Ethical Challenges in the Pharmaceutical Industry. An Outline of Issues

The goal of the text is to show which actions of the modern pharmaceutical industry are morally controversial. There are several burning issues that we need to face on this field, such as: How to deal with the conflict of interests within the medicine? How to mark the vanishing boundaries between information and advertisement concerning the pharmaceutical education? How does the drug advertisement lead to the pharmaceuticalization of society? In the text all of these problems will be briefly analysed. The article has an introductory character, it may serve as an overview of the burning issues in the pharmaceutical industry ethics – all questions that are posed in the text need further examination

Application of the topsis procedure for evaluation of socio-economic development of the west pomeranian voivodeship districts in years 2004-2017

Artykuł przedstawia zagadnienie lokalnego rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego. Ilustracją rozważań teoretycznych jest badanie empiryczne dotyczące oceny rozwoju powiatów województwa zachodniopomorskiego od czasu wstąpienia Polski do Unii Europejskiej. W przeprowadzonym badaniu do oceny poziomu i tempa rozwoju powiatów zastosowano taksonomiczny miernik rozwoju. Badanie empiryczne przebiegało w czterech głównych etapach: zebranie cech, redukcja początkowego zbioru cech (dla zapewnienia ich jak największej wartości diagnostycznej), wyznaczenie mierników syntetycznych za pomocą zmodyfikowanej procedury TOPSIS i skonstruowanie na ich podstawie rankingów powiatów, utworzenie grup typologicznych powiatów charakteryzujących się podobnym poziomem i tempem rozwoju. Przeprowadzone badanie wykazało występowanie dużego zróżnicowania rozwoju ekonomicznego badanych powiatów. Najwyższy poziom rozwoju dla obu okresów odnotowano dla powiatu kamieńskiego, zaś najniższy w 2004 dla wałeckiego i w 2017 dla gryfickiego. Najwyższym tempem zmian poziomu rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego charakteryzował się powiat białogardzki, natomiast najniższym świdwińskiThe article presents the problem of local socio-economic development. An illustration of theoretical considerations is an empirical study on evaluation of the West Pomeranian Voivodship districts' development since Poland's accession to the European Union. In the research, a taxonomic measure of development was used to assess the level and rate of districts' development. The empirical study was carried out in four main stages: collection of initial characteristics, reduction of the initial set of diagnostic features (to ensure their highest diagnostic value), calculations of synthetic measures using the modified TOPSIS procedure and construction of rankings of districts on that basis, creation of typological groups of districts characterized by a similar level and the pace of development. The study showed the existence of large diversification of economic development of the surveyed districts. The highest level of socio-economic development in both: 2004 and 2017 was characteristic for the Kamieński district and the lowest level of development in 2004 was observed in the Wałecki district and in 2017 in the Gryficki district. The highest pace of changes in the level of socio-economic development between 2004 and 2017 was recorded for the Białogardzki district, while the lowest for the Świdwiński district

Requiring class attendance during illness as an example of the hidden curriculum in medical studies

Considering medical students’ experiences gives insights into aspects of their education and socialization to the medical profession that are not visible from official curricula. This article presents the results of a multi-thread focus group study involving medical students studying at three Polish medical universities. The aims of the article are: 1) to describe the surveyed students’ experiences regarding difficulties associated with missing classes and justifying their absence, and; 2) to confront these experiences with their universities’ policies and professional ethics demands that require the development of pro-health attitudes. The practices described by the respondents are considered to constitute an example of a “hidden curriculum”, i.e. the shaping of students’ attitudes not through officially taught content, but, rather, through widespread customs in a given institution. The conclusion is that the medical students’ experiences are inconsistent with Polish law and the regulations of their universities. The described practices also seem to be inconsistent with Article 71 of the Polish Code of Medical Ethics, which prohibits doctors from promoting anti-health attitudes

