Barriers to start the physical activity among seniors living in lesser Poland

Society of our civilization is aging. People are living longer and therefore the number of older people increases thus it becomes important not only a long life, but above all, the quality of life. The quality of life which depends mainly on care for health, physical activity including their lifestyles. Physical activity is seen as one of the most important factors of human health. This article aims at analysing the structure of physical activity among seniors living in Lesser Poland as well as the barriers of starting such activity. The research was conducted within the scope of the PolSenior nationwide programme, financed in the form of a grant by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (ref. no. PBZ-MEIN-9/2/2006). The sample selection of respondents had a random character (of three-stage process). The study used some of the results – survey data of 157 men and 187 women of 65+ years of age, inhabitants of the province of Lesser Poland. The results were analysed in terms of the three age groups: 65–74, 75–84 and over 85 years; of age and gender, place of residence due to the number of inhabitants (20 thousand / over 20 thousand) as well as socio – professional status (blue-collar workers / non-physical workers). The most common barrier to start physical activity for seniors surveyed in the region are considerations of health and mental condition

First step to eradication of Poa annua L. from Point Thomas Oasis (King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica)

Poa annua, an alien species reported from the Antarctic continent and many Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands, was accidentally introduced in the vicinity of the Polish Antarctic Station H. Arctowski. Recently the species has been found entering native plant communities. In almost 30 years it dispersed over 250 m from the site it was first observed and can therefore be considered invasive. We report the first steps to eradicate the species following the initial research to quantify the biology, ecology and genetics of the species. After detailed mapping of all 1439 tussocks located in the Arctowski Station area we removed 314 tussocks closest to a moss carpet formation (native plant community of high conservation value). All of the 49 tussocks growing in the Ecology Glacier forefield were removed. It is the biggest alien plant eradication act conducted so far in Antarctica. We plan to continue the eradication process and monitor the eradicated sites. This will provide valuable information on impacts and issuesrelated to removal of alien species in the maritime Antarctic and will help in informing future decisions on management of other plant invasions in the region. Given the increasing human traffic to the Antarctic and the associated risks of invasion our results will be important not only for Arctowski but also for the whole Antarctic region

