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This paper addresses the important current problem of illegal crossing of a national border, which since autumn 2021 has been particularly intense on the Belarusian–Polish section of the border. It has been serious enough to pose a security threat not only to Poland, but also to the rest of Europe. This article contains a discussion of the solutions provided for in the 1999 Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus that concern illegal border crossing and associated crimes, i.e. organization of illegal migration and violation of the period of prohibition of entry into the territory of the country. For the purposes of the article, it was assumed that the scope of the regulations in question is casuistic and restrictive, and provides little guarantee of protection of the national border of Belarus. The legal analyses that were conducted generally confirmed the assumed evaluation of these solutions.

The paper discusses with the crime of rehabilitation of Nazism contained in the 1996 Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It presents the rationale for its introduction into the legislation, the scope of the legal regulation, and its evaluation in terms of its content and edition. For the purpose of the publication, research questions were posed, the answers to which demonstrated the political and populist nature of the regulation and its imprecise casuistic approach, which brings few benefits to Russia’s criminal policy.

Piktel E, Markiewicz KH, Wilczewska AZ, et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2020;15:4573–4589. It has been brought to the authors attention that Figure 6E showing nanosystem-mediated DNA fragmentation in DLD-1 colorectal cancer cells is a duplicate of part of Figure 3C that was previously published in the review article: Wnorowska U, Fiedoruk K, Piktel E, et al. J Nanobiotechnology. 2020;18(1):3 (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-019-0566-z). In addition, both Figures 5E and 6E were described with incorrect treatment conditions. Data obtained during corresponding experiments were verified; consequently, Figure 5E and 6E were updated using data from the original study. The correct Figure 5 is as follows. Figure 5 Continued. Figure 5 Anticancer activity of ceragenin CSA-131 and ceragenin-containing nanoformulations against lung carcinoma A549 cells. Increase of intracellular levels of reduced thiols in A549 cells treated with CSA-131 (grey bar), MNP@CSA-131 (red bar), CSA-131+MNP (blue bar) and MNP (yellow bar) when compared to untreated control (0 μg/mL; black bar) (A). The percentages of dead cells (black columns), PI-negative cells with low viability (dark grey columns) and healthy cells (light grey columns) in lung carcinoma cells treated with CSA-131, MNP@CSA-131, CSA-131 and MNP or naked MNPs (B). The proliferation of cancer cells treated with CSA-131 (grey squares), MNP@CSA-131 (red circles), CSA-131 + MNP (blue diamonds) and MNP (yellow inverted triangles) when compared to untreated control (black squares) estimated using resazurin-based fluorimetric method (C). Induction of apoptosis in A549 cells by CSA-131 and its magnetic derivatives (D). Percentage of early apoptotic (black columns), late apoptotic/dead cells (dark grey columns) and dead cells (light grey columns). For the purpose of the clarity of the presented data, live cells (Annexin V-negative and 7-AAD-negative) were not presented in the provided figures. Morphological alternations in nuclei of A549 cells upon treatment with CSA-131, MNP@CSA-131 and CSA-131 + MNP when compared to uncreated cells (E). White arrows indicate treatment-induced morphological changes in nuclei of treated cells. All experiments were performed using agents at a concentration of 10 μg/mL for 24 h. (A–D) demonstrate results from 3 to 6 individual experiments ± SD, for panel E results from one representative experiment are shown. * and ^ indicate statistical significance (p-value

