Volatility and co-movements of the equity markets in Central Europe – evidence from Poland and Hungary

This article aims at verifying if there has been a structural change in the co-movement pattern of selected Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) over the ten-year period following the financial crisis. The empirical results confirmed that such a change was observed both in the correlation and volatility levels for specific market segments, as well as in the market dynamics. These findings provide a new insight into understanding the shock resilience, which consequently can supplement a wider assessment of the systemic risk in the financial markets. The key results point towards a decreased uncertainty in estimated correlation levels during the post-crisis period. Such findings are consistent with the hypothesis that intermarket linkages are currently better reflected in market prices when compared to the pre-crisis period. While this is clearly a positive signal for future system stability, it also evidences that the widely used GARCH and DCC specifications turn to be relatively narrow and therefore greater caution is highly recommended when interpreting estimation results

Blood serum calorimetry indicates the chemotherapeutic efficacy in lung cancer treatment

Chemotherapy is a primary treatment for the metastatic lung cancer patients. To select the most effective combination of drugs, we need an efficient way of assessing tumor response. Here, we showed that differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of blood serum proteins could reveal the patient response to the treatment. If chemotherapy is effective, serum proteins DSC curve of non-small cellular lung cancer (NSCLC) case is similar to the those of the healthy individuals. If treatment fails, notable changes occur in the DSC profile of NSCLC patient's blood serum. Our preliminary work illustrates how thermal analysis of changes in the heat capacity of blood serum proteins can provide an insight into patient response to chemotherapy - the essential information for any successive lung cancer treatment

Cutaneous recurrence of long term pulmonary sarcoidosis - literature review and case report

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease, the exact etiology of which is unknown. This paper presents a case of a patient with a long course of pulmonary sarcoidosis with exacerbation of the disease in the form of skin lesions.                A 50-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Medical University of Lublin, because of cervical lymphadenopathy. Based on the histopathological examination, she was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. The patient reported constant fatigue, throat tightness and difficulty swallowing, as well as decreased exercise tolerance. Computed tomography studies revealed small nodular changes in both lungs and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The patient was actively monitored. The results of spirometry tests improved spontaneously and remained at a satisfactory level for years. After 15 years of follow-up, the patient reported skin lesions that are constantly progressing. Examination of the cut from the skin lesion confirmed skin sarcoidosis. This case report highlights the varied course of sarcoidosis, which, as a multi-system disease, may show various manifestations. In clinical practice, therefore, one should consider the possibility of disease progression and transmission to multiple organs. It is important that the patient is under constant observation and that new lesions undergo differential diagnosis and histopathological examination

Optimizing treatment strategies for a MET exon 14 skipping mutation in non-small-cell lung cancer: a case report of sequential immunotherapy and targeted therapy and literature review

The MET exon 14 skipping mutation is found in approximately 3–4% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). In 2020, the American Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug targeting this mutation. Capmatinib is a selective MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In the European Union, capmatinib is used when the patient needs further treatment after receiving immunotherapy or platinum-based chemotherapy, or both. In the described case, due to disease progression during treatment with pembrolizumab and then with platinum-based chemotherapy, next-generation sequencing was performed, which allowed for detection of the MET gene exon 14 skipping mutation. Targeted therapy with capmatinib was the only method of treatment resulting in a partial response to the disease and improvement of the patient’s quality of life. This case indicates the importance of detailed molecular diagnosis and selection of the optimal method of treatment to prolong survival of the patient with advanced NSCLC. Due to promising results of research conducted so far, in the future, selective MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors — capmatinib and tepotinib — may become the new standard of first-line treatment in NSCLC patients with the MET exon 14 skipping mutation

Transformation directions of brownfields : the case of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis

Brownfields are remnants of the functional and spatial transformations of urban areas in Poland. They are particularly abundant in old industrial districts, based on coal mining and metallurgy. The aim of this study is to identify the transformation directions and functional changes of brownfields in the former Upper Silesian Industrial Region in southern Poland, which has evolved into the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM) through the process of socio-economic transformation. The study makes use of the x2 test of independence and Cramer’s V as a post-test, and the method of in-depth interviews. The results indicate that the most popular new functions of post-industrial sites are production and services. When we consider large brownfields such as, in particular, disused mine dumps, dumping sites, settling ponds and workings, the most popular new form of land use is green spaces. Moreover, the study shows that the size of brownfields impacts their new forms of land use

Forecasting model of Corylus, Alnus, and Betula pollen concentration levels using spatiotemporal correlation properties of pollen count

The aim of the study was to create and evaluate models for predicting high levels of daily pollen concentration of Corylus, Alnus, and Betula using a spatiotemporal correlation of pollen count. For each taxon, a high pollen count level was established according to the first allergy symptoms during exposure. The dataset was divided into a training set and a test set, using a stratified random split. For each taxon and city, the model was built using a random forest method. Corylus models performed poorly. However, the study revealed the possibility of predicting with substantial accuracy the occurrence of days with high pollen concentrations of Alnus and Betula using past pollen count data from monitoring sites. These results can be used for building (1) simpler models, which require data only from aerobiological monitoring sites, and (2) combined meteorological and aerobiological models for predicting high levels of pollen concentration

Assessment of Dysphagia as a Risk Factor of Chronic Cough

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of dysphagia in patients with chronic cough and its relationship with the long-term persistence of these symptoms. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients. All patients underwent physical examination, ENT assessment, videolaryngoscopy, functional phoniatric assessment at rest and speech, Water-Swallow Test, and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing disorders with Reflux Finding Score. Reflux Symptom Index questionnaire was performed. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee Review Board (KB/39/A/2016). Results: The results of the RFS and the RSI questionnaire showed the risk of reflux in participating patients. The patients presented episodes of spillage, double swallows, penetration, aspiration and residue of food at the hypopharynx. The results of functional assessment correlated with the Water-Swallow Test. The correlation between Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing disorders and Water-Swallow Test results was found for aspiration risk, spillage, and retention of saliva. Conclusion: The results of the study showed prevalence of dysphagia in most patients with chronic chough. It seems that phoniatric assessment in those cases should be expanded and the following tests should be performed: assessment of the laryngeal elevation, Water-Swallow Test, and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing disorders