Visitation policies at palliative care units and stationary hospices during COVID-19 pandemic: A literature review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the ability of relatives and friends to accompany patients. Medical facilities have taken measures to limit or prohibit direct contact in proportion to the epidemic risk while respecting the integral health care component of relatives' participation in the therapeutic process. New challenges have also arisen in specialized palliative care units, where the family plays a key role in providing support and comfort to patients with advanced illness, especially at the end of life. This review aims to explore visitation policies in palliative care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and methods: PubMed, SCOPUS and WOS were reviewed using iteratively selected keywords (visiting policy AND palliative care AND COVID-19) to identify visiting policies in specialist palliative care settings. Results: The presence of relatives and their direct participation in inpatient palliative care have been significantly reduced or completely excluded. Several units have established specific visiting policies designed to prevent patients, staff and visiting relatives from acquiring the infection. The rules included obligatory personal protective equipment, limiting the duration of visits and number of permitted guests, as well as allowing only visitors that had been vaccinated against COVID-19. To mitigate the harm caused by the restrictions, new means of remote contact such as video calls through teleconferencing platforms have been introduced or expanded. Conclusions: Delving into solutions facilitating contact between relatives and patients, implemented in inpatient palliative care units during the COVID-19 pandemic may serve to identify and establish model solutions for managing similar scenarios in the future

Regulation of cocaine seeking behavior by locus coeruleus noradrenergic activity in the ventral tegmental area is time- and contingency-dependent

Substance use disorder is linked to impairments in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) reward system. Noradrenergic (NA) inputs from locus coeruleus (LC) into VTA have been shown to modulate VTA neuronal activity, and are implicated in psychostimulant effects. Phasic LC activity controls time- and context-sensitive processes: decision making, cognitive flexibility, motivation and attention. However, it is not yet known how such temporally-distinct LC activity contributes to cocaine seeking. In a previous study we demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of NA signaling in VTA specifically attenuates cocaine-seeking. Here, we used virally-delivered opsins to target LC neurons for inhibition or excitation, delivered onto afferents in VTA of male rats seeking cocaine under extinction conditions. Optogenetic stimulation or inhibition was delivered in distinct conditions: upon active lever press, contingently with discreet cues; or non-contingently, i.e., throughout the cocaine seeking session. Non-contingent inhibition of LC noradrenergic under extinction conditions. In contrast, contingent inhibition increased, while contingent stimulation reduced cocaine seeking. These findings were specific for cocaine, but not natural reward (food) seeking. Our results show that NA release in VTA drives behavior depending on timing and contingency between stimuli – context, discreet conditioned cues and reinforcer availability. We show that, depending on those factors, noradrenergic signaling in VTA has opposing roles, either driving CS-induced drug seeking, or contributing to behavioral flexibility and thus extinction

Fire-fighting branch pipe with elliptical outflow of extinguishing agent

W artykule opisano sposób poprawienia efektywności gaszenia pożarów grupy .B. proszkiem gaśniczym poprzez zastosowanie prądownicy o eliptycznym wypływie środka gaśniczego.The article describes the way of improving extinguishing efficiency of extinguishing powders for fires of .B. group by Rusing branch pipe nozzles with elliptical outflow of extinguishing agent

Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst : A great violinist in the shadow of Paganini

Abstract Tobias Wilczkowski: Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst – A great violinist in the shadow of Paganini. Uppsala universitet: Institutionen för musikvetenskap, uppsats för 60p., 2005. As a boy, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst adopted Paganini's virtuosic style. He became a popular violinist who later developed his own style. He used the potential of the violin to its extreme and explored new possibilities on the instrument. Later, however, Ernst was more or less forgotten as a violinist and today his contributions are neglected. This essay attempts to show that this is unfair to Ernst and that he today does not have the position he deserves: as Paganini's greatest successor and as an innovative composer who contributed valuable works to the art of violin. When I discuss Ernst's position as a performer among his contemporaries during his career, I use contemporary reviews, reports and articles. In the next section where I deal with Ernst's contribution to violin techniques, I analyse examples from compositions by Ernst and compare some of these with example from compositions by Nicolo Paganini. My conclusions are that Ernst was widely seen as the superior violinist of his time and Paganini's greatest successor and that he not only developed the polyphonic playing, but also discovered new idiomatic ways to compose polyphonically conceived violin music to a degree that is unprecedented to this day