Mleczko pszczele jest formą wydzieliny gruczołu dolnego i żuchwowego pszczół robotnic. Ze względu na unikalny skład, mleczko pszczele jest zaliczane do najbardziej wartościowych produktów pochodzenia naturalnego. Mleczko pszczele posiada zróżnicowany skład chemiczny dzięki obecności wielu ważnych składników wykazujących aktywność biologiczną takich jak: wolne aminokwasy, białka, cukry, kwasy tłuszczowe, składniki mineralne i witaminy. Dominującym składnikiem mleczka pszczelego jest białko, które zawiera od 18 do 25 aminokwasów i jest zaliczane do pełnowartościowych. Wśród zidentyfikowanych aminokwasów 9 to aminokwasy egzogenne: arginina, fenyloalanina, histydyna, izoleucyna, leucyna, lizyna, treonina, tyrozyna i walina. Około 10% aminokwasów występuje w stanie wolnym, czyniąc je łatwo przyswajalnymi przez organizm ludzki. Poza białkami prostymi odnotowano obecność białek złożonych takich, jak lipoproteiny i glikoproteiny. Kolejną grupę związków obecną w mleczku pszczelim stanowią lipidy takie jak fosfolipidy, glicerydy, kwasy tłuszczowe oraz sterole. Wśród związków bioaktywnych występuje m.in. kwas 10-hydroksy-2-decenowego (HDA), który posiada właściwości immunomodulujące. Wśród witamin dominują witaminy z grupy B: witamina B1, witamina B2, witamina B6, kwas nikotynowy, kwas pantotenowy, biotyna, inozytol oraz acetylocholina. Spośród składników mineralnych najwięcej występuje takich jak: K, Na, Mg, Ca, P, S, Zn, Fe, Cu, Al i Mn. Wykazano biologiczną aktywność mleczka pszczelego jako środka przeciwutleniającego przeciwzapalnego, neurotroficznego, przeciwnowotworowego (w badaniach in vitro i in vivo m.in. w raku płuca, raku piersi, białaczce, mięsaku, glejaku wielopostaciowym), przeciwbakteryjnego i przeciwstarzeniowego. Produkt ten może być efektywnie wykorzystywany w postaci opatrunków w leczeniu stopy cukrzycowej. Mleczko pszczele wykazuje także korzystne działanie na układ nerwowy. Wykazano, że sześciomiesięczne przyjmowanie mleczka pszczelego poprawiło u badanych erytropoezę, tolerancję glukozy oraz samopoczucie psychiczne. Mleczko pszczele skutecznie zmniejsza zespół napięcia przedmiesiączkowego i poprawia jakość życia kobiet po menopauzie. Z przeglądu literatury wynika że, mleczko pszczele to dietetyczny kompleks odżywczy, który może być pomocny w profilaktyce i leczeniu różnych przewlekłych schorzeń.

The evaluation of antioxidant and anticancer properties of newly synthesized chiral phenylselenides revealed promising N-indanyl derivatives.

Artykuł poświęcony jest wybranym zagadnieniom dotyczącym postępowania grupowego jako pozakodeksowego postępowania cywilnego. Omówiono w nim m.in. takie kwestie, jak istota i charakter prawny postępowania grupowego, zakres podmiotowy i przedmiotowy zastosowania ustawy o dochodzeniu roszczeń w postępowaniu grupowym, przebieg tego postępowania i jego wszczęcie, reprezentant grupy oraz wyrok wydany w tym postępowaniu. W opracowaniu przeanalizowano nie tylko wybrane przepisy ustawy o dochodzeniu roszczeń w postępowaniu grupowym, ale także przepisy kodeksu postępowania cywilnego, które mają zastosowanie w postępowaniu grupowym. Przedstawiono także wątpliwości, jakie wyłaniają się na tle stosowania przepisów prawa regulujących postępowanie grupowe, oraz podjęto próbę ich rozstrzygnięcia.

The concept of state financial security is a key one, due to the fact that it reflects the state of the country, its public finances, as well as the state of the financial sector operating within it. An adequate level of state financial security can create optimal conditions for the development of the financial system, financial stability, as well as for the country's economic development and investment attractiveness. One of the main factors that determine a high level of state financial security is the stability of the financial sector. Given that the assets of the banking sector account for a significant, if not an overwhelming share of the total assets of the financial sector, this sector plays a key role in the economy as a whole. Therefore, a stable and secure banking sector is an important element affecting the level of financial security of a country. The paper attempts to define the concept of state financial security and to present its relevance. In addition, the paper also aimed to identify the main factors that most influence the level of state financial security. Eight indicators, generally accepted as those describing the level of state financial security, were applied in the paper and used as the basis for an econometric model expressing the relationship between them and the stable development of the banking sector. The study showed that the stability of the Polish banking sector determined the financial security of the state.

This paper tackles the problem of death penalty in Belarus which is a notyetanalyzed topic in the Polish literature. This problem seems to be important since Belarus remains the only European country where death sentences are imposed and carried out. The author describes the law regulations and possible results included in the Criminal Code and the Criminal Enforcement Code of the Republic of Belarus. In particular, emphasized are the assumptions against the international law, very wide scope of adjudication, inhumane way of execution, and limited access to information. Some possible actions undertaken to amend the death penalty law in Belarus are also discussed.

This article uses bibliometric tools to analyze the peer-reviewed publications of academic librarians from 32 accredited higher education institutions in Norway—10 university libraries and 22 college libraries—associate members of Universities Norway (UHR). The period 2016–2020 was chosen to enable us to better understand publication patterns among this academic group over a meaningful timeframe. Research outputs were examined in terms of productivity by institution, document types, publication years, subject categories, open access status, and collaboration patterns. The findings indicate that publishing amongst this community is growing; librarians choose the most highly regarded publication channels in the same way as other faculty members, and they publish in partnership with other researchers. The analysis found that academic librarians frequently select Open Access publication pathways.

