Instytucja Ombudsmana jako czynnik demokratyzacji systemów państwowych w krajach Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej i Południowej

The functioning of many organs which aim to ensure the rule of law is standard in democratic countries. One of them is the institution of the ombudsman, which has become significant in both those countries with strong democratic systems and emerging democracies. The most important features of this institution are independence, easy access, reliability and flexibility. Nowadays, it functions in approximately 100 countries and it is estimated that this number will increase in the near future. There has been a European ombudsman in the European Union since 1995, and the Council of Europe appointed a Human Rights Commissioner in 1999. In West European countries, the process of creating the office of the ombudsman was particularly intensive after the Second World War, as a result of their experience of totalitarianism. This process could also be observed in Central-Eastern and Southern Europe during the political transformations of the 1990s. It was a symbol of the transformation and democratization of those countries. Poland can be safely assumed to have been a forerunner in the process in this region.Standardem we współczesnych państwach demokratycznych stało się jednoczesne funkcjonowanie wielu organów mających na celu zapewnienie przestrzegania prawa. Jednym z nich pozostaje instytucja Ombudsmana, która zyskała na znaczeniu w wielu krajach świata zarówno o ustabilizowanej, jak i odradzającej się demokracji. Za główne cechy tej instytucji uznaje się niezależność Ombudsmana od innych organów, łatwość dostępu do niego, a także wiarygodność i elastyczność działania. Dzisiaj funkcjonuje ona w ponad 100 krajach i wciąż widać tendencję wzrostową. Nawet w ramach Unii Europejskiej od 1995 r. działa Ombudsman Europejski, a Rada Europy od 1999 r. powołuje Komisarza do spraw Praw Człowieka. W państwach Europy Zachodniej proces tworzenia urzędów ombudsmańskich szczególnie intensywnie przebiegał po II wojnie światowej, co spowodowane było m.in. wzrostem zainteresowania ówczesnych społeczeństw ochroną praw człowieka w związku z przebytymi doświadczeniami „brunatnego” i „czerwonego” totalitaryzmu. Natomiast w ramach transformacji ustrojowych zapoczątkowanych w latach dziewięćdziesiątych, proces ten zaczął dotyczyć również bloku państw Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej i Południowej. W przypadku bloku tych państw wprowadzanie instytucji ombudsmańskich do porządku konstytucyjnego poczytuje się jako część procesu transformacji ustrojowej i ich demokratyzacji. Warto przy tym podkreślić, że wśród tych krajów Polska należała do prekursorów w tym względzie

Trichoscopy criteria for diagnosing female androgenic alopecia.

Differential diagnosis of chronic hair loss remains a challenge in dermatology. The aim of the study was to evaluate the value of a new scalp visualization technique, trichoscopy, in differential diagnosis of hair loss. Trichoscopy was performed in 131 females (59 with androgenic alopecia, 33 with chronic telogen effluvium, 39 healthy controls). Based study results, a standardized trichoscopy report was developed and diagnostic criteria for female androgenic alopecia were established. Major criteria: increased number of yellow dots and thin hairs, as well as decreased average hair thickness in frontal area. Minor criteria: increased frontal area to occiput ratio of single-hair units (>2:1), vellus hairs (>1.5:1) and follicles with perifollicular discoloration (>3:1) Fulfillments of 2 major criteria or 1 major and 2 minor is diagnostic for female androgenic alopecia with a 92% specificity. In conclusion, trichoscopy is the first method which allows differential diagnosis of hair loss and establishing the diagnosis of female androgenic alopecia

Psychological support for patients following myocardial infarction

The paper presents the principal psychological problems in patients following myocardial infarction. Particular emphasis has been placed on anxiety and depression following myocardial infarction and behavioural patterns adversely affecting health. A proposal of actions during cardiac rehabilitation has been presented in accordance with the severity of psychological problems encountered in the patients. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 3: 319-324

Kolegialność działań Rady Ministrów a odpowiedzialność konstytucyjna jej członków w ocenie polskiej doktryny

