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A 25-year-old female with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), who had a Hickman catheter implanted for continuous intravenous epoprostenol infusion, was admitted to the clinic after inadvertently cutting the catheter with nail scissors during a routine dressing change. Approximately 7 cm of the external segment of the Hickman catheter remained intact, with the distal end knotted by paramedics. A decision was made to repair the damaged Hickman catheter. However, it was discovered that its lumen was completely occluded by thrombosis. Therefore, catheter patency was mechanically restored using a 0.035-inch stiff guidewire in a sterile operating theatre setting, under fluoroscopy guidance. Successful aspiration and catheter flushing were achieved. Continuity of the Hickman catheter was then restored using a repair kit (Bard Access Systems) as per the manufacturer's instructions, with no visible leakage thereafter. Epoprostenol infusion through the Hickman catheter was resumed 24 h later, and the patient was discharged in good general condition two days afterward.

The growing possibilities offered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in many areas of life, in particular in automatic data acquisition, spur the search for new methods to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the acquired information. This study was undertaken on the assumption that modern navigation receivers equipped with real-time kinematic positioning software and integrated with UAVs can considerably improve the accuracy of photogrammetric measurements. The research hypothesis was verified during field measurements with the use of a popular Enterprise series drone. The problems associated with accurate UAV pose estimation were identified. The main aim of the study was to perform a qualitative assessment of the pose estimation accuracy of a UAV equipped with a GNSS RTK receiver. A test procedure comprising three field experiments was designed to achieve the above research goal: an analysis of the stability of absolute pose estimation when the UAV is hovering over a point, and analyses of UAV pose estimation during flight along a predefined trajectory and during continuous flight without waypoints. The tests were conducted in a designated research area. The results were verified based on direct tachometric measurements. The qualitative assessment was performed with the use of statistical methods. The study demonstrated that in a state of apparent stability, horizontal deviations of around 0.02 m occurred at low altitudes and increased with a rise in altitude. Mission type significantly influences pose estimation accuracy over waypoints. The results were used to verify the accuracy of the UAV’s pose estimation and to identify factors that affect the pose estimation accuracy of an UAV equipped with a GNSS RTK receiver. The present findings provide valuable input for developing a new method to improve the accuracy of measurements performed with the use of UAVs.

Universities are expected to produce chempreneurs, entrepreneurs from the chemistry faculties. Chempreneurs are expected to change the industry and to transform the chemical industry towards sustainability. However, German chemistry students are 54 % less likely to start a business of their own, than the average German student [1]. We therefor started a comparative study amongst chemistry students of all grades in Germany and compared them to a sample of polish chemistry students in order to understand motivations, barriers and intentions thereof, and to identify possible differences between both groups. By including samples of students with significant differences in culture, economics, educational background we developed and tested hypotheses about the influence of these factors on the intentions, perceptions, motives and barriers both groups face. A random sample of chemistry students was included for Germany and Poland, respectively. We distinguished between intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In doing so, we observed a number of significant differences between the two groups in terms of their start-up behaviour and influencing factors. We discuss the results and suggest new approaches for the education of chemistry students and for future research approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension is a significant global health issue, disproportionately affecting the elderly population. In Poland, the rapid aging of the population underscores the need for updating data on the epidemiology of hypertension in the elderly., Aims: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among individuals aged 65 and older in Poland., Methods: The NOMED-AF study, a cross-sectional survey conducted from March 2017 to March 2018, enrolled a representative sample of 3014 participants aged 65 and over, using a multistage, stratified, and clustered sampling method. Data collection included standardized questionnaires and physical measurements carried out by trained nurses. Hypertension was diagnosed per the 2018 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology guidelines., Results: The study showed a hypertension prevalence of 82.5% in females and 78.3% in males aged 65 and older. Awareness of hypertension was high across all age and sex groups, with 86.2% of women and 83.4% of men being aware of their condition. Treatment rates were 84.8% in women and 80.5% in men. Optimal control of blood pressure among those treated was achieved in 40.3% of women and 45.6% of men. Women over 80 achieved optimal blood pressure control less frequently than men., Conclusions: The results highlight the high prevalence and suboptimal control of hypertension in Poland's elderly population, pointing to a significant public health challenge. Despite high rates of treatment, management of hypertension remains inadequate, which emphasizes the need for enhanced strategies in hypertension care, particularly for elderly women.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, characterized by an increased risk of thromboembolic complications that can be markedly reduced with anticoagulation. There is a paucity of studies assessing the total prevalence of AF in national populations., Aims: To assess the nationwide prevalence of AF in a population of adults ≥65 old and to determine the impact of duration of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring on the number of newly detected AF episodes., Methods: The NOMED-AF study (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT: 0324347) was a cross-sectional study performed on a nationally representative random sample of 3014 Polish citizens 65 years or older. Final estimates were adjusted to the national population. All participants underwent up to 30 days of continuous ECG monitoring. Total AF prevalence was diagnosed based on the patient's medical records or the presence of AF in ECG monitoring., Results: The prevalence of AF in the Polish population ≥65 years was estimated as 19.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.9%-20.6%). This included 4.1% (95% CI, 3.5%-4.8%) newly diagnosed cases and 15.1% (95% CI, 13.9%-16.3%) previously diagnosed cases and consisted of 10.8% (95% CI, 9.8%-11.9%) paroxysmal AF and 8.4% (95% CI, 7.5%-9.4%) persistent/permanent AF. The incidence of all paroxysmal AF events as a function of ECG monitoring duration increased from 1.9% (95% CI, 1.4%-2.6%) at 24 hours to 6.2% (95% CI, 5.3%-7.2%) at 4 weeks., Conclusions: The prevalence of AF in elderly adults is higher than estimated based on medical records only. Four weeks of monitoring compared to 24-hour ECG Holter allow detection of 7-fold more cases of previously undiagnosed paroxysmal AF.