Pierzga jest naturalnym produktem pszczelim a surowcem do jej wytworzenia jest pyłek kwiatowy. Pyłek kwiatowy zbierany jest przez pszczoły zbieraczki. Zmieszany z niewielką ilością wydzieliny gruczołów ślinowych lub nektaru zostaje przeniesiony do ula. Pszczoły obecne w ulu przejmują uprzednio przygotowany pyłek kwiatowy w formie obnóży pyłkowych od pszczół zbieraczek, gdzie układają go w komórkach plastra. Zmagazynowany pyłek zostaje zwilżony śliną wraz z miodem, rozdrabniany i ubijany warstwami. Górna warstwa jest powlekana odrobiną miodu oraz wosku. Powyższa mieszanina w warunkach beztlenowych podlega fermentacji mlekowej, prowadząc do powstania pierzgi. W rodzinie pszczelej stanowi ona główne źródło białka, niezbędne dla larw i młodych robotnic. Powstały podczas fermentacji beztlenowej kwas mlekowy konserwuje przefermentowany pyłek czyli pierzgę. Kwas mlekowy zabezpiecza produkt przed zepsuciem. Pyłek kwiatowy stanowi wartościowy produkt roślinny ze względu na zróżnicowany skład substancji biologicznie czynnych. Pod względem chemicznym występują w nim: białka, węglowodany, lipidy, składniki mineralne i witaminy. Białko pyłku w porównaniu z białkiem innych produktów spożywczych wyróżnia się dużą zawartością aminokwasów egzogennych. Zawartość węglowodanów szacuje się na 13-55%, pośród których dominują cukry proste fruktoza i glukoza. Frakcja tłuszczowa stanowiąca 1-20% reprezentowana jest zarówno przez kwasy tłuszczowe nasycone i nienasycone jak i fosfolipidy czy fitosterole. Kolejną grupą związków czynnych biologicznie są polifenole obecne w ilości około 1,6%. Należą do nich: flawonoidy, katechiny i kwasy fenolowe. Pyłek kwiatowy jest dobrym źródłem witamin zarówno rozpuszczalnych w wodzie jak i w tłuszczach. Wśród makroelementów najwięcej jest potasu, magnezu, wapnia i sodu. Do mikroelementów należą miedź, cynk, chrom, mangan, molibden, kobalt, krzem, selen, żelazo. W pracy dokonano przeglądu piśmiennictwa na temat właściwości zdrowotnych produktów pszczelich. Pierzga i pszczeli pyłek kwiatowy ze względu na bogaty skład chemiczny oraz właściwości lecznicze mogą być zaliczane do najcenniejszych produktów pszczelich. Pierzga i pszczeli pyłek kwiatowy posiadają właściwości przeciwbakteryjne, antyoksydacyjne, przeciwzapalne, przeciwnowotworowe i ochronne przed promieniowaniem jonizującym, wspomagają funkcjonowanie układu krążenia i mają zastosowanie w dermatologii.

Książnica Cieszyńska (Cieszyn Library) and the Cieszyn Branch of The State Archives in Katowice are among the few repositories, which contain historical documents concerning Cieszyn Silesia. Those collections and archival fonds have recently been described and digitized. The authors will discuss different methods used by both librarians and archivists in the process. The different methods, however, serve a common goal, which is protection of written heritage of the Cieszyn Silesia and its publication on the online databases.

The article presents the results of research on the possibilities of developing intermodal rail transport in the Visegrad Group countries, Italy and Germany. The research was conducted based on statistical data regarding demand for transport in intermodal cargo units and rail transport. Selected elements of transport infrastructure were taken into account as well, i.e. the length of railway tracks and railway lines (including electrified ones), the railway line density indicator, and the number of terminals. The study results proved that there was a noticeable development of infrastructure in Hungary which makes it a prospective market, affording the possibility for development of domestic and international transport. The biggest decrease for railway transport was observed in Germany and Poland. In the same time, in Poland there was observed the biggest increase in demand for intermodal container units (ICUs). The inverse relationship between demand for railway transport and ICUs is observed in most countries. Only in Czechia there was a parallel increase observed. It has been observed that linear and point infrastructure requires investment in electrification in most countries surveyed. These investments are important due to handling the needs of foreign trade. With the growing demand for transport and developed infrastructure, the intermodal rail transport will be able to compete with road transport. This process is consistent with the need to ensure green transport and modify transport structure into the environmental friendly one.

