E-smoking among students of medicine — frequency, pattern and motivations

INTRODUCTION: E-smoking has become a public health problem. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette use; to compare the patterns of smoking; to assess the attitudes and motivations for e-cigarette use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All 1,700 students from Faculty of Medicine (Medical University of Silesia) were invited to questionnaire based cross-sectional study about the frequency and attitudes towards the use of traditional and electronic cigarettes. RESULTS: The data were obtained from 1,318 medical students (response 77.5%) aged 22.1 ± 2.2 years. Traditional tobacco smoked 18.1%, e-cigarettes 1.3% and 2.2% were dual smokers. The overall frequency of e-smokers was 4.9% among men and 2.8% among women (p = 0.05). Compared to tobacco users in e-smokers duration of smoking was shorter (p < 0.001), the intensity of smoking was larger (p = 0.01), the number of e-cigarettes smoked daily was higher (p < 0.001). Dual smokers more frequently used tobacco cigarettes than e-cigarettes (p = 0.01) but smoked more e-cigarettes daily (p = 0.003). The choice of e-liquid depended on the flavour (50.0%), nicotine concentration (21.7%) and price (7.6%). No-nicotine e-cigarettes were used by 6.5% smokers. Dual smokers more frequently chose e-liquids with high nicotine concentration (p = 0.01). Motivations leading to e-smoking were: quitting tobacco (58.7%), less harmful impact on health (43.5%) and the price (34.8%). E-smoking as safe for health was perceived by 6.0% of respondents (35.5% in e-smokers vs. 4.9% in non e-smokers; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among students of medicine, e-smoking is apparently less popular than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Respondents considered e-cigarettes to be harmful and addictive.INTRODUCTION: E-smoking has become a public health problem. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette use; to compare the patterns of smoking; to assess the attitudes and motivations for e-cigarette use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All 1,700 students from Faculty of Medicine (Medical University of Silesia) were invited to questionnaire based cross-sectional study about the frequency and attitudes towards the use of traditional and electronic cigarettes. RESULTS: The data were obtained from 1,318 medical students (response 77.5%) aged 22.1 ± 2.2 years. Traditional tobacco smoked 18.1%, e-cigarettes 1.3% and 2.2% were dual smokers. The overall frequency of e-smokers was 4.9% among men and 2.8% among women (p = 0.05). Compared to tobacco users in e-smokers duration of smoking was shorter (p < 0.001), the intensity of smoking was larger (p = 0.01), the number of e-cigarettes smoked daily was higher (p < 0.001). Dual smokers more frequently used tobacco cigarettes than e-cigarettes (p = 0.01) but smoked more e-cigarettes daily (p = 0.003). The choice of e-liquid depended on the flavour (50.0%), nicotine concentration (21.7%) and price (7.6%). No-nicotine e-cigarettes were used by 6.5% smokers. Dual smokers more frequently chose e-liquids with high nicotine concentration (p = 0.01). Motivations leading to e-smoking were: quitting tobacco (58.7%), less harmful impact on health (43.5%) and the price (34.8%). E-smoking as safe for health was perceived by 6.0% of respondents (35.5% in e-smokers vs. 4.9% in non e-smokers; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among students of medicine, e-smoking is apparently less popular than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Respondents considered e-cigarettes to be harmful and addictive

Occupational risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection : the Polish experience

The disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), termed COVID-19, is asymptomatic or mild in most cases. These patients do not need treatment in hospital and can be isolated at home. To date, most studies have been conducted among inpatients with severe COVID-19. In this study, the authors surveyed patients with mild COVID-19 who remained in home isolation, and analyzed the sources and occupational risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infections. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on April 17-18, 2020, among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 who remained in home isolation in Poland. Data were acquired through a structured interview that included questions about the isolation course, symptoms, comorbidities, infection source, household characteristics, occupation, and workplace. Data were presented with descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 4878 patients in home isolation, the authors were able to contact 3313. Of them, 1191 patients declined their invitation, and 2122 agreed to take part. The median age of the patients included in the study was 50 years; 59% were female. Most patients (92%) had not been abroad before the infection. More than half (55%) knew how they became infected; of them, 75% became infected at work. Of all patients, 70% were occupationally active. Nearly half of the occupationally active patients (48%) worked in healthcare, 3% worked in public administration or defense, 3% worked in transportation, and 2% worked in education. Sixty-five percent of the occupationally active patients worked in companies with >100 employees. Conclusions: Most of the patients with COVID-19 in home isolation in Poland were occupationally active, wherein the majority of people who were aware of the source of SARS-CoV-2 infection worked in healthcare. As most of the infected patients worked in companies with >100 employees, which is not a Polish employment pattern, the authors expect that smaller companies may have a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections

