Ostatni rok życia Polaków w świetle danych SHARE: analiza porównawcza

The paper aims at describing the last year of life of Polish people in comparison with previous years of their life. We include international context as well as gender differences in the analysis. A descriptive part of the paper is based on data from end-of-life interviews of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The second part – comparative analysis – in addition to the end-of-life interviews takes into account regular interviews conducted in previous waves. We find differences in the process of health deterioration in the last year of life by cause of death. In particular, individuals who died due to cancer were often relatively healthy in the preceding years of life, but experienced a dramatic decrease in health during the last year of life. Another finding is that time spent in the hospital significantly increases in the last year of life. Moreover, we find that number of daily activities’ limitations is positively associated with care received in the last year of life. The results show that the last year of life is often significantly different than preceding years of life both in Poland and other European countries

Analiza stężenia wybranych neuroprzekaźników w surowicy chorych z zespołem Tourette'a

Background and purpose Metabolic disturbances of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are implicated in pathogenesis of Tourette syndrome (TS). The aim of the study was to measure serum concentrations of glutamic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine in TS patients and evaluate any correlation between neurotransmitter levels and age at onset, actual age, gender, tic severity, duration of the disease and concomitant psychiatric disorders. Material and methods Sixty-seven TS patients, aged 16–59, and 57 healthy controls, aged 19–37, were enrolled in the study. Information regarding medical history and physical investigation was collected using a short questionnaire. Sixty-seven percent of patients were medication-free at the time of examination and the rest had withheld treatment for 24 hours before. Blood samples were taken after a 12-hour fasting period. HPLC technique was used. Results The TS group had higher glutamic acid and lower GABA levels. Glycine concentrations were comparable. No differences regarding neurotransmitter concentrations between treated and non-treated patients were found. Patients with concomitant obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe tics had higher glutamate levels. Glutamate concentrations correlated positively with the number of comorbid psychiatric disorders and GABA concentrations correlated negatively with the number of behavioural problems in patients with comorbidities. There was no correlation between analysed neurochemicals and age, gender, age at onset or disease duration. Conclusions Imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory systems in the brains of TS patients may be reflected by glutamate and GABA serum level changes. Glutamate and GABA may be biomarkers of the disease and high concentration of glutamate may indicate more severe course of TS.Wstęp i cel pracy Zaburzenia metabolizmu neuroprzekaźników pobudzających i hamujących odgrywają rolę w patogenezie zespołu Tourette'a. Celem pracy była analiza stężenia kwasu glutaminowego, γ-aminomasłowego (GABA) i glicyny w surowicy chorych z zespołem Tourette'a oraz ocena zależności pomiędzy stężeniami neurotransmiterów a wiekiem lub płcią, wiekiem w chwili zachorowania, nasileniem tików, czasem trwania choroby i współistniejącymi zaburzeniami psychiatrycznymi. Materiał i metody Zbadano 67 chorych na zespół Tourette'a w wieku 16–59 lat oraz 57 zdrowych osób w wieku 19–37 lat. Wykorzystano ankietę obejmującą informacje z badania podmiotowego i przedmiotowego. Sześćdziesiąt siedem procent chorych nie przyjmowało żadnych leków w momencie badania, u pozostałych wstrzymano podawanie 24 godziny przed pobraniem krwi. Próbki zebrano po 12-godzinnym okresie na czczo. Oznaczeń dokonano metodą HPLC. Wyniki W grupie chorych stężenie kwasu glutaminowego było większe, zaś GABA – mniejsze. Stężenie glicyny było podobne. Nie stwierdzono istotnej różnicy stężeń neuroprzekaźników pomiędzy grupą osób leczonych i nieleczonych. W grupie osób ze współistniejącym zaburzeniem obsesyjno–kompulsywnym oraz ciężkim nasileniem tików stężenie kwasu glutaminowego było większe. Stwierdzono dodatnią korelację pomiędzy stężeniem kwasu glutaminowego a liczbą dodatkowych zaburzeń psychiatrycznych oraz odwrotną kore-lację pomiędzy stężeniem GABA a liczbą zaburzeń behawioralnych w grupie ze współistniejącymi zaburzeniami psychiatrycznymi. Nie stwierdzono korelacji pomiędzy stężeniami analizowanych neuroprzekaźników a wiekiem lub płcią pacjentów, wiekiem zachorowania ani czasem trwania choroby. Wnioski Zaburzenie równowagi pomiędzy układem pobudzającym i hamującym w mózgu chorych z zespołem Tourette'a może się manifestować zmianami stężeń kwasu glutaminowego i GABA w surowicy. Kwas glutaminowy i GABA mogą być markerami choroby, a duże stężenie glutaminianu we krwi chorych może oznaczać cięższy przebieg zespołu Tourette'a

