The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Eating Behavior among Adults Poles

Background: Due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many restrictions and temporary lockdown were carried out. As a result, previous lifestyle, including diet, were disrupted.Objectives: The aim of this review was to assess changes in eating behavior during the COVID-19 compared to the period before pandemic in Poland. Methods: In the review involved original studies concerning adults Poles (aged ≥ 18), including changes in their eating behavior.Results: The COVID-19 pandemic and the social isolation periods had ambiguous influence on diet in Poland. The changes were dependent on many factors e.g. age, sex, education, occupation, or body weight. In general, regular diet pattern was followed. In case of changes, positive and negative eating habits were observed. Improper eating behavior such as the increase of total food and junk food intake was noticed, however improvement of the diet also was observed. Consumption of healthy food, such as vegetables and fruit went up. The significant increase of home cooking also was noticed.Conclusions: The present review indicates the need for future strategies to assess nutrition in cases of alarming situations. Promoting healthy eating behavior appears to be essential, especially during the pandemic

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Eating Behavior among Adults Poles

Background: Due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many restrictions and temporary lockdown were carried out. As a result, previous lifestyle, including diet, were disrupted. Objectives: The aim of this review was to assess changes in eating behavior during the COVID-19 compared to the period before pandemic in Poland.  Methods: In the review involved original studies concerning adults Poles (aged ≥ 18), including changes in their eating behavior. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic and the social isolation periods had ambiguous influence on diet in Poland. The changes were dependent on many factors e.g. age, sex, education, occupation, or body weight. In general, regular diet pattern was followed. In case of changes, positive and negative eating habits were observed. Improper eating behavior such as the increase of total food and junk food intake was noticed, however improvement of the diet also was observed. Consumption of healthy food, such as vegetables and fruit went up. The significant increase of home cooking also was noticed. Conclusions: The present review indicates the need for future strategies to assess nutrition in cases of alarming situations. Promoting healthy eating behavior appears to be essential, especially during the pandemic

Hospitalizacja pacjentów ze schorzeniami nienowotworowymi w hospicjum stacjonarnym — doświadczenia ośrodka w Białymstoku

 Background. Current epidemiological observations indicate an increasing need for palliative care for patients with non-cancer diseases, including end-stage heart failure. One of the forms of palliative care are medical services provided in stationary hospice. The aim of the study was to present the characteristics of patients hospitalized in hospice stationary care, and in particular to determine the proportion of non-cancer patients. Patients and methods. The study consisted in analyzing the annual medical records of patients hospitalized in the stationary hospice and recording information on referrals, diagnoses determining admission to the hospice and time of hospitalization. The obtained data was analyzed with non-parametric tests, assuming p &lt; 0.05 as the level of statistical significance. Results. During the study period, 708 patients were hospitalized in the stationary hospice, significantly more often patients with a diagnosis of a cancer (74%), p &lt; 0.05. Patients diagnosed with cardiology accounted for 12% of the group of non-cancer patients and 2.5% of all hospitalized patients. In the group of cancer patients end-stage heart failure was noticed in 34% cases. In the diagnosis of chronic respiratory failure, 28% of patients had a potential end-stage heart failure cause as a co-morbid diagnosis. The age of patients and their hospitalization time in the stationary hospice did not differ significantly between patients with cancer and non-cancer diseases. Conclusions. The dominant group in palliative care in the stationary hospice are still oncological patients. End-stage heart failure is the primary indication in palliative care and associated diagnosis in patients with cancer and chronic respiratory failure.Wstęp. Aktualne obserwacje epidemiologiczne wskazują na wzrastającą potrzebę prowadzenia zasad opieki paliatywnej wobec pacjentów z schorzeniami inne niż nowotworowe, w tym schyłkową niewydolność serca. Jedną z form prowadzenia opieki paliatywnej są świadczenia medyczne realizowane w ramach Hospicjum Stacjonarnego. Cel. Celem pracy była aktualizacja charakterystyki pacjentów hospitalizowanych w hospicyjnej opiece stacjonarnej, a szczególnie określenie udziału pacjentów nienowotworowych w tym pacjentów z rozpoznaniem schyłkowej choroby kardiologicznej. Metodyka i pacjenci. Badanie polegało na analizie rocznej dokumentacji medycznej pacjentów hospitalizowanych w Hospicjum Stacjonarnym i odnotowaniu informacji dotyczących skierowań, rozpoznań warunkujących przyjęcie do hospicjum oraz czasu hospitalizacji. Uzyskane dane poddano analizie testami nieparametrycznymi, przyjmując p < 0,05 za poziom istotności statystycznej. Wyniki. W badanym okresie hospitalizowano w Hospicjum Stacjonarnym 708 pacjentów, znamiennie częściej pacjentów z rozpoznaniem choroby nowotworowej (74%), p < 0,05. Pacjenci z rozpoznaniem kardiologicznym stanowili 12% grupy pacjentów nienowotworowych i 2,5 % wszystkich hospitalizowanych. W obrębie rozpoznania niewydolności oddechowej 30% pacjentów miało potencjalną przyczynę kardiologiczną jako rozpoznanie współistniejące. Łącznie pacjenci z głównym i współistniejącym rozpoznaniem kardiologicznym stanowili 4% badanej populacji. Wiek chorych i czas ich hospitalizacji w Hospicjum Stacjonarnym nie różnił się znamiennie pomiędzy pacjentami z schorzeniami nowotworowymi i nienowotworowymi. Wnioski. Dominującą grupą korzystającą z opieki paliatywnej w Hospicjum Stacjonarnym są nadal chorzy onkologiczni. Niewydolność serca jest rozpoznaniem głównym kwalifikującym do prowadzenia opieki paliatywnej oraz rozpoznaniem towarzyszącym u pacjentów z chorobą nowotworową i przewlekłą niewydolnością oddechową

