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Emerging data suggests the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated preexisting, long-documented gender inequities among U.S. faculty in higher education. During the initial Spring 2020 'lockdown' in the U.S., 80 students conveyed their experiences with faculty across 362 courses. We evaluated whether students' reports of faculty supportiveness, accommodations granted, and pandemic-impacted, anticipated grade outcomes differed according to faculty gender via mixed linear models (data on 362 courses were nested within 80 student reporters). Students perceived their women instructors as more supportive, accommodating, and anticipated lesser course grade decreases across the semester than in courses taught by men. Accordingly, we interpret that amidst the 'lockdown' crisis, women faculty earned higher perceived supportiveness and positive student outcomes than their male counterparts. Further, the data likely reflects women faculty's greater conscription into demonstrated care work, despite the coding of such labor as "feminine," thereby rendering such work devalued. To reframe, to the degree that students expect more 'intensive pedagogies,' which invites faculty and administrators to gender disparate demands, such pressures likely translate to 'hidden service' burdens, and correspondingly, less time for career-advancing activities (such as research). Broader implications are discussed, alongside women faculty's documented experiences of acceleration in career and work/family pressures in pandemic-times, which combine to exacerbate long-standing, yet now-amplified penalties, potentially driving a widening, gendered chasm in academic career outcomes. We conclude by offering constructive suggestions to mitigate any discriminatory impacts imposed by students' gendered assessment inputs and expectations.

Introduction and purpose: Adrenal disorders cover a spectrum of conditions, including adrenal insufficiency, Cushing's syndrome and others. Each disorder has its own implications for pregnancy and requires an individualised approach. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of adrenal disorders during pregnancy, such as endogenous Cushing's syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, primary aldosteronism, and pheochromocytoma. Brief description of the state of knowledge: During pregnancy, a number of adaptive processes take place in a woman's body including changes in the endocrine system. Given all these changes, adrenal diseases pose both diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The symptoms of adrenal diseases often overlap with those observed during physiological pregnancy. Adrenal disorders during pregnancy if unrecognised or treated inadequately, can lead to negative consequences for the mother and foetus, indicating the importance of awareness of these conditions among physicians. Conclusions: Treating and diagnosing adrenal diseases during pregnancy is a major challenge for doctors. It is crucial to diagnose adrenal diseases in pregnant women as early as possible, and to meticulously plan pregnancies for women diagnosed before conception to prevent the negative consequences of untreated adrenal disorders. Optimal control of treatment before conception should be sought. Access to specialised centres with multidisciplinary teams experienced in treating these conditions is crucial for optimal maternal and foetal care.

Abstract As the data concerning element concentrations in human milk (HM) samples and their intake by infants are lacking in Poland, the present study aimed to explore this issue. The material consisted of HM samples obtained from 30 exclusively breastfeeding mothers during 4–6 weeks postpartum. Additionally, to identify the factors that may potentially affect HM composition, information regarding maternal data (anthropometry, body composition, and diet) was also collected. Maternal diet was assessed with two methods—a food frequency questionnaire and 3-day dietary records. In total, 18 essential and non-essential elements were determined. For the elements analysis, we used inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry. Most of the elements (n = 11, 61%) were detected in all HM samples. In all HM samples tin concentration was higher (5.67 ± 2.39 μg/L) than the usual range reported by the World Health Organization (~ 1.0 μg/L). HM cadmium content was positively associated with maternal salty snacks intake (r = 0.502, p = 0.005), arsenic with whole-grain products intake (r = 0.37, p = 0.043), and mercury concentration with fruits and seeds/nuts consumption (r = 0.424, p = 0.042 and r = 0.378, p = 0.039, respectively). Higher HM lead concentration was predicted by maternal age (95% CI [0.94–0.97]), intake of fish (95% CI [1.01–1.03]), and vegetables (95% CI [1.02–1.06]). The highest infants’ intake was observed for copper (35.24 ± 12.48) and the lowest for arsenic (0.076 ± 0.102). Infants’ exposure to lead was associated with maternal frequency consumption of canned fish (p = 0.0045). There is a need to perform further research on this topic to maximize the benefits of breastfeeding by minimizing maternal and infant exposure to potentially toxic elements.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading complication after both liver and kidney transplantation. Factors associated with and rates of cardiovascular events (CVEs) after simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (SLKT) are unknown. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult SLKT recipients between 2002 and 2017 at six centers in six United Network for Organ Sharing regions in the US Multicenter SLKT Consortium. The primary outcome was a CVE defined as hospitalization due to acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, or other CV causes (stroke or peripheral vascular disease) within 1 year of SLKT. Among 515 SLKT subjects (mean age ± SD, 55.4 ± 10.6 years; 35.5% women; 68.1% White), 8.7% had a CVE within 1 year of SLKT. The prevalence of a CVE increased from 3.3% in 2002-2008 to 8.9% in 2009-2011 to 14.0% in 2012-2017 ( p  = 0.0005). SLKT recipients with a CVE were older (59.9 vs. 54.9 years, p

