The W_L W_L scattering at the LHC: improving the selection criteria

We present a systematic study of the different mechanisms leading to WW pair production at the LHC, both in the same-sign and opposite-sign channels, and we emphasize that the former offers much better potential for investigating non-resonant W_L W_L scattering. We propose a new kinematic variable to isolate the W_L W_L scattering component in same-sign WW production at the LHC. Focusing on purely leptonic W decay channels, we show that it considerably improves the LHC capabilities to shed light on the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism after collecting 100 fb^{-1} of data at sqrt{s} = 14 TeV. The new variable is less effective in the opposite-sign WW channel due to different background composition.Comment: 25 pages, 32 figure

Lekarze i studenci medycyny wobec sytuacji etycznie trudnych. Komunikat z badań

Podziękowania Autorzy chcieliby uprzejmie podziękować następującym Osobom, dzięki których życzliwości i pomocy możliwa była realizacja prezentowanej pracy: ▶ wszystkim Respondentom, którzy poświęcili swój czas i wzięli udział w badaniu ankietowym; ▶ Panu prof. dr hab. n. med. Dariuszowi Moczulskiemu, Prodziekanowi ds. Dydaktyki Wydziału WojskowoLekarskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Łodzi za zgodę na realizacje badania wśród studentów; ▶ Paniom mgr Karolinie Szczepaniak, mgr Katarzynie Woźniak i lek. Aleksandrze Dębińskiej za wolontaryjną pomoc przy realizacji projektu. Autorzy dziękują także Anonimowym Recenzentom za ich życzliwe komentarze i sugestie istotnych poprawek, zgłoszone wobec pierwotnej wersji niniejszego artykułu.W tekście zaprezentowane są wybrane wyniki badań przeprowadzonych przez autorów w roku akademickim 2013/2014 z udziałem lekarzy rezydentów, lekarzy specjalistów oraz studentów medycyny z województwa łódzkiego. Pomiar wykonano z zastosowaniem techniki ankietowej; wielkość próby badawczej wyniosła N=379. Celem pracy było poznanie i skonfrontowanie opinii przedstawicieli dwóch grup: lekarzy i studentów medycyny na temat sytuacji etycznie trudnych w zawodzie lekarza. W całej badanej grupie zaobserwowano wysoki poziom przekonania (95%) o tym, że medycy w swojej pracy mają do czynienia z sytuacjami i przypadkami, które są etycznie trudne i niejednoznaczne. Studenci medycyny najczęściej (59%) wskazywali tu na konflikty światopoglądowe między lekarzem i pacjentem, zaś lekarze wspominali przede wszystkim (34%) o problemach związanych z podejmowaniem terapii uporczywej i odstępowaniem od niej. W zgodnej opinii praktykujących lekarzy i studentów medycyny, w sytuacjach etycznie trudnych lekarze powinni się kierować przede wszystkim dobrem pacjenta, na dalszym miejscu stawiając własne sumienie, przepisy prawa, kodeks etyczny oraz procedury i opinię rodziny chorego. Co ważne medycy wyraźnie częściej (10 pkt. proc.) formułowali opinię, iż powyższe czynniki okazują się, w praktyce działania lekarza, niesprzeczne.In the paper some results of an own survey (sample N=379) conducted in academic year 2013/2014 among the group of medicine students, resident physicians and medical specialists from łódzkie voivodeship are presented and discussed. The aim of the study was to identify the opinion of members of two groups: physicians and medicine students in the field of moral problems in the medical’s work. Almost every respondent (95%) was convinced that physicians had to deal with some situations that were ethically problematic. When asked about some examples, medicine students most often (59%) mentioned ideological or religious controversies between medical and his patient, while physicians (34%) tended to recall the case of futile treatment. Medicine students and physicians agreed that while dealing with ethically problematic situation, the patient welfare should be treated as the most important guideline, more vital than medical’s conscience, law and procedures, ethical code and patient’s family opinion. Moreover, physicians more often than medicine students (10pp) stated that all those factors were consistent

Stent fracture as a complication of superficial femoral artery stenting – a case report

Introduction: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic vascular disease that results in obstruction of blood flow in the arteries other than those in the coronary circulation. PAD is often located in lower extremities, with patients presenting symptoms of intermittent claudication or critical lower limb ischemia. Angioplasty and stent implantation are often used in the treatment of PAD. Although these methods are considered as a low invasive and low risk, some factors may limit stent patency in the future. The fracture of the implanted stent may be one of these. Case report: A 68 old man, long-term smoker, with a history of chronic limb ischemia and many vascular surgeries because of PAD was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of the acute limb ischemia. Angiography showed a fracture of the stent implanted during the earlier hospitalization, with a fragment displacement to the left external iliac artery. The patient was successfully treated with catheter-directed thrombolysis. Discussion: Stent fracture is usually asymptomatic, however, it may cause complications, such as restenosis, pseudoaneurysm, perforation of the vessel, and in-stent embolism. The cumulative incidence of the femoropopliteal stent fracture varies from 2 to 65% in several studies. Incidence increases with stent length and is significantly lower in the second generation of nitinol stents, that was designed to have enhanced flexibility and durability

