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The COVID-19 global pandemic altered the social lives of people around the globe and centred our activities around the internet and new technologies even more than before. As countries around the world responded with lockdowns and social restrictions in order to prevent spreading the virus, concerns about the effects of those measures on child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) volumes on the internet and CSAM related offending online arose. While it is impossible to measure the entire volume of CSAM available online and CSAM related offending, there are some indicators that can be used to assess the scale of online CSAM and whether there was an upward or downward trend in CSAM related activity online and reporting over the pandemic time. Such indicators include the number of reports to hotlines combating CSAM, the number of criminal investigations and cases, and the measurements of the offenders’ online activity monitored by law enforcement and other entities. The aim of this paper is to analyse the data available in these areas and see how they picture the CSAM online problem during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Previous studies showed that cancer significantly reduces the quality of life of patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze changes in the quality of life of women diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer after surgical treatment followed by adjuvant cancer therapy. Methods: The study covered 220 women diagnosed with ovarian (n = 89) or breast cancer (n = 131) after surgical treatment followed by adjuvant cancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy). The tools used to measure the patients’ quality of life were the standardized EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, the QLQ-BR23 module for breast cancer and the QLQ-OV28 module for ovarian cancer. Results: The subjective assessment of the health and quality of life of the women was carried out using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and the QLQ-OV28 and QLQ-BR23 modules. Women with breast cancer rated their health higher than women with ovarian cancer. The health assessment performed by the patients was not related to the type of cancer (p > 0.05). They experienced pain, dyspnea and weakness regardless of the cancer location. Moreover, women’s health status had a clinically significant impact on their family and social life, although no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups (p > 0.05). Whilst the patients with breast cancer rated their quality of life and health higher than the patients with ovarian cancer, the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Changes in the quality of life of women with breast and ovarian cancer concern the physical sphere, hobbies, fatigue/rest, pain, family and social spheres, and material conditions. It is necessary to support specialists at every stage of treatment of these patients, which may improve the results of the treatment and patients’ perception of health and quality of life.

Purpose Upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), described as chronic cough (CC) associated with allergic (AR), non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) or chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), is one of the major causes of CC. We aimed to characterize a cohort of UACS patients with special attention to differences between patients with AR and NAR. Methods A prospective analysis of clinical data of patients, diagnosed with UACS between 2015 and 2018. Results There were 143 patients diagnosed with UACS, median age 52 years, women predominance (68.5%), The group comprised of 59 (41%) AR and 84 (59%) NAR subjects, CRS diagnosed in 17 (12%). Median cough duration: 48 months (IQR 24–120), median cough severity (VAS)—60 mm (IQR 42–78), median Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) score—11.3 (IQR 8.7–13.7), never-smokers: 70%. The most common symptoms: PND (62%), rhinorrhea (59%), nasal congestion (54%), abnormalities of sinus CT: septum deviation (62%), turbinates hypertrophy (53%), mucosal thickening (53%). UACS as the only cause of CC, was presented in 20 patients (14%). We found no differences between patients with AR and NAR in terms of age, gender, duration and severity of cough, BMI, blood eosinophil count, total IgE and FeNO. AR was associated with higher comorbidity of asthma than NAR (54% vs 35%, p = 0.019). Abnormalities in sinus CT scan were more frequently found in patients with NAR than AR (p = 0.018). Conclusion NAR is the most common upper airway disease associated with UACS. Clinical characteristics of UACS patients with AR and NAR are similar with only minor differences between these groups. It seems reasonable to plan further studies concerning relationship of NAR and cough sensitivity, also in terms of potential similar neurogenic mechanism.

Chronic cough affects about 4–10% of adults and has a negative impact on the patients’ quality of life. Chronic cough may be a symptom of many different diseases and its management should be based on treating the underlying cause. The most common cough cause in adults is chronic bronchitis due to smoking. Next, in non-smoking adults upper airway cough syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux and asthma account for the majority of cough reasons. Despite thorough diagnostics and management in 5–10% adults management of chronic cough is unsuccessful. In difficult-to-treat cough neuromodulators and speech therapy may be effective.

