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Abstract Streptococcus dysgalactiae (S. dysgalactiae ) is a common pathogen of humans and various animals. However, the phylogenetic position of animal S. dysgalactiae isolates and their zoonotic potential remain unclear. Most molecular epidemiological studies explicate beta-hemolytic streptococci according to their MLST and M protein gene (emm) types. Although human S. dysgalactiae isolates are relatively well characterized, the data concerning animal isolates are scarce. Here, we report the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of S. dysgalactiae strains recovered from sheep and their genetic relationship with isolates from other animal hosts and humans. Overall, 11 PFGE pulsotypes, five MLST sequence types (STs), and two emm types were distinguished, with ST248 and stL1376 being the most prevalent, indicating genetic diversity among tested 17 ovine isolates. Some isolates exhibited resistance to doxycycline (59%), erythromycin (6%), ciprofloxacin (6%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (6%), harboring various resistance determinants. Phylogenetic analysis showed that studied ovine isolates grouped together with human S. dysgalactiae isolates from the cases of zoonotic infections. Moreover, some ovine isolates shared identical STs and emm gene sequences with human non-invasive and invasive S. dysgalactiae strains. These findings suggest a possible link between human and ovine isolates and indicate the zoonotic potential of this pathogen.

Ageing is a complex process occurring simultaneously on various levels - visual, physical, mental. Some among many factors responsible for maintenance of good physical and mental health are various nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and medical drugs. Within this review, selected substances that show anti-ageing potential were examined. This paper reviews data on model organisms concerning the effects of widely used drugs and dietary supplements on the lifespan of model organisms.

Przedmiotem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza nowego brzmienia regulacji przekazania przez Sąd Najwyższy sprawy innemu sądowi równorzędnemu ze względu na dobro wymiaru sprawiedliwości opisanej w art. 37 k.p.k. Ustawodawca zdecydował się na gruncie tego przepisu poszerzyć krąg podmiotów, które mają możliwość zainicjowania trybu opisanego w art. 37 k.p.k. Obecnie bowiem, oprócz sądu właściwego do rozpoznania sprawy, taką kompetencję ma także prokurator poprzez złożenie stosownego wniosku. Jednocześnie w podobne uprawnienie nie zostały wyposażone, oprócz prokuratora, pozostałe strony postępowania. Celem artykułu jest uargumentowanie, że komentowana zmiana legislacyjna była pozbawiona merytorycznych podstaw do jej wprowadzenia, a w konsekwencji spowodowała także powstanie wielu wątpliwości związanych w głównej mierze z zaburzeniem zasady równości stron postępowania.

Despite ongoing efforts in Europe to tackle discrimination against women in the labor market and societal roles, gender inequality remains entrenched. This study shifts focus from the design of pension systems to explore other key factors impacting women’s careers. By examining life cycle demographics, career paths, and childcare support systems, we utilize clustering to categorize European countries based on factors influencing women’s pension capital accumulation, excluding pension design. Our innovative approach highlights the significance of these factors in the gender pension gap. Findings suggest demographic and social similarities across countries do not necessarily equate to equitable retirement scenarios for women compared to men, underscoring the potential of pension system design to mitigate disparities. Using Ward’s method and the silhouette index for country classification on 10 variables, our analysis reveals distinct differences in gender pension gaps across Southern, Northern, Western, and Eastern Europe. This divergence, alongside observed differences in retirement outcomes for women affected by prior pension regulations, points to increasing challenges for younger European women in achieving pension parity with past generations. First published online 10 October 2024

QRGS stands for the Question Responses Generation System. It is an online game-like framework designed for gathering various types of question responses. A QRGS user is asked to read a simple story and impersonate its main character. As the story unfolds the user is confronted with four questions and (s)he is expected to answer these in the way the main character would. In this way, we obtain responses to questions of a desired type. The data gathered via QRGS is a useful supplement to the linguistic data already present in language corpora – especially for languages for which such resources are sparse. As such, it opens the possibility for better understanding of the use of questions in natural language dialogues and analysing the response space of such questions. In this paper, we present the main idea of QRGS and the results of five studies (in Polish and in English) that test the framework. Our discussion addresses issues concerning the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed approach. We also discuss the availability of the QRGS and its potential future improvements.

