The assessment method of human exposure to noise emitted by lawnmowers equipped with single-cylinder combustion engines

Appliances equipped with single-cylinder combustion engines generate noise which may have an adverse effect on human health. Lawnmowers are one of the most popular examples of appliances utilising a drive of this type. This paper presents the results of measurements of sound levels emitted by such mowers and received in the whereabouts of their users. The effect was analysed of a change in the technical condition of their drive on the sound level and a method was proposed to assess its impact on users. The basis of the method is the summation of selected 1/3 octave bands, in which the main energy of noise generated by mowers with single-cylinder combustion engines is radiated

Wielowymiarowa analiza zmian demograficznych w Polsce w świetle koncepcji zrównoważonego rozwoju

Sustainable development assumes improvement in the quality of living of present and future generations by achieving social, economic and environmental balance. Demographic changes play a significant role in this process due to their long-term impact on social and economic outcomes. The population of Poland is relatively young in comparison to other EU members but it is ageing very rapidly. This demographic process raises challenges for social policy, which include changes in the quality of life of the elderly population. The aim of the paper is to compare Polish voivodships (NUTS-2 territorial units) with respect to main features of both the demographic change and of economic situation of population aged 55 and over. We use selected indicators characterizing the demographic situation of the ageing Polish population, as well as the financial and occupational status of the elderly. Based on these indicators, we calculate synthetic measures of development. The results enable us to evaluate the demographic situation of Polish regions as well as distinguish main trends of the changes

The Application Of Local Indicators For Categorical Data (LICD) In The Spatial Analysis Of Economic Development

Firstly, we identify classes of regions presenting different economic development levels using taxonomic methods of multivariate data analysis. Secondly, we apply a join-count test to examine spatial dependencies between regions. It examines the tendency to form the spatial clusters. The global test indicates general spatial interactions between regions, while local tests give detailed results separately for each region. The global test detects spatial clustering of economically poor regions but is statistically insignificant as regards well-developed regions. Thus, the local tests are also applied. They indicate the occurrence of five spatial clusters and three outliers in Poland. There are three clusters of wealth. Their development is based on a diffusion impact of regional economic centres. The areas of eastern and north western Poland include clusters of poverty. The first one is impeded by the presense of three indiviual growth centres, while the second one is out of range of diffusion influence of bigger agglomerations

Holes in the skies over NATO's Central European member states. OSW Commentary No. 119, 22.10.2013

Over the past few months, four Central European states have made decisions which will determine the shape of their air forces over the next decade. On 11 October, Romania signed a contract under which it will buy twelve used US F-16A/B multi-role fighter aircraft from Portugal. In August, Slovakia signed contracts with Russia’s MiG for repairs and the limited modernisation of its twelve MiG-29 fighter aircraft currently in service. The Czech Republic entered into a preliminary agreement in July with Sweden on extending the lease of fourteen JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft (the new Czech government will hammer out the details following the parliamentary election). Bulgaria, which has been facing financial problems and political instability, in June postponed the purchase of new (non-Soviet) combat aircraft at least until the end of this year. If Sofia decides to buy any within the next few years, these will be not more than twelve relatively old and worn-out machines (most likely F-16A/B from Portuguese or Dutch army surplus). Given the fact that Hungary in 2012 made the same decision regarding its fourteen Gripen aircraft as the Czech Republic, there are good grounds to claim that the capabilities Central European NATO member states have to take action in airspace are durably limited. The region’s saturation with combat aircraft is the lowest when compared to the entire continent (with the exception of the Baltic states). Furthermore, the machines to be used in the coming decade will be the oldest and the least advanced technologically (all of them belong to the so-called “fourth generation”, the roots of which date back to the 1970s). The problem with gaining full interoperability within NATO has not been resolved in its Central European member states. By modernising its MiG-29 aircraft, Slovakia is to say the least postponing the achievement of interoperability once again. Bulgaria will gain interoperability by buying any Western combat aircraft. However, it is very unlikely to introduce new machines into service earlier than at the end of the present decade. Since the introduction of new fifth generation multi-role combat aircraft or transitional 4+ generation machines in the region’s air forces is unrealistic, the defence of the airspace of NATO member states in Central Europe can be termed an ever more porous sky

Condition monitoring of the cam chain tensioner in the motorcycle engine

Timing gear systems of motorcycle engines are equipped with chain tensioners, which are subject to premature damage in certain engine models. Early detection of such damage is essential, as it may protect the user from unexpected engine failure while the motorcycle is running. This paper presents the results of research whose purpose was to use the measurements and analyses of vibration signals for the diagnosing of damage to the hydraulic tensioner in the timing gear system. Stand tests were conducted of the motorcycle engine in which new, used or damaged tensioners were installed. The research results allow to conclude that a change in the technical condition of the tensioner caused by wear contributes to an increased level of engine vibrations and that it is possible to detect damage to the timing gear system tensioner by means of measurement, processing and analysis of vibration signals

Assessment of selected food intake frequency in patients with type 1 diabetes treated with personal insulin pumps