This paper presents the results of analyses that were focused on pollutant emissions from road vehicles classified into the generalised categories with respect to vehicle use. The analyses were performed using the authorised results of Poland's pollutant emission inventory, carried out in 1990–2020 by the National Centre for Emissions Management (KOBiZE) at the Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute (IOŚ-PIB) in order to meet requirements for the national emissions reporting under EU legislation and the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. The following road vehicle categories were analysed: passenger cars, light duty vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, buses (urban buses and coaches) and L category (motorcycles, mopeds, quads, microcars). The emissions of selected pollutants that are harmful to the health of living beings were studied, i.e. nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulfur compounds, particulate matter size fractions, carbon monoxide and lead compounds. The shares of national annual pollutant emissions from each studied vehicle category of the total pollutant emissions from road transport were determined. With the aim to assess trends in improving environmental properties of road vehicles, there were determined changes of the energy emission factors for individual pollutants in all the vehicle categories under the study. The results obtained showed dynamic decreases in the energy emission factors for nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. In the case of particulate matter emission, the improvement was not as pronounced. The evident reduction in the emissions of sulfur and lead compounds in the 21st century was confirmed to be a consequence of practical elimination of these compounds from road vehicle fuels.

Influence of thermal modification in nitrogen atmosphere on the gloss of black poplar (Populus nigra L.). Heat treatment of wood is a process to which improve mechanical and physical properties. During this treatment is observed changes aesthetic properties of wood among others gloss. The aim of this research was to conduct the influence of time and temperature on surface gloss of black poplar wood (Populus nigra L.). Wood was modified by heat treatment process in nitrogen atmosphere in temperaturę from 160 °C to 220 °C, and during the following time periods 2 h - 8 h. Under the influence of modification Surface of modified wood change the gloss of black poplar wood. There was correlation between temperaturę and gloss changing and longer time of treatment. In temperaturę 220 °C decrease og gloss was 45 % for radial section and 52 % for tangential section. Influence of time and temperature on modified black poplar wood was different and depend on section. Temperature of modification was in 20 % accountable for gloss change on radial section and in 38 % for gloss change on tangential section. Influence of time during the proces was much smaller then temperaturę parameters and was 3 % and 5 % respectively for radial and tangential section.

Dielectric spectroscopy (DS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to study the effect of changes in the surface conditions on the segmental dynamics of poly(phenylmethylsiloxane) confined in alumina nanopores (AAO). The inner surface of the pores was modified by using the atomic layer deposition technique. Coated membranes include 5 nm thick layers of hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, and silicon oxide, exhibiting different wetting properties. Modification of the surface conditions dramatically affects the interfacial interactions between the polymer and confining surface. The interfacial energy calculations indicate a decrease of γSL value from 18.7 mN/m in SiO2-coated to 0.5 mN/m in HfO2-coated nanopores. The results of the dielectric relaxation study demonstrate that the segmental relaxation time of confined PMPS 2.5k depends on the thermal treatment protocol and the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of the pore walls. From calorimetric measurements, we found that the two glass transitions events are still observed, even in the absence of strong interfacial interactions. Values of both Tgs do not depend strongly on the chemical nature of the surface. In this way, changes in the glass-transition behavior of the tested polymer confined in ALD-coated nanopores cannot be rationalized in terms of the polymer/substrate interfacial energy. Eliminating strongly adhered surfaces does not eliminate the puzzling two-Tgs effect seen in cylindrical nanopores.

The presented research concerns the preparation of polymer nanoparticles (PNPs) for the delivery of doxorubicin. Several block and statistical copolymers, composed of ketoester derivative, N-isopropylacrylamide, and cholesterol, were synthesized. In the nanoprecipitation process, doxorubicin (DOX) molecules were kept in spatial polymeric systems. DOX-loaded PNPs show high efficacy against estrogen-dependent MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines despite low doses of DOX applied and good compatibility with normal cells. Research confirms the effect of PNPs on the degradation of the biological membrane, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the ability to cell cycle arrest are strictly linked to cell death. Graphical Abstract

The aim of the study is to present the results of mathematically modeled influence of the average speed on the pollutant released in the air during the cold-start process. There were taken into consideration the emission from the passenger cars (PCs) for the different fuel types, vehicles’ segments (including hybrid), and the Euro standard. In the article the simulations was performed using the COPERT software, as well as WLTP-based research. The modelling results there are presented show that the change in average speed has a significant effect on air pollutant (CO2, NOx, NMVOC, CO) emissions released in cold-start process. Furthermore, the results show that pollutants’ emissions are sensitive to average speed fluctuations.

