Mała stabilizacja Gomułki

Agnieszka Uziębł

Przyszłość nauki, przyszłość uniwersytetu. Fantastycznonaukowe prognozy zaniku wiedzy naukowej

The predictions of science fiction play an important part in the cultural landscape of contemporary western culture, being integral to the popular culture (novels, movies, TV series, graphic novels). Science fiction narratives predict the future of society, technology, culture but also – the science itself and a university as a scientific institution. The aim of this work is to shed light on the depiction of the future of science, knowledge, and university in the science fiction works, predicting the ineluctable societal collapse. The essay focuses on the use of the scientific discourse and scientific knowledge in the chosen science fiction narratives by Stanisław Lem, Walter M. Miller jr., John Brunner, and Paolo Bacigalupi.The predictions of science fiction play an important part in the cultural landscape of contemporary western culture, being integral to the popular culture (novels, movies, TV series, graphic novels). Science fiction narratives predict the future of society, technology, culture but also – the science itself and a university as a scientific institution. The aim of this work is to shed light on the depiction of the future of science, knowledge, and university in the science fiction works, predicting the ineluctable societal collapse. The essay focuses on the use of the scientific discourse and scientific knowledge in the chosen science fiction narratives by Stanisław Lem, Walter M. Miller jr., John Brunner, and Paolo Bacigalupi

Mycobacterium tuberculosis - the 10 years of epidemiological and diagnostics studies

Tuberculosis (ТВ) is the main bacterial pathogen that causes more deaths than AIDS, malaria and all infectious diseases. The unusual long doubling time (about 24h), highly hydrophobic cell envelope resistant to chemical lysis was the reason to delay the molecular study of this bacteria. Fifteen years ago, we did not have any molecular tools and methods for genetic manipulation or isolation and analysis of intracellular protein and nucleic acids. Today we have many useful shuttle or integration vectors for basic study of mycobacteria. The full sequence of M. tuberculosis genome is already known. At the present time the diagnosis of tuberculosis is supported with fast-culture system BACTEC and molecular techniques based on PCR and DNA hybridization. The mechanisms of resistance to antituberculosis drugs were described, and first identification of resistance profile is available by using PCR and sequencing or real time PCR methods. In our group in the Center for Microbiology and Virology Polish Academy of Sciences and in the Dept, of Genetics of Microorganisms, University Łódź we have characterized new insertion sequences from M. tuberculosis complex- 18990 and IS1607. In diagnostic studies we have proposed the DIG-PCR ELISA assay as a reliable, specific and sensitive test to identify M. tuberculosis directly in clinical samples. We have performed wide epidemiological studies of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from Polish ТВ patients including drug - and multidrug - resistant strains. Finally we identified the most frequently present mutations responsible for drug resistance of polish clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Vernacular narratives made in China

This paper explores the Chinese vernacular narratives as independent stories that are found on the Internet create a different "reality" in the censored media environment. Vernacular narratives such as urban legends, rumours, gossips and conspiracy theories belong to vernacular culture, which is understood as the non-professional, non-institutional, informal, spontaneous and amateur culture. They provide a window to understanding the concerns and fears of the modern society, in this case Chinese society

Comparison of SCORE-predicted risk of death due to cardiovascular events in women before and after menopause

Introduction: Approximately 55% of women in Europe die from cardiovascular events, mostly as a result of coronary diseases and cerebral stroke. There is a 10-year shift in the cardiovascular risk between women and men. The risk in a 55-year-old female patient is similar to that of a 45-year-old man, thus the risk among women increases rapidly around the age of 50, when menopause prevails to occur. The purpose of the study was to assess and compare the SCORE-predicted risk of a fatal cardiovascular incident in pre- and postmenopausal women. Material and methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted as part of community nursing practice. It covered 219 women - inhabitants of Krakow, aged from 30 to 65, without clinically validated cardiovascular diseases of arteriosclerotic and/or diabetic origin, who volunteered to take part in the study. The group was divided into three subgroups: K1 - menstruating women (n = 113), K2a - women after natural menopause (n = 88), and K2b - women after surgical menopause (n = 18). The study made use of a lifestyle questionnaire, which concerned the social and economic status, and lifestyle habits including tobacco smoking. Arterial blood pressure was measured, and total cholesterol concentration in blood (mmol/l) was recorded. Results: A high (≥ 5%) level of the SCORE risk was discovered in 14.3% of postmenopausal women, as compared to 0.9% in the group of menstruating women. An average risk of a fatal cardiovascular incident during the following 10 years was significantly higher among women from groups K2a (2.61%) and K2b (2.32%) as compared to K1 - menstruating women (0.38%). No difference was, however, discovered between groups of naturally (K2a) and surgically menopausal women (K2b). Conclusions: A significantly higher risk of SCORE-predicted death caused by a cardiovascular incident, as compared to the group of women in the premenopausal period, is characteristic of women in the postmenopausal period