In the post-war era, Poland has been viewed as a homogeneous country both culturally and linguistically. It has not, however, remained immune to the developments of globalization, which has also been reflected in the linguistic developments of the present century. In recent years, the Polish public space has been inundated with numerous foreign language names, signs, slogans, elements in advertisements and on billboards, with the English language largely in the foreground, and not infrequently competing against Polish in such spheres as services and the advertising even of Polish brands. The present discussion focuses on the results of a survey distributed among Polish respondents which, with the help of indirect and direct methods, asked them to evaluate products/services advertised in visual forms by means of English and other languages, and react to the visibility of these languages both on the Polish street and in the Polish lifestyle magazines. The objective of the study was to identify the attitudes with which English and other languages are viewed by Polish respondents when used in the Polish public space, and to also assess their position in comparison with Polish. The survey results demonstrate that despite a significant number of positive judgements which the respondents offered on the topic, negative views outnumbered the positive to a considerable degree.

Background A comparative analysis of changes in quality of life of women diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer after surgical treatment followed by adjuvant cancer therapy. Methods The study covered 220 women diagnosed with ovarian (n = 89) or breast cancer (n = 131) after surgical treatment followed by adjuvant cancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy). The tools used to measure the quality of life were: standardised EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and QLQ-BR23 module for breast cancer and QLQ-OV28 module for ovarian cancer. Results The women with breast cancer rated their health higher than the women with ovarian cancer. The health assessment made by the patients was not related to the type of cancer (P > 0.05). They experienced pain, dyspnea and weakness regardless of the location of cancer. In addition, the health of the women had a significant impact on their family and social life, but nonetheless, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups (P > 0.05). Whilst the patients with breast cancer rated their quality of life and health higher than the patients with ovarian cancer, the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions The results show that there is an urgent need to provide cancer patients with support of psycho-oncologists, medical staff, community (including organisations that help women with a specific type of cancer) and family members at each stage of the disease and therapy to improve the health and quality of life of the population.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of dysphagia in patients with chronic cough and its relationship with the long-term persistence of these symptoms. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients. All patients underwent physical examination, ENT assessment, videolaryngoscopy, functional phoniatric assessment at rest and speech, Water-Swallow Test, and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing disorders with Reflux Finding Score. Reflux Symptom Index questionnaire was performed. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee Review Board (KB/39/A/2016). Results: The results of the RFS and the RSI questionnaire showed the risk of reflux in participating patients. The patients presented episodes of spillage, double swallows, penetration, aspiration and residue of food at the hypopharynx. The results of functional assessment correlated with the Water-Swallow Test. The correlation between Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing disorders and Water-Swallow Test results was found for aspiration risk, spillage, and retention of saliva. Conclusion: The results of the study showed prevalence of dysphagia in most patients with chronic chough. It seems that phoniatric assessment in those cases should be expanded and the following tests should be performed: assessment of the laryngeal elevation, Water-Swallow Test, and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing disorders.

One possibility of improving active ingredient penetration into deeper skin layers to enhance the cosmetic product effectiveness, is the application of lipid nanoparticles. The aim of the study presented in this paper was to evaluate the potential of hydrogel formulations enriched with iridoid glycosides-loaded lipid nanoparticles. Lipid nanocarriers were produced using an emulsification-ultrasonication method based on multiple emulsions. The encapsulation efficiency was determined at the level of 89% and 77% for aucubin and catalpol, respectively. The next stage was the incorporation of the obtained dispersions of lipid nanoparticles into hydrogel formulations, followed by determination of their physicochemical properties, shelf-life stability, and application properties (in vivo tests). The introduction of lipid nanoparticles increased the stabilization of the consistency of the obtained hydrogel formulations, and was confirmed by viscosity measurements. No effect of lipid nanoparticle incorporation on shelf-life stability of the hydrogels was detected. In vivo studies showed improvements in moisture content of the epidermis, transepidermal water loss, skin topography, and macrorelief parameters. In particular, a synergistic effect of the active ingredients and lipid nanoparticles on the anti-wrinkle effect, moisturizing effect, and regeneration of the protective barrier of the stratum corneum was evidenced. The attractiveness of aucubin and catalpol as cosmetic raw materials in hydrogel formulations was evidenced, especially when the iridoid glycosides were applied in the form of lipid nanoparticles.