VII kadencja Rady Naukowej CNBOP 2005-2008

Autor przedstawia pracę Rady Naukowej CNBOP na tle ogólnej sytuacji Centrum Naukowo-Badawczego Ochrony Przeciwpożarowej w latach 2005-2008.Author presents work of Scientific Board of CNBOP on background of general situation in Scientific and Research Centre for Fire Protection

Sprawdzone wzorce osobowe

Autor przedstawia w swoim artykule zmiany w składzie Rady Naukowej CNBOP, jej zadania i prace. Prezentuje także najważniejsze wydarzenia z dziedziny współpracy zewnętrznej mające miejsce w CNBOP w ciągu ostatnich pięciu lat oraz nowe ciała doradcze powołane w CNBOP w ciągu tego czasu. Opisuje także najciekawsze inicjatywy zewnętrzne oraz dotyczące działalności wydawniczej centrum Naukowo-Badawczego Ochrony Przeciwpożarowej.The author is describing changes in constitution of Scientific Council of CNBOP, tasks and work of this body. He is presenting the most important events of external cooperation of CNBOP during the last five years and new counsel bodies which were set up during this time. He is describing the most interesting external initiatives and publishing activity of Scientific and Research Center of Fire Protection

Gregorianik hos Maurice Duruflé : En analys av Duruflés Quatre motets

Gabriel Wilczkowski: Gregorianik hos Maurice Duruflé. En analys av Duruflés Quatre motets.Uppsala: Musikvetenskap, 60 p., 2002 Under flera hundra år har tonsättare infogat urgamla gregorianska melodier i sina kompositioner, och traditionen lever kvar än i dag, även i populärmusiken. Denna uppsats syftar att undersöka hur Maurice Duruflé (1902-86) behandlat de gregorianska melodier som han infogat i sina körkompositioner Quatre motets. Undersökningen är gjord med avseende på melodik, text och rytmik. En kort biografi om Duruflë presenteras, jämte ett avsnitt om gregoriansk sång och den rytmteori som tonsättaren stödjer sig på. i sina kompositioner. I huvuddelen studeras den gregorianska förlagan och kompositionen, takt för takt. Det visar sig att Duruflé använder sig av förlagans material på litet olika sätt: ibland är melodin och rytmen oförändrad, men den är oftast varierad, och egenkomponerade melodislingor finns. Hela det textliga materialet från förlagan används, ofta genom repetition av vissa bitar. Det märks tydligt att Duruflé lagt stor vikt vid art i kompositionerna behandla de rytmiska betoningar som finns i förlagan

Doskonalenie procesu badawczego - realizacja misji Sekretarza Naukowego CNBOP

Artykuł jest krótkim podsumowaniem dotyczącym sprawozdań i odbiorów prac naukowo-badawczych, badawczo-rozwojowych i wspierających działalność badawczo-rozwojową realizowanych w latach 2005 - 2007.The article is short recapitulation and report concerning scientific and research works realized in CNBOP in years 2005-2007

Badania i rozwój bazy badawczej CNBOP w 2009 roku

Artykuł przedstawia najciekawsze tematy badawcze realizowane w roku w 2009 w Centrum Naukowo-Badawczym Ochrony Przeciwpożarowej, zarówno własne jaki i zamawiane przez jednostki Państwowej Straży Pożarnej.The article is describing the most interesting research subjects realized in Scientific and Research Centre for Fire Protection in the year 2009, either own as well as ordered by State Fire Service

The Pricing Decision Process in Software-as-a-Service Companies

This study examines various approaches used by companies providingsoftware-as-a-service (SaaS) in a business-to-business (B2B) environment to find a pricing strategy. To be able to meet competition in a global market, a good pricing strategy is vital. Pricing is an important part of marketing, which must be congruent with the company's overall objectives. Strategic pricing is made up of different factors represented in the strategic pricing pyramid, which is based on a value-based approach. It is paramount to know your customers and their preferences when designing a pricing strategy and selecting pricing models, price metrics, market segmentation, bundling, and price levels. After having estimated how much value a product or service creates for a customer, this must be communicated to potential customers in order to convince them to purchase your offering. Choosing the right pricing strategy is not a onetime occurrence, but an on-going process. In this qualitative study, three case studies are performed to tie theory to real world practise