Introduction and purpose Diabetes is a set of metabolic disorders whose common, characteristic feature is the occurrence of hyperglycemia. Elevated glycemia levels result from impaired insulin secretion and/or defects in its action. In type 2 diabetes, we have modified risk factors such as improper diet, reduced physical activity, and obesity. In the context of these reversible factors, intervention in patients' lifestyle, with particular emphasis on physical activity, seems advisable. To investigate the implementation of recommendations for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, relating to physical activity as a component of behavioral treatment of diabetes. Materials and methods. Author's survey covering patients' knowledge about their disease, needs and expectations regarding education. The questionnaire examines the physical activity of patients newly diagnosed and already treated for type 2 diabetes. Results. The most frequently undertaken exercise was of medium intensity in the form of walking or "Nordic walking". This was also more likely to be intensified. Patients choosing this type of activity practiced it much more often and more regularly than other types of activity. Running and cycling were other activities undertaken by the patients, although in the younger group of patients. Patients who enjoyed physical exercise were more likely and willing to do it and it was more regular. Conclusions. Patients were reluctant to undertake physical exercise and usually did not treat it as an integral part of treatment. Usually, it was not a very intense effort. They also rarely intensified it when the diagnosis was made. Most of the respondents did not understand the role of exercise in the treatment process and its impact on sugar levels.

Introduction and purpose Diabetes is a set of metabolic disorders whose common, characteristic feature is the occurrence of hyperglycemia. Elevated glycemia levels result from impaired insulin secretion and/or defects in its action. In type 2 diabetes, we have modified risk factors such as improper diet, reduced physical activity, and obesity. In the context of these reversible factors, intervention in patients' lifestyle, with particular emphasis on physical activity, seems advisable. To investigate the implementation of recommendations for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, relating to physical activity as a component of behavioral treatment of diabetes. Materials and methods. Author's survey covering patients' knowledge about their disease, needs and expectations regarding education. The questionnaire examines the physical activity of patients newly diagnosed and already treated for type 2 diabetes. Results. The most frequently undertaken exercise was of medium intensity in the form of walking or "Nordic walking". This was also more likely to be intensified. Patients choosing this type of activity practiced it much more often and more regularly than other types of activity. Running and cycling were other activities undertaken by the patients, although in the younger group of patients. Patients who enjoyed physical exercise were more likely and willing to do it and it was more regular. Conclusions. Patients were reluctant to undertake physical exercise and usually did not treat it as an integral part of treatment. Usually, it was not a very intense effort. They also rarely intensified it when the diagnosis was made. Most of the respondents did not understand the role of exercise in the treatment process and its impact on sugar levels.

Objectives: The optimal treatment strategy for ischemic stroke in patients presenting with tandem occlusions of the internal carotid artery remains controversial. Several studies have demonstrated better clinical outcomes after eptifibatide, which is a short half-life antiplatelet agent. This retrospective analysis focused on the safety and efficacy of low-dose eptifibatide administration in stroke patients with tandem lesions. Methods: We evaluated the results of endovascular treatment in 148 stroke patients with tandem lesions. Patients in whom balloon angioplasty alone resulted in satisfactory cerebral flow did not receive eptifibatide (33 patients); others received this drug together with stent implantation (115 patients). Eptifibatide was given as an intravenous bolus of 180 μg/kg and then in a modified low dose of 1 μg/kg/min for 24 hours. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between both groups regarding 30-day mortality, frequency of thrombotic events, or hemorrhagic complications. An analysis of clinical status at 30-day follow-up revealed that the administration of eptifibatide was associated with a statistically significant better outcome: a higher rate of either no neurological symptoms or only mild symptoms (4 NIHSS points maximally). Conclusions: The administration of eptifibatide in stroke patients presenting with tandem lesions is relatively safe. Moreover, treatment with this drug can improve clinical outcomes in these challenging patients.