Deep vein thrombosis in a 19-year-old patient with thrombophilia - description of the diagnosis and treatment

Introduction: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in one of the body's deep veins, most commonly of the leg or pelvis. Before the fourth decade of life risk of DVT is low (about 1 per 10000). After the age of 45, it rises and approaches about 5 per 1000 by the age of 80. Noteworthy is the fact, that patients with a positive family history have a higher risk of DVT at a young age. Essential risk factors for developing DVT are genetic conditions or acquired thrombophilia and positive family history, but the lack of family predisposition cannot rule out the occurrence of DVT. Standard treatment method of DVT involves intravenous anticoagulation with the use of low molecular weight heparin and compression therapy. Apart from the above-mentioned methods, we can distinguish intermittent pneumatic compression, surgical embolectomy, pharmacomechanical thrombectomy, and venous stenting. Case Report: We present a case report of 19 - year old patient who was first admitted to hospital in April 2017 urgently with symptoms of pulmonary embolism which was confirmed in angio-CT. Moreover, in the Doppler ultrasound, left common iliac vein (LCIV), left external iliac vein (LEIV) and left femoral vein (LFV) thrombosis was diagnosed. During the hospitalization, genetic tests, antibody levels, and antithrombin levels were performed for thrombophilia and systemic diseases conducive to thrombosis. In October 2017 the angio-MR of the pelvis confirmed visible pressure on the LCIV, caused by the common iliac artery, which corresponds to the May-Turner syndrome. In March 2018 he was admitted to the clinic with DVT symptoms of the left lower limb such as swelling, pain, and redness. The patient underwent venous angioplasty and stent implantation for LCIV. The patient was discharged from hospital with recommendations such as compression therapy, Doppler ultrasonography and monitoring of INR. Discussion: Venous thrombosis is a multicausal disease: more than one risk factor needs to be present before thrombosis occurs. Choice of DVT treatment method is aimed at improving the quality of life of patients depending on clinical symptoms. venous stenting for an iliofemoral occlusive disease is a safe and effective method of treatment. It can be done with excellent patency rates expected in cases of idiopathic occlusion and May-Thurner syndrome. On this basis, the legitimacy of using venous stent implantation as an effective method of treatment of recurrent DVT episodes can be confirmed, which has been used in the described case

Why should we restrain the availability of paracetamol - an analysis of acetaminophen intoxication in adolescents

Introduction and aim: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a commonly used analgesics and antipyretics and it is a nonprescription medicine. Improper use of it may lead to accidental or intentional poisoning. The aim of the study was to analyse paracetamol poisonings in children and adolescents admitted to the Clinical Department of Toxicology and Cardiology in Stefan Wyszyński Regional Specialist Hospital in Lublin in 2022. Material and methods: The research was retrospective. Medical records of poisoning cases in patients up to the age of 18 were analysed specifically emphasizing acetaminophen poisonings.Results: In the studied period 120 adolescents were hospitalized due to intoxication, 65 of them due to medications intake, the most commonly used medicine was acetaminophen. There were 20 cases of hospitalization because of acetaminophen intake, 17 (85%) patients were female and 3 (15%) of them were male. Patients were from 15 to 17 years old. In 12 cases (60%) patients came from urban areas. The intentional intoxications were found in 18 (90%) cases, 13 of them were suicide attempt. Majority of cases of attempted suicide were female (92%). The other intoxications were accidental, where patients took acetaminophen as a painkiller. In the researched group there were no deaths.Conclusions: Paracetamol overdosing is always associated with the risk of liver damage.This medicament as a potentially hepatotoxic drug should not be sold over the counter. The availability of paracetamol is too widespread, which poses a risk especially to children and adolescents. The ubiquitous advertising of acetaminophen products as well as their popular use, for example, in menstrual pain, favor their presence in almost every Polish home. Parents and guardians should be educated about the dangers of uncontrolled use of so-called OTC drugs - incorrectly commonly considered safe

Poisoning and suicide attempts in adolescent girls - a problem we need to be aware of

Introduction and purpose: Poisoning among children and adolescents is occurring on an ever-increasing scale. Women are particularly susceptible to intentional poisoning, and they predominate in the statistics of self-poisoning. The aim of the study is to analyze cases of poisoning in girls under 18 years of age hospitalized in the Clinical Toxicology and Cardiology Department of the Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski Regional Hospital in Lublin in 2022, taking into account the type of substance ingested, the place of residence of the patients and comorbidities.Material and methods: The study was retrospective in nature. It used the analysis of medical records of 84 cases of intoxication in girls under 18 years of age.Results: During the time period studied, 84 girls aged 13-18 were hospitalized for poisoning. Most of the cases were urban residents (64.3%). The toxic substances causing poisoning were mainly drugs (63.1%), narcotics (17.9%) and ethanol (17.8%). Poisoning of an intentional nature involved 80 (95.2%) cases, 37 (44%) cases were suicide attempts. In 54 (64.3%) cases, the patient was burdened with a mental illness, the most common being depressive disorders. There were no deaths in the study group.Conclusions: Due to the increasing phenomenon of mental disorders, as well as intentional poisoning among adolescent girls, special emphasis should be placed on psychological care, pedagogical care, of girls in adolescence. This is the time when girls have problems with acceptance of their bodies, with acceptance among peers. Parents and teachers should be made aware of this

