Zen dla wszystkich

Żyjemy w czasach, w których wszystko dzieje się o wiele za szybko. Przyzwyczajeni jesteśmy do ciągłego pośpiechu i gonitwy, chociaż często nie wiemy właściwie za czym. A jeśli nawet wiemy, to nie zastanawiamy się jaki jest tego cel. Czy ma sens dążenie do realizacji naszych celów, ryzykując jednocześnie utratą jednej z niewielu rzeczy jaką nam dano, a kt

A Literature Review of the Partial Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) Model

Theoretical background: Today, people use more systems and devices than ever, no matter the context. These behaviors are most often explained using technology acceptance models, including the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2), which is a new and prominent technology acceptance theory.Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to identify any interpretable trends and draw overall conclusions about the existing UTAUT2 literature, which helps to fill the gap which is lack of such review for UTAUT2 model.Research methods: Descriptive review analysis of 23 articles based on the partial UTAUT2 model.Main findings: The UTAUT2 is an efficient theory – the average explained variance of behavioral intention was 62% and for use behavior – 37%. It is highly recommended to use the performance expectancy variable in all research contexts based on the UTAUT2 model. Utilitarian aspects turned out to be more important than hedonic ones for most technology adopters. Commercial organisations should focus on delivering reliable and useful products and underline these features in marketing communication.Theoretical background: Today, people use more systems and devices than ever, no matter the context. These behaviors are most often explained using technology acceptance models, including the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2), which is a new and prominent technology acceptance theory.Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to identify any interpretable trends and draw overall conclusions about the existing UTAUT2 literature, which helps to fill the gap which is lack of such review for UTAUT2 model.Research methods: Descriptive review analysis of 23 articles based on the partial UTAUT2 model.Main findings: The UTAUT2 is an efficient theory – the average explained variance of behavioral intention was 62% and for use behavior – 37%. It is highly recommended to use the performance expectancy variable in all research contexts based on the UTAUT2 model. Utilitarian aspects turned out to be more important than hedonic ones for most technology adopters. Commercial organisations should focus on delivering reliable and useful products and underline these features in marketing communication

Application of primary cell cultures of laryngeal carcinoma and laser scanning cytometry in the evaluation of tumor reactivity to cisplatinum.

Unsatisfactory effects of treatment of laryngeal carcinoma patients stimulate the clinicians as well as researchers to develop new more effective treatment models and to find new reliable prognostic factors. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the use of primary cell cultures of the laryngeal carcinoma and laser scanning cytometry (LSC) in the assessment of tumor reactivity to cisplatinum. Nineteen primary cultures of laryngeal carcinoma cells established from fragments of laryngeal carcinoma infiltrations were cultured with or without cisplatin, stained with monoclonal antibodies against P53 and BCL-2 proteins and analyzed by LSC. Cisplatin added to the culture medium leads to the significant increase of P53 expression and decrease of BCL-2 expression. Moreover, changes of P53 and BCL-2 expressions were significantly correlated. Our findings of apoptosis regulatory mechanisms could be useful in patient qualification for the chemotherapeutic follow-up treatment

Diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma in modern clinical practice

The auditory nerve tumor is the most common tumor of the cerebellopontine angle region (CPA). The use of modern diagnostic methods allows to detect the tumor at an early stage of development, and consequently, the possibility of effective treatment. The clinical features and the most effective diagnostic procedures are presented

The application of TORS – into the larynx

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common head and neck cancer, and it occurs more commonly in men than in women. The thought of losing phonatory and swallowing function has become the driving force of advancements in laryngeal cancer treatment.Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is one of the fastest growing areas of head and neck surgery. This technology is assisted by remote-controlled miniaturized surgical instruments and magnified visualization with a high-definition three-dimensional camera. TORS is increasingly being used and was described in the context of laryngeal cancer surgery. It has been explored as minimally invasive surgery for supraglottic and glottic lesions, as well as for total laryngectomy. Transoral organ-preserving approaches have shown favorable oncologic and functional outcomes with good quality of life. Rapidly advancing TORS technique affords surgeons exceptional views of the larynx and hypopharynx with facile maneuverability in difficult to access areas. Thus, achieving negative margins and preserving normal laryngeal structures has become increasingly possible. The use of the robot for laryngeal cancer falls into three main categories:  supraglottic laryngectomy,  total laryngectomy and glottic cordectomy.            Transoral robotic surgery for laryngeal cancer has been shown to be feasible for minimally invasive partial laryngectomy for either supraglottic or glottic cancer, as well as for total laryngectomy, in selected patients. TORS supraglottic laryngectomy and TORS total laryngectomy have demonstrated good functional and oncologic outcomes