Introduction: Pheochromocytomas are rare tumors originating from the adrenal medulla, which can occur sporadically or as part of hereditary syndromes. Many patients with chromaffin tumors harbor genetic mutations, typically inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, hence genetic testing is recommended for all patients. Symptoms can result from both excessive catecholamine production and the mass effect of the tumor. Diagnosis is confirmed by elevated levels of metanephrines or normetanephrines in the plasma or urine. Radiological imaging aids in tumor localization and assessment of potential local invasion or metastasis. Preoperative preparation of all patients involves the use of α-receptor blockers and/or other medications to control arterial hypertension, arrhythmias, and fluid volume. Surgery remains the treatment of choice, with lifelong follow-up recommended. Objective: The review article aims to provide an overview of chromaffin tumor pathology, their etiology, discuss diagnostic possibilities, and indicate therapeutic options for patients. Materials and Methods: A summary of reports available in medical publications and scientific studies found in databases such as PubMed, CrossRef, Google Scholar, as well as relevant textbooks. Results: Chromaffin tumors are rare but dangerous for patients; adequate pharmacological preparation for surgery, which is usually necessary, is extremely important. Conclusions: The main role is to establish the correct diagnosis, or even suggest and conduct diagnostic tests towards a chromaffin tumor. Patient management involves controlling blood pressure, appropriate premedication, and surgical intervention. After such treatment, patients require continuous monitoring to detect any potential disease recurrence.

The burden of early hospitalization (within 6 months) following simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (SLKT) is not known. We examined risk factors associated with early hospitalization after SLKT and their impact on patient mortality conditional on 6-month survival. We used data from the US Multicenter SLKT Consortium cohort study of all adult SLKT recipients between 2002 and 2017 who were discharged alive following SLKT. We used Poisson regression to model rates of early hospitalizations after SLKT. Cox regression was used to identify risk factors associated with mortality conditional on survival at 6 months after SLKT. Median age (N = 549) was 57.7 years (interquartile range [IQR], 50.6-63.9) with 63% males and 76% Whites; 33% had hepatitis C virus, 20% had non-alcohol-associated fatty liver disease, 23% alcohol-associated liver disease, and 24% other etiologies. Median body mass index (BMI) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-sodium scores were 27.2 kg/m2 (IQR, 23.6-32.2 kg/m2 ) and 28 (IQR, 23-34), respectively. Two-thirds of the cohort had at least one hospitalization within the first 6 months of SLKT. Age, race, hospitalization at SLKT, diabetes mellitus, BMI, and discharge to subacute rehabilitation (SAR) facility after SLKT were independently associated with a high incidence rate ratio of early hospitalization. Number of hospitalizations within the first 6 months did not affect conditional survival. Early hospitalizations after SLKT were very common but did not affect conditional survival. Although most of the risk factors for early hospitalization were nonmodifiable, discharge to SAR after initial SLKT was associated with a significantly higher incidence rate of early hospitalization. Efforts and resources should be focused on identifying SLKT recipients at high risk for early hospitalization to optimize their predischarge care, discharge planning, and long-term follow-up.

