Search

Recommendations for antibiotic therapy for community acquired pneumonia recently changed from 10-day to 5-day duration. This quality improvement project aimed to change the practice of providers in an urban, free-standing children's hospital paediatric emergency department in the United States to match the updated recommendations. Improvement interventions included educational outreach, data sharing, on-site reminders, and audit-and-feedback. The project included analysis of ED return visits to monitor possible treatment failure. Interventions successfully increased 5-day antibiotic prescription rate from 3% to 85% within 12 months.

An alcohol hangover is a complex set of adverse symptoms that occur after excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. Hangovers are not solely caused by ethanol, but mainly by its toxic metabolites, such as acetaldehyde and acetic acid. Most of the negative symptoms occur when the concentration of alcohol in the blood decreases after drinking. Given that a large percentage of people consume alcohol and experience negative effects from its consumption, potential supplementation to help eliminate these adverse effects has been proposed. One promising ingredient is ginseng, which has been used in Eastern culture and traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. The aim of this study was to present the potential of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey. as an aid for the adverse effects of alcohol consumption and its protective effect on liver function. The literature analysis was based on data indexed in medical databases PubMed, Scopus, and Medline since 2010, using keywords such as "Panax ginseng," "hangover," "alcohol consumption," and "metabolism," connected by the logical conjuction “and.” The analysis confirmed the effectiveness of P. ginseng in the treatment and prevention of hangovers. Preparations containing P. ginseng can support ethanol metabolism by inducing enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and the cytochrome P450 isoform 2E1 system. An additional advantage of using P. ginseng may be its hepatoprotective effect.

Artykuł omawia udział prezydenta w procedurze zmiany konstytucji w państwach Grupy Wyszehradzkiej. Prawo inicjowania zmiany konstytucji mają prezydenci Polski i Węgier, nie posiadają go natomiast prezydenci Czech i Słowacji. Prezydenci wszystkich czterech państw nie mogą wnosić poprawek do ustaw zmieniających konstytucję. Tylko Prezydent Polski ma prawo zażądania przeprowadzenia referendum zatwierdzającego zmianę konstytucji, ale wyłącznie w przypadku nowelizacji przepisów rozdziałów I, II lub XII. Z kolei Prezydent Węgier może wystąpić do Sądu Konstytucyjnego o zbadanie, czy zmiana konstytucji została dokonana w procedurze przewidzianej w konstytucji. Prezydenci wszystkich państw podpisują zmiany konstytucji, termin, w którym mają tego dokonać, jest jednak bardzo zróżnicowany. Dlatego można stwierdzić, że prezydenci wszystkich czterech państw nie odgrywają w procedurze zmiany konstytucji roli, jaka wynika z ich pozycji ustrojowej.

The article discusses the statutory procedure for adopting resolutions of the Sejm on declaring a given year a year of a person or event (the so-called anniversary resolutions) and the practice of working on them in the Committee on Culture and Media of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. Frequent changes in regulations and the increasing number of patrons are criticized, and above all, the inappropriate role of the Committee’s presidium, which often does not submit all drafts of resolutions which are addressed for its consideration. Weaknesses during the work on the so-called anniversary resolutions in 2023 resulted in another amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Sejm relating to it.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex, multifactorial, progressive condition with a variety of approved therapeutic options. The purpose of this study was to offer an overview of the authorized antidiabetic medicines (excluding insulin) compared with marketed products in seven European countries. Data were obtained from primary sources, including the websites of national authorities and directly from specialists in the countries of interest. The range of marketed medicines compared with the authorized group was assessed in terms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (>60% in Bulgaria, France, Serbia), brand names (>70% in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Spain), pharmaceutical forms (>60% in all countries), strengths (>60% in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Spain), marketing authorization holder (≥50% in all countries) and the status of medicine. Spain was found to have the highest number of products based on most of these attributes. Over 90% of authorized medicines had a pharmacy price in Serbia. Regarding the newer class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, a retail price for all approved substances was available in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Spain. Only one brand name with one concentration was found available for some agents, being susceptible to drug shortages: glibenclamide (Romania, Serbia, Spain), glipizide (the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Spain), glisentide (Spain), acarbose (the Czech Republic), sitagliptin (Bulgaria, Poland), vildagliptin (the Czech Republic, Poland) and saxagliptin (the Czech Republic, France, Romania, Serbia). An overview of the national and international therapeutic options may allow competent authorities and health professionals to take rapid measures in case of supply problems or health crises.