Impact of information and communication technologies on the tourism sector

PURPOSE: The article aims to assess the impact of information and communication technologies on the operation of the tourism sector.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research methodology was based on the application of the desk research method, involving the verification of data obtained from publicly available found sources (professional literature, Internet, web research).FINDINGS: The continuous development of information and communication technologies over the past decade has radically changed tourism. ICT technologies offer a broad spectrum of solutions affecting the entire tourism industry, including travel, transportation, leisure, and hospitality, and increase the efficiency of economic processes in the tourism sector.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The article contains valuable information that can serve as source material and a reference for further research related to the development of the tourism sector.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This article contributes to recent European and global academic discussions on the competitiveness of ICT and its importance in the tourism sector.peer-reviewe

Canım

Selami İzzet'in Akşam'da tefrika edilen Canım adlı romanıTelif hakları nedeniyle romanın tam metni verilememiştir

Otępienie czołowo-skroniowe : ujęcie interdyscyplinarne

Publikacja recenzowana / Peer-reviewed publicationZe wstępu: Oddajemy do rąk Czytelników monografię Otępienie czołowo-skroniowe: ujęcie interdyscyplinarne, która stanowi oryginalny zbiór odpowiednio dobranych rozdziałów, opracowanych przez autorów z różnych specjalności medycznych i paramedycznych zajmujących się diagnozą i rehabilitacją osób z otępieniem. Otępienie czołowo-skroniowe stanowi nadzwyczaj ważki i trudny temat dla współczesnej neuronauki. Temat jest ważki przede wszystkim dlatego, że problemy związane z otępieniem w starszych latach dotyczą wciąż wzrastającej liczby osób, co stanowi nieunikniony, choć dość paradoksalny skutek przedłużenia się życia przeciętnego człowieka, bez proporcjonalnej poprawy jego kondycji fizycznej i psychicznej. Oznacza to m.in., że najprawdopodobniej mało kto z nas (tj. sami autorzy wraz z Czytelnikami) uniknie tego problemu w przyszłości, a ten dość przykry fakt czasami utrudnia proces utrzymywania należytego dystansu naukowego do tematu. Wiele rozdziałów publikowanych w tej książce jest owocem 13. Międzynarodowego Kongresu Polskiego Towarzystwa Neuropsychologicznego, zorganizowanego przez Krakowską Akademię im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w dniach 22 do 24 lutego 2010 roku. Uczestnicy kongresu podjęli panelową dyskusję, mającą na celu syntezę przyczyn i objawów otępienia czołowo-skroniowego. Główne tezy z tej dyskusji wykorzystano również w przygotowywaniu rozdziałów tej monografii

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

How does the pharmaceutical industry do biopolitics?

The goal of this text is to show how the drug industry does biopolitics. I am trying to describe the actions of the pharmaceutical industry, its strategies as well as its ability to shape modern science and affect medical professionals, to influence state policy and even to form our perception of what diseases are. I distinguish five fields of the pharma-biopolitical influence: its impact on the scientific and medical environment, the impact on governments, the direct impact on drug users and potential clients, the impact on research subjects in drug testing and finally the impact on bioethicists - and I shortly analyze each of these. I am trying to formulate the main ethical challenges that arise from the pharmaceutical biopolicy. This article may serve as an introduction to further study of the pharma-industry ethics.The goal of this text is to show how the drug industry does biopolitics. I am trying to describe the actions of the pharmaceutical industry, its strategies as well as its ability to shape modern science and affect medical professionals, to influence state policy and even to form our perception of what diseases are. I distinguish five fields of the pharma-biopolitical influence: its impact on the scientific and medical environment, the impact on governments, the direct impact on drug users and potential clients, the impact on research subjects in drug testing and finally the impact on bioethicists - and I shortly analyze each of these. I am trying to formulate the main ethical challenges that arise from the pharmaceutical biopolicy. This article may serve as an introduction to further study of the pharma-industry ethics