Społeczna recepcja realizacji idei gender mainstreamingu na szczeblu jednostki samorządu terytorialnego (Miasto i Gmina Olsztyn)

The article focuses on the social reception of gender mainstreaming (assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels to achieve gender equality) at the territorial self-government level. The author conducts the work study of a few cases in different cities – in Warszawa, Nysa, Giżycko and Olsztyn – where the local authorities tried to implement the idea of gender mainstreaming. Especially, the essay focuses on articles (published in local edition of „Gazeta Wyborcza” and „Debata”) and internauts’ comments related to those texts. The author describes the social reception of gender mainstreaming and estimates the possibility of introducing gender mainstreaming directives at the territorial self-government level in Poland

Urinary carboxylic acids (UCAs) in subjects with autism spectrum disorder and their association with bacterial overgrowth

Abstract In this study, the levels of concentration of carboxylic acids (benzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and hippuric acid) in the urine of autistic children were investigated and compared. The increased excretion of carboxylic acids is related to excessive bacterial activity in the gut, called bacterial overgrowth, which has been related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an impairment in the gut-brain axis. The investigation was based on the analysis of urine samples obtained from 120 ASD children. To identify and quantify urinary carboxylic acids (UCAs), we applied gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Additionally, we checked the influence of probiotic supplementation, gender, body mass index (BMI) value and age of children on the level of different selected compounds. Most of the obtained results were found within reference ranges. In some cases, the levels of benzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid were particularly elevated. Statistically significant differences were observed in supplementation with probiotics and the level of p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (p=0.036). The obtained results may indicate disturbances in the intestinal flora in some autistic patients and suggest that supplements may have an influence on the levels of carboxylic acids in urine. Due to the small population of children taking the supplement, further study are needed

Negative affectivity moderates the relationship between attentional control and focused skin picking

Very little is known about the cognitive functioning of people with body-focused repetitive behaviours and the few existing studies provide mixed findings. The aim of this study was to investigate the interplay between attentional control, negative affectivity, and focused skin picking. We hypothesized that the control of attention is associated with focused style of skin picking and that this relationship is moderated by negative affectivity. The final sample consisted of 273 non-clinical subjects (79% women) aged 18 to 54 years; study variables were assessed using questionnaires. Moderation analysis was conducted, followed by a simple slope analysis, and the Johnson-Neyman technique was used to probe the interaction effect. We found that at the low level of negative affectivity, the relationship between attentional control and focused skin picking is negative, but not at the higher levels of this trait. Interestingly, when negative affectivity reaches very high intensity, the association between attentional control and skin picking becomes positive. This relationship seems to be quite complex and may depend on the way that cognitive abilities are used by the individual, as well as on the stage of cognitive processing that they are applied to. Further studies using behavioural measures of attention are needed to better understand this issue

Regular yoga exercises and quality of life in women with low back pain - a pilot study

Back pain symptoms are one of prevailing disfunctions that determine lowering quality of life and functioning in work environment becoming not only a health problem, but also a social problem in developed countries. In available literature yoga exercises are more and more indicated as a method of leveling low back pain. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of 8-week yoga exercises on quality of life and back pain symptoms by it’s location and intensity in women with normal and excessive body weight. Twenty seven women completed both surveys (preliminary and evaluation), and systematically took part in yoga exercises for 8 weeks. The duration of a single yoga class was 45-60 minutes long. Yoga exercise program required attending to a conducted yoga classes (ashtanga yoga, yin yoga, hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga and yoga for hips and spine), at least twice a week for two months. After 8 weeks 92,59% of participants of program declared noticeable reduce in back pain intensity related to yoga exercises (including 22,22% of complete pain relief). Pain in the lumbar region of the spine was still dominating after 8 weeks (55,56%). It was observed that the majority of the SF-36 health domains scores increased values after 8-week yoga program, what could be related to the reduce of back pain intensity. After 8-week yoga program decrease in mean values of body mass were observed, however these changes were not statistically significant. Two-month yoga intervention may be recommended as a complementary physiotherapeutic method in low back pain treatment as well as to improve the quality of life for women. The relationship between yoga and prevention of obesity requires further research on larger group and the impact of obesity phenotypes is needed to be investigated