NHEJ protects mycobacteria in stationary phase against the harmful effects of desiccation

The physiological role of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) was examined in Mycobacterium smegmatis using DNA repair mutants (DeltarecA, Deltaku, DeltaligD, Deltaku/ligD, DeltarecA/ku/ligD). Wild-type and mutant strains were exposed to a range of doses of ionizing radiation at specific points in their life-cycle. NHEJ-mutant strains (Deltaku, DeltaligD, Deltaku/ligD) were significantly more sensitive to ionizing radiation (IR) during stationary phase than wild-type M. smegmatis. However, there was little difference in IR sensitivity between NHEJ-mutant and wild-type strains in logarithmic phase. Similarly, NHEJ-mutant strains were more sensitive to prolonged desiccation than wild-type M. smegmatis. A DeltarecA mutant strain was more sensitive to desiccation and IR during both stationary and especially in logarithmic phase, compared to wild-type strain, but it was significantly less sensitive to IR than the DeltarecA/ku/ligD triple mutant during stationary phase. These data suggest that NHEJ and homologous recombination are the preferred DSB repair pathways employed by M. smegmatis during stationary and logarithmic phases, respectively

Evaluation of NAD(+)-dependent DNA ligase of mycobacteria as a potential target for antibiotics

Mycobacteria contain genes for several DNA ligases, including ligA, which encodes a NAD+-dependent enzyme that has been postulated to be a target for novel antibacterial compounds. Using a homologous recombination system, direct evidence is presented that wild-type ligA cannot be deleted from the chromosome of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Deletions of native ligA in M. smegmatis could be obtained only after the integration of an extra copy of M. smegmatis or Mycobacterium tuberculosis ligA into the attB site of the chromosome, with expression controlled by chemically inducible promoters. The four ATP-dependent DNA ligases encoded by the M. smegmatis chromosome were unable to replace the function of LigA. Interestingly, the LigA protein from M. smegmatis could be substituted with the NAD+-dependent DNA ligase of Escherichia coli or the ATP-dependent ligase of bacteriophage T4. The conditional mutant strains allowed the analysis of the effect of LigA depletion on the growth of M. smegmatis. The protein level of the conditional mutants was estimated by Western blot analysis using antibodies raised against LigA of M. tuberculosis. This revealed that a strong overproduction or depletion of LigA did not affect the growth or survival of mycobacteria under standard laboratory conditions. In conclusion, although NAD+-dependent DNA ligase is essential for mycobacterial viability, only low levels of protein are required for growth. These findings suggest that very efficient inhibition of enzyme activity would be required if NAD+-dependent DNA ligase is to be useful as an antibiotic target in mycobacteria. The strains developed here will provide useful tools for the evaluation of the efficacy of any appropriate compounds in mycobacteria

