Transformation of a large multi-speciality hospital into a dedicated COVID-19 centre during the coronavirus pandemic

Introduction. The article describes the process of converting a large multi-specialized hospital into one dedicated to COVID-19 patients, and present established standards of work organization in all the wards and training system of the medical and supporting staff. The several weeks pandemic of the COVID-19 disease has forced the healthcare systems of numerous countries to adjust their resources to the care of the growing number of COVID-19 patients. Managers were presented with the challenge of protecting the healthcare workers from transmission of the disease within medical institutions, and issues concerning the physical and psychological depletion of personnel. Materials and method. Based on analyses of the structure and work processes in Central Clinical Hospital (CCH) reconstructive strategic plan was developed. It included: division of existing wards into observation and isolation wards; installing locks; weekly plan for supplying personal protection equipment (PPE); designating new access to the hospital and communication routes; training of medical and supporting staff. The plan was implemented from the first days of conversion of the hospital. Results. The wards of the CCH were converted for observation and isolation, and each one was fitted with sanitary locks. There was a big improvement in the supply of PPE for the medical staff. Separation of the ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ parts of the CCH were attained, and widespread intensive training not only protected personnel against infections, but also diminished unrest which was discernable at the beginning of conversion. Conclusions. The transformation efforts will ultimately be appraised at the end of the epidemic, but the data looks encouraging. Two weeks after conversion, the testing of hospital Staff was started and by the end of April, 459 tests were had been conducted, of which only 11 were positive

The Polish pronunciation by Portuguese language speaking students, learning Polish as a foreign language.

The known connection between Polish and Portuguese culture and people begins in year 1415, when Polish knights accompanied Prince Henry the Navigator during the conquest of Ceuta. This relation between nations was progressing into the XIX century, when Portuguese were promoting Polish freedom during the country’s partition. This support was of a huge importance for the Polish nation, and maybe thanks to that in 1979 dr Franiszek Ziejka decided to come to Portugal to organise there Polish language studies at the University of Lisbon. The course is taught until this the present day. However, most of the students are taught Polish at the basic level only.This was the main reason that had influenced the author of this work to conduct the research of the phonetics area only. He has used the sample of nineteen individuals – on two universities in Lisbon and independently in Cracow. The mentioned above sample can be considered as being reliable for the use of this research, as it included people of all ages, namely from twenty to sixty years old. Individuals participating in the research have agreed for recording of their readings of one, identical text. This work discusses a very important aspect of the theoretical study of Polish and Portuguese phonetics, and concludes with comparison between two of them. Thanks to that, it has been established what kinds of sounds and effects exist in these languages, and moreover, what the similarities and differences are between the two researched languages. The next part shows, being based not only on dictionaries, what the interference and language error is in the area of phonetics. It is the key point to introduce the analysis which was based on the recordings of Portuguese language samples. It has been noticed that participating students made many mistakes with pronunciation graphemes like: , , , , , and especially with: , , , , , , or . The deeper study has been conducted with the focus group of eleven people, who speak Polish at many different proficiency levels. In this case the author of the research has written all of phonetics' phenomenon, which has been previously recorded, and all errors have been noted. Thanks to that the pronunciation's progression and changes during learning were visible. It seems that people from A1 level made more errors than individuals from A2 level, and a single participant from C1 level have had fewer errors in these cases, which are very often used for students from the lowest level. The research concludes by highlighting what measures should be taken by teachers of Polish language who teach Portuguese in order to avoid or correct these types of mistakes. It is suggested they should use some language exercises, however not too many and not too often, and only in the analysed examples when students are tired of grammar rules or need a break during hard exercises.Kulturalno-historyczny związek pomiędzy Polakami i Portugalczykami zawiązał się w roku 1415, kiedy polscy rycerze towarzyszyli Henrykowi Żeglarzowi w trakcie podboju Ceuty. Taka relacja pomiędzy tymi krajami trwała aż do XIX wieku, kiedy to Portugalczycy zasłynęli obroną polskiej wolności w trakcie rozbiorów obcego sobie państwa. Było to bardzo ważne dla polskiego narodu i możliwe, że m.in. dzięki temu w 1979 roku dr Franciszek Ziejka zdecydował się przybyć do Portugalii, aby założyć lektorat języka polskiego na Uniwersytecie w Lizbonie. Kurs istnieje do dzisiejszego dnia, mimo że większość studentów jest na najniższych poziomach zaawansowania. Fakt ten był głównym powodem, który wpłynął na autora pracy, aby przeprowadzić badania jedynie na obszarze fonetyki. W tym celu odnalazł dziewiętnastu Portugalczyków na dwu uniwersytetach w Lizbonie i dodatkowo, niezależnie, w Krakowie. Grupa obejmuje osoby mające od dwudziestu do sześćdziesięciu lat. Zgodziły się one na przeczytanie tej samej listy słów oraz nagranie spotkania. Praca omawia ze strony teoretycznej fonetykę polską i portugalską. W ten sposób zaprezentowano jakie dźwięki i zjawiska istnieją w tych językach, a także ukazano różnice oraz podobieństwa pomiędzy nimi. Następna część, oparta nie tylko na definicjach słownikowych, mówi o tym czym są interferencja i błąd językowy. Jest to istotny punkt ku temu, by móc wprowadzić czytelnika do analizy opartej na nagraniach Portugalczyków. Zauważono, że studenci popełniają bardzo wiele błędów w trakcie prób wymowy takich grafemów, jak: , , , , , a szczególnie: , , , , , , czy: . Na ściślejszą analizę zdecydowano się w przypadku grupy jedenastu osób będących na różnych poziomach zaawansowania językowego. W tym przypadku autor wymienił wszystkie zauważone zjawiska i błędy fonetyczne. Dzięki temu widoczna jest progresja w nauce języka. Osoby z poziomu A1 popełniają więcej błędów, niż te z poziomu A2, a jednostka z poziomu C1 popełnia kilka błędów, które są bardzo częste na pozostałych poziomach zaawansowania.Badania kończą się wskazówkami dla nauczycieli studentów portugalskich, które mogą pomóc uniknąć lub oduczyć tego typu błędów. Zaproponowano lekcyjne ćwiczenia, których stososwanie zaleca się najczęściej w ramach przerwy pomiędzy trudnymi ćwiczeniami gramatycznymi