Lipid nanoparticles based on multiple emulsion (W/O/W) systems are suitable for incorporating hydrophilic active substances, including iridoid glycosides. This study involved optimization of composition of lipid nanoparticles, incorporation of active compounds (aucubin and catalpol), evaluation of stability of the resulting nanocarriers, and characterization of their lipid matrix. Based on 32 factorial design, an optimized dispersion of lipid nanoparticles (solid lipid:surfactant—4.5:1.0 wt.%) was developed, predisposed for the incorporation of iridoid glycosides by emulsification-sonication method. The encapsulation efficiency of the active substances was determined at nearly 90% (aucubin) and 77% (catalpol). Regarding the stability study, room temperature was found to be the most suitable for maintaining the expected physicochemical parameter values (particle size &lt, 100 nm, polydispersity index &lt, 0.3, zeta potential &gt, ± 30 mV|). Characterization of the lipid matrix confirmed the nanometer size range of the resulting carriers (below 100 nm), as well as the presence of the lipid in the stable β’ form.

One of the most common pathogens among yeasts is Candida albicans, which presents a serious health threat. The study aimed to check the antifungal properties of trans-anethole and eugenol with selected antifungal medicines (AMs) against C. albicans clinical isolates. The checkerboard method was used to tests of interactions between these compounds. Achieved results indicated that eugenol showed synergistic and additive activities with miconazole and econazole against investigated clinical isolates, respectively. Moreover, the combination - trans-anethole - miconazole also showed an additive effect against two clinical isolate. We tried to relate the results to changes in C. albicans cell sheaths under the influence of essential oils compounds (EOCs) performing the Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis to confirm the presence of particular chemical moieties in C. albicans cells. Nevertheless, no strong relationships was observed between synergistic and additive actions of used EOC-AMs combinations and chemical moieties in C. albicans cells.

Surface active agents derived from the non-toxic sweetener sucralose and fatty acids of different chain length were synthesized. Obtained compounds were characterized chemically and with regard to their properties as emulsifying agents, antimicrobial preservatives and fat-soluble sweeteners. Results show that sucralose-fatty acid esters are possible multi-purpose additives, compatible with both cosmetic and edible emulsions, as well as purely oil-based, waterless formulations. Their relative effectiveness in those applications varies, and is highly dependent on the fatty acid chain length, with hydrophobic/hydrophilic character strongly impacting both emulsifying and antimicrobial properties. While the structural differences between sucrose and sucralose proved to be enough to push all of the newly synthesized compounds out of the detergent/solubilizer category of surfactants, the retention of the substrate's high sweetness is an indication that non-bitter compounds with washing capabilities are possible to obtain.

Background Objective evaluation of skin condition on the basis of noninvasive methods has become obligatory and may be a good strategy for verifying the efficiency of new cosmetic active ingredients. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the influence of aucubin-containing cosmetic macroemulsion on skin parameters using the skin testing equipment. Patients/methods The study was carried out on the group of 25 female volunteers of the mean age 27 ± 2 years. The skin parameters were measured using the following devices: Tewameter® TM 300 (transepidermal water loss, TEWL), Corneometer® CM 825 (skin hydration), Cutometer® MPA 580 (skin elasticity), Visioscan® VC 98 (skin topography), and Visioline® VL 650 (skin macrorelief). All measurements were performed on the inner part of the left forearm. Results The skin parameters measured revealed the beneficial influence of aucubin on TEWL and skin hydration level. The application of aucubin-enriched cream caused more significant improvements of all determined SELS parameters, in comparison with cream without it. An analogous tendency was noticed in the case of skin macrorelief parameters; the addiction of the active ingredient led to a decrease in the value of total wrinkle area and diminished the mean length and depth of single wrinkles. Conclusions Noninvasive methods of skin testing have provided a possibility of objective evaluation of the action of new active ingredients in cosmetic formulations. The study has proved the positive influence of aucubin on effectiveness of cosmetic macroemulsions, diminishing TEWL, increasing skin hydration level, and improving the values of SELS and skin macrorelief parameters.

The aim of this article is to bring the most important achievements of Bialystok School of Criminology closer to the readers. The Faculty of Law of the University of Bialystok, specifically the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, is one of the leading Polish academic entities conducting extensive research in the field of criminology. In 2016, in the ranking organized by the Rzeczpospolita daily newspaper, the Faculty received the highest score of all the evaluated Polish universities which have law faculties, both state and private, in the area of international cooperation. What is more, Bialystok is the leader in the 2017 ranking of the 25 faculties of law of Polish universities, prepared as a result of the most important evaluation performed every four years by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and was awarded the highest (A) category. The paper presents not only the international criminology conferences and research that Bialystok School of Criminology has been part of, but also its own initiatives both at the national and international level. For example one of the pioneering ventures on a national scale was the 1st Poland-wide Forum of Young Criminologists held by the Faculty of Law of the University of Bialystok as a regular event. One of the most impressive recent initiatives of BSC was the creation of the International Centre for Criminological Research and Expertise. The paper contains more information about the projects mentioned and others as well as an introduction to the diverse and interdisciplinary topics undertaken by Bialystok’s criminologists.

