Search

Background. Amateur ice bathing has recently become very popular, with studies revealing health benefits, including enhanced viral resistance. Such interest in this issue has been heightened even more due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study predates widespread COVID-19 vaccination in Poland. Objectives. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of short-term cold-water immersion on COVID-19 resistance in Polish ice bathers. Additionally, a possible relation between the ABO blood group and RhD antigen of winter swimmers and COVID-19 incidence was also studied. Material and methods. A survey was conducted on 2,534 Polish ice bathers who were questioned about their demographic data, ice bathing habits, ABO and RhD antigens, symptoms of infection and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results. For prospective statistical analysis, a Bayesian prediction was carried out to accommodate for missing COVID-19 RT-PCR test data following the selected explanatory clinical covariates. Furthermore, a taxonomic method was used to cluster the ice bathers. Results. In experienced ice bathers, a 7% higher resistance to COVID-19 has been estimated compared to beginners. Additionally, the probability of COVID-19 infection in ice bathers with blood group B RhD- is predicted to be the highest, while group O RhD+ and A RhD+ tend to be more resistant against the virus. Conclusions. There is an increasing immunological resistance of ice bathing, especially in O RhD+ and A RhD+ carriers, against COVID-19, although this does not appear to be strong. Our findings suggest that ice bathing should be considered as an additional means to enhancing the resistance to infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus is a new infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In February 2020 WHO renamed the disease to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Coronaviruses belong to the family of Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales. Scientists have visualized the appearance of the SARS-CoV-2 using microscopic techniques, which has a crown-like shape and contains four structural proteins – S, E, M and N. ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2) is a receptor to which SARS-CoV-2 virus particles bind. The primary test to diagnose infection is the RT-PCR (Real time RT-PCR). Research is underway to identify vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and therapeutic treatments for COVID-19.

Requirements for university graduates defined by employers in times of dynamic changes and challenges of the market, the need to adapt the knowledge, skills and competences of students and graduates to the needs of companies constitute new challenges for universities in the area of cooperation with business. The student is becoming more and more often the beneficiary of internship projects financed from various sources, not just with companies’ own funds, but also supported with funds from the European Union. The article presents the perspective of the student as a direct beneficiary of internship projects carried out by universities and employers and attempts to create a recommendation for entities carrying out internship projects aimed at achieving high levels of satisfaction among all project participants.

The article presents issues associated with forming the relations of a scientific-research institution with the stakeholders and creating the added value of these relations. The basic groups of stakeholders and forms of cooperation with a scientific-research institution and their practical solutions are presented. The discussion concerning these issues is illustrated with the example of a training project carried out with funds from the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR).

The article presents forms of cooperation and social benefits resulting from cooperation between universities and business practice. Basic kinds and directions of mutual relations arising from common areas of interest, possibilities, needs and conditions for the functioning of each side, have been presented. Solutions carried out by universities with the participation of business practice have been discussed. In case of business practice, potential areas of cooperation with schools and joint ventures in the area of R&D have been discussed.

Anemia and depression are common in the elderly and they are important medical, social and economic problems for the world. Both disorders are associated with a lower quality of life, multimorbidity and a higher risk of death. The connections between anemia and depression have been reported, but the mechanism and clinical consequences of their co-existence are not fully understood. Several links can be found between anemia and depression in the elderly: common etiological factors, low socioeconomic status of patients, poor education and less physical activity. Both conditions are associated with the occurrence of the same pathological changes: age-related (especially with the presence of inflammation, oxidative stress, degenerative changes in organs and tissues), nutritional deficiencies (iron, vitamin B12, folic acid) and hormonal disorders (especially thyroid gland disorders, sex hormone deficiencies). Anemia and depression are not sufficiently diagnosed in the elderly and, as a result, are often left untreated. The diagnosis and treatments of these conditions in the elderly differ from those in other age groups. The study provides an overview of the literature regarding the co-existence of anemia and depression in elderly patients and clinical recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Poles and the availability of psychiatric and psychological support during the pandemic. A prospective, cross-sectional web-based survey design was adopted. It was carried out on a sample of 1080 Polish citizens above 18 years old. The majority of Poles (70%) experienced symptoms of mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep disturbance (63.79%), anxiety (48.79%), low mood for most of the day (44.63%), sadness, tearfulness (41.29%), and concentration disorders (35.93%) were the mental disorder symptoms reported most often by the survey subjects. To reduce the potential acute and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, decision-makers of the Polish health system should implement stepped multilevel and multi-target psychological support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advancements of Microbiology is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Handel Wewnêtrzny is the property of Institute for Market, Consumption & Business Cycles Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: We aimed to analyze the prevalence of unexplained anemia (UA) and assess its characteristics, potential causes and impact on survival in an elderly population., Material and Methods: Medical files of 981 patients aged ≥ 60 years consulted in one primary medical clinic in Poland in 2013-2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Anemia, defined according to WHO criteria, diagnosed during either hospitalization or outpatient treatment, from the age of 60, was included. Unexplained anemia was diagnosed if, based on available clinical data and laboratory tests and other assessments in medical records, none of the well-known types of anemia were identified., Results: Of 981 patients with anemia, UA was found in 48 (28.4%) patients (4.9% of those studied) and incidence increased with age (≥ 80 years, 12.3%). In 81.3% no full hematological diagnostics were performed. Patients with UA, as with those with defined anemia, when compared to the group without anemia were older, had more co-morbidities, were more frequently hospitalized, more frequently had dementia syndrome and obtained lower Barthel scores ( p < 0.0001). In the groups of patients with UA and defined anemia, there were more deaths than in those without anemia (10% vs. 13% vs. 2%, p < 0.0001) with significant differences in survival rates observed during 3-year follow-up., Conclusions: The increasing incidence with age of UA in the elderly population, insufficient diagnosis and the higher mortality of patients with UA in comparison to the group without anemia indicate the need to develop recommendations for its management by primary care physicians., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Termedia & Banach.)