Role of geophysical surveys in the identification of water escape zones from retention lakes: a case study on a selected object in Upper Silesia

The main scientific goal of this work is the presentation of the role of selected geophysical methods (Ground-Penetrating Radar GPR and Electrical Resistivity Tomography ERT) to identify water escape zones from retention reservoirs. The paper proposes a methodology of geophysical investigations for the identification of water escape zones from a retention fresh water lake (low mineralised water). The study was performed in a lake reservoir in Upper Silesia. Since a number of years the administrators of the lake have observed a decreasing water level, a phenomenon that is not related to the exploitation of the object. The analysed retention lake has a maximal depth between 6 and 10 m, depending on the season. It is located on Triassic carbonate rocks of the Muschelkalk facies. Geophysical surveys included measurements on the water surface using ground penetration radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) methods. The measurements were performed from watercrafts made of non-metal materials. The prospection reached a depth of about 1 to 5 m below the reservoir bottom. Due to large difficulties of conducting investigations in the lake, a fragment with an area of about 5,300 m2, where service activities and sealing works were already commenced, was selected for the geophysical survey. The scope of this work was: (1) field geophysical research (Ground-Penetrating Radar GPR and Electrical Resistivity Tomography ERT with geodesic service), (2) processing of the obtained geophysical research results, (3) modelling of GPR and ERT anomalies on a fractured water reservoir bottom, and (4) interpretation of the obtained results based on the modelled geophysical anomalies. The geophysical surveys allowed for distinguishing a zone with anomalous physical parameters in the area of the analysed part of the retention lake. ERT surveys have shown that the water escape zone from the reservoir was characterised by significantly decreased electrical resistivities. Diffraction hyperboles and a zone of wave attenuation were observed on the GPR images in the lake bottom within the water escape zone indicating cracks in the bottom of the water reservoir. The proposed methodology of geophysical surveys seems effective in solving untypical issues such as measurements on the water surface