The paper deals with the issue of quite new and interesting Russian Federation’s regulation concerning the one’s responsibility of holding the highest position in the criminal hierarchy. The Author presents rationale behind implementing such regulation. In addition, particular characteristics of the crime of article 2101 of the Criminal Code are outlined while the difficulties in its interpretation being underlined. The Author describes issues with its execution in practice. The regulation’s dimension, its goal and practical application have also been assessed. What is more, some incoherence with basic rules of the Penal Code have been identified.

A simple method for the generation of phosphinoborinium cations utilizing synthetically accessible bromophosphinoboranes.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of the insurance sector on economic growth based on panel data for 31 European countries covering the period 2004–2019, with particular emphasis on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Method – Dynamic econometric models were used in the analysis (Generalised Method of Moments). An attempt was made to quantify the impact of the insurance sector on economic growth for selected indicators of activity in that sector (insurance density and market penetration) for 2004– –2019. Conclusions – Research using regression analysis has confirmed the importance of insurance activity (in total, life and property & casualty insurance) for economic growth in a group of 31 European countries. The analysis carried out for the group of CEE countries has not confirmed significant impact of any of the variables characterising the development of total insurance and life insurance markets on GDP per capita. However, a significant impact of property & casualty (P&C) insurance, expressed in terms of insurance density, has been confirmed. Originality/value/implications/recommendations – The results of the study may constitute a recommen-dation for supporting the further development of the insurance sector by formulating appropriate regulations and legal frameworks and by taking measures that can increase trust in the insurance sector and raise insurance awareness.

The use of motor vehicles varies considerably under distinct traffic conditions: in cities, outside cities as well as on motorways and expressways. The impact of road traffic on the natural environment has been studied for many years, including in terms of the nature of the operation of motor vehicles. This problem is particularly important in highly urbanized areas, where traffic congestion is the source of increased emissions of harmful compounds contained in exhaust gases. For this reason, many cities have traffic restrictions, especially for those cars that do not meet the most stringent emission standards. Environmental protection is the driving force behind the development of modern combustion engine supply systems, which allow for proper control of the combustion of petroleum-derived fuels. The exhaust gas cleaning systems in the form of catalytic converters or particulate matter filters are also playing a very important role. Considerable differences in internal combustion engine operating states, both static and dynamic, result in important differences in pollutant emissions. Likewise, the national annual pollutant emission is affected by the share of distances travelled by vehicles under various traffic conditions. At the same time, it is very difficult to estimate exhaust emissions from road transport sources. Very interesting method of emission estimation is the application of the data included in the emission inventory which are a valuable source of information on exhaust emissions under various operating conditions. In the present study, the annual pollutant emissions were analyzed: at a national level (total pollutant emission) and in distinct traffic conditions. There were found large differences between individual pollutants’ shares in the emissions from vehicles under the tested traffic conditions. This is particularly evident for nitrogen oxides with the highest emission share outside cities, as opposed to other substances with the highest emission shares in cities, where traffic congestion is taking place.

Rewolucja kulturowa postępuje przez dzieje, niosąc wyzwolenie uciemiężonemu człowiekowi. Po oswobodzeniu go z ucisku klasy społecznej głosi ona wyzwolenie ze sztywnych norm kulturowych, etyki seksualnej, nierozerwalnego małżeństwa, trudności, jakie powoduje posiadanie rodziny, a nawet uwolnienie człowieka z okowów własnej, określonej płci. Czy jednak rzeczywiście jest to wyzwolenie? Zdaniem Gilberta Keitha Chestertona, który był świadkiem początków przemian społecznych, jakie następowały już na przełomie XIX i XX wieku, rewolucja obyczajowa może prowadzić do bardziej wyrafinowanej formy zniewolenia – zniewolenia umysłu. Artykuł przedstawia obronę etyki seksualnej, małżeństwa i rodziny proponowaną przez Chestertona, starając się odpowiedzieć na pytania, czy głos tego pisarza może być aktualny i intrygujący również współcześnie oraz czy może on ubogacić obecne spory nowym punktem widzenia.W odniesieniu do potrzeby wyzwalania się od norm pisarz odwraca perspektywę, ukazując, iż to nie katolicka etyka seksualna, nierozerwalność małżeństwa i rodzina są okowami zniewalającymi człowieka, lecz ciągłe zmiany, swoboda seksualna oraz rozwody – to one prowadzą bowiem do osłabienia ludzkiej woli i intelektualnego zniewolenia. Prawdziwa wolność ukryta jest natomiast, w sposób nieoczywisty i paradoksalny, właśnie w przestrzeganiu etyki seksualnej, trwałym małżeństwie i rodzinie, które nie tylko stanowią chrześcijańskie ideały, ale są wyjątkowo racjonalne.