Marta Dąbrowska-Bender,1 Grażyna Dykowska,2 Wioletta Å»uk,3 Magdalena Milewska,1 Anna Staniszewska4 1Department of Clinical Dietetics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 2Department of Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 3Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Extracorporeal Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 4Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Aim: The aim of the study was the subjective assessment of the quality of life (QoL) of 140 patients treated with dialysis (peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis). Background: Chronic kidney disease and the methods of its treatment play an important part in shaping the QoL of patients receiving dialysis. As a result, kidney failure causes many limitations in patients’ physical, mental, and social activities. Methods: The instrument to measure the QoL was the authors’ own questionnaire made on the basis of Kidney Disease and Quality of Life Short Form version 1.2 (KDQOL – SF 1.2) and their selection of areas influencing the perceived QoL of chronically ill patients. Results: The research showed that patients receiving peritoneal dialysis assessed their QoL in its different dimensions as much higher than patients receiving hemodialysis. The parameter having the biggest negative impact on the QoL of patients receivinghemodialysis was an impeded possibility to continue work or studies and a change of life plans. The will to live was more highly assessed by patients receiving peritoneal dialysis as compared to patients receiving hemodialysis. Conclusion: In order to improve the functioning of hemodialysis patients in a manner most similar to healthy persons, the renal replacement therapy should consider patients’ individual needs and expectations, ie, guarantee flexible hours of work or study and of receiving dialysis. In addition, patients treated with hemodialysis should receive psychological care, in particular those demonstrating emotional problems, in order to achieve better results in therapy and improve their QoL. Keywords: hemodialysis, negative symptoms, peritoneal dialysis, renal failure, renal replacement therapy, quality of life

Kaszel jest najczęstszym objawem chorób układu oddechowego. Stosowane dotychczas metody leczenia przewlekłego kaszlu u dorosłych nie są w pełni skuteczne. Przewlekły kaszel o niejasnej przyczynie lub niepoddający się leczeniu może spowodować znaczne upośledzenie jakości życia. Wyniki badań dowodzą, że jedną z metod leczenia przewlekłego, uporczywego kaszlu jest terapia mowy. W pracy zaprezentowano przypadek chorej z przewlekłym kaszlem w przebiegu przewlekłego niealergicznego nieżytu nosa i choroby refluksowej przełyku, przez 18 lat leczonej nieskutecznie, u której terapia mowy istotnie zmniejszyła kaszel i poprawiła jakość życia.

Cough is the most common symptom of respiratory diseases. The results of management of chronic cough in adults are still unsatisfactory. Unexplained and difficult-to-treat chronic cough causes significant impairment in patients‘ quality of life. The results of recent studies suggest that speech therapy (speech language intervention) is one of the few methods which are usefull in management of persistent chronic cough. We present a case of a patient with chronic cough due to chronic nonallergic rhinitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease, who had been unsuccessfully treated for 18 years. In the patient speech therapy resulted in a significant decrease of cough severity and improvement of quality of life.

Anna Staniszewska,1 Marta Dąbrowska-Bender,2 Dominik Olejniczak,2 Aneta Duda-Zalewska,2 Magdalena Bujalska-Zadrożny3 1Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, 2Department of Public Health, 3Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Aim: The aim of the study was to assess patient knowledge on reporting of adverse drug reactions.Materials and methods: A prospective study was conducted among 200 patients. The study was based on an original survey composed of 15 single- and multiple-choice questions. The study involved individuals who have experienced adverse reactions as well as individuals who have never experienced any adverse reactions; people over the age of 18; literate; residing in Mazowieckie Voivodeship, who have not been diagnosed with any disease that could compromise their logical thinking skills.Results: The respondents who lived in the city had a greater knowledge compared to the respondents who lived in the countryside (Pearson’s χ2=47.70, P=0.0013). The respondents who lived in the city were also more statistically likely to provide a correct answer to the question about the type of adverse reactions to be reported (Pearson’s χ2=50.66, P=0.012). Statistically significant associations were found between the place of residence of the respondents and the correct answer to the question about the data that must be included in the report on adverse reactions (Pearson’s χ2=11.7, P

