Present-day changes in the morphology of the shore zone in the conditions of heavy tourist use: the case of Lake Czarne (upper Parsęta catchment)

So far, works on the effect of tourist use on relief have usually focused on mountain areas. Research confirms that changes in montane geoecosystems are not always a natural manifestation of landscape evolution, but often result from poorer resistance to degradation caused by heavy tourist traffic. In spite of a great number of studies concerning this problem, few address the effect of tourists on the geographical environment of lakeland areas. Hence, Lake Czarne was selected to determine the dynamics of morphogenetic changes in its shore area, especially in the scarp zone, with the help of geodetic surveys and studies of tourist capacity conducted in the years 2006–2009. On the basis of observations and the research, four stages in the evolution of the shore zone of Lake Czarne were distinguished that were correlated with specific meteorological and hydrological conditions affecting the number of recreationists on the beach

Level of academic and didactic competencies among students as a measure to evaluate geographical education and preparation of students for the demands of the modern labour marke

Young people, regardless of their social environment, place of residence or work, are looking for values and key competencies that enable achieving goals in life. Therefore, an appropriate education system is important, which in the conditions of changing reality will meet these requirements effectively. The contemporary employer is interested in four groups of key competencies, such as intellectual, professional, personal and interpersonal. Geography is a field with great potential for the development of various competencies. In this context, questions about adjusting geographical education to the expectations of employers are justified. Therefore, the aim of the study is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the current development of competencies and qualifications at the geography speciality of the Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. The reference points included a report on research carried out among 200 employers in 2012, as well as surveys among students graduating from master‘s studies on the assessment of the level of their competencies and qualifications. It was determined that the strength of the current geographical education at the faculty is to prepare mainly specialists with broad general and professional knowledge, and high self-esteem in terms of cooperation in the group and communication. The area of development for the geographical education are intellectual competencies, above all independent thinking and prioritising. The last year geography students fall out the most in terms of personal competencies. The authors suggest building students‘ awareness because, as the above results show, they are not fully aware of what expectations they may face in the labour market. It is worth modifying the study program so as to put more emphasis on soft competencies and support the development of various forms of extra activities of students. Attention was also paid to the importance of didactic competencies, which on the one hand raise the self-esteem of students, and on the other, increase the chance of finding a good job. An interesting aspect of the research is the wide spectrum of professions in which students work. This reflects their diverse skills, including spatial thinking. Combined with increasing attention paid to the issues related to the natural environment and sustainable development, graduates of geography have a strong position to enter the current labour market. The advantage of geographers is the use of modern technologies. Unfortunately, however, the results of the research presented above, both among Polish students and internationally, indicate insufficient skills in the use of modern technologies by students of geography

Consciousness and Social Cognition from an Interactionist Perspective: A New Approach on Understanding Normal and Abnormal Relations between Metacognition and Mindreading

Contemporary discussions on relations between metacognition and mindreading result in several theoretical accounts allowing various combinations of both mechanisms in the process of formation of beliefs, intentions, and decisions with respect to oneself or others. In fact, various prefrontal areas of the brain are activated when individuals mentalize about themselves and about other people. Interestingly, the latest accounts of the relationship between mindreading and metacognition clearly favor arguments for interactionism between functionally different mechanisms in the formation of our social knowledge. In particular, a two-level architecture enables a mutual interaction within a complex metacognitive system that is evolutionarily structured into higher and lower level metacognition with different functions and tasks. In our opinion, cognitive architecture of such systems needs to include conscious mechanisms that incorporate information accessibility as activation through the interaction. Here, we will argue that the combination of the two-level account on mindreading and metacognition along with a global broadcasting architecture embedded in the human brain is a good starting point that explains formation of accurate social knowledge and access to such knowledge. In our opinion, it becomes clear that consciousness via the interaction activates many unconscious brain regions, including interpreter systems such as metacognition and mindreading

Scrutinizing mechanisms of the "obesity paradox in sepsis" : obesity is accompanied by diminished formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) due to restricted neutrophil-platelet interactions

Systemic inflammation is a detrimental condition associated with high mortality. However, obese individuals seem to have higher chances of surviving sepsis. To elucidate what immunological differences exist between obese and lean individuals we studied the course of endotoxemia in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) and ob/ob animals. Intravital microscopy revealed that neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in liver vasculature is negligible in obese mice in sharp contrast to their lean counterparts (ND). Unlike in lean individuals, neutrophil influx is not driven by leptin or interleukin 33 (IL-33), nor occurs via a chemokine receptor CXCR2. In obese mice less platelets interact with neutrophils forming less aggregates. Platelets transfer from ND to HFD mice partially restores NET formation, and even further so upon P-selectin blockage on them. The study reveals that in obesity the overexaggerated inflammation and NET formation are limited during sepsis due to dysfunctional platelets suggesting their targeting as a therapeutic tool in systemic inflammation