The Constitutional responsibility is the core of the contemporary state’s political systems. One of its features is personal and limited character. Among the entities subjected to the jurisdiction of the State Tribunal according to the Polish Constitution, there are state agents which are part of the collegial state organs. That is why, we can ask the questions, if their individual constitutional responsibility is possible? Is it possible, that they can be brought to account for the actions made by the collective state organs in which they are employed? To answer those questions, we will analyze the research of the authors of the Constitutional Law doctrine.Odpowiedzialność konstytucyjna należy do kanonów rozwiązań konstytucyjnych współczesnych państw demokratycznych. Jedną z jej cech pozostaje osobisty i ograniczony podmiotowo charakter. Wśród podmiotów podległych kognicji Trybunału Stanu, zgodnie z regulacją polskiej konstytucji, znajdują się jednakowoż funkcjonariusze państwa, wchodzący w skład kolegialnych organów państwa. Stąd zasadnym jest postawienie sobie pytań o możliwość pociągnięcia ich do zindywidualizowanej w swej formie odpowiedzialności konstytucyjnej za działania podjęte z naruszeniem prawa przez kolektywny organ państwa, którego z mocy prawa integralną część stanowią, i o przedstawienie zapatrywań przedstawicieli doktryny prawa konstytucyjnego na powyższe zagadnienie

The nephrite rosary as a carrier of historical memory in the "Erast Fandorin" series by Boris Akunin

The Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin describes adventures of a Russian sleuth named Erast Pietrovich Fandorin who lives at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century. The series belongs to detective story genre. The nephrite rosary, which consists of twenty-five beads, is mentioned for the first time in The Jack of Spades and plays a very significant role in most novels of the series. It is not a typical tool of religious worship or meditation, but it helps Erast Pietrovich to concentrate and to solve difficult problems. What is more, it seems to be haunted by the past. It embodies a lot of historical, legendary and spiritual energy. Being an object, a symbol and a carrier of the past, the nephrite rosary has a limited range when it comes to collective memory, because only well-educated people from the higher social classes are able to recognise the meaning of this legendary object and to perceive its importance, therefore it cannot be considered a typical lieu de memoire (place of memory), as understood by Pierre Nora. The aim of Monika Kowalska’s paper The Nephrite Rosary as a Carrier of Historical Memory in the "Erast Fandorin" series by Boris Akunin is, therefore, twofold. It analyzes the historical meaning and significance of the nephrite rosary within the eponymous series as well as presents Akunin’s inspirations and play with the worldhistory

In search for terminological clarity within the field of human resource management

The field of human resource management (HRM) has undergone significant changes due to ongoing globalization processes, IT technology developments, economic environment changes, organizational shifts, evolving perceptions of employees in the work environment, etc. As a result, new organizational landscape has required a new approach towards managing people, who became the most valued assets of a strategic potential. The aim of this article is to search for terminological clarity, and systematize the concepts within the HRM field, which is abundant with numerous terms referring to individuals in organizations. A random use of the HRM terms and regarding them as synonyms cause ambiguities. The author attempts to juxtapose these terms and suggest relevant terminological solutions that suit contemporary developments within the HRM field. To achieve the aim of the article, current scientific references regarding the field of people management were used, with special emphasis being placed on personnel management, human resource management, and human capital management

Double-entry bookkeeping by Pacioli and his European followers in XVI–XVII century

Published in 1494, the Treatise on Double-entry Bookkeeping by Luca Pacioli was a comprehensive manual describing the principles of bookkeeping by the Italian method. The educational value of this work and its substantive merit made it quickly became a popular source of knowledge for merchants and students who wanted to learn the secrets of accounting. It presented, in a structured way and with numerous examples, a set of accounting principles developed over the years by Italian merchants. Later on, authors often modeled their manuals on Pacioli’s work, thus contributing to the dissemination of knowledge of accounting in Europe. In this way, double entry bookkeeping spread beyond the borders of Italy and thanks to, among others, the Dutch authors John Ympyn and Simon Stevin and an Englishman Richard Dafforne it came to Holland, England, Germany, France and other countries in the world. The purpose of this article is to present the works of these authors, and to compare the accounting rules described there to the rules that Pacioli set out in his treatise. The analysis showed that double entry principles propagated by Pacioli were reproduced in subsequent writings in an almost unchanged form. Modifications of the concept concerned only the technical issues,or were the result of the search for improvements in the field of keeping accounting records. However, the theoretical basis of bookkeeping has remained unchanged and provides the basis of modern accounting

