Prehospital procedures and transport of the diseased with a suspected Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – case description

Chronic iterative lung disease is an incurable disease that can be prevented. Available treatment, including cessation of smoking, allows the hindering of its progress. The goal of COPD treatment is to alleviate its symptoms, improve effort tolerance as well as the quality of life, and reduce the risk of progression by reducing the number of exacerbations. Medical Emergency Unit in Kielce accepted a call regarding a 55-year-old man who complains about severe shortness of breath for several hours, not responding to the medicines he has at home. The Basic Emergency Response Team is dispatched to the event In practice, emergency medical team interventions regarding patients reporting dyspnea are not uncommon. In a significant proportion of patients, dyspnea occurs as a result of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Drugs increase the risk of suicide in the elderly

The purpose of this paper is a systematic review of articles and research in the context of drugs used and suicide in elderly patients. Suicide in the elderly may be much more frequent than in the younger population. In addition to factors such as mental illness, dementia, deteriorating health, or problems with adapting to old age, the impact of chronic and reliever medications in this age group should also be considered. The greatest challenge of pharmacotherapy in the elderly is polypharmacy, drug interactions, different metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs used, as well as the side effects appearing in chronic therapy. In elderly patients, strong groups of drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioids are used extensively and sometimes too often. These drugs can cause addiction and overdose. Prescribing benzodiazepines alone carries a high risk of suicide. On the other hand, opioids often lead to addiction and abuse of these drugs, which may be associated with the development of respiratory depression. According to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide accounts for approximately 7% of all opioid overdose deaths. Therapy should be carefully selected with regard to the use of other medications, drug interactions, and possible dependence and drug abuse by patients.The use of some classes of drugs in the elderly requires increased vigilance and control in the context of depression and episodes of suicide attempts. Drugs such as B blockers, digitalis glycosides, NSAIDs, opioids, ACEIs, calcium channel blockers, corticosteroids, diuretics, levodopa, and benzodiazepines can cause symptoms of depression. Older people are more susceptible to side effects of drugs, for example because of polypharmacy and the chronicity of treatment

Osteoarticular complications in diabetes - literature review

Due to the increasing number of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus scientists raise awareness of different symptoms that patients might present. The disease results from a defect in insulin secretion or action. Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes causes damage and dysfunction of organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels. Diabetes can occur at any age and always requires treatment.  A common non-specific symptom of untreated DM may be osteoarticular complications. Typical symptoms of diabetes include polyuria, increased thirst, dehydration, weakness and drowsiness. Complications of the disease include eyes, kidneys, nerves, microangiopathies, diabetic foot syndrome, bones, joints, skin. In all patients, the most important thing is to control glycemia from the beginning of the diseas

Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19 : The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination–a multi-country study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT’s claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.Peer reviewe

Księga Sethe. 'Umiłowana' Toni Morrison jako Biblia Czarnej Kobiety

W swojej książce “Umiłowana” Toni Morrison prezentuje swoim czytelnikom historię niewolnicy-uciekinierki imieniem Sethe, którą po latach nadal dręczą wspomnienia oraz nawiedza zamordowana córka. Podczas gdy książkę tę można czytać jako fikcję literacką opartą na prawdziwych wydarzeniach oraz odnajdywać w niej pytania na tematy takie jak moralność czy prawo, wielu krytyków znajduje również aluzje do mitów i wierzeń religijnych. Niniejsza praca skupia się na mitach i wierzeniach, które są dla czytelnika najbardziej widoczne, wskazując na ich wzajemne przeplatanie i uzupełnianie się. Morrison, zmieniając płeć znanych biblijnych, męskich bohaterów oraz używając zapomnianych postaci kobiecych, kreuje nowe wersje starych historii, ukazując swoim czytelnikom punkt widzenia kobiety. Poprzez użycie biblijnych motywów i konceptów, Morrison tworzy nową Ewangelię dla tych, którzy do tej pory pozostawali w cieniu.Toni Morrison in her book Beloved presents a story of a runaway slave Sethe, who is haunted both by her past and her dead baby daughter. While the book might be read as a simple re-telling of a real story and present its readers with questions of morality and justice, many literary critics also find allusions towards various myths and religious beliefs. This paper addresses the most prominent ones, indicating how they interlace and complement each other, together creating new meanings and messages. With gender change of some of the well-known, male, biblical protagonists, and the usage of forgotten female ones, Morrison crafts new versions of old stories, showing her readers the woman’s point of view. Morrison uses biblical themes and ideas to create a new Gospel, dedicated to those still living in the shadows

EMPATHY AS A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH PREJUDICE TOWARD OBESE PEOPLE. STUDY CONDUCTED ON POLISH STUDENTS POPULATION

Stigma and discrimination toward obese persons are pervasive and pose numerous consequences for their psychological and physical health. Psychological effects of discrimination are known to have endur-ing impact on self-esteem, level of depression and severely influence body image satisfaction. The aim of that study was to examine relationship between level of empathy and level of anti-fat biases among young people in their early adulthood.  The study was conducted with undergraduate students of pedagogy of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The study group consisted of 240 people (Mage = 21.07, SDage = 1.28, range from 19 to 25 years). The applied research tool was the Anti-Fat Attitudes Scale and the Empathic Sensitiveness Scale.  The three empathy dimensions were significantly negatively correlated with anti-fat attitudes, i.e. empathic concern (r = −0.823, p < .001), personal distress (r = −0.833, p < .001), and perspective taking (r = −0.839, p < .001). There were significant effects of level of anti-fat attitudes on empathy scores, i.e. empathy concern F(2,237) = 212.732, p < 0.001, personal distress F(2,237) = 220.535, p < 0.001, and perspective taking F(2,237) = 204.646, p < 0.001.  Level of empathy proved to be significantly negatively correlated with anti-fat attitudes. Results obtained in the present study support the idea of designing and applying educational programs in the field of obesity stigma prevention. It is important to identify the nature of anti-fat biases in order to help to improve the daily functioning and well-being of individuals affected by obesity.

