Microbiological hazard in buildings based on the example of dwelling houses and public utility buildings in Warsaw

This paper contains preliminary results of mycological research in residential and public buildings in Warsaw and its surroundings. The study focuses on the qualitative survey of fungi in buildings of various categories. It includes research objects divided into six categories depending on the age of the buildings and their use: new buildings and the objects of about twenty years and older, as well as twenty-year single-family houses. Two houses that are in the registry of monuments (National Heritage Institute) were also in the scope of the analysis. There have also been attempts to classify the identified species of fungi into groups of BSL (Biological Safety Level), in order to identify their potential allergenic impact on buildings users. In more than half of the studied objects the most frequently isolated species was Alternaria alternata (55% of cases) and fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. Aspergillus niger was identified in 33% of the objects, exclusively in the neglected buildings, including those abandoned for at least one year.W ponad połowie obiektów najczęściej izolowano Alternaria alternata (55% przypadków) oraz grzyby z rodzajów Aspergillus i Penicillium, w tym Aspergillus niger, który zidentyfikowano w 33% badanych obiektów: w budynkach zaniedbanych, w tym niezamieszkałych od przynajmniej rok

On the ambivalence in evaluating the notion represented by the Czech lexeme "chytrost"

Artykuł próbuje odpowiedzieć na pytanie o przyczyny ambiwalencji w wartościowaniu pojęcia "chytrost", które w języku czeskim rozumiane jest prymarnie jako wartość, a sekundarnie - jako antywartość. W tym celu sięgnięto po metody lubelskiej etnolingwistyki, które zostały wykorzystane do odtworzenia stereotypu "chytrosti" we współczesnej czeszczyźnie. W pierwszej części artykułu rekonstrukcja stereotypu przebiega w oparciu o dane systemowe, pozwalające ustalić treść znaczeniową leksemu, a w części drugiej - w oparciu o dane tekstowe, dostarczające informacji na temat wartościowania. W części trzeciej przedstawiona została ewolucja znaczeniowa leksemów "chytrost" i "chytrý" od okresu staroczeskiego po współczesność. Pokazuje ona, które elementy dawnego rozumienia pojęcia zostały zachowane w stereotypie, przyczyniając się do negatywnego wartościowania. W podsumowaniu zamieszczona została skrócona, syntetyczna definicja kognitywna pojęcia "chytrost", która w przeciwieństwie do definicji taksonomicznych proponowanych przez słowniki języka czeskiego umożliwia wyraźne odróżnienie "chytrosti" od innych czeskich leksemów odnoszących się sfery umysłowej (np. "moudrost"). Wprowadzenie rozróżnienia w rozumieniu "chytrosti" jako cechy umysłu vs. cechy charakteru pozwoliło też wyjaśnić, w jakich kontekstach cecha ta wartościowana jest pozytywnie, a w jakich - negatywnie.This article seeks to explain reasons for ambivalence in the evaluation of the notion "chytrost", which is understood in Czech primarily as value, and secondarily as anti-value. For this purpose, the methods of Lublin ethnolinguistics were used to recreate a stereotype of the notion "chytrost" in the modern Czech language. In the first part of the article, the stereotype is reconstructed based on systemic data that allow one to determine the semantic content of the lexeme, and in the second part - on the basis of textual data providing information on evaluation. The third part presents the semantic evolution of the lexemes "chytrost" and "chytrý" from the Old Czech period to the present day. It shows which elements of the old understanding of the concept have been preserved in the stereotype, contributing to its negative evaluation. The conclusion includes a short cognitive definition of the concept "chytrost", which - in contrast with the taxonomic definitions from Czech dictionaries - enables us to distinguish "chytrost" from other Czech lexemes relating to the mental sphere (e.g. "moudrost"). The distinction between "chytrost" as a mental trait and as a character trait allows one also to determine in which contexts "chytrost" is evaluated positively, and in which - negatively

Primary Membranous Nephropathy - what do we know today?