Self-Adaptive Differential Evolution with Hybrid Rules of Perturbation for Dynamic Optimization, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2011, nr 4

In this paper an adaptive differential evolution approach for dynamic optimization problems is studied. A new benchmark suite Syringa is also presented. The suite allows to generate test-cases from a multiple number of dynamic optimization classes. Two dynamic benchmarks: Generalized Dynamic Benchmark Generator (GDBG) and Moving Peaks Benchmark (MPB) have been simulated in Syringa and in the presented research they were subject of the experimental research. Two versions of adaptive differential evolution approach, namely the jDE algorithm have been heavily tested: the pure version of jDE and jDE equipped with solutions mutated with a new operator. The operator uses a symmetric a-stable distribution variate for modification of the solution coordinates

The advantages and disadvantages of using a CO2 laser in endoscopic treatment of laryngeal cancer: a literature review

Introduction: The use of a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser combined with a microscope has revolutionized the surgical approach in treating larynx lesions. This method is mainly used in malignant and premalignant lesions in the larynx. The CO2 laser is also commonly used to widen the glottis and in palliative surgery. Aim of study: The purpose of our study was to show advantages and disadvantages of using a CO2 laser in surgery for laryngeal cancer while analyzing available literature. Material and methods: An unsystematic review of Polish and English-language scientific literature was carried out. Electronic databases: SCOPUS, Google Scholar and PubMed were searched using keywords: laser surgery, CO2 laser, laryngeal cancer, larynx. Description of the state of knowledge: CO2 laser microsurgery is characterized by precision and a high safety profile. Low tracheotomy rate, preservation of the closed anatomical area of the neck, makes the operation lightly burdening, shortens the time of hospitalization and recovery. Moreover, it minimizes costs and has a positive impact on the quality of life. The disadvantages of using a CO2 laser mainly relate to transient perioperative and postoperative complications. Disturbances in voice emission clearly have a negative impact on functioning in society. The use of a carbon dioxide laser in the presence of anesthetic gases creates the risk of ignition in the respiratory tract, tissue burns or attachment of the endotracheal tube. Conclusions: The use of a CO2 laser in the treatment of larynx lesions has advantages and disadvantages. The benefits of this technique outweigh the rare complications. Side effects are usually minor and transient but may lead to damage to health. It is worth remembering that only early neoplastic lesions are operated with the CO2 laser, which emphasizes the essence of prevention. Key words: laser surgery; CO2 laser; laryngeal cancer; laryn

The presence of HER2 exon 20 insertion in patients with central nervous system metastases from non-small lung cancer — a potential application in classification for therapy

 WSTĘP: HER2 (ErbB2/neu) jest białkiem należącym do rodziny receptorów HER (EGFR, HER2, HER3 i HER4), posiadających w swej części wewnątrzkomórkowej aktywność kinazy tyrozynowej. Nadekspresja EGFR i HER2 występuje w wielu typach nowotworów, ale to mutacje w genach kodujących te receptory uwrażliwiają chorych na niedrobnokomórkowego raka płuca (NSCLC) na działanie inhibitorów kinaz tyrozynowych EGFR i HER2.MATERIAŁ I METODY: Wykorzystano technikę PCR oraz analizę długości fragmentów amplifikowanego DNA w celu zidentyfikowania u 150 chorych insercji 12 par zasad w obrębie eksonu 20 genu HER2 w przerzutach NDRP do mózgu.WYNIKI: W guzie z wykrytą mutacją HER2 nie stwierdzono mutacji EGFR ani BRAF. Insercja w eksonie 20 genu HER2 została wykryta u 77-letniego niepalącego mężczyzny chorego na niskozróżnicowanego raka gruczołowego (0,67% wszystkich chorych oraz 1,5% chorych na raka gruczołowego). U tego chorego nie zidentyfikowano innych nieprawidłowości genetycznych.WNIOSKI: W literaturze opisano, że u chorych posiadających mutację w genie HER2 mogą okazać się skuteczne inhibitory specyficzne w stosunku do kinaz tyrozynowych obu receptorów: EGFR i HER2 (np. afatynib). Dlatego też identyfikacja nowych mutacji kierujących w komórkach NSCLC wydaje się kluczem do właściwej kwalifikacji do terapii ukierunkowanych molekularnie. INTRODUCTION: HER2 (ErbB2/neu) is a member of the ErbB family of four structurally related receptors of tyrosine kinase activity. Overexpression of ErbB-1 (EGFR) and HER2 is found in many human cancers, but the presence of these genes mutations determines the effectiveness of EGFR and HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MATERIAL AND METHODS: To search for insertions of the HER2 gene in exon 20 in 150 brain metastases of non-small cell lung cancer patients, we used a PCR technique based on analysis of amplified DNA fragment lengths. We also compared the HER2 mutational status with clinicopathologic features and the presence of EGFR and BRAF mutations.RESULTS: HER2 mutation was present in one male, non-smoking patient with low differentiated adenocarcinoma (0.67% of all patients and 1.5% of patients with adenocarcinoma). The mutations of EGFR and BRAF genes were not found in HER2-mutated patient.CONCLUSIONS: The literature data suggests that patients with HER2 mutations may be sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors of both EGFR and HER2 receptors (e.g. afatinib). Therefore, the identification of new driver mutations in NSCLC can improve the quality of patient care by enabling the use of correct molecularly targeted therapies

