Quality of life versus semen parameters

Abstract Introduction: Psychological factors are believed to play an important role in infertility and its treatment. Psychological problems may be considered to be risk factors and the cause of reduced infertility, as well as contribute to an unsuccessful outcome of infertility treatment. Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between semen parameters and quality of life in male patients with fertility problems. Material and methods: 70 patients with infertility treated in Andrology Clinic were divided into two groups according to semen parameters: bad and good quality of semen. The quality of life has been with the help of Campbell questionnaires. Results: Significantly lower questionnaire score in bad quality of semen group has been observed, in comparison with normozoospermic men. High correlation between concentration, motility and morphology in comparison with the quality of life has been observed in the studied group of patients. Conclusion: The quality of life is directly associated with semen parameters such as concentration, motility and morphology of sperm

Life Cycle Assessment of Composites Additive Manufacturing Using Recycled Materials

Additive manufacturing (AM) of composite materials is promising to create customizable products with enhanced properties, utilizing materials like carbon fibers (CFs). To increase their circularity, composite recycling has been proposed to re-introduce the recovered components in AM. A careful evaluation of recycling is necessary, considering the sustainability and functionality (i.e., mechanical properties) of the recovered components. Thus, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is applied to estimate the environmental impacts of AM via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), using virgin or recycled CFs via solvolysis at a laboratory scale. This study aims to provide a detailed Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of FFF and evaluate the sustainability of using recycled CFs in AM. For both virgin CF manufacturing and CF recycling, electricity consumption was the main contributor to environmental impacts. CF recovery via solvolysis resulted in lower impacts across most impact categories compared to AM with virgin CFs. Different scenarios were examined to account for the mechanical properties of recycled CFs. AM with 75% recycled CFs, compared to 100% virgin CFs undergoing landfilling, resulted in over 22% reduction in climate change potential, even after a 50% loss of recycled CF functionality. Overall, this study offers insights into the LCI of FFF and shows that CF recycling from composites is worth pursuing

Course of fatigue among patients previously hospitalised due to COVID-19

Introduction. Discrepancies exist regarding the clinical course and prognostic factors for post-COVID fatigue. Therefore, our aim was to assess the timely course of fatigue and its possible predictors in patients previously hospitalised due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Material and methods. Patients and employees of the University Hospital in Krakow were assessed with the use of a validated neuropsychological questionnaire. Included were participants aged 18 or more, previously hospitalised due to COVID-19, who completed questionnaires only once > 3 months after the onset of infection. Individuals were retrospectively asked about the presence of eight symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome at four timepoints: before COVID-19, within 0–4 weeks, 4–12 weeks, and > 12 weeks post-infection. Results. We enrolled 204 patients [40.2% women, median age 58 (46–66) years] evaluated after a median of 187 (156–220) days from the first positive nasal swab test for SARS-CoV-2. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (44.61%), obesity (36.27%), smoking (28.43%), and hypercholesterolemia (21.08%); none of the patients required mechanical ventilation during hospitalisation. Before COVID-19, 43.62% of patients reported at least one symptom of chronic fatigue. Within 4, 4–12, and > 12 weeks after COVID-19, the prevalence of chronic fatigue was 76.96%, 75.49%, and 66.17%, respectively (all p < 0.001). The frequency of chronic fatigue symptoms decreased within > 12 weeks following the onset of infection but did not return to baseline values, except for self-reported lymph node enlargement. In a multivariable linear regression model, the number of fatigue symptoms was predicted by female sex [β 0.25 (0.12; 0.39), p < 0.001 and 0.26 (0.13; 0.39), p < 0.001 for weeks 0–12 and > 12, respectively], and age [for < 4 weeks, β –0.12 (–0.28; –0.01), p = 0.029]. Conclusions. Most patients previously hospitalised due to COVID-19 suffer from fatigue > 12 weeks after infection onset. The presence of fatigue is predicted by female sex and – only for the acute phase — age

Pleural fluid interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) measurement as a diagnostic tool in tuberculous pleurisy