The neutrophils evaluation seems interesting in the initial qualifications of patients with various inflammatory processes. In this study, we presented analysis of neutrophils and new parameters of the complexity (NEUT-GI, NE-WX), maturation (IG), size (NE-FSC, NE-WZ), and neutrophil activities (NEUT-RI, NE-WY) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lung cancer (LC), sarcoidosis (SA), and healthy controls (HCs). Peripheral blood (PB) was collected. The new parameters were examined by the Sysmex XN-1500. The mean absolute value for the IG parameter was the highest in the LC group. The differences in NEUT-RI value between COVID-19 and the HC group were observed. No significant differences were noticed between groups in the NEUT-GI granularity parameter. Neutrophil size assessed by NE-FSC parameter was reduced in all groups compared to HCs. The values of complexity (NE-WX), fluorescence (NE-WY), and size (NE-WZ) were the lowest in the HCs, whereas the highest median proportions of NE-WX, NE-WY, and NE-WZ were in LC patients. Patients from the SA group differed significantly from the HC group only for the NE-WZ parameter. We showed the usefulness of neutrophil parameters and their reactivity, morphology, and exhaustion. A more detailed analysis of blood counts may reveal trends that indicate a disease-specific immune response.

Wood characterized by desired mechanical properties and wood joining material is essential for creating wooden structures. The polymer adhesives are suitable for such applications due to the possibility of energy dissipation from stresses generated by wooden structures and the elimination of thermal bridging, which are common problems in metal joining materials. This research focuses on the thermophysical properties of the laboratory-prepared flexible and rigid polyurethanes to select an appropriate polymer adhesive. Our results showed that the highest thermal stability was in the case of the new PSTF-S adhesive, which reached 230 °C, but the lowest mass loss in the air environment was around 54% for the PS material. The mean thermal expansion coefficient for F&R PU adhesives was 124–164∙10−6 K−1. The thermal diffusivity of examined adhesives varied between 0.100 and 0.180 mm2s−1. The thermal conductivity, depending on the type of polyurethane, was in the 0.13–0.29 W∙m−1∙K−1 range. The relative decrease in thermal diffusivity after heating the adhesives to 150 °C was from 2% for materials with the lowest diffusivity to 23% for the PU with the highest value of heat transfer. It was found that such data can be used to simulate wooden construction joints in future research.

Advancements in technology and material sciences lead new solutions to be used in civil engineering. PolyUrethane Flexible Joints (PUFJ) and Fiber Reinforced PolyUrethanes (FRPU) are among those innovative solutions. PUFJ implemented systems comprise of seismic preventive buffer material between masonry infill walls and reinforced concrete (RC) frames, whereas FRPU solution is designed for covering the wall surfaces with thin composite strips. Both methods are primarily developed for increasing the ductility capacities of buildings while sustaining the overall structural strength without compromising on the safety of these systems against earthquakes. In this article, test results of the quasi-static cyclic experiments as well as dynamic tests on the shake tables including harmonic forces operating in resonance are presented. Moreover, numerical analyses are performed in order to comprehend the behavior of PUFJ implemented frames constituted with different masonry materials than above which are under various loading conditions. The outcomes confirmed the high efficiency of the proposed solutions, which at the same time meet the strict requirements of the modern seismic standards.

