TOWARDS A NEW PARADIGM OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION?

Marketing communication has been undergoing dynamic transformations in recent years. The main factors influencing those changes are: globalization, technological progress and the digitisation of life. Moreover, customers’ needs and expectations related to the communication are evolving as well. Because of those changes, there is a need to adjust the concept of integrated marketing communication to the new reality. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to analyse the consequences of above-mentioned transformations for the concept of integrated marketing communication. Second, to discuss the need of elaborating a new marketing communication paradigm and to indicate the directions and areas that ought to be adjusted. These deliberations will be based both on critical literature analysis and results of research carried out by the author

Dobrobit povezana s hranom. Kritička analiza koncepta dobrobiti povezane s hranom i mogućnosti njegove empirijske potvrde

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to take a critical look at the FWB concept and the possibilities of its empirical verification, aimed at identifying limitations and difficulties in measurement. Design/Methodology/Approach – The critical literature analysis is based on inductive reasoning and was conducted on two levels – the conceptual framework of FWB and empirical research in the FWB field. Findings and implications – The interdisciplinarity of FWB conceptual models hinders their empirical verification. In the analysed studies, empirical measurements are characterized by fragmentation. The fact that researchers use various methods causes problems with comparing results and formulating universal conclusions or recommendations that contribute to increasing the level of FWB in terms of the individual or the society. Moreover, the issue of the shape of the FWB pinwheel needs to be clarified, e.g. individual issues should be included under a separate food (related) personality dimension. Limitations – The analyses were based solely on the review of available literature and existing research, which was conducted in most part from the perspective of one discipline. Primary empirical and interdisciplinary study is needed to explore the subject further. Originality – To the best of authors’ knowledge, no attempt has been made so far to analyse FWB in the presented approach, which would allow defining its conceptual limitations, the possibility of empirical verification or indicating research directions in individual dimensions of FWB.Svrha - Svrha je rada kritički sagledati koncept FBW (food well-being, dobrobit povezana s hranom) i mogućnosti njegove empirijske potvrde usmjerene utvrđivanju ograničenja i poteškoća u njegovu mjerenju. Dizajn/metodologija/pristup - Kritička analiza literature zasniva se na induktivnom pristupu. Provedena je na dvjema razinama – na razini konceptualnog okvira FWB-a i na razini empirijskih istraživanja koncepta FWB-a. Rezultati i implikacije - Interdisciplinarnost konceptualnih modela FWB-a ometa njihovu empirijsku potvrdu. U analiziranim studijama utvrđena je fragmentiranost empirijskih provjera. Primjena različitih metoda uzrokuje probleme usporedbe dobivenih rezultata, kao i formulacije općih zaključaka ili preporuka, koje bi pridonijele povećanju FBW-a na razini individue ili društva. U tom smislu bilo bi potrebno razjasniti potrebe uključene u “FWB zupčanik”, primjerice, razviti posebnu dimenziju s hranom povezane osobnosti. Ograničenja - Analize se temelje isključivo na analizi postojeće literature i istraživanjima koja su se uglavnom provodila iz perspektive jedne znanstvene discipline. Za dublje razumijevanje ove teme potrebno je provesti interdisciplinarno empirijsko istraživanje. Originalnost - Prema dosadašnjim saznanjima autorica, ne postoje pokušaji analize koncepta FWB-a poput ovdje opisanog pristupa, a koji bi omogućio definiranje njegovih konceptualnih ograničenja, empirijske potvrde ili budućih smjerova istraživanja pojedinačnih dimenzija FWB

Is the merA gene sufficient as a molecular marker of mercury bacterial resistance?

Gene encoding mercuric ion reductase, merA is a crucial component of the mer operon for reduction of nonorganic mercury ions into less toxic form. The merA gene or its fragments are commonly used as a molecular marker of bacterial resistance to mercury. In this study, it was tested whether the merA gene can be considered as a molecular marker of mercury bacterial resistance. For this purpose, the presence of the mer operon in bacteria isolated from the microbiota of Tussilago farfara L. growing in post-industrial mercury-contaminated and non-contaminated areas was verified by merA gene identification. Mercury resistance was determined by analyzing the bacterial growth parameters in standard Luria-Bertani (LB) medium with mercury concentration of 0.01% (w/v) and in medium without mercury addition. The results obtained showed that the merA gene was present in all T. farfara L. bacterial isolates growing in both mercury-contaminated and noncontaminated soils, however, only the isolates from mercury-contaminated areas were able to grow under mercury conditions. Although merA is commonly regarded as a molecular marker of bacterial mercury resistance, results of our research indicate the need for a verification of that statement/thesis and further investigation of bacterial mercury resistance to indicate other its key markers, structures, or mechanisms

Skutki dyrektywy o stosowaniu praw pacjenta w opiece transgranicznej w zakresie uprawnień pacjentów, zobowiązań świadczeniodawców oraz w sferze organizacji, koordynacji i finansowania świadczeń

Effects of the EU Directive on Patient’s Rights in the sphere of patients etitlements, providers liabilities and services organization, coordination and financing The so called cross border care directive of European Union follows the long process of European Court of Justice judgments concerning regulation of patient’s right in respect to health services delivered outside the country of health insurance, specifically the planned procedures or treatment not available in the country of patient origin. At this moment the directive is still being transformed into domestic systems however, there are still important obstacles and problems caused by the implementation process. The paper concerns some specific aspects of the above mentioned implementation results, showing also the wider context of the previous attempts focused on the matter solving in EU, mostly describing the legal background and crucial political approaches. It briefly describes such questions like: pre-authorization requirements, subjective obstacles regarding implementation, national contact points problems, need for the legislation novelisation, base reimbursement problems, national systems protection, providers responsibility and some coordination of services aspects in relation to the described directive.

