Holocene tufa in the Slovak Karst : facies, sedimentary environments and depositional history

Several tufa complexes are known in the Slovak Karst which is a typical karst area of a temperate climate. This area is built of Mesozoic carbonates, mainly Triassic in age. The karst systems drain carbonate plateaux and lead water to resurgences located in valleys which are up to 300 m deep. Below the resurgences there are Holocene fossil tufa deposits that exceed 12 m in thickness. The tufas include stromatolite, moss, phytoclastic, oncoidal, and intraclastic facies. Extensive barrages which once dammed the upper reaches of the streams were formed in narrow valleys. They are composed predominantly of moss facies and stromatolites, with subordinate oncoidal and phytoclastic facies. Phytoclastic, oncoidal and intraclastic facies are dominant in dammed segments of streams, and include gastropod shells and charcoal fragments. Some small moss cushions are also developed. Barrages and dammed areas formed in a longitudinal fluvial depositional system. Conversely, below resurgences located on plateau slopes tufas of a perched springline depositional system were formed. These comprise deposits of prograding cascades constructed by moss, phytoclastic and stromatolitic facies. Presently, the tufas analysed are inactive. They stopped growing in the Late Holocene time, after which there was abrupt incision of the streams. This caused downcutting into Holocene tufas, in some places reaching Mesozoic bedrock. At present tufa is being precipitated from streams in all the sites studied

Zastosowanie internetu do oceny ryzyka zgonu z powodu chorób sercowo-naczyniowych w populacji Polski

Zastosowanie systemów informatycznych może służyć jako narzędzie do diagnostyki epidemiologicznej internautów oraz jako wspomaganie pracy lekarzy i kadry zarządzającej służbą zdrowia. W ramach niniejszej pracy jest tworzony i wdrażany system służący do detekcji i wyliczenia ryzyka sercowo-naczyniowego, rozkładu i nasilenia występowania czynników ryzyka w poszczególnych województwach oraz graficznej prezentacji na mapie kraju. W celu uzyskania informacji o ryzyku konieczne jest wprowadzenie wartości parametrów wymaganych przez algorytm, takich jak: wiek, płeć, stężenie cholesterolu całkowitego we krwi, wartości skurczowego ciśnienia tętniczego, informacje o paleniu tytoniu oraz dodatkowo dane o obecności cukrzycy lub choroby wieńcowej. Program „Ryzyko” udostępniono na stronie internetowej www.ryzyko.gumed.edu.pl. Efektem pracy programu jest prezentacja graficzna rozkładu wyliczonego ryzyka zgonu w poszczególnych województwach Polski. Na stronie programu zarejestrowało się ponad 63 631 internautów. Ponad 77% osób, które wprowadziło dane, otrzymało zalecenie kontroli lekarskiej. Automatyczne monitorowanie zmian w występowaniu czynników ryzyka chorób sercowo-naczyniowych na terenie Polski i poszczególnych województw dostarcza informacje potrzebne do badań epidemiologicznych. System spełnia cechy programów diagnostycznych, wspomagających decyzje terapeutyczne oraz epidemiologiczne. Forum Medycyny Rodzinnej 2011, tom 5, nr 3, 187–20

Analysis of treatment results in primary germ cell tumours with mediastinal location: own experience

Wstęp: Pierwotne nowotwory z komórek rozrodczych o lokalizacji śródpiersiowej stanowią 1–6% guzów śródpiersia oraz 2–5% wszystkich nowotworów z komórek rozrodczych występujących u dorosłych. Rozpoznawane są najczęściej w 3. dekadzie życia, w 90% u mężczyzn. Najczęstsze objawy to: duszność, bóle w klatce piersiowej, kaszel, stany podgorączkowe i utrata masy ciała. Celem pracy była ocena wyników leczenia pierwotnych nowotworów z komórek rozrodczych o lokalizacji śródpiersiowej i przegląd piśmiennictwa poświęconego tej tematyce.Materiał i metody: W okresie od 1999 do 2009 roku w Klinice Nowotworów Płuca i Klatki Piersiowej Centrum Onkologii-Instytut im. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie w Warszawie leczono 5 chorych z nowotworem z komórek rozrodczych o pierwotnej lokalizacji śródpiersiowej, 4 mężczyzn i 1 kobietę. Średnia wieku wyniosła 27,8 roku (zakres 23–30).Wyniki: U wszystkich chorych zastosowano chemioterapię według schematu BEP. U wszystkich chorych uzyskano obiektywną odpowiedź na leczenie. Dwóch chorych zmarło z powodu progresji choroby pomimo stosowania chemioterapii II i III linii. Trzech chorych nadal pozostaje w obserwacji. Mediana czasu przeżycia wyniosła 55,8 miesiąca (zakres 8,0–120,0).Wnioski: Pierwotne nowotwory z komórek rozrodczych o lokalizacji śródpiersiowej są nowotworami o rokowaniu gorszym niż w lokalizacji gonadalnej. Na podstawie obserwacji własnych i przeglądu piśmiennictwa można stwierdzić, że wyniki leczenia pierwotnych nienasieniaków w lokalizacji śródpiersiowej pozostają niezadowalające. Szczególnie niekorzystne są wyniki leczenia chorych, u których dochodzi do wczesnej wznowy lub progresji w trakcie chemioterapii I linii. Określenie nowych standardów postępowania w nowotworach opornych na cisplatynę wymaga dalszych badań oceniających skuteczność cytostatyków nowych generacji.Introduction: Primary germ cell tumours with mediastinal location comprise 1–6% of mediastinal tumours and 2–5% of all germ cell tumours occurring in adults. They are identified mostly in the 3rd decade of life, in 90% of cases in men. The most common symptoms are dyspnea, chest pain, cough, fever and weight loss. The aim of the present study was the analysis of our own results of treatment of primary germ cell tumours with mediastinal location, and a review of the literature concerning this subject.Material and methods: Five patients (4 males, 1 female) median age 27.8 years (range 23–30 years) treated in the period from 1999 to 2009 in Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Department of Lung Cancer and Chest Tumours in Warsaw, due to germinal tumours with primary mediastinal location, entered the study.Results: All patients received chemotherapy according to the BEP regimen. All patients achieved an objective response to treatment. Two patients died due to disease progression in spite of II- and III-line treatment. Three patients are still in follow-up. The median survival time was 55.8 months (range 8.0–120.0 months).Conclusions: Primary mediastinal germ cell tumours have worse prognosis than do those with gonadal location. Based on our observations and review of the literature, it can be concluded that the results of treatment of non-seminoma type germ cell tumours with primary mediastinal location remain poor. Patients who develop early recurrence or progression during first-line chemotherapy are particularly at risk of unfavourable outcome. Identification of new standards of treatment in tumours resistant to cisplatin require further studies evaluating the effectiveness of new generation cytostatic drugs