Różnice w przebiegu pheochromocytoma postaci dziedzicznej i sporadycznej

Wstęp: Pheochromocytoma jest rzadkim guzem mogącym występować sporadycznie lub rodzinnie, wchodząc w skład zespołów mnogich nowotworów układu wydzielania wewnętrznego. W postaci dziedzicznej występuje 20–25 % przypadków guza chromochłonnego. Celem pracy było wykazanie różnic w przebiegu klinicznym pheochromocytoma w postaci rodzinnej i sporadycznej. Materiał i metody: Analizie poddano 44 chorych po zabiegu adrenalektomii z powodu pheochromocytoma (29 kobiet, 15 mężczyzn, śr. wieku 51 lat). U pacjentów tych przeprowadzono przedoperacyjną ocenę kliniczną, tomografię komputerową nadnerczy, oznaczono metoksykatechoaminy w dobowej zbiórce moczu przed i po zabiegu adrenalektomii oraz określono mutację w genach: RET, VHL, NF1, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD, MAX. Wyniki: U 9 chorych (20,4%) odkryto mutacje dziedziczne (u 5 w genie RET, u 4 w genie VHL, u 1 w genie RET i MAX), u 35 chorych nie stwierdzono mutacji w żadnym z wyżej wymienionych genów. Średnia wieku u pacjentów z rodzinną postacią guza chromochłonnego wynosiła 35,7 lat (17–55 rż.) i była niższa od średniej wieku u pacjentów z postacią sporadyczną o 19,3 lat (p = 0,0004). Nie wykazano istotnych statystycznie różnic w przebiegu klinicznym, wielkości guza oraz stężeniach metoksykatecholamin między postacią dziedziczną a sporadyczną. Wnioski: 1. Rodzinna postać guza chromochłonnego ujawnia się we wcześniejszym okresie życia niż postać sporadyczna. 2. Nie wykazano istotnych statystycznie różnic w przebiegu klinicznym, wielkości guza oraz stężeniach metoksykatecholamin między postacią dziedziczną a sporadyczną

Detection of Giardia intestinalis infections in Polish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan

Background: Members of the Polish Military Contingent (PMC) have been stationed in Afghanistan since 2002. They typically serve in areas characterised by low standards of sanitation which often leads to the development of food- and waterborne diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of Giardia intestinalis infections among Polish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. The research study was conducted as part of a programme for prevention of parasitic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract run by the Polish Armed Forces. Materials and methods: The study was carried out in August 2011; it involved 630 asymptomatic Polish soldiers serving in the Forward Operational Base (FOB) Ghazni in eastern Afghanistan. Stool specimens obtained from members of the PMC were first tested in FOB Ghazni (detection of Giardia intestinalis by Rida Quick Giardia immunochromatographic tests and Ridascreen Giardia immunoenzymatic tests — single samples). Next, the same biological material and two other faecal specimens fixed in 10% formalin were transported to the Military Institute of Medicine in Poland, where they were tested for Giardia intestinalis under light microscopy (direct smear, decantation in distilled water). Results: Parasitological tests performed under light microscopy showed that 2.7% (17/630) of the study group were infected with Giardia intestinalis. Some of these results were confirmed by immunochromatographic tests (6/630). In contrast, immunoenzymatic tests (ELISA) demonstrated a significantly higher detection rate reaching 18.1% (114/630). Immunoenzymatic tests confirmed all the positive results given by light microscopy and by immunochromatographic tests. Conclusions: The prevalence rate of Giardia intestinalis infections in Polish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan was found to be high. Microscopic methods exhibit low sensitivity and therefore may result in the underestimation of the true parasite prevalence. Immunoenzymatic tests (ELISA) showing a much higher sensitivity in comparison to light microscopy and immunochromatographic tests ought to be applied in screening for intestinal protozoan infections in areas characterised by harsh environmental conditions.

Spatial changes in zooplankton communities in a strong human-mediated river ecosystem

River damming causes a decrease in water current velocity which leads to an increase in richness and abundance of organisms atypical for running waters. Zooplankton is a representative example of such organisms. The influx of zooplankton from carp ponds is an additional factor that increases richness and abundance of zooplankton in rivers. We hypothesized that zooplankton dispersing from the carp ponds colonize the impoundments in river and the richness of zooplankton increase in impoundments by development of new species, not observed in the upstream. The zooplankton was collected monthly from April to September of 2013 and 2014. Sampling sites were located in the Barycz river (in the lotic sections and in the dam impoundments), as well as in its tributaries, which are the outlets of carp ponds. The most changes in zooplankton richness and abundance were observed at sites located within the dam impoundments, especially in relation to the lower values of the current velocity. Since the abundance of pelagic rotifers, cladocerans and copepods in the carp pond outlets was similar to that at lower sites in the Barycz, the influence of the carp pond outlets on the abundance in the dam and lotic sections was significant. The river itself in its impounded sections provides advantageous conditions for retention and colonization by a high abundance of zooplankton dispersing from the carp ponds, and for the development of species not occurred in the upstream, which, in turn, increases richness