Institutional analysis of health promotion for older people in Europe - Concept and research tool

Background: European societies are ageing rapidly and thus health promotion for older people (HP4OP) is becoming an increasingly relevant issue. Crucial here is not only the clinical aspect of health promotion but also its organisational and institutional dimension. The latter has been relatively neglected in research on HP4OP. This issue is addressed in this study, constituting a part of the EU project ProHealth65+, engaging ten member countries. This paper is based on two intertwining research goals: (1) exploring which institutions/organisations are performing HP4OP activities in selected European countries (including sectors involved, performed roles of these institutions, organisation of those activities); (2) developing an institutional approach to HP4OP. Thus, the paper provides a description of the analytical tools for further research in this area. Methods: The mentioned aims were addressed through the mutual use of two complementary methods: (a) a literature review of scientific and grey literature; and (b) questionnaire survey with selected expert respondents from 10 European countries. The expert respondents, selected by the project's collaborating partners, were asked to fill in a custom designed questionnaire concerning HP4OP institutional aspects. Results: The literature review provided an overview of the organisational arrangements in different HP4OP initiatives. It also enabled the development of functional institutional definitions of health promotion, health promotion activities and interventions, as well as an institutional definition adequate to the health promotion context. The distinctions between sectors were also clarified. The elaborated questionnaires provided in-depth information on countries specifically indicating the key sectors involved in HP4OP in those selected countries. These are: health care, regional/local authorities, NGO's/voluntary institutions. The questionnaire and literature review both resulted in the indication of a significant level of cross-sectorial cooperation in HP4OP. Conclusions: The inclusion of the institutional analysis within the study of HP4OP provides a valuable opportunity to analyse, in a systematic way, good practices in this respect, also in terms of institutional arrangements. A failure to address this aspect in policymaking might potentially cause organisational failure even in evidence-based programmes. This paper frames the perception of this problem

Postępowanie diagnostyczno-terapeutyczne u chorych na czerniaki oka – zalecenia Polskiego Towarzystwa Onkologicznego

Czerniak błony naczyniowej oka jest najczęstszym złośliwym nowotworem gałki ocznej, rozwijającym się z melanocytów błony naczyniowej oka, który istotnie różni się od czerniaka spojówki, błon śluzowych i skóry. Postępowanie w tej chorobie różni się więc od postępowania w pozostałych postaciach czerniaka. Choroba najczęściej ograniczona jest do oka, a jej leczenie miejscowe obejmuje radioterapię i chirurgię. U części chorych pomimo skutecznego leczenia miejscowego dochodzi do wystąpienia przerzutów odległych, najczęściej zlokalizowanych w wątrobie. Przedstawione tutaj wytyczne obejmują zasady diagnostyki, oceny rokowania oraz leczenia zarówno choroby ograniczonej do gałki ocznej, jak i choroby w stadium z przerzutami. Omówiono również zasady postępowania w czerniaku spojówki. Zalecenia powstały w oparciu o przegląd piśmiennictwa oraz opinie ekspertów i są zaopatrzone w ocenę siły i wiarygodności

A Data-Driven Clustering Method for Discovering Profiles in the Dynamics of Major Depressive Disorder Using a Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment of Mood.

BACKGROUND: Although major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by a pervasive negative mood, research indicates that the mood of depressed patients is rarely entirely stagnant. It is often dynamic, distinguished by highs and lows, and it is highly responsive to external and internal regulatory processes. Mood dynamics can be defined as a combination of mood variability (the magnitude of the mood changes) and emotional inertia (the speed of mood shifts). The purpose of this study is to explore various distinctive profiles in real-time monitored mood dynamics among MDD patients in routine mental healthcare. METHODS: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data were collected as part of the cross-European E-COMPARED trial, in which approximately half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive the blended Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (bCBT). In this study a subsample of the bCBT group was included (n = 287). As part of bCBT, patients were prompted to rate their current mood (on a 1-10 scale) using a smartphone-based EMA application. During the first week of treatment, the patients were prompted to rate their mood on three separate occasions during the day. Latent profile analyses were subsequently applied to identify distinct profiles based on average mood, mood variability, and emotional inertia across the monitoring period. RESULTS: Overall, four profiles were identified, which we labeled as: (1) "very negative and least variable mood" (n = 14) (2) "negative and moderate variable mood" (n = 204), (3) "positive and moderate variable mood" (n = 41), and (4) "negative and highest variable mood" (n = 28). The degree of emotional inertia was virtually identical across the profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The real-time monitoring conducted in the present study provides some preliminary indications of different patterns of both average mood and mood variability among MDD patients in treatment in mental health settings. Such varying patterns were not found for emotional inertia