Wstęp: Mimo że gruźlicze zapalenie opłucnej stanowi jedną z częstszych przyczyn obecności płynu w jamie opłucnej, rozpoznanie choroby nie należy jednak do łatwych. Najważniejsze znaczenie diagnostyczne mają badania histologiczne i mikrobiologiczne bioptatów opłucnej. Prowadzi się także liczne badania nad innymi markerami gruźliczego zapalenia opłucnej. Celem badania była ocena przydatności oznaczania stężenia interferonu gamma (IFN-&#947;) w płynie opłucnowym jako metody diagnostycznej gruźliczego zapalenia opłucnej. Materiał i metody: Badaną grupę stanowiło 94 chorych z płynem w opłucnej (44 kobiety i 50 mężczyzn, w wieku od 18 do 95 lat, średnia 59 &#177; 18 lat). U wszystkich wykonano punkcję opłucnej i badanie właściwości fizykochemicznych płynu (m.in. stężenie białka, aktywność dehydrogenazy mleczanowej [LDH, lactate dehydrogenase]). Dokonano także oceny całkowitej liczby komórek w płynie i ich składu odsetkowego. O innych badaniach diagnostycznych decydowały przesłanki kliniczne i wyniki badania płynu. Podstawę rozpoznania gruźliczej etiologii wysięku stanowiły: 1) dodatni wynik hodowli płynu lub bioptatu opłucnej lub 2) stwierdzenie ziarniny gruźliczopodobnej w bioptatach przy jednoczesnym wykluczeniu innych chorób mogących stanowić jej przyczynę. Stężenie IFN-&#947; w płynie opłucnowym oznaczano metodą ELISA (Quantikine Human IFN-&#947; Immunoassay, R&D Systems, USA). Wyniki: Gruźlicze wysiękowe zapalenie opłucnej rozpoznano u 28 osób. Wśród chorych z niegruźliczym płynem w opłucnej wyróżniono następujące podgrupy: wysięk nowotworowy (n = 35), wysięk parapneumoniczny/ropniak opłucnej (n = 20), przesięk w przebiegu niewydolności serca (n = 5) i inne rzadsze przyczyny płynu (n = 6). Średnie stężenie IFN-&#947; było znamiennie wyższe u chorych z wysiękiem gruźliczym niż w pozostałej grupie chorych (614,1 &#177; 324,5 vs. 15,1 &#177; 36,0 pg/ml, p < 0,0001). Przyjmując jako wartość odcinającą stężenie równe 100 pg/ml, czułość i swoistość testu dla rozpoznania gruźliczej etiologii wysięku wyniosły odpowiednio 100% i 98,5%. Wniosek: Stężenie IFN-&#947; okazało się bardzo swoistym i czułym markerem pozwalającym na rozróżnienie gruźliczego wysięku w opłucnej od płynów o innej etiologii.Introduction: Tuberculosis is one of the most common causes of pleural effusion (PE). However, the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy still remains difficult. Since M. tuberculosis isolation rates in tuberculous effusions are relatively low the histological and microbiological studies of pleural biopsy samples are usually required to confirm the diagnosis. Several biological markers have been proposed to enhance the effectiveness of diagnosing patients with tuberculous pleurisy. The study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid IFN-&#947; concentration in differentiation between tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) and non-tuberculous pleural effusion (nTPE). Material and methods: 94 patients (50 M and 44 F, mean age 59 &#177; 18, range 18-95 years) with PE were studied. All subjects underwent diagnostic thoracenthesis and extensive laboratory pleural fluid evaluation. Tuberculous pleural effusion was diagnosed in: 1) patients with positive pleural fluid or pleural biopsy culture and 2) patients with granulomas in the pleural biopsy specimen, after exclusion of other granulomatous diseases. IFN-&#947; level in pleural fluid was measured with commercially available immunoenzymatic assay (Quantikine Human IFN-&#947; Immunoassay, R&amp;D Systems, USA). Results: Tuberculous pleural effusion was diagnosed in 28 pts. The non-tuberculous pleural effusion group consisted of 66 pts, including 35 with malignant PE, 20 with parapneumonic effusion or pleural empyema, 5 with pleural transudates due to heart failure, and 6 with miscellaneous causes of PE. The mean concentration of IFN-g was significantly higher in TPE than in nTPE (614.1 &#177; 324.5 vs. 15.1 &#177; 36.0 pg/ml, p < 0.0001). At the cut-off value of 100 pg/ml the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 100% and 98,5% respectively. Conclusion: The pleural fluid concentration of IFN-&#947; was found to be highly sensitive and specific marker of tuberculous pleurisy

Państwo, gospodarka, społeczeństwo w integrującej się Europie TOM 1

Ze wstępu: "III Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa, jaką w pierwszych dniach czerwca 2003 roku zorganizowała Krakowska Szkoła Wyższa, poświęcona była uczczeniu wyjątkowego jubileuszu 500-lecia urodzin jej patrona - Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego. Jednak to nie myśl polityczna tego wielkiego Polaka i reformatora stała się wiodącym tematem konferencji. W centrum zainteresowań znalazły się zagadnienia 0 wiele bardziej aktualne, dotyczące bowiem integracji europejskiej. Problematyka tym bardziej żywotna, gdyż dotykająca bieżącego życia politycznego - zwłaszcza w kontekście referendum akcesyjnego, które odbyło się w równy tydzień po konferencji. Tak więc jej uczestnicy mieli doskonałą okazję do podjęcia interesujących rozważań związanych z perspektywą rozwoju państwa, gospodarki i społeczeństwa w warunkach integracji europejskiej."(...