Red-Teaming Segment Anything Model

Foundation models have emerged as pivotal tools, tackling many complex tasks through pre-training on vast datasets and subsequent fine-tuning for specific applications. The Segment Anything Model is one of the first and most well-known foundation models for computer vision segmentation tasks. This work presents a multi-faceted red-teaming analysis that tests the Segment Anything Model against challenging tasks: (1) We analyze the impact of style transfer on segmentation masks, demonstrating that applying adverse weather conditions and raindrops to dashboard images of city roads significantly distorts generated masks. (2) We focus on assessing whether the model can be used for attacks on privacy, such as recognizing celebrities' faces, and show that the model possesses some undesired knowledge in this task. (3) Finally, we check how robust the model is to adversarial attacks on segmentation masks under text prompts. We not only show the effectiveness of popular white-box attacks and resistance to black-box attacks but also introduce a novel approach - Focused Iterative Gradient Attack (FIGA) that combines white-box approaches to construct an efficient attack resulting in a smaller number of modified pixels. All of our testing methods and analyses indicate a need for enhanced safety measures in foundation models for image segmentation.Comment: CVPR 2024 - The 4th Workshop of Adversarial Machine Learning on Computer Vision: Robustness of Foundation Model

Yield and quality of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) seeds in response to foliar application of boron

This paper presents the results of a 3-year field experiment conducted on soil with moderate levels of boron (B) in north-eastern Poland to determine the influence of foliar application of B (0, 150 and 300 g ha-1) on the yield components, yield, mineral composition, nutritional value and feed value of winter oilseed rape seeds. Foliar application of B at the beginning of bud formation in winter oilseed rape increased seed yield by 0.19 (3%) at the lower B fertilization level to 0.26 Mg ha-1 (4%) at the higher B fertilization level. The observed increase in the yield of winter oilseed rape seeds in response to foliar application of B can be attributed to this micronutrient’s positive influence on seed production in siliques. Foliar fertilization with B increased B content and decreased Zn and Fe levels in the seeds of winter oilseed rape. When B fertilizer was applied at the rate of 150–300 g ha-1, the N and Ca content of the evaluated seeds increased. The fertilizer improved the nutritional value (crude fat content, fatty acid concentrations) of seeds, but deteriorated their feed value (total protein content, acid detergent fiber concentrations, neutral detergent fiber concentrations, quantitative and qualitative composition of glucosinolates)

Awareness of Genitourinary Cancers Risk Factors—A 2024 Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Poland

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the awareness of genitourinary cancers risk factors among adults in Poland and to identify factors associated with public awareness of risk factors for genitourinary cancers.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was carried out between 1 and 4 March 2024 in a nationwide sample of 2,165 adults in Poland. Quota sampling was used. Data were collected using computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) method.ResultsRegardless of the type of cancer (kidney, bladder, or prostate cancer), a family history of cancer was the most recognized risk factor indicated by over half of respondents. Over one-third were aware that chemical exposure increases the risk for bladder cancer (39.4%) or prostate cancer (34.2%). Smoking was recognized as a risk factor for kidney cancer by 40.6% of respondents. Female gender, having higher education, being occupationally active and the presence of chronic diseases were the most important factors (p < 0.05) associated with a higher level of awareness of genitourinary cancers risk factors.ConclusionThis study revealed gaps in public awareness of genitourinary cancers risk factors among adults in Poland, especially lifestyle-related and workplace-related risk factors

Analysis of predisposing factors for complications after surgical removal of mandibular wisdom teeth

Thrid molar extractions are very common and difficult procedures in oral surgery. Mandibular wisdom are removed for therapeutic or prophylactic reasons. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of complications after surgical extraction of mandibular third molars, such as alveolitis, sensation disorders, lockjaw, abscesses, prolonged bleeding and intensified swelling sustained for over 7 days. Material and methods. Data was obtained from patient records from the Department and Clinic of Oral Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences in 2004–2008. Results. Complications occurred in 51 patients (17,5%) with 291 third molar extraction in the mandible. The most common were alveolitis, sensation disorders and intensified swelling. Postoperative complications were observed more frequently in the women. Conclusions. 1. Early extraction of the third molar in the mandible reduces the risk and extent of the treatment and the procedure is better tolerated by the patient. 2. Extraction of third molars in the mandible in eldery patients undergoing periodic clinical and radiological examination should only be carried out when absolutely necessary. 3. Postoperative complications in women are generally more often reported