Introduction: Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults, characterized by the deposition of immune complexes in the glomerular basement membrane. Aim of this study: evaluate the features of PMN such as incidence, pathology, clinical features and assess the effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy. Materials and Methods: The review was based on articles found in PubMed database, using keyword „primary membranous nephropathy” with appropriate sufixes. Results: PMN is a challenging disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and management. Laboratory tests, including assessment of autoantibodies and complement levels, are essential for the diagnosis of PMN. Immunosuppressive therapy can be effective in inducing remission in a significant proportion of patients. Conclusions: Further research is needed to optimize the duration and intensity of immunosuppressive therapy, and to evaluate the role of newer therapies such as rituximab and belimumab

New Opportunities and Challenges for Health Professionals in the era of Artificial Intelligence – Review

Introduction and purpose: Modern medical knowledge has grown to a vastness incomprehensible for a single health professional to learn and accommodate. The usage of modern information technologies comes to help, one of them being artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science aimed at developing solutions to perform tasks similar to the human brain, but more efficient and complex, without actual human intervention.  The goal of this review is to provide reader with the knowledge how artificial intelligence is applied in various branches of medicine. Brief description of the state of knowledge: In the fields of infectious diseases, including COVID-19 diagnostics, radiology, dermatology and surgery, works lean toward the statement, which suspect application of AI is beneficial for medical practitioners. Programs help to develop statistical models for virus spreading and the creation of antiviral solutions. The radiological application involves the analysis of images to aid radiologists in diagnosing certain features, similarly to dermatology, where eg. AI can identify malignancy of skin nevi. In the department of surgery, predictive algorithms can help in choosing operation methods and improve outcomes. Conclusions: Usage of AI assistance in the medical field has proven to be successful, but it is yet to be commonly encountered in everyday work. Programs need to be further developed and made more approachable to users without expertise in the IT field. AI may also prove useful in the process of education of health professionals

How do new therapeutic strategies for PCOS management influence the health of the affected individuals? The narrative review

Introduction and purpose: Management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is difficult since the exact pathogenic mechanism has not been established yet. Due to that fact, the substances registered to treat PCOS are still lacking efficacy and are associated with a number of adverse effects. The aim of this study is to review new possible treatment approaches.   State of knowledge: Inositol administered alone or combined with oral contraceptive drugs improves patients’ hormonal status and alleviates the weight increase in comparison to oral contraceptive drugs on their own. Berberine reduces insulin resistance, improves lipid metabolism, and reduces inflammatory reactions. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists have a better weight loss effect and less severe adverse reactions than metformin. Thiazolidinediones combined with metformin improve ovulation rate, acne and increase SHGB levels. Thiazolidinediones have also less severe adverse reactions than metformin and can be useful in patients who are not able to tolerate metformin.   Summary: The review has shown that inositol, berberine, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists andthiazolidinediones have promising therapeutic effects in terms of PCOS treatment, however, more research is needed to establish safety and efficacy of those agents. Nonetheless, results of this study may be utilized in the education of health specialists in endocrinology departments

Monkeypox in humans – the review

Monkeypox is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus with a presentation similar to smallpox. Being previously endemic to Africa, now the disease is spreading across the world, causing fear of a potential next pandemic. Smallpox vaccine, previously providing cross-immunity to monkeypox virus, due to cessation of vaccinations, caused the decline in immunity against these viruses. Defined ways of transmission are animal-to-human through consumption or attack by an affected animal, human-to-human through close contact, or via respiratory droplets. Currently, there are no specific antiviral drugs and vaccine specific to monkeypox, and for symptomatic care, there are no determined guidelines

The relationship between the occurrence of psoriasis and depression

Psoriasis (skin psoriasis, PsO) is a chronic auto‐immune skin inflammatory condition. In about one-third of cases, the joints are affected (psoriatic arthritis, PsA). Both conditions, especially PsA, profoundly impact patients' health-related quality of life.  This disease affects between 2% and 3% of the population. The onset occurs before the age of 40 as a sharply demarcated scaly, red skin lesions, most often on the elbows, knees, scalp, hands, feet and joints considering osteoarticular involvement. Patients are suffering from itching, irritations, stinging and pain. Etiology of this disease is multifactorial, with genetic and environmental involvement, psychological stress and depression being the key factors considering the onset, flare or therapeutic resistance of psoriatic disease. The purpose of this article is to review and analyze how depression and stress affect the life of patients with psoriasis and in which way prevention could play a role regarding the evolution of this disease.Proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)‐1 and IL‐6 are elevated in both psoriasis and depression, indicating that the inflammatory process may be involved in the progression of both diseases. Psoriasis has long been recognized to be associated with potentially adverse effects on mental health. However, there have been relatively few studies evaluating psychological outcomes in patients with psoriasis.Depression and stress decrease the quality of life, psoriasis being the last drop in the glass, with bimodal intensification of these pathologies. Quality of life in patients with psoriasis is directly associated with the severity of the disease, family status, work status and stigmatization

