instance, vegetable production. The area has loess soils, which with intensive ploughing are susceptible to erosion. The study aims to determine changes in the quality of flowing waters against the background of agricultural production and land-use characteristics. Surface waters were classified as class II and occurred at all analysed points. The highest concentrations of N-NO3 , N-NH 4 and P-PO 4 were found at a point in the middle of the catchment (lower part of research area). There, the lowest concentrations were recorded in 2018, which was related to the amount of precipitation during the growing season. On the other hand, the volume of plant and animal production closely correlated with the quality of surface water in the area. This was also confirmed by the land use structure. In conclusion, intensive agricultural production, mainly in terms of plough tillage causes significant hazards associated with soil erosion especially on agriculturally sensitive soils, although it provides good yields

Interpretacja elektrokardiogramu u sportowców wyczynowych

Background: The Ministry of Health in Poland recommends electrocardiogram (ECG)-based cardiovascular screening in athletes, but so far there has been a lack of guidelines on preparticipation assessment. We compared different criteria of ECG screening assessment in a group of top-level athletes. Aim: The aims were to evaluate the prevalence of ECG changes in athletes that necessitate further cardiological work-up according to three criteria in various age groups as well as to identify factors determining the occurrence of changes related and unrelated to the training. Methods: 262 high-dynamic, high-static Polish athletes (rowers, cyclists, canoeists) were divided into two age categories: young (≤ 18 years of age; n = 177, mean age 16.9 ± 0.8; 15–18 years) and elite (> 18 years of age; n = 85, mean age 22.9 ± 3.4; 19–34 years). All sports persons had a 12-lead ECG performed and evaluated according to 2010 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommendations, 2012 Seattle criteria, and 2014 Refined criteria. Results: The Refined criteria reduced (p < 0.001) the number of training-unrelated ECG findings to 8.0% vs. 12.6% (Seattle criteria) and 30.5% (ESC recommendations). All three criteria revealed more training-related changes in the group of older athletes (76.5% vs. 55.9%, p = 0.001). Predictors that significantly (p < 0.005) affected the occurrence of adaptive changes were the age of the athlete, training duration (in years), and male gender. Conclusions: 1. The ESC criteria identified a group of athletes that was unacceptably large, as for the screening test, requiring verification with other methods (every fourth athlete). 2. The use of the Refined criteria helps to significantly reduce the frequency and necessity for additional tests. 3. The dependence of adaptive changes on training duration and athletes’ age confirms the benign nature of those ECG findings.  Wstęp: Ministerstwo Zdrowia w Polsce rekomenduje wykonywanie elektrokardiograficznych (EKG) badań przesiewowych u sportowców, wciąż jednak brakuje wytycznych na temat tego, które kryteria powinno się stosować w ocenie EKG sportowca. Porównano zatem różne kryteria oceny EKG u polskich sportowców trenujących w wymiarze wyczynowym. Cel: Celem pracy była ocena częstości występowania zmian w EKG niezwiązanych z treningiem, wymagających dalszej diagnostyki zgodnie z trzema wybranymi kryteriami oceny EKG w dwóch grupach wiekowych. Ponadto podjęto próbę zidentyfikowania czynników determinujących występowanie zmian związanych i niezwiązanych z treningiem. Metody: 262 polskich sportowców obciążonych największym wysiłkiem dynamicznym i statycznym (wioślarze, kolarze, kajakarze) zostało podzielonych na dwie grupy wg wieku: młodzi (≤ 18 rż.; n = 177, średnia wieku 16,9 ± 0,8 roku; 15–18 lat) oraz dojrzali (> 18 rż.; n = 85, średnia wieku 22,9 ± 3,4 roku; 19–34 lat). U wszystkich sportowców wykonano 12-odprowadzeniowe EKG, które ocenione wg wzorców zawartych w rekomendacjach Europejskiego Towarzystwa Kardiologicznego (ESC) z 2010 r., kryteriów Seattle z 2012 r. oraz kryteriów Refined z 2014 r. Wyniki: Kryteria Refined obniżyły (p < 0,001) liczbę zmian niezwiązanych z treningiem do 8,0% vs. 12,6% (kryteria Seattle) oraz 30,5% (rekomendacje ESC). Wszystkie trzy kryteria pokazały, że zmiany związane z treningiem występują częściej w grupie starszych sportowców (76,5% vs. 55,9%; p = 0,001). Czynnikami wpływającymi (p < 0,005) na występowanie zmian związanych z treningiem w EKG okazały się: wiek sportowca, czas trwania treningu (w latach) i płeć męska. Wnioski: 1. Ocena wg kryteriów ESC pozwoliła na zidentyfikowanie nieakceptowalnie dużej grupy sportowców wymagających dalszej diagnostyki kardiologicznej (co czwarty badany sportowiec). 2. Zastosowanie kryteriów Refined istotnie zmniejszyło częstość i konieczność wykonywania dodatkowych badań. 3. Zależność częstości występowania zmian związanych z treningiem od czasu trwania treningu oraz od wieku sportowca potwierdza łagodny charakter tych zmian w EKG.

Evaluation of acidogenesis products’ effect on biogas production performed with metagenomics and isotopic approaches

Abstract Background During the acetogenic step of anaerobic digestion, the products of acidogenesis are oxidized to substrates for methanogenesis: hydrogen, carbon dioxide and acetate. Acetogenesis and methanogenesis are highly interconnected processes due to the syntrophic associations between acetogenic bacteria and hydrogenotrophic methanogens, allowing the whole process to become thermodynamically favorable. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of the dominant acidic products on the metabolic pathways of methane formation and to find a core microbiome and substrate-specific species in a mixed biogas-producing system. Results Four methane-producing microbial communities were fed with artificial media having one dominant component, respectively, lactate, butyrate, propionate and acetate, for 896 days in 3.5-L Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) bioreactors. All the microbial communities showed moderately different methane production and utilization of the substrates. Analyses of stable carbon isotope composition of the fermentation gas and the substrates showed differences in average values of δ13C(CH4) and δ13C(CO2) revealing that acetate and lactate strongly favored the acetotrophic pathway, while butyrate and propionate favored the hydrogenotrophic pathway of methane formation. Genome-centric metagenomic analysis recovered 234 Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs), including 31 archaeal and 203 bacterial species, mostly unknown and uncultivable. MAGs accounted for 54%–67% of the entire microbial community (depending on the bioreactor) and evidenced that the microbiome is extremely complex in terms of the number of species. The core microbiome was composed of Methanothrix soehngenii (the most abundant), Methanoculleus sp., unknown Bacteroidales and Spirochaetaceae. Relative abundance analysis of all the samples revealed microbes having substrate preferences. Substrate-specific species were mostly unknown and not predominant in the microbial communities. Conclusions In this experimental system, the dominant fermentation products subjected to methanogenesis moderately modified the final effect of bioreactor performance. At the molecular level, a different contribution of acetotrophic and hydrogenotrophic pathways for methane production, a very high level of new species recovered, and a moderate variability in microbial composition depending on substrate availability were evidenced. Propionate was not a factor ceasing methane production. All these findings are relevant because lactate, acetate, propionate and butyrate are the universal products of acidogenesis, regardless of feedstock