E-papierosy w populacji studentów medycyny — częstość stosowania, postawy, motywacje

WSTĘP: Palenie papierosów elektronicznych (e-papierosów) stało się wyzwaniem dla zdrowia publicznego. Celem badania była ocena częstości stosowania e-papierosów oraz papierosów tradycyjnych, porównanie stylów palenia oraz ocena motywacji do palenia e-papierosów. MATERIAŁ I METODY: Studenci Wydziału Lekarskiego w Katowicach (Śląskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Katowicach) — 1700 osób — zostali zaproszeni do udziału w przekrojowym badaniu kwestionariuszowym dotyczącym częstości palenia e-papierosów i papierosów tradycyjnych oraz opinii na ich temat. WYNIKI: Odpowiedzi uzyskano od 1318 studentów (odsetek odpowiedzi: 77,5%); średnia wieku: 22,1 ± 2,2 roku. Papierosy tradycyjne paliło 239 (18,1%) ankietowanych, a e-papierosy — 46 (3,5%) badanych. Pośród ankietowanych mężczyzn, e-papierosy paliło 4,9%, wśród kobiet odsetek ten wynosił 2,8% (p = 0,05). W porównaniu z palaczami papierosów tradycyjnych, palacze e-papierosów używali ich od krótszego czasu (p < 0,001), palili więcej razy w tygodniu (p = 0,01) oraz częściej w ciągu dnia (p < 0,001) niż palacze tradycyjnych papierosów. Palacze obu typów papierosów częściej palili papierosy tradycyjne niż elektroniczne (p = 0,01), ale e-papierosy palili częściej w ciągu dnia (p = 0,003). Wybór e-liquidu był uzależniony od smaku (50,0%), stężenia nikotyny (21,7%) oraz ceny (7,6%). E-papierosy bez zawartości nikotyny były używane przez 6,5% palaczy. Palacze obu typów papierosów częściej wybierali e-liquidy z wyższym stężeniem nikotyny (p = 0,01). Najczęstszymi motywacjami do rozpoczęcia palenia e-papierosów były: chęć rzucenia palenia papierosów tradycyjnych (58,7%), mniej szkodliwy wpływ na zdrowie (43,5%) oraz cena (34,8%). Palenie e-papierosów było postrzegane jako bezpieczne dla zdrowia przez 6,0% pytanych (35,5% e-palaczy i 4,9% niepalących e-papierosów; p < 0,001). WNIOSKI: Wśród studentów medycyny e-papieros jest mniej popularny niż tradycyjne papierosy. W badanej grupie e-papierosy uważane są za szkodliwe dla zdrowia i mogące uzależniać.WSTĘP: Palenie papierosów elektronicznych (e-papierosów) stało się wyzwaniem dla zdrowia publicznego. Celem badania była ocena częstości stosowania e-papierosów oraz papierosów tradycyjnych, porównanie stylów palenia oraz ocena motywacji do palenia e-papierosów. MATERIAŁ I METODY: Studenci Wydziału Lekarskiego w Katowicach (Śląskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Katowicach) — 1700 osób — zostali zaproszeni do udziału w przekrojowym badaniu kwestionariuszowym dotyczącym częstości palenia e-papierosów i papierosów tradycyjnych oraz opinii na ich temat. WYNIKI: Odpowiedzi uzyskano od 1318 studentów (odsetek odpowiedzi: 77,5%); średnia wieku: 22,1 ± 2,2 roku. Papierosy tradycyjne paliło 239 (18,1%) ankietowanych, a e-papierosy — 46 (3,5%) badanych. Pośród ankietowanych mężczyzn, e-papierosy paliło 4,9%, wśród kobiet odsetek ten wynosił 2,8% (p = 0,05). W porównaniu z palaczami papierosów tradycyjnych, palacze e-papierosów używali ich od krótszego czasu (p < 0,001), palili więcej razy w tygodniu (p = 0,01) oraz częściej w ciągu dnia (p < 0,001) niż palacze tradycyjnych papierosów. Palacze obu typów papierosów częściej palili papierosy tradycyjne niż elektroniczne (p = 0,01), ale e-papierosy palili częściej w ciągu dnia (p = 0,003). Wybór e-liquidu był uzależniony od smaku (50,0%), stężenia nikotyny (21,7%) oraz ceny (7,6%). E-papierosy bez zawartości nikotyny były używane przez 6,5% palaczy. Palacze obu typów papierosów częściej wybierali e-liquidy z wyższym stężeniem nikotyny (p = 0,01). Najczęstszymi motywacjami do rozpoczęcia palenia e-papierosów były: chęć rzucenia palenia papierosów tradycyjnych (58,7%), mniej szkodliwy wpływ na zdrowie (43,5%) oraz cena (34,8%). Palenie e-papierosów było postrzegane jako bezpieczne dla zdrowia przez 6,0% pytanych (35,5% e-palaczy i 4,9% niepalących e-papierosów; p < 0,001). WNIOSKI: Wśród studentów medycyny e-papieros jest mniej popularny niż tradycyjne papierosy. W badanej grupie e-papierosy uważane są za szkodliwe dla zdrowia i mogące uzależniać