El objetivo del presente artículo es mostrar la figura del poeta español Federico García Lorca, uno de los personajes del drama serbio Santa Apocalipsis o Musas ahorcadas (Sveta Apokalipsa ili Obešene muze, 1992) de Đorđe Milosavljević (1969). Esta obra de teatro en un acto, cuyo tema principal es el asesinato de Lorca, se estrenó en 1992 durante la guerra civil en Bosnia, que en esos momentos formaba parte de la patria del autor serbio. Milosavljević, al describir el horror de la guerra siguiendo el ejemplo del conocido episodio español, lo hace utilizando la estética de lo grotesco, con recursos como la hipérbole, la caricatura, el contraste, el humor negro, la burla lúgubre y el chiste lingüístico. El autor serbio utiliza en su obra la distancia espacial y temporal que separa la realidad contemporánea de los Balcanes de los hechos de agosto de 1936 en España, para mostrar el impacto de la guerra en el hombre y en todos los ámbitos de su vida y actividad, especialmente en la cultura y el arte. La figura del poeta español le sirve al autor como símbolo del sufrimiento de un individuo, lo absurdo de la guerra y la insensatez de las decisiones tomadas durante su duración.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate corneal cross-linking (CXL) for keratoconus in pediatric patients. Materials and methods: After keratometric qualification according to the Amsler–Krumeich system, corneal collagen cross-linking was performed using ultraviolet light and photosensitizing riboflavin drops in 111 eyes of 74 children with a mean age of 15 ± 1.67 years. None of the children studied wore contact lenses before the procedure. Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, keratometry, and pachymetry parameters were analyzed before and after corneal cross-linking. Results: Visual acuity was 0.64 ± 0.31 and 0.66 ± 0.29 before CXL and at the end of the follow-up, respectively; the difference was not statistically significant. The mean intraocular pressure before CXL was 14.48 ± 3.13 mmHg, while the mean value at the end of the follow-up was 14.23 ± 3.03 mmHg; no statistically significant difference was found. Pre- and post-CXL astigmatism was 3.98 ± 2.34 Dcyl and 3.63 ± 1.86 Dcyl, respectively; the difference was not statistically significant. The mean keratometry before CXL was 47.99 ± 3.96 D; the mean post-follow-up value was 47.74 ± 3.63 D. The mean corneal thickness (pachymetry) at the apex of the keratoconus—the thinnest zone of the cornea—before CXL was 492.16 ± 38.75 µm, while the mean value at the end of the follow-up was 479.99 ± 39.71 µm; the difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: Corneal cross-linking is an effective method for preventing keratoconus progression in children. However, further and detailed ophthalmic follow-up of patients who underwent CXL before the age of 18 is highly advisable.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a wide-spread disease that affects even 30% of Polish population. The mentioned syndrome consists of: glucose intolerance, obesity, dyslipidaemia and high blood pressure. Change of lifestyle, particularly diet, is a crucial part of treatment of those issues. Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or non-nutritive substances that are made for lowering sugar amounts in sweetened beverages. The use of artificial sweeteners rises among those, who want to lower their weight. Artificial sweeteners are well known substances, but their impact on health is still a matter of studies. We want to summarize the current knowledge about their impact on metabolic syndrome and its elements. Objectives: The review and presentation of the current state of knowledge on impact of artificial sweeteners on metabolic syndrome and its components. Material and methods: Review of the studies available on open access sources at PubMed, Google Scholar, National Library of Medicine and Coachrane. Conclusions: Currently there is no evidence of positive impact of artificial sweeteners on the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, new studies prove a negative impact of those substances at obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidaemia and blood pressure. However there is a need of further studies about physiology of gut microbiota and current subject to strengthen current depth of evidence.

Glaucoma is a group of progressive neuropathies of the optic nerve leading to the destruction of retinal ganglion cells and their axons. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting over 70 million people residing in various geographical regions. This disease ranks second among the causes of blindness in patients. Up to 40% of them lose their vision within the first year of diagnosis.(1) The most common type of glaucoma affecting ophthalmic patients is open-angle glaucoma, in which the iridocorneal angle is not pathologically altered, but there is an elevation of intraocular pressure due to abnormal fluid flow within the eye. The main cause of this disease is obstruction of aqueous humor outflow from the eye and its excessive production. Although the exact mechanism of glaucoma is not fully understood yet, several risk factors have been identified, including high intraocular pressure (IOP), age, and genetics. Materials and Methods: Review and summary of research studies available in open-source format on Google Scholar, PubMed. Conclusions: There is ample evidence confirming the impact of food products on the risk of developing glaucoma or exacerbating its symptoms. However, further research is necessary to determine the extent of their interference with this disease entity.