Original article Values and sense of symbolic immortality among non-religious adolescents in Poland

Background The aim of the study was to determine the values (Schwartz’s ten basic values) and sense of symbolic immortality among non-religious adolescents. Participants and procedure Participants were recruited from secondary schools in Gdansk and Gdynia. Results The results showed that non-religious adolescents achieved higher results in the natural mode, and lower in biological-creative and religious modes. They also scored higher on universalism and self-direction subscales of Schwartz’s ten basic values. The results are discussed in the light of humanistic personal ideology and terror management theory. Conclusions The cultural worldview that protects non-religious adolescents against death anxiety seems to be more rooted in humanistic and individualistic values

Place attachment, place identity and aesthetic appraisal of urban landscape

As the aesthetic of the Polish cities became a topic of wider discussions, it is important to detect the potential role of human-place relations. Two studies (N = 185 & N = 196) were conducted to explore the relationship between place attachment, place identity and appraisal of urban landscape. Satisfaction with urban aesthetic was predicted by two dimensions of place attachment (place inherited and place discovered), local identity (on the trend level) and national-conservative identity. Place discovered and European identity were also predictors of visual pollution sensitivity. Place discovered is considered as more active type of attachment that permits both a positive bias concerning the aesthetics of one’s city, and a stronger criticism of the elements that can potentially violate the place’s landscape

Polish Version of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS-Poland)

The characteristics of built environments are the subject of intense consideration in the search for solutions to promote wellbeing and a higher quality of life among the inhabitants of cities. Walkability, defined as the extent to which the built environment is friendly to living and fulfilling the needs of the area, has become an important concept in sustainable urban design, public health and environmental psychology. This study systematically adapted the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) for Poland, and evaluated the construct validity aspects of the adapted version among Polish adults. A total sample of 783 participants from a TriCity (Trójmiasto) agglomeration completed the adapted version of the NEWS. Smaller extracted samples of the participants also completed wellbeing related scales, including self-efficacy, local identity and distance to city centre measures. It was expected that various districts of Gdańsk would differ in terms of walkability. The confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit statistics and factor loadings corresponding to the proposed original factor structure. According to the predictions, the NEWS subscales correlated with the self-efficacy, local identity and wellbeing related measures. In addition, the comparisons between the neighbourhoods of Gdańsk also showed a predictable pattern of results. Overall, the NEWS demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties, and may be useful in the evaluation of the built environment in Poland

Heart and mind in public transport: Analysis of motives, satisfaction and psychological correlates of public transportation usage in the Gdańsk–Sopot–Gdynia Tricity Agglomeration in Poland

Here, we present two studies (N = 159 and N = 164) conducted in the Gdańsk–Sopot–Gdynia Tricity Agglomeration in Poland in order to investigate satisfaction motives and psychological correlates of public transportation usage. In the first study, the satisfaction with public transportation is correlated with the perceived quality of life. This relationship was mediated by the dimension of place attachment labeled as “place discovered” (Lewicka, 2012). The second study concentrated on analyzing the role of individual motives in people’s decisions to use public transportation (vs. a car). Firstly, we examined possible motives for the use of public transportation. Similar to studies focused on car users, the results revealed that using public transportation fulfills both instrumental as well as affective–symbolic functions. These affective–symbolic motives correlated with all dimensions of place attachment, and with connectedness to nature, universalism and European identity as well. Finally, the consequences for social and environmental research are discussed