Fever-range whole body hyperthermia leads to changes in immune-related genes and miRNA machinery in Wistar rats

AbstractObjective Fever is defined as a rise in body temperature upon disease. Fever-range hyperthermia (FRH) is a simplified model of fever and a well-established medical procedure. Despite its beneficial effects, the molecular changes induced by FRH remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of FRH on regulatory molecules such as cytokines and miRNAs involved in inflammatory processes.Methods We developed a novel, fast rat model of infrared-induced FRH. The body temperature of animals was monitored using biotelemetry. FRH was induced by the infrared lamp and heating pad. White blood cell counts were monitored using Auto Hematology Analyzer. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, spleen and liver expression of immune-related genes (IL-10, MIF and G-CSF, IFN-γ) and miRNA machinery (DICER1, TARBP2) was analyzed with RT-qPCR. Furthermore, RT-qPCR was used to explore miRNA-155 levels in the plasma of rats.Results We observed a decrease in the total number of leukocytes due to lower number of lymphocytes, and an increase in the number of granulocytes. Furthermore, we observed elevated expressions of DICER1, TARBP2 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the spleen, liver and PBMCs immediately following FRH. FRH treatment also had anti-inflammatory effects, evidenced by the downregulation of pro-inflammatory macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF) and miR-155, and the increased expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10.Conclusion FRH affects the expression of molecules involved in inflammatory processes leading to alleviated inflammation. We suppose these effects may be miRNAs-dependent and FRH can be involved in therapies where anti-inflammatory action is needed

The pre-Taghanic (Givetian, Middle Devonian) ecosystems of Miłoszów (Holy Cross Mts, Poland)

The middle and upper parts of the Skały Fm, Early to Middle Givetian in age, were investigated in four sections at Miłoszów Wood in the Łysogóry Region (northern region of the Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland). The dating is based on conodonts (Polygnathus timorensis Zone to the later part of the Polygnathus varcus/Polygnathus rhenanus Zone; early Polygnathus ansatus Zone cannot be excluded) and spores (Ex1–2 subzones) and, coupled with cartographic analysis and geophysical investigation, allows correlation within the strongly faulted succession. Significant lateral facies variations within the carbonate ramp depositional system in comparison with the better studied Grzegorzowice–Skały section, about 3 km distant, are documented, thanks to conodont-based correlation of both successions. Foraminifers, fungi, sponges, rugose and tabulate corals, medusozoans, microconchids and cornulitids, polychaetes (scolecodonts), molluscs (bivalves, rostroconchs, and gastropods), arthropods (trilobites and ostracods), bryozoans, hederelloids, ascodictyids, brachiopods, echinoderms (mostly crinoids, rare echinoids, holuthurians, and ophiocistoids), conodonts, fish, plants (prasinophytes, chlorophycophytes, and land plant spores), and acritarchs are present. Brachiopods are the most diverse phylum present (68 species), other richly represented groups are bryozoans and echinoderms; in contrast, cephalopods and trilobites are low in diversity and abundance. The muddy, middle to outer ramp biota (200 marine taxa, including 170 species of marine animals, 22 photoautotrophs, 6 forams) represents a mixture of allochthonous shallower-water communities (upper BA3), including storm- and possibly tsunami-affected coral mounds, and autochthonous deep-water soft-bottom brachiopod (e.g., Bifida–Echinocoelia) communities (BA 4–5). The richness and diversity of the Miłoszów biota is relatively high, comparable with other approximately coeval pre-Taghanic ecosystems during the Devonian climatic deterioration (cooling). Preliminary data indicate that in the Holy Cross Mountains, no large-scale replacement of brachiopod (and probably many other benthic ones, like crinoids) communities took place between the Early–Middle Givetian and the Early Frasnian, in contrast to the demise of the Hamilton/Upper Tully fauna in the Appalachian Basin. Such a similarity of pre- and post-Taghanic faunas does not exclude the occurrence of environmental perturbations and transient community turnovers, caused by immigrations during the Taghanic Biocrisis, but evidences the successful recovery of the indigenous biota