Embolization in post-traumatic epistaxis

Wstęp. Krwawienie z nosa (epistaxis) często występuje po urazach twarzoczaszki, które prowadzą do uszkodzenia gałęzi tętnicy szyjnej zewnętrznej. W zależności od nasilenia krwawienia, jego miejsca oraz doświadczenia ośrodka stosuje się leczenie zachowawcze, chirurgiczne lub wewnątrznaczyniowe. Celem pracy jest ocena możliwości i skuteczności embolizacji wewnątrznaczyniowej u chorych z krwotokiem z nosa w następstwie urazu twarzoczaszki. Materiał i metody. Badaniem objęto 22 chorych (15 mężczyzn i 7 kobiet) w wieku 21–64 lat (średnia 41 lat) z pourazowym krwotokiem z nosa. U 13 osób stwierdzono angiograficznie w obrębie gałęzi tętnicy szyjnej zewnętrznej obecność tętniaka rzekomego, u 6 wynaczynienie się środka cieniującego, a u 3 chorych — przetokę szyjno-jamistą. U 3 pacjentów po angiografii diagnostycznej odstąpiono od embolizacji ze względu na zbyt duże ryzyko zabiegu. U 19 pozostałych zabieg embolizacji przeprowadzono przy użyciu koreczków z gąbki żelatynowej, cząstek alkoholu poliwinylowego, cząstek polimeru akrylowego oraz mikrospiral platynowych. Wyniki. U wszystkich embolizowanych chorych natychmiastowo opanowano krwawienie. W 4 przypadkach (20%) doszło do nawrotu krwawienia, które w 2 przypadkach opanowano poprzez ponowną embolizację. U 9 chorych (42%) wystąpiły niekorzystne objawy w postaci bólu i obrzęku twarzy, parestezji, szczękościsku, gorączki. Objawy te ustąpiły w ciągu kilku do kilkunastu dni od zabiegu. U 3 chorych (15%) wystąpiły trwałe zaburzenia czucia w obrębie policzka. U 1 pacjenta pojawiło się niewielkie owrzodzenie podniebienia, które skutecznie leczono zachowawczo. Nie zaobserwowano poważnych powikłań neurologicznych. Wnioski. Embolizacja jest skuteczną metodą leczenia krwotoków pourazowych z nosa i powinno się ją uwzględniać przy planowaniu postępowania leczniczego. Acta Angiol 2011; 17, 1: 89–97Background. Epistaxis is a common consequence of craniofacial injury involving damage to the external carotid artery branches. Conservative treatment or surgical or endovascular procedures can be applied, depending on the intensity and the site of bleeding as well as on the experience of the medical team. The applicability of endovascular embolization and its efficacy in the treatment of epistaxis following craniofacial injury are discussed in this paper. Material and methods. The study group included 22 patients (15 men, 7 women) with mean age of 41 years (range of 21–64 years), who suffered from post-traumatic epistaxis. Angiography disclosed pseudoaneurysms of the external carotid branches in 13 patients, extravasation of contrast media in 6 persons, and cavernous carotid fistulae in three patients. Based on diagnostic angiography findings, the risk related to endovascular embolization procedure was considered too high in three patients. In the remaining 19 patients, embolization was performed with the use of gelatine foam, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic polymer, and platinum microcoils. Results. Immediate arrest of epistaxis was achieved in all embolised patients. In four cases (20%) the bleeding recurred, of which two cases were controlled with repeated embolization. Nine patients (42%) experienced adverse effects in the form of transient facial pain and swelling, paresthesiae, trismus, and fever, which regressed within several days. Three patients (15%) had permanent sensory disturbances in the cheek area. One patient developed a small ulceration of the palate, treated conservatively with success. There were no major neurological complications. Conclusions. Endovascular embolization is an effective method for managing post-traumatic epistaxis and should be considered when planning therapy. Acta Angiol 2011; 17, 1: 89–9