Introduction: upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) account for the majority of causes of chronic cough (CC) in non-smoking adults. However, less frequent cough causes are also diagnosed. Objective: the aim of the study was to analyze less common reasons of cough which were diagnosed in non-smoking adults admitted to our department due to CC. Patients and Methods: the study was a retrospective analysis of patients with CC diagnosed between 2016 and 2018. Results: 151 adults were diagnosed due to CC [(111F, 40M; median age 56 years (IQR 41-66); median cough duration 48 months (IQR 24-120)] in the analyzed period. A single CC cause was found in 40 patients, ≥ 2 causes were identified in the remaining group. Asthma, UACS and GER were diagnosed in 63, 89 and 83 adults, respectively. Less common CC causes were diagnosed in 47 patients (31%). These included: swallowing disorders (n=8, in 5 patients due to neurological diseases), obstructive sleep apnea (n=7), non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (n=5), arrhythmia (n=5), cough due to treatment with ACE inhibitors (n=3), hiatal hernia (n=4), bronchiectasis (n=3), chronic bronchitis (n=2), laryngeal diseases (n=2), somatic cough (n=3). In single patients, pulmonary metastases (breast carcinoma), Ig-G4 disease, sarcoidosis, non-tuberculous mycobacterium infection and posttraumatic hernia of the diaphragm. Conclusions: CC causes other than asthma, UACS and GER are not rare in non-smoking adults and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CC.

The abstract not available.

The English language has featured markedly as a popular language of computer-mediated communication, and notably of Facebook posts, written not only by native or second language speakers, but also users of English as a foreign language. The aim of this paper is to investigate the frequency, form and function of English language Facebook profile updates of 110 (55 women and 55 men) users of English representing 41 European, Asian, African and Latin American countries belonging to the Expanding Circle. Approached from the point of view of the code choice as well as the users’ gender, and supported by an online survey data, the study analyses in detail the form of the updates in connection with gender preferences and identifies language contexts and functions users choose to express themselves in English as opposed to their native tongue, thereby demonstrating the role of English as a we-code in a social networking service.

Public communication in the contemporary world constitutes a multifaceted phenomenon. The Internet offers unlimited possibilities of contact and public expression, locally and globally, yet exerts its power, inducing use of the Internet lingo, loosening language norms, and encourages the use of a lingua franca, English in particular. This leads to linguistic choices that are liberating for some and difficult for others on ideological grounds, due to the norms of the discourse community, or simply because of insufficient language skills and linguistic means available. Such choices appear to particularly characterise post-colonial states, in which the co-existence of multiple local tongues with the language once imperially imposed and now owned by local users makes the web of repertoires especially complex. Such a case is no doubt India, where the use of English alongside the nationally encouraged Hindi and state languages stems not only from its historical past, but especially its present position enhanced not only by its local prestige, but also by its global status too, and also as the primary language of Online communication. The Internet, however, has also been recognised as a medium that encourages, and even revitalises, the use of local tongues, and which may manifest itself through the choice of a given language as the main medium of communication, or only a symbolic one, indicated by certain lexical or grammatical features as identity markers. It is therefore of particular interest to investigate how members of such a multilingual community, represented here by Hindi users, convey their cultural identity when interacting with friends and the general public Online, on social media sites. This study is motivated by Kachru’s (1983) classical study, and, among others, a recent discussion concerning the use of Hinglish (Kothari and Snell, eds., 2011). This paper analyses posts by Hindi users on Facebook (private profiles and fanpages) and Twitter, where personalities of users are largely known, and on YouTube, where they are often hidden, in order to identify how the users mark their Indian identity. Investigated will be Hindi lexical items, grammatical aspects and word order, cases of code-switching, and locally coloured uses of English words and spelling conventions, with an aim to establish, also from the point of view of gender preferences, the most dominating linguistic patterns found Online.

Introduction: The efficacy of management of chronic cough in adults is limited. Speech therapy is one of the few therapeutic methods which seems to be useful in patients with persistent chronic cough. However, the method has not been available in Poland so far. The aim of the study was to implement speech therapy and assess its efficacy in the management of patients with difficult-to-treat chronic cough. Material and methods: Patients, who were diagnosed and managed due to difficult-to-treat chronic cough, were enrolled into the study. Speech therapy was developed on the basis of the technique described by Vertigan. The entire therapy consisted of eight weekly sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. Before and after speech therapy, cough severity and its impact on the quality of life was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Additionally, cough challenge test with capsaicin was performed. Results: Eighteen women were enrolled into the study, 15 of them (83%) attended all treatment sessions (median age 66 years, median duration of cough 60 months). There was a significant decrease in cough severity measured by VAS (46 vs. 28 mm, p = 0.016) after completion of speech therapy. A significant improvement in patients’ quality of life measured by LCQ (10.7 vs. 14.6 points, p = 0.004) and an increase in the threshold of cough reflex measured by capsaicin challenge were also demonstrated. Conclusions: Speech therapy resulted in a decrease in cough severity and improvement of quality of life of females with refractory chronic cough. Our results support the use of speech therapy as add-on treatment in females with difficult-to-treat cough.