The main aim of the present study is to design an innovative self-compacting material modified with recycled steel fibers (RSF) from waste tires and spent equilibrium catalyst (Ecat) from the petrochemical industry for ultra-high performance application. For this purpose, 17 different mixtures were developed and analysed using different percentages of RSF (0%-3%) and replacement of cement by different percentages of Ecat (0%-15%). The developed mortars' self-compatibility was evaluated in a fresh stage using mini-cone tests. Regarding the hardened stage, the mortars were characterized at the ages of 7 days and 28 days using compression and unnotched flexural tests. The abilities of RSF to increase the post-cracking behavior of the specimens and to use Ecat to increase the bond performance between RSF and the cement matrix were assessed by performing notched three-point bending tests. The results of notched flexural tests were used to obtain the residual flexural strength in service limit state (SLS), ultimate limit state (ULS), and two equivalent flexural strengths. The experimental results for the fresh stage demonstrated that inclusion of RSF and Ecat significantly reduced the workability of mortars. The beneficial use of RSF and Ecat was observed to increase compressive strength and flexural strength for 7 days and 28 days of tested specimens. Notched flexural tested specimens showed that the addition of RSF and Ecat can significantly decrease the brittle behavior of cement-based materials by improving its toughness and post-cracking resistance. Middle-span deflection, crack initiation load, and ultimate flexural load were also increased with the addition of RSF and Ecat. In this sense, the results of this research showed that RSF and Ecat seem to have the potential to constitute a sustainable material for structural and nonstructural applications.

W obecnych czasach dostęp do informacji jest praktycznie nieograniczony, wiedza uległa swoistej demokratyzacji, jest dostępna praktycznie dla wszystkich, którzy czują potrzebę jej pozyskania. Pracownik może w szybkim tempie pozyskać potrzebną informację i ewentualnie ją wykorzystać. Wobec tego czy dzielenie się wiedzą może być dalej atrakcyjnym sposobem przepływu wiedzy w przedsię-biorstwie? Niewątpliwie tak, wszystko zależy od tego, w jaki sposób pracodawca zarządza tą wiedzą, stymuluje i zachęca pracowników do dzielenia się wiedzą. Niezależnie od mechanizmów, które zastosuje pracodawca, pracownik nie ma jednak obowiązku dzielenia się wiedzą, jeżeli to wykracza poza zakres pracy, na którą strony umówiły się w treści umowy o pracę. Tym samym pracownik nie może ponosić odpowiedzialności tak porządkowej jak materialnej, jeżeli wiedzą się nie dzieli z innymi pracownikami.

The article presents the case of a girl who, after being infected with COVID-19, developed a seroconversion of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies as she developed symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract, which consequently allowed her to be diagnosed with celiac disease. In recent years, more and more articles describing possible autoimmune complications have been published after suffering from an infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of the work was to show how many diseases are potentially related to COVID-19 infection, pointing out that in the medical literature, the number of articles describing such cases in the paediatric population is still insufficient. We describe herein the case of a 4-year-old patient, who was diagnosed with celiac disease after suffering from COVID-19. We also aim to return attention to vigilantly observing any new symptoms that appear from various source organs after suffering an infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Abstract Background Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is an important veterinary pathogen. In general, only a few antimicrobials show in vitro activity against MRSP isolates. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro activity of selected antimicrobials, including last‐choice drugs, against clinical MRSP isolates of canine origin. The activity of 10 selected agents was evaluated against 41 clinical MRSP isolates. Methods The disk diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration values were used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). The guidelines for staphylococci of canine or human origin were employed for the interpretation of the results. Results Among the examined MRSP isolates, resistance to enrofloxacin and clindamycin was the most prevalent (n = 40; 97.6%). Resistance to doxycycline and gentamicin was observed in 83.0% (n = 34) and 68.3% (n = 28) of the isolates, respectively. Single isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol (n = 5; 12.2%) and rifampicin (n = 3; 7.3%), whereas all showed susceptibility to amikacin, vancomycin, mupirocin and linezolid. Predominantly, the results of AST obtained by both methods were consistent. Some discrepancies were observed for gentamicin; however, clinical breakpoints for staphylococci of human origin were used. Conclusions Amikacin and chloramphenicol constitute potential treatment options in infections caused by MRSP and may be included in extended susceptibility testing in our geographical region. The determination of clinical breakpoints for some antimicrobials not incorporated in the recommendations should be a high priority in the veterinary diagnostics.