One of the consequences of the political changes in Poland after 1989 was granting citizens the right to initiate legal acts. It has activated society’s participation in public life and contributed to building a civil society. In 1994, a citizens’ constitutional initiative was established, and, in 1997, a citizens’ legislative initiative was undertaken. The aim of the study was to present the citizens’ initiative of resolution of the inhabitants of local government units in Poland. Originally, it functioned without a statutory basis and was established by the local government units themselves. This raised doubts as to its legitimacy, which was also reflected in the judgments of voivodeship administrative courts. The practice was in favor of its universal establishment, and it also became increasingly popular, especially in communes. In 2018, all local government laws were amended to grant the residents of all local government units in Poland the option of submitting a citizens’ initiative, and it is only up to their activity whether they will exercise this right.

The Open Research Biopharmaceutical Internships Support project (ORBIS) was a response to the scientific, economic, and social challenge of increasing the effectiveness and productivity of the drug development process, both for innovative and (super)generic drugs. The overarching objective of the ORBIS project was to form a transnational and intersectoral cooperation network of academic and industrial organisations delivering a joint research programme. The research aimed at improving the preclinical pathway of drug development and manufacturing, focusing on technological and methodological improvements of the existing processes. The participating staff from all institutions have developed new skills, were exposed to new work and research environments, and have significantly broadened their career perspectives. More than 450 months of secondments were completed, and over 175 early-stage and experienced researchers participated in the exchange. This review aims to present some aspects of the scientific, training, and organisational activities of the consortium, bringing together representatives of both the academic sector as well as small and medium-sized pharmaceutical enterprises.

We are pleased to present this Journal of Medical Sciences issue, entirely dedicated to the final ORBIS (Open Research Biopharmaceutical Internships Support) project conference. The Final ORBIS Conference took place on 5–6 July 2023 at Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poznan, Poland). The conference summarized the activities of the five‑year ORBIS project (e936), which received funding of EUR 2.27 million under the Marie Sklodowska‑Curie Actions, Research Innovation Staff Exchange of the Horizon 2020 framework program (H2020-MSCA‑RISE, no. 778051). Poznan University of Medical Sciences coordinated this international and cross‑sectoral project with fourteen academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies from eight countries. The goal of ORBIS was research and training cooperation between universities and the industry sector to develop better, more effective, modern drugs. ORBIS implemented these ideas through international internships of scientists and PhD students to partner institutions (450 months in total). The Final ORBIS Conference was an opportunity to celebrate this success. During the conference, scientists and specialists from European and American centers were given plenary lectures on the most current topics of modern pharmaceutical sciences, including preformulation (e878, e908, e901) and formulation studies (e893, e859, e914, e926) as well as challenges in the new therapies (e925, e907, e903) and regulatory policies (e890). There were also speeches presenting the scientific effects of completed internships, delivered by participants from the project consortium. After the conference, the scientific committee invited all lecturers to submit their papers to this Journal of Medical Sciences issue. This issue includes all submitted and accepted papers, each providing substantial new material beyond the original conference version. We thank the authors and reviewers of these papers for their efforts in producing and reviewing these papers within the strict time limits imposed by this issue's publication constraints. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the JMS editors‑in‑chief (Prof. Jarosław Walkowiak and Prof. Adrianna Mostowska) and the editorial office.

The article compares the properties of coatings (cataphoretic, hot-dip zinc, and thermo-diffusion zinc) applied to steel components used in the automotive industry. The research focused on the analysis of corrosion resistance, hardness measurements, and tribological properties conducted on steel guides used in trailer and truck body structures as well as fasteners (M12 × 40 bolts). The base surfaces were cleaned chemically. Corrosion resistance was tested in a salt chamber, while coating thickness was measured using the magnetic induction method. Coating hardness (HV 0.02) was assessed with a microhardness tester, and tribological properties were tested under dry friction conditions. The results showed that the zinc coatings demonstrated corrosion resistance far superior to paint coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Huntington's Disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder in which appropriate medication management is essential. While many medications are prescribed based on expert knowledge, overviews of actual medication use in HD are sparse. Objectives: We provide a detailed overview of medication use and associated indications across HD disease stages, considering sex and regional differences. Methods: Data from the largest observational HD study, ENROLL‐HD, were used. We created HD‐related medication and indication classes to identify medication trends in manifest, premanifest and control subjects. We studied medication use in adult, childhood‐ and adolescent‐onset HD, incorporating disease stage (including phenoconverters), sex and regional differences. Results: In 8546 manifest HD patients, 84.6% used medication (any type), with the average number of medications per user rising from 2.5 in premanifest HD to 5.2 in end stage disease. Antipsychotics (29.2%), SSRIs (27.5%) and painkillers (21.8%) were most often used. Medication use varied with disease progression. Several differences were observed between the sexes, and notably between Europe and Northern America as well. Medication use increased after phenoconversion (from 64.8% to 70.6%, P < 0.05), with the largest difference in antipsychotic use (4.4%–7.8%, P < 0.05). Medication patterns were different in childhood‐onset HD, with no use of painkillers, less use of anti‐chorea and antidepressant drugs, and more for aggression and irritability. Conclusions: Medication use in HD increases with disease progression, with varying types of medications prescribed based on disease stage, sex, and region of living. Recognizing these medication trends is vital for further personalized HD management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social scientists often treat the commodity form and commodity fetishism as concepts that reduce meaning to an economic base. The paper claims that this view is misguided and, furthermore, that these concepts enable us to formulate a dynamic approach to meaning in economic life. Building on recent discussions of commodity fetishism, I outline this dynamic approach to meaning and the commodity form. This approach demands attention to three issues: (1) the distinction between interpretations‐in exchange and interpretations‐of exchange; (2) how interpretations‐of exchange relate to interpretations‐in exchange; and (3) how status hierarchies can mediate this dynamic of meaning associated with the commodity form. In explaining these issues, I draw on a range of examples that illustrate their relevance to the organization of the capitalist world. The purpose is to illustrate that we can discuss meaning and the commodity form in a non‐reductive manner, and in so doing draw distinct strands of social scientific investigation into conversation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny 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.)