Analiza możliwości zastosowania środowiska Unity 3D w tworzeniu symulacji postaci

This work presents the performance analysis of Unity 3D environment character simulation development. Ihe purpose of this work is a comparative analysis of character animation processes in the aforementioned environment. The analysis is based on motion simulation process, which has been shown in the two different ways. The results showed advantage of motion simulation process based on the blend tree, which was characterized by greater fluency and as it also turned out higher efficiency than the state animation.Niniejsza praca przedstawia analizę możliwości zastosowania środowiska Unity 3D w kontekście symulacji postaci. Jej celem jest analiza porównawcza procesu animacji postaci w wyżej wymienionym środowisku. Głównym aspektem badawczym jest proces symulacji ruchu, który zrealizowano w projekcie na dwa sposoby. Dostrzeżono przewagę procesu symulacji ruchu opierającego się na blend tree, który cechował się większą płynnością i jak się okazało, także większą wydajnością niż animacja stanowa

Interferon alpha (IFN-α) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. An important role in the pathogenesis of SLE has been attributed to interferon alpha (IFN-α), which stimulates the expression of numerous genes, resulting in an increased autoinflammatory response. Recent studies have demonstrated  increased levels of this cytokine in patients with SLE, as well as in relatives, indicating that IFN- α is an inherited risk factor for lupus. Cases of induction of SLE/lupus-like syndrome after IFN- α therapy also point to the involvement of interferon in the pathogenesis of the disease. Interferon being a probable initiator of the disease, as well as a marker to examine its exacerbations, is a potential research target to better understand the etiology and pathogenesis of lupus. More research is needed to determine the feasibility of using INF-blocking agents for new therapies in SLE

Laparoscopic myomectomy in the treatment of large myomas – unnecessary risk or effective method?

Introduction:Mięśniaki macicy są najczęstszymi łagodnymi guzami macicy. Większość mięśniaków przebiega bezobjawowo i nie wymaga interwencji lekarskiej, jednak jeśli tak się dzieje, podstawą terapii pozostaje dostęp chirurgiczny. Miomektomia to jedna z chirurgicznych metod usuwania mięśniaków dla osób chcących zachować płodność. W dzisiejszych czasach udoskonalono techniki operacyjne i opracowano metody mniej inwazyjne, takie jak laparoskopowa miomektomia (LM). Jednak bezpieczeństwo i skuteczność LM jest dobrze udokumentowana w przypadku mięśniaków średniej wielkości. Dostęp laparoskopowy w przypadku większych guzów macicy (średnica> 10 cm) może budzić kontrowersje i może stanowić wyzwanie ze względu na możliwe trudności. Cel, powód: Ocena skuteczności, wyzwań technicznych i powikłań LM w leczeniu dużych mięśniaków. Materiały i metody: Przeszukaliśmy bazy danych Pubmed, Springer Link i ResearchGate.  Wyniki: Systematyczne analizy zakwalifikowane do tego przeglądu sugerowały, że pomimo wielu możliwych komplikacji i trudności, metoda może być z powodzeniem stosowana przez doświadczonego specjalistę. Jednak leczenie LM w dużych mięśniakach jest nadal rzadkie, a dane na ten temat są nadal ograniczone. Wnioski: Miomektomia laparoskopowa może być alternatywną metodą leczenia dużych mięśniaków. Chirurgia laparoskopowa dużych mięśniaków LM może stanowić wyzwanie, a skuteczność takiego leczenia zależy od umiejętności chirurga. Metoda jest również przydatna u kobiet rozważających ciążę.