Introduction. Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. This condition is progressive in nature. In Europe, Parkinson’s disease is estimated to affect mainly people over the age of 60. It is assumed that around 80–100,000 people in Poland currently suffer from Parkinson’s disease. The disease mainly affects men.Aim. Assessment of the level of burden on caregivers of people with Parkinson’s disease and evaluation of their quality of life.Material and Methods. The study was conducted in the Koło Przyjaciół Ludzi z Chorobą Parkinsona TWK (Friends of People with Parkinson’s Disease TWK Group) in Wrocław and the Leszczyńskie Stowarzyszenie Osób z Chorobami Alzheimera i Parkinsona (Leszno Association of People with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases) in Leszno on a group of 92 Parkinson’s disease patients and their 92 caregivers. The study was conducted using a diagnostic survey method with a self-designed questionnaire and the following standardised instruments for caregivers: the WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire, the CBS caregiver burden scale and the HADS anxiety and depression scale. The present study also used questionnaires addressed to Parkinson’s disease patients: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the PDQ-39 quality of life questionnaire, the Hoehn–Yahr disease stage scale and the Beck depression scale BDI.Results. Analysis of the research material showed that: the quality of life of caregivers in the physical, environmental and psychological domains was significantly better in those providing care for 1–5 years than in those looking after patients for more than 10 years. The author’s own research showed that the overall burden among caregivers was significantly higher when the patient had been ill for more than 5 years than when the patient had been ill for 2–5 years, and it was found that the lower the overall level of quality of life and severity of depressive symptoms among PD patients, the lower the quality of life of their caregivers. On the overall burden scale, 47 of the 92 survey participants (51.09%) experienced a medium level of burden and 24 respondents (26.09%) experienced a high level of burden. In addition, the long duration of the disease leads to a higher burden on caregivers.Conclusions. The difficulties associated with the burden of care for caregivers of people with PD represent a significant clinical, social and also economic problem. Moreover, they significantly reduce the quality of life of caregivers, often taking away the joy of caring for loved ones with Parkinson’s disease. (JNNN 2021;10(4):144–152)

W artykule omówiono opinie badanych studentów pedagogiki Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku na temat wartości istotnych w procesie edukacji wczesnoszkolnej. Poruszono zagadnienia odnoszące się do wartości, które są ważne – zdaniem respondentów – w procesie edukacji wczesnoszkolnej, jakie wartości badani zamierzają w przyszłości przekazywać swoim uczniom oraz czy zamierzają w przyszłości przekazywać te wartości, które ich zdaniem są ważne w procesie edukacji wczesnoszkolnej. Badaniami objęto 84 studentów II roku studiów stacjonarnych i niestacjonarnych II stopnia pedagogiki wczesnoszkolnej. Materiał badawczy został zebrany za pomocną autorskiego kwestionariusza ankiety. Przeprowadzone analizy pozwoliły ustalić, że zdaniem badanych studentów najważniejszymi wartościami w procesie wychowania jest bycie dobrym człowiekiem i dążenie do zdobywania wiedzy, co pozostaje zbieżne z wartościami, które badani zamierzają przekazywać w przyszłości swoim uczniom. Ważne jest, aby przyszli nauczyciele pełniący istotną rolę w kształtowaniu młodego pokolenia, mieli świadomość, że szkoła stanowi nie tylko miejscem przekazywania informacji o świecie, ale pełni również funkcję wychowawczą.

The Euclidean ‘Division of the canon’ and Pythagorean harmonics: The article presents the first Polish translation of a short Ancient Greek treatise entitled The division of the canon, which is commonly dated to the 3rd century BC, with a doubtful assumption that the author of the treatise is Euclid himself. It is the oldest surviving text derived from the mathematical school of harmonics, which combined the mathematical theory of proportion with the musical laws of harmony. The main purpose of this Euclidean treatise is to describe the instrument called canon (or monochord), which consists in determining the successive notes of the Greek musical system by means of mathematical principles. The treatise essentially consists of two distinct parts: an introduction and twenty propositions in the style of Euclid’s Elements. To bring this highly esoteric text closer to the modern reader, the translation is preceded by a brief introduction, which deals with the basic issues of the transmission of the text, its structure, and the problem of authorship. The philosophical problems of the treatise and its basic concepts are also discussed. An underlying idea of both the introduction and the work on the translation is that The division of the canon is an eminently Pythagorean text, which both expressed and proved their conviction about the mathematical structure of the universe.