Polish statement on food allergy in children and adolescents

An adverse food reaction is defined as clinical symptoms occurring in children, adolescents or adults after ingestion of a food or chemical food additives. This reaction does not occur in healthy subjects. In certain individuals is a manifestation of the body hypersensitivity, i.e. qualitatively altered response to the consumed food. The disease symptoms observed after ingestion of the food can be triggered by two pathogenetic mechanisms; this allows adverse food reactions to be divided into allergic and non-allergic food hypersensitivity (food intolerance). Food allergy is defined as an abnormal immune response to ingested food (humoral, cellular or mixed). Non-immunological mechanisms (metabolic, pharmacological, microbiological or other) are responsible for clinical symptoms after food ingestion which occur in non-allergic hypersensitivity (food intolerance). Food allergy is considered a serious health problem in modern society. The prevalence of this disorder is varied and depends, among other factors, on the study population, its age, dietary habits, ethnic differences, and the degree of economic development of a given country. It is estimated that food allergy occurs most often among the youngest children (about 6-8% in infancy); the prevalence is lower among adolescents (approximately 3-4%) and adults (about 1-3%). The most common, age-dependent cause of hypersensitivity, expressed as sensitization or allergic disease (food allergy), are food allergens (trophoallergens). These are glycoproteins of animal or plant origine contained in: cow's milk, chicken egg, soybean, cereals, meat and fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables, molluscs, shellfish and other food products. Some of these allergens can cause cross-reactions, occurring as a result of concurrent hypersensitivity to food, inhaled or contact allergens. The development of an allergic process is a consequence of adverse health effects on the human body of different factors: genetic, environmental and supportive. In people predisposed (genetically) to atopy or allergy, the development of food allergy is determined by four allergic-immunological mechanisms, which were classified and described by Gell-Coombs. It is estimated that in approximately 48-50% of patients, allergic symptoms are caused only by type I reaction, the IgEmediated (immediate) mechanism. In the remaining patients, symptoms of food hypersensitivity are the result of other pathogenetic mechanisms, non-IgE mediated (delayed, late) or mixed (IgE mediated, non-IgE mediated). Clinical symptomatology of food allergy varies individually and depends on the type of food induced pathogenetic mechanism responsible for their occurrence. They relate to the organ or system in which the allergic reaction has occurred (the effector organ). Most commonly the symptoms involve many systems (gastrointestinal tract, skin, respiratory system, other organs), and approximately 10% of patients have isolated symptoms. The time of symptoms onset after eating the causative food is varied and determined by the pathogenetic mechanism of the allergic immune reaction (immediate, delayed or late symptoms). In the youngest patients, the main cause of food reactions is allergy to cow’s milk. In developmental age, the clinical picture of food allergy can change, as reflected in the so-called allergic march, which is the result of anatomical and functional maturation of the effector organs, affected by various harmful allergens (ingested, inhaled, contact allergens and allergic cross-reactions). The diagnosis of food allergy is a complex, long-term and time-consuming process, involving analysis of the allergic history (personal and in the family), a thorough evaluation of clinical signs, as well as correctly planned allergic and immune tests. The underlying cause of diagnostic difficulties in food allergy is the lack of a single universal laboratory test to identify both IgE-mediated and non-IgE mediated as well as mixed pathogenetic mechanisms of allergic reactions triggered by harmful food allergens. In food allergy diagnostics is only possible to identify an IgE-mediated allergic process (skin prick tests with food allergens, levels of specific IgE antibodies to food allergens). This allows one to confirm the diagnosis in patients whose symptoms are triggered in this pathogenetic mechanism (about 50% of patients). The method allowing one to conclude on the presence or absence of food hypersensitivity and its cause is a food challenge test (open, blinded, placebo-controlled). The occurrence of clinical symptoms after the administration of food allergen confirms the cause of food allergy (positive test) whereas the time elapsing between the triggering dose ingestion and the occurrence of clinical symptoms indicate the pathogenetic mechanisms of food allergy (immediate, delayed, late). The mainstay of causal treatment is temporary removal of harmful food from the patient’s diet, with the introduction of substitute ingredients with the nutritional value equivalent to the eliminated food. The duration of dietary treatment should be determined individually, and the measures of the effectiveness of the therapeutic elimination diet should include the absence or relief of allergic symptoms as well as normal physical and psychomotor development of the treated child. A variant alternative for dietary treatment of food allergy is specific induction of food tolerance by intended contact of the patient with the native or thermally processed harmful allergen (oral immunotherapy). This method has been used in the treatment of IgE-mediated allergy (to cow's milk protein, egg protein, peanut allergens). The obtained effect of tolerance is usually temporary. In order to avoid unnecessary prolongation of treatment in a child treated with an elimination diet, it is recommended to perform a food challenge test at least once a year. This test allows one to assess the body's current ability to acquire immune or clinical tolerance. A negative result of the test makes it possible to return to a normal diet, whereas a positive test is an indication for continued dietary treatment (persistent food allergy). Approximately 80% of children diagnosed with food allergy in infancy "grow out" of the disease before the age of 4-5 years. In children with non-IgE mediated food allergy the acquisition of food tolerance is faster and occurs in a higher percentage of treated patients compared to children with IgE-mediated food allergy. Pharmacological treatment is a necessary adjunct to dietary treatment in food allergy. It is used to control the rapidly increasing allergic symptoms (temporarily) or to achieve remission and to prevent relapses (long-term treatment). Preventive measures (primary prevention of allergies) are recommended for children born in a "high risk" group for the disease. These are comprehensive measures aimed at preventing sensitization of the body (an appropriate way of feeding the child, avoiding exposure to some allergens and adverse environmental factors). First of all, the infants should be breast-fed during the first 4-6 months of life, and solid foods (non milk products, including those containing gluten) should be introduced no earlier than 4 months of age, but no later than 6 months of age. An elimination diet is not recommended for pregnant women (prevention of intrauterine sensitization of the fetus and unborn child). The merits of introducing an elimination diet in mothers of exclusively breast-fed infants, when the child responds with allergic symptoms to the specific diet of the mother, are disputable. Secondary prevention focuses on preventing the recurrence of already diagnosed allergic disease; tertiary prevention is the fight against organ disability resulting from the chronicity and recurrences of an allergic disease process. Food allergy can adversely affect the physical development and the psycho-emotional condition of a sick child, and significantly interfere with his social contacts with peers. A long-term disease process, recurrence of clinical symptoms, and difficult course of elimination diet therapy are factors that impair the quality of life of a sick child and his family. The economic costs generated by food allergies affect both the patient's family budget (in the household), and the overall financial resources allocated to health care (at the state level). The adverse socio-economic effects of food allergy can be reduced by educational activities in the patient’s environment and dissemination of knowledge about the disease in the society