Analysis of incidence and overall survival of patients with vulvar cancer in Poland in 2008–2016 — implications for cancer registries

Objectives: To analyze the incidence and overall survival rate of patients with vulvar cancer in Poland, based on the reporting data from the National Health Fund.Material and methods: The incidence of vulvar cancer in Poland in 2008–2016 (9-year follow-up period) by voivodship and the number of patients undergoing combined hospital treatment were analyzed. For the group of patients treated systemically, overall survival (OS) probability was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier estimation method.Results: In the period 2008–2016 in Poland, the diagnosis of malignant neoplasm of the vulva (C51% group) was made in 29,702 patients. The mean annual prevalence rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 8.3 ± 1.2 for Poland. The largest numbers of patients were reported in Mazowieckie and Slaskie voivodeships and the lowest in Opolskie and Podlaskie voivodeships. The median overall survival of patients treated with the combined method in 2008–2016 in Poland was 64.7 months (95% Cl: 58.0–70.0). One-year survival rate was observed in 77.6% of patients, 2-year in 64.4%, 3-year in 58%, over 5 years — 54.22%.Conclusions: In the years 2008–2016 in Poland, based on the data reported to the National Health Fund, the incidence of vulvar cancer was 4 times higher than the statistics of the National Cancer Registry, the WHO or the USA, which indicates either substantive or reporting errors. In Poland, 54% of patients treated with the combined therapy survive over 5 years which is a much lower result compared to highly developed countries

MeerTRAP: Twelve Galactic fast transients detected in a real-time, commensal MeerKAT survey

MeerTRAP is a real-time untargeted search project using the MeerKAT telescope to find single pulses from fast radio transients and pulsars. It is performed commensally with the MeerKAT large survey projects (LSPs), using data from up to 64 of MeerKAT's 13.96~m dishes to form hundreds of coherent beams on sky, each of which is processed in real time to search for millisecond-duration pulses. We present the first twelve Galactic sources discovered by MeerTRAP, with DMs in the range of 33--381~pc~cm$^{-3}$. One source may be Galactic or extragalactic depending on the Galactic electron density model assumed. Follow-up observations performed with the MeerKAT, Lovell, and Parkes radio telescopes have detected repeat pulses from seven of the twelve sources. Pulse periods have been determined for four sources. Another four sources could be localised to the arcsecond-level using a novel implementation of the tied-array beam localisation method.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figure

Frb 20210405i:a nearby Fast Radio Burst localised to sub-arcsecond precision with MeerKAT

We present the first sub-arcsecond localised Fast Radio Burst (FRB) detected using MeerKAT. FRB 20210405I was detected in the incoherent beam using the MeerTRAP pipeline on 2021 April 05 with a signal to noise ratio of 140.8 and a dispersion measure of 565.17 pc cm$^{-3}$. It was detected while MeerTRAP was observing commensally with the ThunderKAT large survey project, and was sufficiently bright that we could use the ThunderKAT 8s images to localise the FRB. Two different models of the dispersion measure in the Milky Way and halo suggest that the source is either right at the edge of the Galaxy, or outside. This highlights the uncertainty in the Milky Way dispersion measure models, particularly in the Galactic Plane, and the uncertainty of Milky Way halo models. Further investigation and modelling of these uncertainties will be facilitated by future detections and localisations of nearby FRBs. We use the combined localisation, dispersion measure, scattering, specific luminosity and chance coincidence probability information to find that the origin is most likely extra-galactic and identify the likely host galaxy of the FRB: 2MASS J1701249$-$4932475. Using SALT spectroscopy and archival observations of the field, we find that the host is a disk/spiral galaxy at a redshift of $z=0.066$