Isoprostanes as potential cerebral vasospasm biomarkers

Despite enormous progress in medicine, symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (CVS), remains an unexplained clinical problem, which leaves both physicians and patients helpless and relying on chance, due to the lack of specific marker indicative of imminent danger as well as the lack of specific treatment. In our opinion CVS occurrence depends on dynamic disbalance between free radicals' formation (oxidative stress) and antioxidant activity. Isoprostanes are products of free-radical peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and seem to mark a promising path for the research aiming to unravel its possible mechanism. Not only are they the biomarkers of oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro, but also have manifold biological effects (including vasoactive, inflammatory and mitogenic) via activation of the thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R), both in physiological and pathophysiological processes. This review addresses the importance of isoprostanes in CVS in quest of appropriate biomarkers

Transcriptome analysis of Xanthomonas fragariae in strawberry leaves

Xanthomonas fragariae is a quarantine bacterial pathogen that causes angular leaf spot on strawberry. The aim of our study was to analyse the mechanism of interaction of this bacterium with its host plant at the transcriptome level. For this purpose, mRNAs of X. fragariae growing in Wilbrink's medium and from infected strawberry cv. Elsanta plants were isolated and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The expression profiles of the bacteria in Wilbrink's medium and in planta were very diverse. Of the 3939 CDSs recorded, 1995 had significantly different expression in planta (966 and 1029 genes were down- and upregulated, respectively). Among the genes showing increased expression in planta, those with eggNOG/COG (evolutionary genealogy of genes: Non-supervised Orthologous Groups/Cluster of Orthologous Groups) categories associated with bacterial cell motility, signal transduction, transport and metabolism of inorganic ions and carbohydrates and transcription were overrepresented. Among the genes with the most increased expression in planta, genes primarily associated with flagella synthesis and chemotaxis were found. It is also interesting to note that out of the 31 genes localized on a plasmid, 16 were expressed differently in planta, which may indicate their potential role in plant-pathogen interactions. Many genes with differentiated expression that were localized on chromosome and plasmid encode proteins of unknown function

The red, a Bolshevik... a human? – Symbolic commemoration and the graves and places of remembrance of Red Army soldiers in the territory of Poland. Violations of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Russian Federation on the graves and places of memory of victims of war and repression

Rzeczpospolita Polska jako strona Umowy między Rządem Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej a Rządem Federacji Rosyjskiej o grobach i miejscach pamięci ofiar wojen i represji zobowiązała się do podejmowania szeregu działań w odniesieniu do miejsc spoczynku i pamięci, między innymi 600 tysięcy żołnierzy Armii Czerwonej, które znajdują się na jej terytorium. Wobec narastających liczbowo aktów wandalizmu w stosunku do tych obiektów, warto poddać analizie charakter tych działań. W artykule zawarto zestawienie motywów deklarowanych przez osoby dewastujące, reakcje przedstawicieli elit politycznych, działania podejmowane przez organa śledcze oraz treść przekazów medialnych dotyczących aktów wandalizmu. Dokonano także prognozy w zakresie możliwej zmiany wykazanych uprzednio tendencji oraz porównano działania mające miejsce na terenie RP do tych charakteryzujących inne państwa - strony bliźniaczych umów międzynarodowych.As one party to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Russian Federation on the graves and places of memory of victims of war and repression, Poland has pledged to undertake various activities as concerns the graves and places of commemoration, including the graves of 600,000 Red Army soldiers located on Polish territory. In the face of the increasing number of acts of vandalism towards these places, it is worth analysing the nature of such behaviour. The paper enumerates the motives indicated by perpetrators of such acts of vandalism, the reactions of representatives of the political elite, the steps taken by the law enforcement forces and the content of media coverage of the acts of vandalism. The paper also forecasts the possible reversal of such tendencies and compares the activities occurring in Poland and those in other states that are parties to corresponding international agreements

State, National, Social or Party History? Teaching History in Public Schools – a Case Study

A canon of historical monuments, national holidays, names of streets, the provision of state financing to certain scientific and research centers, supporting initiatives to commemo- rate events and individuals, and building museums are only selected aspects of the historical policy of a state, approached as a detailed policy. This paper concerns another aspect of this policy, namely non-academic state education. A long-term educational reform was launched on September 1, 2009. It provides for the changes to be fully implemented by September 2014. They will concern a number of fields, but there is one that has become the core of a pe- culiar political conflict – the reform in teaching history. The paper presents the conflict, its turning points and, first and foremost, its rhetoric – the character of statements, selection of vocabulary and ways of evoking the right associations employed by both parties to the con- flict. The paper also discusses the assumptions of the reform and indicates the most important legal acts and statements by the Minister of National Education, thereby providing a legal framework for the arguments of the conflicting parties