Objectives The main goal of this article was to learn the opinions of over 50 parents of students with special educational needs on the ways and the effectiveness of emergency remote teaching and to come up with ideas for future improvements to organization of distance education of students at special education centres. The following three queries were set for examination ahead of this research: (1) General assessment of preparedness of special education centres for distance education needs; (2) Assessment of distance education quality at special education centres and out of the centres’ premises; (3) Assessment of communications quality at special education centres. Material and methods Research toolkit and statistical analysis: Survey for parents comprised 26 questions including 24 closed-ended questions, two open-ended questions plus three demographic questions (the child’s sex, school form and group number). Research material was statistically analysed in reliance on SPSS v. 27 software. Results Parents indicated the following subjects as the most challenging: Foreign Language (62 per cent of responses), Mathematics (54 per cent) and Polish (52 per cent). Parents also rated their children's use of counselling. Thus: 94 per cent of students consulted therapists, 93 per cent of students consulted boarding school tutors, 84 per cent of students consulted class teachers, 82 per cent of students consulted subject teachers, 54 per cent of students consulted psychologists. Conclusions The activities of teachers and educators should not end with the end of the pandemic and should go further - in the direction of strengthening the competence of independent learning (in students) and teaching (in teachers) and handling computer technology (in both groups).

Quantification of land surface–atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and their trends and uncertainties is essential for monitoring progress of the EU27+UK bloc as it strives to meet ambitious targets determined by both international agreements and internal regulation. This study provides a consolidated synthesis of fossil sources (CO2 fossil) and natural (including formally managed ecosystems) sources and sinks over land (CO2 land) using bottom-up (BU) and top-down (TD) approaches for the European Union and United Kingdom (EU27+UK), updating earlier syntheses (Petrescu et al., 2020, 2021). Given the wide scope of the work and the variety of approaches involved, this study aims to answer essential questions identified in the previous syntheses and understand the differences between datasets, particularly for poorly characterized fluxes from managed and unmanaged ecosystems. The work integrates updated emission inventory data, process-based model results, data-driven categorical model results, and inverse modeling estimates, extending the previous period 1990–2018 to the year 2020 to the extent possible. BU and TD products are compared with the European national greenhouse gas inventory (NGHGI) reported by parties including the year 2019 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The uncertainties of the EU27+UK NGHGI were evaluated using the standard deviation reported by the EU member states following the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and harmonized by gap-filling procedures. Variation in estimates produced with other methods, such as atmospheric inversion models (TD) or spatially disaggregated inventory datasets (BU), originate from within-model uncertainty related to parameterization as well as structural differences between models. By comparing the NGHGI with other approaches, key sources of differences between estimates arise primarily in activities. System boundaries and emission categories create differences in CO2 fossil datasets, while different land use definitions for reporting emissions from land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) activities result in differences for CO2 land. The latter has important consequences for atmospheric inversions, leading to inversions reporting stronger sinks in vegetation and soils than are reported by the NGHGI. For CO2 fossil emissions, after harmonizing estimates based on common activities and selecting the most recent year available for all datasets, the UNFCCC NGHGI for the EU27+UK accounts for 926 ± 13 Tg C yr−1, while eight other BU sources report a mean value of 948 [937,961] Tg C yr−1 (25th, 75th percentiles). The sole top-down inversion of fossil emissions currently available accounts for 875 Tg C in this same year, a value outside the uncertainty of both the NGHGI and bottom-up ensemble estimates and for which uncertainty estimates are not currently available. For the net CO2 land fluxes, during the most recent 5-year period including the NGHGI estimates, the NGHGI accounted for −91 ± 32 Tg C yr−1, while six other BU approaches reported a mean sink of −62 [-117,-49] Tg C yr−1, and a 15-member ensemble of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) reported −69 [-152,-5] Tg C yr−1. The 5-year mean of three TD regional ensembles combined with one non-ensemble inversion of −73 Tg C yr−1 has a slightly smaller spread (0th–100th percentiles of [-135,+45] Tg C yr−1), and it was calculated after removing net land–atmosphere CO2 fluxes caused by lateral transport of carbon (crop trade, wood trade, river transport, and net uptake from inland water bodies), resulting in increased agreement with the NGHGI and bottom-up approaches. Results at the category level (Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland) generally show good agreement between the NGHGI and category-specific models, but results for DGVMs are mixed. Overall, for both CO2 fossil and net CO2 land fluxes, we find that current independent approaches are consistent with the NGHGI at the scale of the EU27+UK. We conclude that CO2 emissions from fossil sources have decreased over the past 30 years in the EU27+UK, while land fluxes are relatively stable: positive or negative trends larger (smaller) than 0.07 (−0.61) Tg C yr−2 can be ruled out for the NGHGI. In addition, a gap on the order of 1000 Tg C yr−1 between CO2 fossil emissions and net CO2 uptake by the land exists regardless of the type of approach (NGHGI, TD, BU), falling well outside all available estimates of uncertainties. However, uncertainties in top-down approaches to estimate CO2 fossil emissions remain uncharacterized and are likely substantial, in addition to known uncertainties in top-down estimates of the land fluxes. The data used to plot the figures are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8148461 (McGrath et al., 2023).