Background: Despite advances in surgery and pharmacotherapy, there remains significant residual ischemic risk after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Methods: In REDUCE-IT (Reduction of Cardiovascular Events With Icosapent Ethyl–Intervention Trial), a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, statin-treated patients with controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia were randomized to 4 g daily of icosapent ethyl or placebo. They experienced a 25% reduction in risk of a primary efficacy end point (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina) and a 26% reduction in risk of a key secondary efficacy end point (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) when compared with placebo. The current analysis reports on the subgroup of patients from the trial with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting. Results: Of the 8179 patients randomized in REDUCE-IT, a total of 1837 (22.5%) had a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, with 897 patients randomized to icosapent ethyl and 940 to placebo. Baseline characteristics were similar between treatment groups. Randomization to icosapent ethyl was associated with a significant reduction in the primary end point (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.63–0.92]; P =0.004), in the key secondary end point (HR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.56–0.87]; P =0.001), and in total (first plus subsequent or recurrent) ischemic events (rate ratio, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.50–0.81]; P =0.0002) compared with placebo. This yielded an absolute risk reduction of 6.2% (95% CI, 2.3%–10.2%) in first events, with a number needed to treat of 16 (95% CI, 10–44) during a median follow-up time of 4.8 years. Safety findings were similar to the overall study: beyond an increased rate of atrial fibrillation/flutter requiring hospitalization for at least 24 hours (5.0% vs 3.1%; P =0.03) and a nonsignificant increase in bleeding, occurrences of adverse events were comparable between groups. Conclusions: In REDUCE-IT patients with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, treatment with icosapent ethyl was associated with significant reductions in first and recurrent ischemic events. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01492361.

The concept of nonmetallic frustrated cations has been used in the small molecule activation. The in situ generated ambiphilic phosphinoborinium cation activated phenyl isocyanate, diisopropylcarbodiimide, and acetonitrile under very mild conditions without any catalyst, yielding single-, double-, or mixed-activation products. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the reactions of the phosphinoborinium cation with small molecules were elucidated using density functional theory calculations.

The concept of state financial security is a key one, due to the fact that it reflects the state of the country, its public finances, as well as the state of the financial sector operating within it. An adequate level of state financial security can create optimal conditions for the development of the financial system, financial stability, as well as for the country's economic development and investment attractiveness. One of the main factors that determine a high level of state financial security is the stability of the financial sector. Given that the assets of the banking sector account for a significant, if not an overwhelming share of the total assets of the financial sector, this sector plays a key role in the economy as a whole. Therefore, a stable and secure banking sector is an important element affecting the level of financial security of a country. The paper attempts to define the concept of state financial security and to present its relevance. In addition, the paper also aimed to identify the main factors that most influence the level of state financial security. Eight indicators, generally accepted as those describing the level of state financial security, were applied in the paper and used as the basis for an econometric model expressing the relationship between them and the stable development of the banking sector. The study showed that the stability of the Polish banking sector determined the financial security of the state.

This article is devoted to a novel class of antimicrobial agents: nanocomposites composed of spherical silica and silver ions located at the silica’s surface with the assumed distribution. Such materials are in high demand due to the increasing threat from bacterial strains that are becoming resistant to currently known antibiotics. In particular, we focus on materials that make it possible to limit the growth of bacterial colonies on a variety of tactile surfaces. In this paper, we present a method for preparing a silica-based nanocomposite containing silver ions and the analysis of their antimicrobial properties. Our research revealed that the presence of tested nanocomposite induces very high oxidative stress in the bacteria cell, damaging and modifying bacterial DNA, creating oxidized guanines, cytosines, or adenines, which causes its very rapid destruction, leading to cell death.