Abstract: This paper presents the possibilities of reusing recycled materials in road pavement constructions. Waste materials came from old and damaged pavement layers. The reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) was used to create new layers of road surfaces - the base layers. The base layers were made of mineral-cement-emulsion mixtures (MCE). The main issue was to assess the impact of the RAP in MCE mixes on the physical, mechanical and rheological properties of the recycled base layer. The use of reclaimed asphalt in MCE mixes reduces road construction costs and allows for the ecological coexistence of the investment with the environment. The research results were developed as part of the project entitled "The innovative technology used the binding agent optimization that provides the long service life of the recycled base layer" (TECHMATSTRATEG1/349326/9/NCBR/2017) within the scientific undertaking of Strategic Research and Development Program entitled "Modern Materials Technology" (TECHMATSTRATEG I), which is financed by the National Center for Research and Development (Polish NCBiR). Keywords: MCE mixture; Road pavement recycling; Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP); Cement dusty by-products

The process of isothermal and non-isothermal physical ageing of amorphous polylactide (PLA) with the active pharmaceutical ingredient, indapamide (IND), was investigated. A PLA–IND system with a 50/50 weight ratio was obtained and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In the 50/50 (w/w) mixture, two glass transitions were observed: the first at 64.1 ± 0.3 °C corresponding to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PLA, and the second at 102.6 ± 1.1 °C corresponding to the Tg of IND, indicating a lack of molecular mixing between the two ingredients. The PLA–IND system was subjected to the isothermal physical ageing process at different ageing temperatures (Ta) for 2 h. It was observed that the highest effect of physical ageing (enthalpy relaxation change) on IND in the PLA–IND system occurred at Ta = 85 °C. Furthermore, the system was annealed for various ageing times at 85 °C. The relaxation enthalpies were estimated for each experiment and fitted to the Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) equation. The KWW equation allowed for the estimation of the relaxation time and the parameter describing the distribution of relaxation times of the isothermal physical ageing process of IND in the PLA–IND system. The physical ageing of the PLA–IND mixture (50/50) was also discussed in the context of heat capacity. Moreover, the activation energy and fragility parameters were determined for the PLA–IND (50/50) system.

Semiconductor industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, still driven by Moore's law, which is continually delivering devices with improved performance at lower costs. The continuation of this development places the industry in a divergent trade-off between economic attractiveness, technological feasibility, and the need for further performance improvement. Since the mainstream semiconductor technologies are silicon-based, new disruptive innovations are needed to gain additional performance margins. The use of nanowires is the preferred approach for preserving electrostatic control in the MOS transistor channel, and the application of mechanical stress is a booster of carrier mobility. It is in this context that this paper presents the design, fabrication, theoretical modeling, and characterization of a measurement platform to characterize the mechanical tensile stress of extremely narrow Si nanowires as small as 14.2 ± 1.12 nm in width. The proposed measurement platform enables a precise control of uniaxial strain, in terms of both amplitude and location, through the implementation of a stoichiometric Si3N4 pulling strand exerting a high tensile force on silicon nanowires. Reported devices are fabricated using a silicon-on-insulator wafer with fully complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-compatible processing and top-down approach. It is observed that the mechanical strength of nanostructured Si is size-dependent and increases with miniaturization. Characterization revealed a record tensile strength value of 7.53 ± 0.8% (12.73 ± 1.35 GPa) for the narrowest nanowires fabricated using a top-down approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]