Giulia Riccomi. 2021. Bioarchaeology and Dietary Reconstruction across Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Tuscany, Central Italy. Oxford: Archaeopress; 978-1-78969-865-7 paperback 34 [pounds sterling]. Multidisciplinary studies in bioarchaeology that [...]

Abstract Endophytes, especially those isolated from herbal plants, may act as a reservoir of a variety of secondary metabolites exhibiting biological activity. Some endophytes express the ability to produce the same bioactive compounds as their plant hosts, making them a more sustainable industrial supply of these substances. Urtica dioica L. (common stinging nettle) is a synanthropic plant that is widely used in herbal medicine due to the diversity of bioactive chemicals it contains, e.g., polyphenols, which demonstrate anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancerous capabilities. This study aimed at isolating endophytic bacteria from stinging nettles for their bioactive compounds. The endophytic isolates were identified by both biochemical and molecular methods (16S rRNA) and investigated for enzymes, biosurfactants, and polyphenols production. Each of the isolated bacterial strains was capable of producing biosurfactants and polyphenols. However, three of the isolated endophytes, identified as two strains of Bacillus cereus and one strain of Bacillus mycoides, possessed the greatest capacity to produce biosurfactants and polyphenols. The derivatized extracts from culture liquid showed the 1.633 mol l−1 (9.691 mg l−1) concentration of polyphenol compounds. Therefore, the present study signifies that endophytic B. cereus and B. mycoides isolated from Urtica dioica L. could be a potential source of biosurfactants and polyphenols. However, further study is required to understand the mechanism of the process and achieve efficient polyphenol production by endophytic bacteria.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) produce all blood cells throughout the life of the organism. However, the high self-renewal and longevity of HSCs predispose them to accumulate mutations. The acquired mutations drive preleukemic clonal hematopoiesis, which is frequent among elderly people. The preleukemic state, although often asymptomatic, increases the risk of blood cancers. Nevertheless, the direct role of preleukemic HSCs is well-evidenced in adult myeloid leukemia (AML), while their contribution to other hematopoietic malignancies remains less understood. Here, we review the evidence supporting the role of preleukemic HSCs in different types of blood cancers, as well as present the alternative models of malignant evolution. Finally, we discuss the clinical importance of preleukemic HSCs in choosing the therapeutic strategies and provide the perspective on further studies on biology of preleukemic HSCs.

The banking system is one of the most important components of the financial systems on which modern economies are largely based. The occurrence of instability in this area may lead to serious economic problems. Therefore, the interest of researchers in this area has been focused mainly on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the banking sector, which will allow for identifying possible areas for improvement. In this paper, we discuss the use of efficiency as one of the basic measures used to assess the functioning of the banking sector. The aim of this study is to examine the efficiency of the banking sector in Poland, and then to compare the obtained results with selected countries of the region in 2014–2018. The paper presents theoretical considerations in the field of the financial system, the banking system and the efficiency of entities. In the empirical part of the paper, we conducted our own research on the efficiency of the banking sector in Poland using the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) method. The results were compared with those obtained in selected countries in the region. The selected countries of the region are: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia.

The S100 proteins are small, ubiquitous, mostly homodimeric proteins containing two EF-hand structures, that is, helix-loop-helix motifs specialized in high-affinity calcium-binding (~10−6 M) [...]

Ensuring the integrity of elections is a foundational concern for any democratic state. Yet, it faces a grave challenge in Poland, emanating from the Chamber of Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs of the Supreme Court. Created in 2018 following controversial changes to the national judicial system and tasked with reviewing the validity of parliamentary elections, the Chamber fails to meet the essential criteria of an independent court. Confirmed by rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court itself, the Chamber’s flawed origin and staffing, dependent on political influence and in departure from established rules of law, undermines its capacity to authenticate the fairness and legitimacy of elections. This echoes beyond Poland’s borders as well, since the Chamber’s defective status fails to meet European standards of effective judicial protection, thus raising concerns in the context of European integration. This blog delves into the Chamber’s position, examines its role in validating electoral process and its impact on the democratic legitimacy of Poland’s Parliament.