Blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery during transnasal endoscopic skull base surgery performed in controlled hypotension

Background and purpose To assess blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) during transnasal endoscopic procedures performed with decreased hemodynamic parameters. Materials and methods In 40 patients who underwent endoscopic skull base surgery in controlled hypotension (studied group) and in 13 patients operated without reduction of hemodynamic parameters (control group), blood flow velocity in MCA was assessed with transcranial color Doppler sonography. Results Blood flow velocity in MCA remained within the range of age-specific reference values in all patients before operation. It decreased significantly in both groups after induction of anesthesia and then dropped even further in studied group of patients when hemodynamic parameters were reduced; the systolic velocity fell below the normal reference values in 25% of patients, the mean velocity in 50% and the diastolic velocity in 57% of patients. The diastolic velocity was much more heavily influenced by diminished hemodynamic parameters than systolic velocity in the studied group as opposed to the control group where reduction of blood flow velocity pertained equally systolic and diastolic velocity. Conclusion During transnasal endoscopic procedures performed in moderate hypotension, in addition to significant drop of blood flow velocity to values well below the normal reference range, a divergent reduction of systolic and diastolic velocity was detected. Since divergent systolic and diastolic velocity may indicate an early phase of cerebral autoregulation compromise, and the decrease of mean blood flow velocity in MCA corresponds with a decrease of cerebral blood flow, further investigations in this field seem warranted

Novel, self-made and cost-ective technique for closed-incision negative pressure wound therapy

Background: It has been suggested that applying the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to a closedsurgical incision may hasten the healing of the incision and decrease the incidence of wound healing complications. The goal of this study is to present the new idea of a simple, self-made, low-cost wound vacuum dressing for closed-incision NPWT that may become an alternative to currently manufactured medicalindustry products.Method: We designed a simple dressing for closed-incision NPWT from gauze pads, polyurethane adhesive film, stoma paste, and a drain tube. Negative pressure was created using a standard 50 ml syringe connected to the drain. First, the dressing was applied to the wound model and on the healthy volunteer. Finally, the dressing was applied to 10 patients after low anterior rectal resection. The vacuum dressing was left in place for 3 days, then changed and placed once more for the next 3 days.Results: We did not observe any adverse effects associatedwith the dressing. All postoperative wounds healed properly. 18 out of 20 dressings were still air-tight 72h post-placement.Conclusions: This simple, self-made dressing for NPWT is safe and effective and may decrease the wound infection rate. However future studies are needed to confirm that hypothesis

International Academic Conference Central and Eastern Europe in the International Politics of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries 7–8 November 2022, Kraków

Słowo wstępne: "Oddajemy w Państwa ręce księgę abstraktów międzynarodowej konferencji naukowej „Europa Środkowo-Wschodnia w polityce międzynarodowej XX i XXI wieku”, która w dniach 7–8 listopada 2022 r. gromadzi w murach Krakowskiej Akademii im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego doświadczonych badawczy, doktorantów i studentów z Polski i zagranicy. Konferencja została zorganizowana przez Katedrę Stosunków Międzynarodowych Krakowskiej Akademii im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego we współpracy z Instytutem Historii i Archiwistyki Uniwersytetu Pedagogicznego im. KEN w Krakowie (współorganizator). Partnerami naukowymi są Instytut Historyczny Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego (organizator pierwszej części konferencji, przeprowadzonej w dniu 26 maja 2022 r.), Katedra Badań nad Obszarem Eurazjatyckim Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w Krakowie oraz Instytut Zachodni im. Zygmunta Wojciechowskiego. Celem konferencji jest wniesienie wkładu w dyskusję naukową o historycznych doświadczeniach państw Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej oraz współczesnych wyzwaniach i zagrożeniach, z którymi są konfrontowane rządy i społeczeństwa państw tego regionu."(...)Patronat honorowy Prof. KAAFM dr Klemens Budzowski – Rektor Krakowskiej Akademii im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego Oddział Krakowski Polskiego Towarzystwa Studiów Europejskic

Spinning-off the AI: Defining the Value Proposition of an Artificial Intelligence solution