The decision support facilitating the check-in service at the Chopin airport with the use of computational experiments in SIMIO

Airlines strive to minimize the waiting time for passenger service at the airport. Modification of the passenger service process at check-in stands can be carried out by modelling and then simulating various scenarios in order to obtain time benefits. The organization of service for departing passengers is the most complex system, which includes numerous maintenance activities aimed at preparing them and their luggage for transport by aircraft. Therefore, this article aims to present a few scenarios to improve the passenger service process. Based on the research, assumptions were made for each check-in scenario. Then, the models were implemented in the SIMIO simulation program. In the next step, the passenger distribution for individual desks was modified and a comparison was made with the level of passenger service defined by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The simulation results for individual scenarios are presented and the benefits to be achieved after introducing the proposed changes are indicated. The simulations carried out showed 2 important elements in the current and proposed layout of the ticket and luggage service stations and the introduction of changes to the baggage desks. Article presents the specification of the time spent in the system and waiting in the queue. The conducted analyses have shown that the proposed concept will allow for taking over 40% of passengers using the adjacent Fast Bag Drop (FBD) stands. Research has shown that adding more machines for use will fully cover the demand for FBD. The conclusions presented in the article are valuable when introducing modernization of the passenger and baggage handling process. For future researches, it would be beneficial to test other simulation tools and other scenarios to compare these results with those presented in this article

Evaluation and Support Mechanisms of an Emerging University-wide Global Health Training Program

Background: Global health education is in high demand in the United States, across the continuum of learning, and field experiences are an essential part of this education. However, evaluations of these programs are limited. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate a field placement program at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, to understand how to better support student training overseas and faculty mentorship. Methods: We used qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data from program reporting requirements (152 student surveys and 46 experiential narrative essays), followed by 17 semistructured interviews, and 2 focus groups. Data were analyzed through manual coding and a socioecological model served as an analytical and a synthesizing framework. Findings: A series of factors influence the participants' experience in overseas placements spanning across 4 aggregate levels, from individual to societal, including opportunity for professional advancement, independence, loneliness and illness, mentorship quality, funding, institutional partnership building, opportunity for public health contribution, and for development of cultural competency. Faculty and students thought that the program was beneficial to the learning experience, particularly for its contribution to experiential knowledge of a low- and middle-income country setting and for developing cross-cultural relationships. Communication and scope of work were 2 areas in which students and faculty members often had different expectations and many students emerged having cultivated different skills than they or their mentor initially expected. Students found the experience useful for both their academic and professional careers and faculty members saw mentorship, one of their professional responsibilities, emerge. Conclusions: Many socioecological factors influence an overseas field experience, which in turn produces important effects on students' career choices, and faculty members appreciate the opportunity to serve as mentors. The most vital support mechanisms suggested for faculty and students included available funding, clear preparation, and communication facilitation across the experiential continuum

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a New Course on Essential Skills for Women's Leadership in Global Health.

While many calls have been made to support the development of women leaders in global health, few resources have been developed and evaluated to meet this goal. We developed and evaluated a one week online short course on the essential skills for women's leadership in global health, offered in June 2021 to 22 students from 4 countries (Australia, Ethiopia, Thailand, and the United States). The course covered the state of women's leadership in global health and influencing factors; leadership theories models and frameworks; self-awareness and self-assessments; organizations and enabling environments; communication; and negotiation, and was designed to promote skills via practice, discussion, and debrief. Students rated the course highly and enjoyed the skills-building components, diversity of voices presented throughout the course, and embedded networking opportunities. Future iterations of the course, particularly those held in low-and middle-income countries, should contextualize materials, co-create with local instructors and amplify local voices, and consider incorporating shadowing, coaching, mentorship, and communities of practice

Building Blocks of Global Health Mentorship: Motivation, Expectations, and Institutional Support

Background: Global health education and training experiences are in high demand. Mentorship plays an important role in successful training, but academic institutions often lack formalized mentorship support. This study aimed to evaluate perceptions of global health mentorship across disciplines at Johns Hopkins University and to understand how to better support faculty mentorship for global health training. Methods: This is a retrospective study that used qualitative methods to assess the perceptions of students who participated in the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health (CGH) field placement program from 2011–2013 and CGH faculty who may have served as their mentors. Qualitative data was gathered through 30 individual in-depth interviews and 4 focus groups capturing both faculty and student perspectives. Data were analyzed inductively until thematic saturation was reached; a theoretical model, which we call the “building blocks of global health mentorship” model, emerged to serve as an analytical and synthesizing framework. Findings: A series of factors influenced global health mentorship from an individual to institutional level, including motivation, expectation alignment, finances, time, and knowledge. Both students and faculty reported the importance of motivation and aligned expectations to the mentorship experience and, more broadly, the overseas experience. Mentorship relationships were identified by students and faculty as either a catalyst or a hindrance to the training experience from both a personal and a professional point of view. Many faculty mentioned insufficient institutional support and financial resources, which negatively influenced their capacity to serve as mentors. Conclusions: Many factors, ranging from individual to institutional, influence mentorship for both faculty and students, which in turn influence international experiences. The underlying role of institutional support emerged as a highly salient influencing factor. Global health programs should harness the faculty and students’ motivations and expectations, as well as provide better support to faculty serving as mentors

Global Health Mentoring Toolkits: A Scoping Review Relevant for Low- and Middle-Income Country Institutions.