Zwei Abhandlungen über den Homo-mensura-Satz

von Halina Kowalska-LódźInnsbruck, Univ., Diss., 1933(VLID)6795

Конкуренция флексий -у и -а в родительном падеже единственного числа существительных мужского рода в языке мос- . ковских вестей-курантов I половины XVII века

Авторы рассматривают распределение Флексий -у и -а в родительном падеже в языке рукописных газет, так называемых вестея- -курантов (по изданию С. И. Коткова). Материал дается в двух частях: 1 ) существительные с флексией ~у или -у/-а и 2 ) существительные с флексией -а в родительном падеже. Среди 158 слов с флексией -у 22 лексемы (14%) имеют параллельную флексию -а. В статье представлены наблкщения над связью семантики слов с употреблением определенной флексии. Вещественные существительные - это единственная семантическая группа существительных мужского Рода, в которой почти все формы выступают исключительно с окончанием -у. В исследованном материале вестей-курантов наблюдаются некоторые различия в распределении флексий -у и -а по сравнению с Данными работ Черных, Серенсена, Станга и Коткова. Авторы статьи считают, что необходима комплексная разработка вопроса гене- гивных флексий -у и -а на материале ряда памятников делового я- зыка XVII в.Zadanie pt. Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej nauk

Quality of Life and Health among People Living in an Industrial Area of Poland

Background: The quality of life and health status of the population significantly depends on socio-economic factors, including working and employment conditions. Methods: This epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out among young inhabitants aged 25–44 years living in the Silesian voivodeship in Poland. The quality of life was evaluated using the short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Results: A total of 905 respondents were examined. It was shown that the poor quality of life in all assessed domains was associated with a low job satisfaction level, low physical activity, and higher self-assessed health status. Furthermore, the worse self-assessed health status in the study group was mainly related to such factors as earlier diagnosed chronic disease, lower job satisfaction, and low physical activity. Additionally, diagnosed chronic disease among occupationally active respondents was correlated with health deterioration due to excessive stress, living in the vicinity of heavy road traffic, and was declared by women more frequently. Conclusions: The results of the presented study confirmed that the quality of life and health status in young inhabitants of the Silesian voivodeship significantly depends on the work characteristics, employment conditions and lifestyle factors

CRISES IN OLD AGE – TEACHING APPROACH

Artykuł dotyczy sytuacji trudnych (kryzysów), które występują wśród ludzi starszych. Zależą one od warunków wewnętrznych, osobowościowych, indywidualnych dla każdego człowieka oraz zewnętrznych, związanych ze stylem życia, oddziaływań społecznych. Jako sytuacje trudne przedstawiono stan samotności i osamotnienia, lęk przed śmiercią, okres przejścia na emeryturę i wiążącą się z tym utratę dotychczasowej roli społecznej, przymusową bezczynność, utratę kondycji fizycznej, chorobę, socjoekonomiczne warunki życia.The article is regarding difficult situations (of crises) which are appearing among the elderly. They depend on internal, personality, individual conditions for every man and outside, associated with a lifestyle, of social influences. As difficult situations a condition of the solitude and lonelinesses, a fear of death, a period of the retirement and loss being connected with it were presented for current social role, compulsory inactivity, loss of the physical fitness, illness, socjoekonomiczne living conditions