Artificial Intelligence technology offers computational, decision-making, and optimizing abilities that surpass every previously established traditional computation method. By being able to navigate across large amounts of data, the realized solutions learn on their own and provide results that would be unattainable with other ways. The complex nature of the AI makes the solutions difficult to define. The potential is left untapped, as the solution developers struggle to define product features that would correlate with the user needs. On the other hand, the the potential AI solution users may not be aware of the AI capabilities, possibilities of integration, and automatization of the operation processes.This creates situation, in which the potential of the AI is not used effectively, and areas that could benefit from it are not able to integrate AI systems in their operation.This research looks at this issue from the perspective of the value proposition design process. This process assumes a definition of potential benefits and uses on the side of the developer, aligning, and communicating them with the potential users. Specifically, the Value Proposition Creation model is used, as it is a method often used by AI startups and university spinoffs. The main question this research asks is “What are the factors influencing the specific value proposition of innovative AI solutions”. By answering this question, the paper hopes to establish a method for understanding the specific aspects of the AI solutions that should be taken into consideration while designing an effective value proposition and communicating it with the potential user.To answer the research question, an in-depth look is taken at the Artificial Intelligence adoption processes. First, a literature study helps define the factors involved in the AI adoption. A conceptual model is created, which is then evaluated via a series of semi-structured interviews with AI research and development experts. By doing so, the relationships between the factors are obtained and a general impact on the adoption process is understood. This allows for a formulation of the relationship of said factors with the Value Proposition Canvas. Additionally, literature research is conducted on the value proposition frameworks, which allows for a definition of good practices in value proposition design in relation to the Artificial Intelligence solutions. The obtained frameworks are then tested in a single exploratory case study, which looks specifically at the idea of Deep Reinforcement Learning algorithms used as a decision-making method in the context of road maintenance planning.The research provides an overlay on the Value Proposition Canvas, obtained through the evaluation of the AI adoption process. Such approach creates a framework, which then can be used to effectively define and clarify the individual values, benefits, gains, and features of an AI product. Moreover, by providing the interrelationships between the adoption factors, understanding of the internal dependencies of factors necessary in the product development process can be obtained. The framework can be used by developers in the field of Artificial Intelligence to assess the necessary requirements of the solution, highlight the key areas that have to be researched, as well as help in communicating of the crucial solution aspects with the potential clients and users. The framework can be best used in the context of an AI startup or a university spinoff, because of its generalist approach. It assumes a fast development of a value proposition, which is necessary in the context of a Minimum Viable Product definition.The results of the research combine the adoption processes of the AI solution and the method for their value proposition, realized with the VPC. It has been shown that the adoption factors may play a relevant role in the value definition of the potential solutions. Because the adoption models may not be used directly in the VP processes, a framework of questions has been setup for the solution developers to reflect upon during the Value Proposition Creation. Such approach is in line with the general methodology of the VPC, as it uses questions to define the relevant fields of the canvas. The goal of the research was not to modify the canvas itself, as its intrinsic agility and simplicity is the core strength. Moreover, by looking at the common practices seen in other Value Proposition frameworks, good practices have been defined for the VPC in relation specifically to the Artificial Intelligence solutions. These results have been afterwards validated in the exploratory case study for the Deep Reinforcement Leaning decision-making system in the field of road maintenance, indicating the specific steps that the solution developer must undertake and creating an example Value Proposition Canvas for this specific case.Management of Technology (MoT

Sociology and the Complexity of the Modern World

W artykule prezentujemy cztery strategie socjologii wobec społecznej złożoności oraz wobec rozwoju nauk o złożoności. Strategia pierwsza sprowadza się do ogłoszenia przez socjologię własnego bankructwa lub postawienia się w roli skromnego konsorcjanta w ramach transdyscyplinarnych przedsięwzięć badawczych. Strategia druga to podkupienie stylu eksplanacyjnego i kultury metodologicznej nauk o złożności. Strategia trzecia to zaciąganie u teorii złożoności długu terminologicznego. Strategia czwarta zaś, najtrudniejsza, to rozwijanie własnej, socjologicznej teorii złożoności.The paper presents four strategies that sociology employs in the face of social complexity and the development of complexity science. The first strategy comes down to announcing bankruptcy on the part of the discipline or playing the role of a minor consortium member in transdisciplinary research projects within complexity science. The second strategy is 'buying' the explanatory style and methodological culture of complexity science. The third one is becoming indebted to complexity theory terminology. The fourth strategy, the most difficult one, is to develop its own, distinct sociological theory of complexity