Wpływ kąpieli w saunie na układ sercowo-naczyniowy

Sauna is a form of biomedical regeneration consisting of consecutive exposure to two opposite thermal agents. Firstly, during sauna bath, a person is exposed to high temperature (ranging from 70 to100 °C) at low relative humidity. Secondly, thermal exposure is followed by body cooling. One sauna bath consists of two or three repeated cycles of heat exposure followed by cooling off. Sauna can be applied in sport, recreation and therapy. The aim of this publication is to present cardiovascular changes elicited by the sauna bath. High temperature induces cutaneous vasodilation and, consequently, an incerase in cutaneous blood flow. Myocardial contractility and heart rate increase. These changes lead to alterations of blood pressure and cardiac output. Abnormalities of the electrocardiogram pattern, changes in activity of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and blood rheological properties are observed. Cardiovascular responses to sauna bath depend both on the mode and intensity of warming and the applied methods of cooling. The risk of the sauna bath-related cardiovascular complications in healthy persons is small. Nevertheless, it is higher in individuals, who apply excessive heat exposure in order to reduce the body mass or combine sauna bathing with physical effort or alcohol consumption. However, sauna bathing in patients with cardiovascular disease should be used cautiously and preceded by individual assessment of potential risks, considering concomitant medication and the methods of both heat exposure and, especially, cooling off.Sauna jest zabiegiem ciepłoleczniczym, który wykorzystuje kontrastowość bodźca termicznego. Kąpiel w saunie odbywa się w pomieszczeniu o temperaturze 70-100 ºC i niskiej wilgotności względnej powietrza. Po ekspozycji ciepła następuje ochładzanie ciała. W czasie jednego pełnego zabiegu, naprzemienne przegrzewanie i ochładzanie, powtarzane jest dwa lub trzy razy. Sauna znajduje zastosowanie w sporcie, rekreacji i terapii. Celem pracy jest opisanie zmian zachodzących w układzie sercowo-naczyniowym. W wysokiej temperaturze otoczenia dochodzi do rozszerzenia skórnych naczyń krwionośnych i wzrostu skórnego przepływu krwi. Zwiększa się kurczliwość mięśnia sercowego, a częstotliwość pracy serca ulega przyspieszeniu. Pobyt w saunie wpływa na zmiany ciśnienia tętniczego krwi i pojemności minutowej serca. Stwierdzono także zmiany w zapisie EKG, aktywności układu reninaangiotensyna-aldosteron oraz właściwości reologicznych krwi. Reakcje zachodzące w układzie sercowo-naczyniowym uwarunkowane są zarówno intensywnością ogrzewania jak i sposobem ochładzania ciała. Ryzyko wystąpienia komplikacji sercowonaczyniowych pod wpływem sauny u osób zdrowych jest niewielkie, wyższe jednak u osób stosujących nadmierną ekspozycje np. celem redukcji masy ciała lub łączących korzystanie z sauny z wysiłkiem lub spożywaniem alkoholu. Korzystanie z sauny przez osoby z chorobami układu krążenia powinno być poprzedzone indywidualną oceną ryzyka z uwzględnieniem stosowanego równocześnie leczenia oraz sposobu aplikacji ciepła i ochładzania organizmu

Analysis of nurse staffing and factors determining the demand for health care in Poland

Recent studies have indicated that an adequate nurse staffing in a hospital exerts an effect on both the level of health services provided and the safety of patients. Numerous reports confirm the shortage of nurses who, has been observed in almost all European countries, and may threaten the quality of health care. The objective of the study is an analysis of nurse staffing and the factors which shape the demand for health care in Poland. The study was based on the analysis of scientific literature, legal acts and reports by Polish government and occupational organizations, which undertake the problem discussed. For years, in Poland, a decrease has been observed in nurse staffing rates per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to 15 countries of the European Union. The factors which affect the nurse staffing rate in Poland include changes in the sector of health care and the vocational education of nurses. Simultaneously, the limitations in employment of nurses are accompanied by an increased demand for health services. Considering the shortages in nurse staffing, and an increase in the demand for health services, there is a necessity to undertake systemic actions, both on the national and European level. Systemic solutions are necessary to prevent a divergence between increasing public health care demand and limited or even decreasing number of nurses willing to work in the profession. Otherwise the realization of the health policy goals might be hindered

Proces tworzenia organów administracji terenowej w województwie białostockim w latach 1944-1945

Po wyzwoleniu w lipcu 1944 r. Białegostoku, a w następnych miesiącach całego województwa białostockiego, pełnomocnicy władzy ludowej rozpoczęli za pomocą swoich przedstawicieli budowę struktur administracji terenowej. Proces przebiegał powoli z kilku zasadniczych powodów. Na terenie Białostocczyzny wziąż działało czynnie podziemie niepodległosciowe, które uniemożliwiało powołanie organów w terenie, ale przede wszystkim nie było uformowanych struktur partyjnych, jak również brakowało osób odpowiednio przygotowanych do piastowania stanowisk w administracji