Neurological symptoms in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and their association with in-hospital mortality

Objectives. To evaluate the spectrum of neurological symptoms in patients with COVID-19 during the first 14 days of hospitalisation and its association with in-hospital mortality. Material and methods. We included 200 patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to University Hospital in Krakow, Poland. In 164 patients, a detailed questionnaire concerning neurological symptoms and signs was performed prospectively within 14 days of hospitalisation. In the remaining 36 patients, such questionnaires were completed retrospectively based on daily observations in the Department of Neurology. Results. During hospitalisation, 169 patients (84.5%) experienced neurological symptoms; the most common were: fatigue (62.5%), decreased mood (45.5%), myalgia (43.5%), and muscle weakness (42.5%). Patients who died during hospitalisation compared to the remainder were older (79 [70.5–88.5] vs. 63.5 [51–77] years, p = 0.001), and more often had decreased level of consciousness (50.0% vs. 9.3%, p &lt; 0.001), delirium (33.3% vs. 4.4%, p &lt; 0.001), arterial hypotension (50.0% vs. 19.6%, p = 0.005) or stroke during (18.8% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.026) or before hospitalisation (50.0% vs. 7.1, p &lt; 0.001), whereas those who survived more often suffered from headache (42.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.012) or decreased mood (51.7% vs. 0%, p = 0.003). Conclusions. Most hospitalised patients with COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms. Decreased level of consciousness, delirium, arterial hypotension, and stroke during or before hospitalisation increase the risk of in-hospital mortality

FITNESS-RELATED FLOWS OF RESIDENTS IN POZNAŃ

The aim of this paper is to present the significance of the recreational space in Poznań for the physical activity of the city’s residents. The factors considered in the study were the following: the range of possibilities for engagement in paid-for and free-of-charge physical activities, the perceived availability of green areas, the favourite places for physical activity and the role of the neighbourhood and flows in this aspect. The paper presents the results of a survey conducted among 1,244 inhabitants of Poznań in 2017. The respondents positively assessed the possibilities of undertaking physical activity in the context of the city/ space offer. The access to various sports was rated positive, among it the paid activities offered were rated higher than free-of-charge ones. The availability of green areas near the place of residence was assessed as good. Two locations, Cytadela Park and Lake Malta with the surrounding green areas, were the most popular for pursuing physical activity.Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przedstawienie znaczenia przestrzeni rekreacyjnej Poznania w aktywności fizycznej mieszkańców miasta. Pod uwagę wzięto ocenę płatnych i bezpłatnych możliwości po- dejmowania aktywności fizycznej, ocenę dostępności terenów zieleni, ulubione miejsca aktywności fizycznej oraz rolę sąsiedztwa i przepływów w tym aspekcie. Artykuł prezentuje wyniki badania przeprowadzonego wśród 1 244 mieszkańców Poznania w 2017 roku. Ocena możliwości podejmowania aktywności fizycznej pod względem oferty jaką daje przestrzeń była pozytywna. Ocena możliwości uprawiania różnych sportów była zasadniczo dobra, lepiej jednak zostały ocenione możliwości odpłatnego niż bezpłatnego uprawiania aktywności fizycznej. Dostępność do terenów zielonych w pobliżu miejsca zamieszkania otrzymała wysoką ocenę. Dwie lokalizacje, Park Cytadela oraz Jezioro Malta wraz z otaczającymi terenami zielonymi, zostały uznane za najlepsze pod kątem uprawiania aktywności fizycznej

Study on the Effect of Bio-Based Materials&rsquo; Natural Degradation in the Environment

The article presents an analysis of the impact of bio-based materials on the environment, with a special focus on polylactic acid (PLA), as it is considered one of the most popular bioplastics in the market. The results show that there are several factors that must be taken into account when choosing the best end-of-life option for this type of material, in agreement with the newly introduced concept of the circular economy, according to the physical&ndash;chemical analysis obtained at the end of this study. The ecotoxicity tests showed that all tested materials (PLA spoon, PLA filament, b2w technology bag and cocoa paper tray) could be suitable for incineration with energy recovery without producing dioxines during combustion (chlorine content in all tested materials was below 1.00% w/w). It was also determined that PLA was the material with the highest potential for energy recovery since it presented the highest calorific value and highest carbon content (18.73 MJ/kg and 52.23%, respectively). The biodegradation rate of the different bio-based materials was also tested under different environments during three months, with Baltic Sea water and medium-grain sand being the environments in which the majority of the bio-based materials showed the lowest degradation rates. An additional test in a small-scale electric composter with microbe technology was carried out in order to evaluate the degradation of the studied materials in an environment with controlled conditions, and results showed high values of weight loss for the majority of the bio-based materials (all above 80% weight loss) due to the high temperature that the device could reach during the composting process. Finally, a strategy for providing guidance in selecting routes for the waste management of bioplastics, depending mainly on the available infrastructure and material properties, was proposed as a result of this work. For the case of low- and medium-income countries, an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy is proposed as a provisional solution to control plastic waste pollution, which should be complemented by regulations and systems aimed at the successful introduction of bioplastics