Akupunktura i jej odmiany a dostępność w turystyce leczniczej

The aim of this work is to examine the possibility of using acupuncture treatment as a way of therapeutic tourism. The first chapter explains what acupuncture is and when it has been introduced at first. The history of acupuncture treatment is described, starting with a description of its earliest forms thousands years ago, followed by an explanation of its development and its particular methods nowadays. The second chapter describes several types of acupuncture: thermopuncture, auriculotherapy, acupressure, electropuncture and reflexotherapy. All these methods are now used in health resorts and medical SPA services all over the world. The third chapter presents some examples of acupuncture treatment used in Lithuania and Czech Republic, as well, as in Poland. Some of them are presented as basic information of the medical SPA services

Associations of Dietary Patterns and Metabolic-Hormone Profiles with Breast Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Studies regarding complex breast cancer aetiology are limited and the results are inconclusive. We investigated the associations between dietary patterns (DPs), metabolic-hormone profiles (M-HPs), and breast cancer risk. This case-control study involved 420 women aged 40⁻79 years from north-eastern Poland, including 190 newly-diagnosed breast cancer cases. The serum concentration of lipid components, glucose, and hormones (oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone, prolactin, cortisol, insulin) was marked in 129 post-menopausal women (82 controls, 47 cases). The food frequency consumption was collected using a validated 62-item food frequency questionnaire. A posteriori DPs or M-HPs were derived with a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Three DPs: ‘Non-Healthy’, ‘Prudent’, and ‘Margarine and Sweetened Dairy’ and two M-HPs: ‘Metabolic-Syndrome’ and ‘High-Hormone’ were identified. The ‘Polish-adapted Mediterranean Diet’ (‘Polish-aMED’) score was calculated. The risk of breast cancer risk was three-times higher (odds ratio (OR): 2.90; 95% confidence interval (95% Cl): 1.62⁻5.21; p < 0.001) in the upper tertile of the ‘Non-Healthy’ pattern (reference: bottom tertile) and five-times higher (OR: 5.34; 95% Cl: 1.84⁻15.48; p < 0.01) in the upper tertile of the ‘High-Hormone’ profile (reference: bottom tertile). There was a positive association of ‘Metabolic-Syndrome’ profile and an inverse association of ‘Polish-aMED’ score with the risk of breast cancer, which disappeared after adjustment for confounders. No significant association between ‘Prudent’ or ‘Margarine and Sweetened Dairy’ DPs and cancer risk was revealed. Concluding, a pro-healthy diet is insufficient to reduce the risk of breast cancer in peri- and postmenopausal women. The findings highlight the harmful effect of the ‘High-Hormone’ profile and the ‘Non-Healthy’ dietary pattern on breast cancer risk. In breast cancer prevention, special attention should be paid to decreasing the adherence to the ‘Non-Healthy’ pattern by reducing the consumption of highly processed food and foods with a high content of sugar and animal fat. There is also a need to monitor the concentration of multiple sex hormones in the context of breast cancer risk

ROS Scavenging Effect of Selected Isoflavones in Provoked Oxidative Stress Conditions in Human Skin Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes

Isoflavones, belonging to polyphenolic compounds, show structural similarity to natural estrogens, and in this context, they have been extensively studied. Some of them are also applied as cosmetic additives; however, little is known regarding their effects on skin cells. In this investigation, common isoflavones, including genistein, daidzein, glycitein, formononetin, and biochanin A, as well as coumestrol, were evaluated for antioxidant activity and their impact on human skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Antioxidant effects were assessed using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP tests, and the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) was tested in cells with H2O2-provoked oxidative stress. The impact on the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) was also explored. As shown by Alamar Blue and neutral red uptake assays, the compounds were not toxic within the tested concentration range, and formononetin and coumestrol even demonstrated a stimulatory effect on cells. Coumestrol and biochanin A demonstrated significant antioxidative potential, leading to a significant decrease in ROS in the cells stimulated by H2O2. Furthermore, they influenced enzyme activity, preventing depletion during induced oxidative stress, and also reduced MDA levels, demonstrating protection against lipid peroxidation. In turn, genistein, daidzein, and glycitein exhibited low antioxidant capacity