Thickening the threshold: Public spaces for encounter in the entry squares of Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

In September 2018 I have traveled to Bogota - the capital of Colombia with a group of Methods &amp; Analysis students and teachers. During the trip to Bogota I have repeatedly visited the campus of Universidad Nacional de Colombia – a national higher education institution. What stayed with me the most after these visits were not the sights of the most prominent university buildings and representative spaces but quite contrastingly – pictures of the forgotten lawns and the dilapidated fence which marks the boundary of the campus. Universidad Nacional has been isolated from the rest of the city by a fence raised in 1970’s and even more severely by busy traffic arteries. In spite of the separation, the campus plays an invaluable role in the lives of the inhabitants of Bogota. Not to mention the thousands of students, who daily cross the gates, innumerable families and groups of friends arrive at Universidad Nacional to rest and play there. The campus is a green resource for the city.Boundary is a social contract in which the sides agree that a contradiction cannot be resolved in any way other than separating the conflicted sides. If the separation is not questioned the status quo remains. An architect – a person whose work is to introduce change – is inclined to question the division. And what happens if we transform the environment in such way that the discourse, more intensive exchange between the sides and with each other realities become possible? The reality supplies one of the possible answers. In the present state of affairs many aspects of the functioning of the student life have been left to the informal market. In fact the informal markets flourish near the boundary. Vendors have discovered the boundary in a way that does not conform to the orthodox understanding of a boundary. The organic, unplanned, improvised erodes the stiff, regulated, formalized.What would it take to open the gates for the other realities though? Architecture, Urbanism and Building Science

Gospodarka odpadami komunalnymi w Polsce w porównaniu do innych państw Unii Europejskiej