Wprowadzenie. Uważa się, że w cukrzycy typu 1 (T1DM), niezależnie od zastosowanego modelu insulinoterapii, dieta i prawidłowe nawyki żywieniowe są kluczowe w leczeniu cukrzycy. Stosowanie odpowiedniej diety ma na celu utrzymanie prawidłowej masy ciała, uzyskanie prawidłowego poziomu glukozy we krwi po posiłku, optymalnego profil lipidowy i prawidłowe wartości ciśnienia krwi. Cel. Celem badania była ocena diety i kontrola metaboliczna w homogennej grupie osób dorosłych z T1DM leczonych osobistymi pompami insulinowymi. Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto 141 dorosłych pacjentów (57% kobiet) z cukrzycą typu 1 leczonych osobistymi pompami insulinowymi. Badana populacja charakteryzowała się średnim wiekiem 25,8 ± 6,2 lat, średnim czasem trwania cukrzycy 13,9 ± 6,9 lat oraz średnim czasem leczenia osobistą pompą przez 8,2 ± 4,1 lat i średnim BMI 23,0 ± 2,8 g / m2. Wszyscy byli mieszkańcami południowo-wschodniej Polski. Walidowany kwestionariusz KomPAN wykorzystano do oceny częstotliwości spożycia poszczególnych produktów spożywczych. Wyniki. Średni odsetek HbA1c w grupie badanej wynosił 7,3% [56 mmol/mol]. Średni poziom całkowitego cholesterolu wynosił 4,4 mmol / l, HDL - 1,7 mmol / l, LDL - 2,3 mmol / l i triglicerydów - 0,8 mmol / l. W modelu regresji wielorakiej nie stwierdzono korelacji między wskaźnikami diety i wyrównaniem metabolicznym mierzonym za pomocą HbA1c lub lipidogramu oraz miejscem zamieszkania (wieś, małe miasteczko, duże miasto). Jednak różnice w jakości diety zależały od płci. Kobiety charakteryzowały się wyższym wskaźnikiem zdrowej diety (pHDI-10) (26,3 vs 21,4, p = 0,005) i niższym wskaźnikiem niezdrowej diety (nHDI-14) (13,3 vs 18,6, p <0,001) niż mężczyźni. Wnioski: Wyniki tego badania wyraźnie wskazują, że pomimo dobrej kontroli metabolicznej pacjenci wymagają większej edukacji w zakresie wyboru zdrowych grup produktów.Background. It has been established that in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), regardless of the insulin therapy model used, diet and proper eating habits are still important in the treatment of the disease. The dietary intervention in these patients is aimed at maintaining proper body weight, obtaining target fasting and post meal blood glucose levels, optimizing lipid profiles. Objective. The aim of the study was to assess dietary habits in a homogeneous group of adults with T1DM treated with personal insulin pumps. Material and methods. The study included 141 adult patients (57% women) with type 1 diabetes treated with personal insulin pumps. The surveyed population was characterized by an average age of 25.8 ± 6.2 years, an average duration of diabetes 13.9 ± 6.9 years, and treatment with a personal pump for 8.2 ± 4.1 years and mean BMI 23.0 ± 2.8 g/m2 . All were dwellers of south-eastern Poland. The validated KomPAN questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of consumption of individual food products. Results. The mean percentage of HbA1c in the study group was 7.3% [56 mmol/mol]. The mean total cholesterol level was 4.4 mmol/l, HDL - 1.7 mmol/l, LDL - 2.3 mmol/l and triglycerides - 0.8 mmol/l. In the multivariate regression model, no correlation was found between dietary quality parameters and metabolic compensation measured with HbA1c or lipidogram and the place of residence (village, small town, big city). However, there were differences in the quality of the diet depending on the sex. Women were characterized by higher index of a healthy diet (pHDI-10) (26.3 vs 21.4, p=0.005) and lower index of unhealthy diet (nHDI-14) (13.3 vs 18.6, p <0.001) than men. Conclusions. The results of this study clearly suggest, that despite good metabolic control, patients require more education on the choice of healthy product groups

Th17 responses are not altered by natural exposure to seasonal allergens in pollen-sensitive patients