Poisoning with methanol and other non-beverage alcohols - an analysis of the issue based on hospitalizations in department of toxicology

Introduction: Poisonings with non-beverage alcohols remain a significant problem in contemporary toxicology. Due to the large quantity and severe course of intoxications with methanol, the authors of this study focused primarily on poisonings with this substance. Methanol is widely used in industry. Its toxicity is attributed to its metabolites - formaldehyde and formic acid. Poisonings with methanol often lead to the patient's death due to a wide range of complications associated with progressive metabolic acidosis. Material and Methods: The study is of a retrospective nature. It involved the analysis of medical records of patients admitted to the department of toxicology in 2022 after the consumption of non-beverage alcohols, with a particular focus on methanol. Data on the number of individuals admitted due to non-beverage alcohol intoxication between 2018 and 2022 was also analyzed. Results: Over the last 5 years (2018-2022), 36 individuals were hospitalized in the Clinical Toxicological-Cardiological Department due to non-beverage alcohol poisoning, with 16 (44.4%) cases involving methanol. In the year 2022, the department admitted 10 individuals aged 18 to 68, and 5 (50%) of them consumed methanol. Among the hospitalized, 90% were male, and 60% came from rural areas. Deliberate intoxications accounted for 70% of the cases. Four hospitalizations (40%) resulted in patient death. All deaths were associated with methanol intoxication. Conclusions: Non-beverage alcohol is often used by people with alcohol dependence syndrome. Among non-beverage alcohols, patients most often reached for methanol. Its consumption is associated with a high mortality rate and should be taken very seriously and treated immediately.&nbsp

Alcohol in minors - a harmless fad or a serious problem?

Introduction and purpose: Alcohol has been known for centuries. In recent years, awareness of the effects of its consumption has been growing and acceptance of the drink has been declining. Despite this, there is an increase in young alcohol consumption and a decrease in the age of alcohol initiation. In this work, the problem of alcohol consumption by minors will be reviewed based on the evaluation of hospitalizations in the Clinical Department of Toxicology and Cardiology of the Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski Regional Hospital in Lublin in 2022. The aim of the study is to draw attention to this important, although often downplayed, problem. Material and method: The study was retrospective in nature. It used an analysis of the records of 120 intoxications in people under the age of 18, from which a group of alcohol-poisoned people was distinguished, consisting of 37 cases. Results: Hospitalization of 7 patients aged 13 to 18 years was reported due to alcohol intoxication. Of these, 22 (59.5%) female and 15 (40.5%) male patients were singled out. Most were urban residents 29 (78.4%). Isolated alcohol intoxication was the cause of 18 hospitalizations(48.6%). The remaining cases were accompanied by drug intoxication 11 hospitalizations (29.7%) and drug intoxication 8 hospitalizations (21.6%). All analyzed intoxications were intentional, of which 9 (24.3%) were suicide attempts. In 14 cases (37.9%), patients were burdened with mental illness, the most common of which was depressive disorders. There were no deaths in the study group. Conclusions: Alcohol should be forbidden and unacceptable in the family and young people's environment. Parents and young people should be made aware of the harmful effects, psychological, social and health consequences of its consumption

Analysis of poisonings in patients up to 18 years old hospitalized in the Clinical Department of Toxicology and Cardiology in Stefan Wyszyński Regional Specialist Hospital in Lublin in 2022

Introduction and purpose: Poisoning in children and adolescents remain a serious medical, psychological and social problem. The aim of the study was to analyse poisonings in patients up to 18 years old admitted to the Clinical Department of Toxicology and Cardiology in Stefan Wyszyński Regional Specialist Hospital in Lublin in 2022. Material and method: The research was retrospective. Medical records of 120 cases of poisoning in patients up to the age of 18 were analysed. Results: In the studied period 120 patients from 13 to 18 years old were hospitalized due to intoxication,  84 (70%) of them were female and 36 (30%) of them were male.  Majority of  cases came from urban areas (69,2%). The most frequent causes of poisonings were medicaments (55%), drugs (29,2%) and alcohol (28,3%). The intentional intoxications were found in 113 (94,2%) cases, 45 (39,8%) of them were suicide attempt. Mental diseases were found in 71 (59,1%) cases, the most common one was depressive disorder. There were no deaths in the researched group. Conclusions: Because of the relevance of child patients poisoning young people should be provided with psychological care. Female teenagers must get special kind of support. The availability of child psychiatrists and psychologists is still too poor. Prohibition of selling alcohol to minors should be enforced stricly. It seems that acces to OTC drugs is way much too easy for people. There is a necessity of parents’education about children poisoning