The paper discusses the current state of municipal waste management in Poland compared to other European Union countries. It indicates the amounts of municipal waste generated over the last few years in Poland and other EU countries. The paper compares waste treatment methods in Poland and Europe, such as recycling, composting, thermal treatment and waste disposal. An analysis of municipal waste processing installations in Poland is presented. The trends in the municipal waste management system in recent years have also been described. In the field of municipal waste management in Poland, there have been significant changes. The amount of waste sent to landfills has decreased, and the amount of waste recovered and recycled has increased. These changes are positive and reflect the development of municipal waste management systems in other EU countries. The article indicates the problems and directions of changes in the field of municipal waste management in Poland in the coming years, especially in the context of the implementation of circular economy assumptions and the goals set by the European Union in terms of increase the level of waste recycling and reducing their disposal.Artykuł omawia aktualny stan gospodarowania odpadami komunalnymi w Polsce w porównaniu do innych państw Unii Europejskiej. Wskazuje ilości wytwarzanych odpadów komunalnych na przestrzeni ostatnich kilku lat w Polsce i w pozostałych krajach unijnych. W pracy porównano sposoby zagospodarowania odpadów w Polsce i Europie, takie jak: recykling, kompostowanie, termiczne przetwarzanie i składowanie odpadów. Przedstawiono analizę instalacji do przetwarzania odpadów komunalnych w Polsce. Opisano też tendencje w systemie gospodarowania odpadami komunalnymi w ostatnich latach. W zakresie gospodarowania odpadami komunalnymi w Polsce nastąpiły znaczące zmiany w tym zakresie. Spadła ilość odpadów kierowanych na składowiska, a wzrosła ilość odpadów poddawanych odzyskowi i recyklingowi. Zmiany te są pozytywne i odzwierciedlają rozwój systemów gospodarowania odpadami komunalnymi w innych państwach UE. Artykuł wskazuje problemy i kierunki zmian w zakresie gospodarowania odpadami komunalnymi w Polsce w najbliższych latach, zwłaszcza w kontekście realizacji założeń gospodarki o obiegu zamkniętym i celów wyznaczonych przez Unię Europejską w zakresie wzrostu poziomu recyklingu odpadów i ograniczenia ich składowania

Prevention of cardiovascular disease in a rural general practice

Introduction. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prophylaxis in general practice, especially in rural areas, is a major organizational challenge. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CVD risk factors in the studied population, and to identify the effect of the number of planned prophylactic consultations on selected clinical parameters, risk factors, and total cardiovascular risk on the SCORE scale (Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation). Materials and method. The study included patients of a rural general practice, aged 35–55 years, with at least one modifiable CVD risk factor. Medical history was obtained, a physical examination performed, blood glucose levels, lipid profile, BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure measured and the SCORE cardiovascular risk at baseline and at the end of the study calculated. All participants were provided with targeted specific education. Analysis was performed in two groups of patients (1 and 2), where group 1 had one more prophylactic consultation than Group 2. Results. The results at baseline and a year later were compared in pharmacologically untreated patients, 26 in Group 1 and 34 in Group 2. In Group 1, which had had more prophylactic consultations, a statistically significant decrease was found in the mean systolic blood pressure: 131.000–124.782 (p= 0.02721), mean diastolic blood pressure: 86.846–83.462 (p=0.01111), and a statistically significant decrease in total cardiovascular risk on the SCORE scale (p=0.0478). Conclusions. The higher number of preventive consultations had an impact on a statistically significant decrease in mean blood pressure and mean SCORE value. The year-long cardiovascular disease prophylaxis programme proved less effective than expected, and neither a decrease in body weight nor an improvement in lipid metabolism was achieved in any of the groups

Serum Cytokeratin 18 M30 Levels in Chronic Hepatitis B Reflect Both Phase and Histological Activities of Disease

Chronic hepatitis B has highly a dynamic course with significant fluctuations of HBV-DNA and ALT impeding assessment of disease activity. New biomarkers of inflammatory versus noninflammatory stages of HBV infection are urgently needed. Cytokeratin 18 epitope M30 (M30 CK-18) is a sensitive marker of cell death. We aimed to investigate an association between serum M30 CK-18 and histological activity and phase of HBV infection. 150 Caucasian patients with HBV-infection were included in the study. Serum M30 CK-18 levels reflected phase of disease, being significantly higher in both HBeAg(+) and HBeAg(−) hepatitis B in comparison to HBsAg(+) carrier groups. The highest serum M30 CK-18 levels were observed in subjects with the most advanced stages of HBV. Moreover, its serum concentrations correlated with both inflammatory activity and fibrosis advancement (ANOVA P<0.001). Importantly, serum M30 CK-18 levels were able to discriminate patients with mild versus moderate-advanced fibrosis (AUC: 0.86) and mild versus active liver inflammation (AUC: 0.79). M30 CK-18 serum concentration has good sensitivity and specificity in discriminating mild versus moderate/severe fibrosis and inflammation even in patients with normal ALT activity. This study suggests M30 CK-18 as a potential noninvasive marker of disease activity and also a marker of phase of persistent HBV infection