Standards for thyroid laboratory testing, and cognitive functions after menopause

Introduction: The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between normative and non-normative thyroid tests (TSH, TT4, TT3, FT3, FT4, anti-TPO, anti-Tg, AB-TSHR) and the level of cognitive functions in postmenopausal women. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 383 women from south-eastern Poland, aged 50-65 years. The cognitive functions were evaluated using a diagnostic instrument - Central Nervous System - Vital Signs (CNS-VS). Blood was collected for determination of the following parameters: TSH, TT4, TT3, FT3, FT4, anti-TPO, anti-Tg, AB-TSHR. Results: There were significant differences in NCI, executive functions, psychomotor speed, reaction time, complex attention and cognitive flexibility, depending on the normative and non-normative level of TSH. Women whose level of FT3 was at the lower limit of the normal range obtained poorer results in psychomotor speed, while subjects with levels of FT4 below the standard achieved significantly lower scores for this function. The relationship between NCI and cognitive functions, and the normative and non-normative anti-TPO results, showed significant differences in verbal memory, visual memory, processing speed and reaction time. The level of AB-TSHR reported as normal or above the norm significantly differentiated from the results of NCI, processing speed, executive functions, psychomotor speed, complex attention and cognitive flexibility. Conclusions: Concentrations of laboratory parameters assessing the thyroid function located within the upper limits of the normal range showed a different relationship with the cognitive performance than concentrations located within the lower limits of the standard

Wokół zagadnień trwałej ochrony zasobów cyfrowych

Słowo wstępne: "Cyfrowe kolekcje wartościowych dokumentów powstają w wyniku procesów elektronicznego publikowania oraz digitalizacji materiałów analogowych. Są one świadectwem dorobku polskiej działalności naukowej i kulturowej. Digitalizacja upowszechnia się w instytucjach pamięci jako forma zabezpieczenia zagrożonych zniszczeniem oryginalnych materiałów. Oficyny wydawnicze coraz częściej publikują treści naukowe w cyfrowej postaci, rezygnując z wersji drukowanych. Instytuty naukowe i badawcze oraz uczelnie wyższe tworzą instytucjonalne repozytoria, pozwalające na szybkie i samodzielne udostępnianie publiczności wyników prowadzonych prac badawczych. Powstające w ten sposób cyfrowe zasoby współtworzą światowe dziedzictwo. Podlegają one trwałej ochronie z myślą o potrzebach obecnych i przyszłych użytkowników."(...

CHURCH MUSIC DEGREE PROGRAMME GRADUATES FACED WITH PROFESSIONAL REALITY

Each year an increasing interest in university studies leading to a degree in church music can be observed. Students of both Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes demonstrate profound knowledge and skills. Their music profile is characterized by four dispositions: an organist, a conductor, a cantor and a music animator. A question arises, however, whether these studies face up to the expectations of both the students themselves and their future employers. A survey carried out among seventeen graduates of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław aims to provide an answer to questions concerning their professional paths. A few aspects have been analysed: terms of employment, working hours and working conditions, the graduates’ contribution into the cultural activity of the parish and, last but not least, the relevance of various elements of their education in their professional life. As well as that, the article also presents some observations regarding the solutions to the problems disclosed by the survey, focusing on broadly defined education, on promoting good standards and the necessity of cooperation between the Church and the laity. The Author of the article – inspired by the words of Pope John Paul II – is trying to outline a perspective which even individual musicians need to attempt to work towards. She proceeds to conclude that the “world we live in needs beauty so as not to slip into hopelessness. Beauty, just like truth, pours joy into human hearts.” (John Paul II “A Letter to Artists”