Introduction: Poor medication adherence is associated with unsatisfactory health outcomes, elevated mortality, and high costs of medical care. This study aimed to assess the implementation of therapeutic recommendations in high cardiovascular-risk patients based on self-report questionnaires. Material and methods: The study included 194 patients from the Cardiology Outpatient Clinic. Two self-reported questionnaires were used to assess medication adherence: the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ) and the Adherence in Chronic Diseases Scale (ACDS). Results: Antihypertensive drugs were prescribed to 65.46% of the patients. According to the MAQ, 54.33% of them reported high adherence, 21.26% medium adherence, and 24.41% low adherence to the treatment. Lipid-lowering drugs were prescribed to 46.39% of the patients, all of whom were treated with statins. Among this group, 34.44% reported high adherence, 27.78% medium adherence, and 37.78% low adherence to pharmacotherapy. According to the ACDS, the majority of patients (45.55%) received a score indicating medium adherence (21–26 points), 39.27% high adherence ( > 26 points), and 16.75% low adherence to treatment ( < 21 points). A high level of adherence was declared by 61.54% of the patients that reached the therapeutic goal of lipid-lowering therapy, defined as LDL-C of < 2.6 mmol/L ( < 100 mg/dL). On the other hand, among the patients whose LDL-C remained elevated, 23.44% declared high adherence to treatment. There were no significant differences in achieving the intended therapeutic goal of blood pressure (BP ≤ 140/90 mmHg) in the groups with high, medium and low adherence (26.53% vs. 23.47% vs. 50.00%; p = 0.1880). Conclusion: Despite higher adherence to treatment in the patients with hypertension compared to patients with hyperlipidemia, the latter more often achieved the therapeutic goal. Declarations regarding high adherence to medication in the MAQ and in the ACDS are consistent in patients with hyperlipidemia and hypertension.

Introduction. Insufficient knowledge and misconception about epilepsy causes the development of negative attitudes towards epilepsy patients, increases stigmatization and psychosocial problems, and consequently affects their quality of life.Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the state of knowledge of primary care patients on epilepsy.Material and Methods. The study included a group of 149 patients from three primary health care facilities in the city of Bydgoszcz. The study population consisted of 99 women (66%) and 50 men (34%). Adults predominated, the mean age of the respondents was 43.91 years (SD = 13.03). The research used the method of diagnostic survey, the research tool was the original questionnaire. The research was carried out in a correlation model. The non-parametric Spearman rank test was used to determine the significance of the relationship between demographic variables and knowledge about epilepsy. The significance level p

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of perinatal and maternal morbidity. Although subclinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy is one of the established risk factors for PE, the link between iodine deficiency and PE is not fully understood. The aim of our study was to assess urinary iodine concentration (UIC), serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4) levels in Polish women with PE (PE group, n=78) compared with healthy non-pregnant women (CNP group, n=30), and healthy pregnant women (CP group, n=46). The UIC was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Both the mean UIC of 144.6±36.4 μg/L in the CP group and the mean of 125.8±33.6 μg/L in the PE group, respectively, were lower compared to non-pregnant women (149.8±28.8 μg/L), and the difference between the PE and CNP groups was statistically significant. TSH values were the highest in the PE group, while the lowest average level was for the CNP group. The fT3 and fT4 values in the PE group were significantly lower compared to the CNP and CP groups. Despite iodine supplementation during pregnancy, the UIC was lower compared to non-pregnant women, while in women with PE it was at a significantly lower level. To reduce the incidence of possible health complications, proper iodine supplementation and monitoring of the UIC is recommended for pregnant women suffering from PE or at risk of developing PE.

Plastic has unique properties with multiple applications. Microsized plastic fragments (0.1−1000µm; secondary microplastics) are generated throughout the lifespan of plastic materials; primary microplastics are manufactured. Microplastics are present in PM2.5. With increased use of electric cars and reduction in tail pipe emissions, the amount and proportion of microplastics in airborne PM2.5 could increase. We know little about the effects of microplastic inhalation on human health. Hypothesis: Inhaled plastic microparticles will have adverse effects on the respiratory epithelium, both independently and in combination with PM2.5. Two atmospheric plastics, polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA), were generated and characterized prior to study. They had a similar size distribution (1-3µm), polydispersity (PA: 0.9002; PP: 0.9037) and charge (PA: -9.66; PP: -5.79) in culture medium. Human alveolar epithelial type 1-like cells (TT1) were exposed for 24h to 1.25-80µg/ml of PP, PA, and PM2.5; viability fell after PA exposure to 10µg/ml (~10%), reaching ~30% at 80µg/ml (p

Accurate and reliable determination of the characteristic points of the impedance cardiogram (ICG) is an important research problem with a growing range of applications in the cardiological diagnostics of patients with heart failure (HF). The shapes of the characteristic waves of the ICG signal and the temporal location of the characteristic points B, C, and X provide significant diagnostic information. On this basis, essential diagnostic cardiological parameters can be determined, such as, e.g., cardiac output (CO) or stroke volume (SV). Although the importance of this problem is obvious, we face many challenges, including noisy signals and the big variability in the morphology, which altogether make the accurate identification of the characteristic points quite difficult. The paper presents an effective method of ICG points identification intended for conducting experimental research in the field of impedance cardiography. Its effectiveness is confirmed in clinical pilot studies.