Percutaneous coronary interventions in new oral anticoagulants-threated patient

Doustne antykoagulanty niebędące antagonistami witaminy K, tzw. nowe doustne antykoagulanty (NOAC), ze względu na swoją dużą skuteczność w zapobieganiu zdarzeniom zakrzepowo-zatorowym i wygodny sposób dawkowania są coraz powszechniej stosowane przez pacjentów wymagających przewlekłej antykoagulacji z powodu migotania przedsionków (AF). Znajduje to odzwierciedlenie w najnowszych wytycznych dotyczących zarówno AF, jak i postępowania w ostrych zespołach wieńcowych, które uwzględniają taką formę leczenia przeciwkrzepliwego. Niniejszy przypadek przedstawia 74-letnią chorą leczoną NOAC, która z powodu niestabilnej dławicy piersiowej została 2-krotnie poddana terapii inwazyjnej.Because of their high effectiveness in thromboembolic prevention and convenient management, new oral anticoagulants (NOAC) became frequently used by patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) requiring sustained anticoagulation therapy. This situation reflects in the newest guidelines for management of patients with AF and treatment of acute coronary syndromes which take into account that kind of therapy. Case report presents 73-year-old patient treated with new oral anticoagulant who underwent two invasive procedures

Evaluation of the Impact of Physiotherapy on Physical Fitness and Ranges of Motion of Selected Joints of Elderly Women from the Karkonosze University of the Third Age in Jelenia Góra – Preliminary Results.

An important aspect of a senior's life is to be able to function independently in his or her own and family surroundings as long as possible, actively participate in social life without economic barriers. Numerous studies show that the quality of life and the biological condition of the elderly alongside nutrition are clearly dominant and have a positive effect on their functional physical fitness. In order to promote physical activity and physiological prevention among the elderly, a physiotherapeutic program was organized under the "Summer Sanatorium of Prevention of the spine pain syndrome", which was attended regularly by a group of senior citizens from the Karkonosze University of the Third Age in Jelenia Góra. The aim of the study was to compare the level of functional physical activity before and after treatment among the participants. The study was conducted among 20 women aged 60-75 years, before and after 6 weeks of treatment, which included: gymnastics for prevention of back pain syndromes, relaxation training, full spine massage, TENS electrotherapy and ultrasound in the lumbar and cervical spine. Research included; assessment of functional physical fitness by the Functional Senior Fitness Tests: „stretching behind" and "slope forward", ranges of motion within the selected joints of the spine, upper and lower limbs. The selected form of physiotherapeutic treatment improves the results obtained after test with the Functional Senior Fitness Test and influences the range of motion in the selected joints, which demonstrates that physical fitness is improved. Physical activity in the form of general-purpose gymnastics favors higher levels of functional fitness of elderly women, physical therapy and massage improves mood and makes older people more willing to participate in physio preventing programs. The conducted research proves that the developed program was optimal and showed a positive effect on the daily functional fitness of the examined persons

The analysis of the role of probiotics in preventing and reducing the risk of atherosclerosis - literature review

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular stroke and peripheral vascular disease, which is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. It is characterized by deposition of modified lipoproteins, accumulation of immune cells and formation of fibrous tissue in the vessel wall. The disease occurs in vessels throughout the body and affects the function of almost all organs, including the lymphatic system, bone marrow, heart, brain, pancreas, adipose tissue, liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Many clinical trials of anti-atherosclerotic drugs have not provided satisfactory results, and their use is associated with a significant residual risk of cardiovascular disease and various side effects.Probiotics have recently attracted considerable interest for their potential use to prevent atherosclerosis. This review will discuss the mechanisms of effect and impact of probiotics on atherosclerosis risk factors, as well as the potential use of probiotics in the prevention of atherosclerosis, based on a review of the available literature in the PubMed database from 2019 to 2023 using key words on studies related to this topic

The effect of uterine artery embolization on fertility preservation in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids

Introduction: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors of the uterus. Most often they are asymptomatic, but in their course there may be ailments such as: abnormal bleeding, anaemia, pain, constipation, problems with urination. These tumors are also one of the many causes of infertility. They are most often detected during a standard ultrasound examination. Pharmacological, minimally invasive and surgical treatment is currently available. Aim: The aim of our study was to review scientific articles in order to demonstrate whether the treatment of uterine fibroids with uterine artery embolization has an impact on fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Materials and methods: Review of the latest PubMed literature, Google Scholar in the period 2017 - 2023 and evaluation of available randomized controlled trials using uterine artery embolization in terms of fertility preservation by assessing ovarian reserve, number of pregnancies, miscarriages and perinatal complications. Conclusions: Uterine artery embolization is a safe and effective method in reducing symptoms associated with uterine fibroids. This procedure shortens hospitalization and recovery time compared to myomectomy or hysterectomy. Unfortunately, for women who want children, this method is not recommended due to the risk of reduced ovarian reserve and miscarriage, premature birth, placental abnormality, and severe postpartum hemorrhage. &nbsp