Background: Allergic rhinitis affects 10–30 % of the global population and this number is likely to increase in the forthcoming years. Moreover, it commonly co-exists with allergic asthma as a chronic allergic respiratory syndrome. While the involvement of Th2 cells in allergy is well understood, alterations of pro-inflammatory Th17 responses remain poorly characterized. The aim of our study was to determine whether natural seasonal allergen exposure causes changes in T cell subset characteristics in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. Methods: Sixteen patients with allergic rhinitis/atopic asthma (9M, 7F; age 31.8 ± 12.1) and 16 healthy controls were recruited into the study (9M, 7F; age 31.2 ± 5.3). Blood samples were collected from the patients 1–3 months before pollen season (visit 1), within 7 days of the appearance of pollen/initiation of allergic symptoms (visit 2) and 2 weeks after visit 2 following the introduction of symptomatic treatment with antihistamines (visit 3). Flow cytometry was used to assess major T cell subsets (naïve, central memory, effector memory and CD45RA+ effector) and key T cell cytokine production (IFNγ, IL-17A, TNF and IL-4) using intracellular staining. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and paired t test. Results: As expected, an increase in the percentage of IL‐4+ CD4+ cells was observed during natural pollen exposure in patients with allergic respiratory syndrome. No significant changes were observed in the production of other cytokines, including Th17 cells, which tended to be lower than in the control population but unchanged during pollen exposure. Introduction of antihistamine treatment led to only moderate changes in cytokine production from CD4 and CD8 T cells. Selective changes in CD8+ T cells were observed during natural pollen exposure including a decrease in transient cells (with features of CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ cells) and a decrease in the percentage of central memory cells in the peripheral circulation. Within the CD4 cell group the total percentage of CD45RA positive CD4 cells was increased during pollen exposure. Conclusions: Th1 and Th17 responses are not altered during pollen season but allergen exposure affects T cell activation and memory cell status in patients with allergic respiratory syndrome

Assessment of Chosen Musical Competences of Kindergarten Teachers as an Employment Criterion

The importance of music in the general development of kindergarten children implies that teachers providing education, including music education, should be equipped with elaborate musical skills that, as might be assumed, should become a vital element taken into consideration during preschool teacher interviews. Research conducted in the Silesian region over the years 2014 – 2015 shows that the surveyed directors of kindergartens view musical skills, in most cases, as an essential supplement to other competences of teachers, among which the ability to play a melodic instrument and vocal skills are, in their opinion, the most important musical competences. The majority of directors only review documents confirming such competences, whereas almost a quarter of the surveyed participants admit to not verifying musical competences of future kindergarten teachers; the surveyed individuals claim, most frequently, that kindergarten teachers are sufficiently prepared to play a role of musical educators for small children, and that kindergarten teachers, instead of specialist musicians, should implement the content stipulated in the core curriculum. What is more, no statistically significant differences between respondents from urban and rural environments were identified

Endothelial function assessment in atherosclerosis: Comparison of brachial artery flow‑mediated vasodilation and peripheral arterial tonometry

INTRODUCTION Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by the loss of nitric oxide bioavailability, is a key element in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and an important prognostic factor in cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the development of reliable, safe, and noninvasive methods of endothelial function assessment is important for their use in cardiovascular risk stratification. Brachial artery flow‑mediated dilation (FMD) is widely used in research but technical difficulties and problems with calibration between laboratories limit its clinical use. Reactive hyperemia–peripheral artery tonometry (RH‑PAT, EndoPAT) has been developed as a simpler, cheaper, and potentially more reproducible method. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate associations between RH‑PAT and FMD in relation to atherosclerotic risk factor profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study involved 80 subjects (52 men, 28 women) aged 43.6 ±14.8 years, with moderate‑to‑low cardiovascular risk (mean SCORE, 2.2% ±2%), in whom FMD, RH‑PAT, and intima–media thickness (IMT) were determined. RESULTS The reactive hyperemia index (RHI) measured by RH‑PAT correlated with FMD (r = 0.35, P &lt;0.01). However, no significant correlation was observed between RHI and IMT, SCORE, or the number of classical atherosclerotic risk factors (hypertension, smoking, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia), while FMD was significantly correlated with IMT (r = –0.53, P &lt;0.001), risk factors (r = –0.55, P &lt;0.05), and SCORE (r = –0.4, P &lt;0.05). CONCLUSIONS Despite its technical requirements, FMD is a more sensitive method than RH‑PAT in evaluating the effect of classical atherosclerotic risk factors on vascular endothelial function. Microvasculature response during RH‑PAT needs to be further studied, including the assessment of nonendothelial factors that may affect the measurements, before RH‑PAT becomes the universal tool for the evaluation of the endothelial cells

Denture-related stomatitis is associated with endothelial dysfunction

Oral inflammation, such as periodontitis, can lead to endothelial dysfunction, accelerated atherosclerosis, and vascular dysfunction. The relationship between vascular dysfunction and other common forms of oral infections such as denture-related stomatitis (DRS) is unknown. Similar risk factors predispose to both conditions including smoking, diabetes, age, and obesity. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate endothelial function and major vascular disease risk factors in 44 consecutive patients with dentures with clinical and microbiological features of DRS (n = 20) and without DRS (n = 24). While there was a tendency for higher occurrence of diabetes and smoking, groups did not differ significantly in respect to major vascular disease risk factors. Groups did not differ in main ambulatory blood pressure, total cholesterol, or even CRP. Importantly, flow mediated dilatation (FMD) was significantly lower in DRS than in non-DRS subjects, while nitroglycerin induced vasorelaxation (NMD) or intima-media thickness (IMT) was similar. Interestingly, while triglyceride levels were normal in both groups, they were higher in DRS subjects, although they did not correlate with either FMD or NMD. Conclusions. Denture related stomatitis is associated with endothelial dysfunction in elderly patients with dentures. This is in part related to the fact that diabetes and smoking increase risk of both DRS and cardiovascular disease