The number of newly approved generic psychotropic drugs increases every year and, in many countries, their sales exceed the sales of brand-name counterparts. In order for any generic drug to receive an approval of regulatory authorities, its bioequivalence with the corresponding reference product must be demonstrated. Moreover, generic drugs must meet the same quality standards as reference drugs. However, many psychiatrists express concerns about use of generic drugs. We carried out a systematic analysis of the relevant literature indexed in PubMed and Cochrane databases. The MeSH term "generic" was combined with terms describing antipsychotic and antidepressive drugs, including their pharmaceutical names and relevant mental disorders. All 26 articles including either clinical studies or case reports have been qualified for a detailed analysis. No cases describing switches between two generics were found. Therapeutic equivalence studies evaluating antipsychotics included clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone. The clinical status was judged to have worsened in 15.7% patients treated with clozapine. The number of relapses before and after the switch was not significantly different in patients treated with olanzapine. Two case reports showed clinical state deterioration after switch to generic risperidone. The clinical outcome after conversion to a generic antidepressant was evaluated only in one retrospective study. That study analyzed the outcomes of treatment with citalopram and revealed mental state deterioration in 11.6% of patients. Only single reports describe cases of impaired efficacy or adverse events after the switch to a generic antidepressant, including fluoxetine, mirtazapine, and venlafaxine. No cases of suicidal attempt after the switch were reported. Although the overall number of described cases is rather modest, health professionals should be aware of possible changes in the therapeutic effectiveness after changing to a generic medicine.

Background The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is one of the few specific quality-of-life questionnaires (QOLQ) dedicated to measuring the impact of chronic cough on patients' health/condition. Objectives The aim of the study was to validate the Polish version of the LCQ. Material and methods The LCQ was translated forward and backward. The Polish version of the LCQ was tested on 35 patients suffering from chronic cough (23 women, median age 60 years, nonor ex-smokers, median cough duration of 23 weeks). Its validity was tested by comparison to a visual analogue scale (VAS) of cough intensity and other health questionnaires (hospital anxiety and depression scale - HADS, Euro-Quality of Life Questionnaire - EQ5D, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire - SGRQ). The internal reliability of the Polish version of the LCQ was determined using the Cronbach alpha coefficient and its repeatability by the intraclass consistency coefficient. Results The translation of the LCQ into Polish was accepted by the author of the original LCQ. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for total LCQ was 0.89, and reached 0.82, 0.86 and 0.78 for the physical, psychological and social domain, respectively. There were significant negative correlations between cough severity measured by VAS, the results of the EQ5D and SGRQ and the Polish version of the LCQ. The intraclass correlation coefficient of the test-retest reliability was significant (0.99). Conclusions The Polish version of the LCQ has been validated and is a reliable tool to measure the impact of chronic cough on quality of life of patients with chronic cough.

Background Studies show that dysphagia is a common problem in patients with demyelinating diseases. However, there are no published studies on dysphagia in this group of patients, which would include the individual phases or the safety and effectiveness of the swallowing process. Objective The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of swallowing disorders and to characterize them based on subjective assessment by the study subjects with multiple sclerosis and Devic's syndrome. Method The study included 72 patients (47 F, 25 M). Patients at risk of dysphagia were identified using the DYMUS, EAT-10 and SDQ questionnaires. To assess the type of oral- and pharyngeal-stage dysphagia, questions in the questionnaires were classified into groups according to symptoms typical of each stage. Results The risk of dysphagia and the need for instrumental examination were identified in 37.5% of the study subjects. Pharyngeal-stage dysphagia (repeated swallowing, increased effort of swallowing, cough, a feeling of food sticking in the throat) was reported to occur at a significantly higher frequency. However, no differences were found between difficulty in swallowing liquids and difficulty in swallowing solid food. Conclusion There is a need for further research, which should include a detailed dysphagia-oriented diagnosis, with a view to gaining a detailed insight into the pathophysiology of deglutition in this group of patients.