Capacity building in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) institutions hinges on the delivery of effective mentorship. This study presents an overview of mentorship toolkits applicable to LMIC institutions identified through a scoping review. A scoping review approach was used to 1) map the extent, range, and nature of mentorship resources and tools available and 2) to identify knowledge gaps in the current literature. To identify toolkits, we collected and analyzed data provided online that met the following criteria: written in English and from organizations and individuals involved in global health mentoring. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, and Google search engine. Once toolkits were identified, we extracted the available tools and mapped them to pre-identified global health competencies. Only three of the 18 identified toolkits were developed specifically for the LMIC context. Most toolkits focused on individual mentor-mentee relationships. Most focused on the domains of communication and professional development. Fewer toolkits focused on ethics, overcoming resource limitations, and fostering institutional change. No toolkits discussed strategies for group mentoring or how to adapt existing tools to a local context. There is a paucity of mentoring resources specifically designed for LMIC settings. We identified several toolkits that focus on aspects of individual mentor-mentee relationships that could be adapted to local contexts. Future work should focus on adaptation and the development of tools to support institutional change and capacity building for mentoring

Ninety Years of Polish-US Diplomatic Ties. The Summary and the Attempt to State Future Relations

The work was on the occasion of the recent anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Polish. This date was the perfect excuse for a summary of the administration of both countries, to reflect the direction in which diplomacy goes.The first chapter deals with the beginnings of Polish-American cooperation. Includes historical presentation of the documented contacts, test analysis and interpretation to learn who had an impact on future relations between both countries. We will learn from it, among others as when the first Poles went to the United States, for what purpose, what were the conditions of their lives.Moreover, described is the story of the United States, the road toward independence and documented part of the Poles. Not without significance are exchanged forms of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski among American heroes fighting for the independence of the country.Work also includes an outline of Polish history, from independence, through partitions, uprisings, until the re-independence in 1918. After 123 years is back on the map of Europe, it is from this event goes back to the beginning of diplomatic relations between the Polish and the United States, which is the second chapter treats in detail.The second chapter is the inter-war period. Described is the history of Polish after World War II until the beginning of the war. An extremely important part of this chapter are such passages as: activities of Ignacy Paderewski and promoting Polish culture in the world, or the Treaty of Versailles ending World War.Not without significance in relations between Poland and the U.S. was that the creation of the Woodrow Wilson peace program for the devastated Europe, where he concluded a point for a new independent Polish. The second chapter ends with a description of Herbert Hoover and his support for our country.Chapter three describes the action on the line between Poland and the USA during World War II, relations, American aid to Europe. Then, during the Teheran Conference meeting was called. “Big Three”, the representatives of the then powers the postwar world. Their findings concerning, inter alia, Polish, are known as the Yalta order, which is also found in this chapter.Chapter four is the time of the Cold War between the U.S. and the then Soviet Union. It is directly associated with communism in Poland, and therefore a very important time in the history of the country on the Vistula. Thus, a simple way to major events in the world, as the choice of the Polish Pope, and the subsequent birth of Solidarity. Referenced are the most important figures in Polish history, contacts in the international arena, particularly in the Polish-American line. This story is extremely important for the future of Polish, since the country secured its independence and changing the political system.The fifth chapter deals with the roundtable discussions, where together made without plans for a democratic Poland. This time is very important and turbulent in Europe. Invoked the history of German reunification and the collapse of the USSR, the enormous changes in the contemporary world, the impact of these events in Poland and Polish-American relations.An extremely important event in Polish history was the entry into NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, known as the North Atlantic Treaty. The Polish-American relations appeared touchy subject, namely the problem of the abolition of visas for Poles wishing to visit the United States, which still opposes the U.S. government. Polish accession to the European Union and the contemporary problems of global terrorism.Is Poland is an important for the Americans? The thesis, which I'm trying to confirm is that international relations between the U.S. and Polish grow and go for the better. Poland has a chance to be a major shareholder American politics, provided that it will be prudent to negotiate their own terms.Praca powstała z okazji niedawnej rocznicy nawiązania stosunków dyplomatycznych pomiędzy USA a Polską. Data ta była doskonałym pretekstem na podsumowanie administracji obu krajów, na zastanowienie się w jakim kierunku idzie dyplomacja.Zawiera historyczne przedstawienie udokumentowanych kontaktów, próbę ich analizy oraz interpretacji, aby dowiedzieć się, w jaki sposób zaważyły na przyszłe relacje obu krajów. Dowiemy się z niego m.in. jak pierwsi Polacy dotarli do Stanów Zjednoczonych, w jakim celu, jakie były warunki ich życia. Ponadto opisana jest historia Stanów Zjednoczonych, droga ku niepodległości i udokumentowany udział Polaków. Nie bez znaczenia wymieniane są postacie Tadeusza Kościuszki i Kazimierza Pułaskiego wśród amerykańskich bohaterów walk o niezawisłość kraju. Praca zawiera ponadto zarys historii Polski, od niepodległości, poprzez rozbiory, powstania narodowe, aż do ponownej uzyskania niepodległości w 1918 roku. Jest to bardzo istotne wydarzenie, gdyż nie dość, że kraj po 123 latach powrócił na mapy Europy, to od tego wydarzenia datuje się początek stosunków dyplomatycznych pomiędzy Polską a Stanami Zjednoczonymi, o czym szczegółowo traktuje rozdział drugi.Opisywana jest historia Polski po I wojnie światowej aż do rozpoczęcia II wojny. Niezwykle istotnymi elementami tego rozdziału są takie fragmenty jak: działalność Paderewskiego i promowanie kultury polskiej w świecie.Nie bez znaczenia w stosunkach pomiędzy Polska a USA był fakt stworzenia przez Woodrow Wilsona programu pokojowego dla zniszczonej Europy, gdzie zawarł punkt dotyczący nowej niepodległej Polski. Praca opisuje działania na linii Polska-USA podczas drugiej wojny światowej, wzajemne relacje, pomoc amerykańska wobec Europy. Następnie podczas konferencji teherańskiej nastąpiło spotkanie tzw. Wielkiej Trójki, czyli przedstawicieli ówczesnych mocarstw powojennego świata. Ich ustalenia dotyczące między innymi Polski, znane są pod nazwą ład jałtański.Rozdział czwarty to czas zimnej wojny pomiędzy Stanami Zjednoczonymi a ówczesnym Związkiem Radzieckim. Wiązała się ona bezpośrednio z komunizmem w Polsce, a więc czasem bardzo ważnym w historii kraju nad Wisłą. Stąd prosta droga do najważniejszych wydarzeń w skali światowej, jak wybór papieża Polaka, czy późniejszego powstania Solidarności. Przywoływane są najważniejsze postacie w historii Polski, kontakty na arenie międzynarodowej, w szczególności na linii polsko-amerykańskiej. Historia ta jest niezwykle istotna dla przyszłych losów Polski, gdyż zapewniła krajowi niepodległość i zmianę ustroju politycznego.Rozdział piąty traktuje o obradach okrągłego stołu, gdzie wspólnie snuto plany o Polsce demokratycznej. To czasy bardzo ważne i burzliwe w całej Europie. Przywoływana jest historia zjednoczenia Niemiec i rozpadu ZSRR, czyli ogromnych zmian w ówczesnym świecie, wpływ tych wydarzeń na Polskę i relacje polsko-amerykańskie. Niezwykle ważnym w historii Polski wydarzeniem było wejście do NATO, czyli Organizacji Traktatu Północnoatlantyckiego, zwanej Paktem Północnoatlantyckim. W relacjach polsko-amerykańskich pojawił się drażliwy temat, czyli problem zniesienia wiz dla Polaków chcących odwiedzić Stany Zjednoczone, czemu przeciwstawia się wciąż rząd USA. Wejście Polski do Unii Europejskiej oraz współczesne problemy ze światowym terroryzmem to zagadnienia kończące rozdział piąty. Czy Polska jest ważnym sojusznikiem dla Amerykanów? Teza, którą staram się potwierdzić jest taka, że kontakty na arenie międzynarodowej pomiędzy Stanami Zjednoczonymi a Polską się rozwijają i idą ku lepszemu. Polska ma szansę być ważnym udziałowcem w polityce amerykańskiej, pod warunkiem, że będzie rozważnie pertraktować swoje warunki, a nie ślepo spełniać żądania i prośby Ameryki

End of life in Europe: an empirical analysis

The goal of this study is to find covariates impacting most profoundly on the risk of death. Individuals aged 50 and more, observed in the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, are examined. The data include 1,692 deceased individuals who took part in up to 3 waves of data collection. Our results, relying on the proportional hazard model, show that the impact of health and demographic factors on the risk of death is more pronounced than that of social factors. It is found that economic factors are statistically insignificant for the risk of death, checking other factors in the model