The role of selected microRNAs in the neoplasmatic process

The work presents the role of selected microRNA molecules (miRNA) and their participation in intracellular mechanisms determining the phenomenon of carcinogenesis and the progression of neoplastic changes. It focuses on the problems related to the role of miRNA as oncogenes or suppressor genes. The authors review the latest literature on the importance of selected microRNAs in the neoplasmatic process, including cancers of the head and neck region.Praca prezentuje rolę wybranych cząsteczek microRNA (miRNA) i ich udział w mechanizmach wewnątrzkomórkowych determinujących zjawisko kancerogenezy i progresję zmian nowotworowych. Koncentruje się na problematyce związanej z  rolą miRNA jako onkogenów lub genów supresorowych. Autorzy dokonują przeglądu najnowszego piśmiennictwa dotyczącego znaczenia wybranych microRNA w procesie neoplazmatycznym, w tym rakach regionu głowy i szyi

Should We Consider Them as a Threat? Antimicrobial Resistance, Virulence Potential and Genetic Diversity of Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Varsovian Dogs

Campylobacteriosis seems to be a growing problem worldwide. Apart from the most common sources of numerous Campylobacter species, such as poultry and other farm animals, dogs may be an underrated reservoir of this pathogen. Our goal was to establish the frequency of occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, and detection of chosen virulence factor genes in genomes of canine Campylobacter isolates. Campylobacter isolates frequency in dogs from shelters, and private origin was 13%. All of the tested virulence factor genes were found in 28 of 31 isolates. We determined high resistance levels to the ciprofloxacin and ampicillin and moderate tetracycline resistance. For C. jejuni shelter isolates, genetic diversity was also determined using PFGE. Our results indicate that dogs may be the reservoir of potentially diverse, potentially virulent, and antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter strains

Hydroalcoholic leaf extract of <I>Isatis tinctoria</I> L. <I>via</I> antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects reduces stress-induced behavioral and cellular disorders in mice

Stress that can occur at different levels of a person's life can cause and exacerbate various diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation underlie this process at the cellular level. There is an urgent need to identify new and more effective therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-induced behavioral disorders and specific drugs that affect these targets. Isatis tinctoria L. is a herbaceous species in the Brassicaceae family. Due to its potential antioxidant, nitric oxide- (NO-) inhibiting, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, I. tinctoria could be used to treat depression, anxiety, and stress resistance. Hence, the present study is aimed at delineating whether administration of I. tinctoria leaf extract may improve stress-induced disorders in mice. A set of four behavioral tests was selected that together are suitable for phenotyping acute restraint stress-associated behaviors in mice, namely locomotor activity, social integration, dark/light box, and splash tests. The plasma and brains were collected. A brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein, corticosterone, NO, reactive oxygen species levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power were measured. In mice stressed by immobilization, decreased locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, and contact with other individuals were observed, as well as increased oxidative stress and increased levels of nitric oxide in the brain and plasma C-reactive protein. A single administration of I. tinctoria leaf extract was able to reverse the behavioral response to restraint by a mechanism partially dependent on the modulation of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and NO reduction. In conclusion, Isatis tinctoria hydroalcoholic leaf extract can reduce stress-induced behavioral disturbances by regulating neurooxidative, neuronitrosative, and neuroimmune pathways. Therefore, it could be recommended for further research on clinical efficacy in depression and anxiety disorder treatment

HLA-DQA1*05 Associates with Extensive Ulcerative Colitis at Diagnosis: An Observational Study in Children

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele group HLA-DQA1*05 predisposes to ulcerative colitis (UC) and is associated with the development of antibodies against infliximab in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, we hypothesized that the presence of HLA-DQA1*05 correlates with characteristics of pediatric IBD. Within a multi-center cohort in Poland, the phenotype at diagnosis and worst flare was established and HLA-DQA1*05 status was assessed enabling genotype-phenotype analyses. HLA-DQA1*05 was present in 221 (55.1%) out of 401 children with IBD (UC n = 188, Crohn’s disease n = 213). In UC, the presence of HLA-DQA1*05 was moderately associated with a large extent of colonic inflammation at diagnosis (E4 55% more frequent in HLA-DQA1*05-positive patients, p = 0.012). PUCAI at diagnosis (p = 0.078) and the time from UC diagnosis to the first administration of biologic treatment (p = 0.054) did not differ depending on HLA-DQA1*05 status. The number of days of hospitalization for exacerbation was analyzed in 98 patients for whom sufficient follow-up was available and did not differ depending on HLA-DQA1*05 carriership (p = 0.066). HLA-DQA1*05 carriers with CD were less likely to present with both stenosing and penetrating disease (B2B3, p = 0.048) and to have active disease proximal to the ligament of Treitz (L4a) at the worst flare (p = 0.046). Future research focusing on explaining and preventing anti-TNF immunogenicity should take into account that ADA may develop not only as an isolated reaction to anti-TNF exposure but also as a consequence of intrinsic differences in the early course of UC