Lubawa (Poland)

Background: Recurrent urinary tract infections remain a significant clinical and public health concern due to their high prevalence, considerable recurrence rates, and the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. In light of the limitations associated with long-term antibiotic use, non-antibiotic prophylactic strategies have garnered increasing interest. This review synthesizes current evidence on the efficacy of various non-antibiotic interventions, including behavioral and dietary modifications, probiotics, cranberry products, D-mannose, methenamine hippurate, topical vaginal estrogen, and immunoprophylaxis. Aim: This study aims to introduce non-antibiotic approaches to the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections and to highlight how their integration into clinical practice may decrease reliance on antibiotics and improve long-term patient outcomes. Methods: This narrative review synthesizes current research findings on the topic. The literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar database, focusing on recent studies relevant to non-antibiotic strategies for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections.

CHD is the most common birth defect with an incidence of 9 per 1,000 live births. The severity of the disease and the choice of treatment depend on the underlying anomaly. Despite advances in medical and surgical treatment that have led to more children with CHD reaching adulthood, disorders such as intestinal dysfunction, poor nutrition, and growth failure are still common in infants with CHD. Increased metabolic demand, decreased caloric intake, malabsorption, genetic factors, and fluid restriction can all result in an energy imbalance that negatively impacts morbidity and mortality in these patients. On the other hand, malnutrition is an important risk factor for adverse postoperative consequences. The state of nutrition affects growth and development, wound healing and the functioning of the immune system. Malnutrition affects both short-term and long-term postoperative outcomes. Recurrent infections caused by impaired immune system function and delayed healing of surgical wounds are considered short-term effects, while impaired growth, physical and cognitive development are seen as long-term effects. High postoperative mortality and morbidity, such as increased rates of hospitalization, delayed growth, prolonged recovery time, and longer hospital stays are associated with preoperative malnutrition. Appropriate nutrition protocols tailored to the requirements of patients with congenital heart disease help to improve short and long-term treatment outcomes. Nutritional and metabolic changes are age-dependent, and since this is a high-risk population, enteral and/or parenteral nutrition is difficult. Sources of increased metabolic demand in CHD include greater workload on the heart, pulmonary hypertension, and increased catecholamine secretion.

Proper and healthy sleep is an element of everyday life necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Unfortunately, a large part of humanity cannot experience proper rest, due to sleep disorders such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome, obturative sleep apnea and other diseases that complicate sleep. There are not many ways to treat sleep disorders and their use is often associated with difficulties in everyday life and side effects of the used methods. Work on this subject is still ongoing, with time there are more and more new possibilities and different, unconventional applications of substances discovered long ago. Plants containing cannabinoids have been known to mankind since ancient times. And this cannabinoids can have huge importance and contribute to the treatment and prevention of sleep disorders. Studies on the impact of these substances on sleep and sleep disorders are limited, which leads to the fact that in many countries their use is still prohibited. And therefore undertaking research on this topic requires a lot of effort. However, the data that has been collected so far on the subject of the influence of cannabinoids on sleep disorders carry optimistic information. Cannabinoids in the correct doses and ratio as to the content of individual subgroups can bring relief to people suffering from lack of proper sleep. However, the negative effects of these substances should not be forgotten. Chronic use, too high doses or improper application can have a negative impact on the quality of sleep.

Introduction and purpose: Ogilvie's syndrome is an acute pseudo-obstruction of the colon characterized by massive dilatation of the large intestine without mechanical obstruction. The aim of this publication is to review publications and case reports concerning this disease and therapeutic management. A brief description of the state of knowledge: Ogilvie's syndrome was first described in 1948. The assumed pathogenesis of the disease is increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and/or decreased activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. Most often it concerns hospitalized patients, in a serious general condition, after major injuries, operations, and pregnant or postpartum women. The importance of viral infections in the pathogenesis, including COVID-19 in recent years, is also indicated. It is important to eliminate possible organic causes of obstruction and to assess the diameter of the dilated bowel. Therapeutic options include conservative treatment, pharmacological treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, endoscopic bowel decompression and surgical treatment. Lack of medical intervention can lead to ischemia and intestinal perforation. Conclusion: Ogilvie's syndrome is a rare condition in which complications can be minimized with proper assessment, care and treatment. The progress of pharmacological and endoscopic therapy allows to reduce the need for surgical intervention, and thus - the patient's unnecessary burden.

Purpose: One of the greatest plagues of the twenty-first century is considered to be forced labor, also referred to as modern slavery.The aim of the research was to indicate that the identification of the threat of forced labor is a key business risk.It is both morally reprehensible and directly affects the loss of reputation, commercial contracts, or is in direct conflict with the law.Design/methodology/approach: A renowned Polish manufacturer of advertising media was selected for the study through purposive selection.The said manufacturer employs an average of 160 employees per year, of which 69% are production employees.The solutions have been developed based on the following research methods: literature analysis, document analysis, surveys and interviews.Findings: The research confirmed that identifying the threat of forced labor is a key business risk -both morally reprehensible and directly affecting the loss of reputation, business contracts or is in direct conflict with the law.Research limitations/implications: A survey of the literature has revealed a research gap in the area of analyzing the dependency of decent work as a component of organizational management in the context of sustainable development.The research presented in the article refers to one enterprise and provides a basis for discussion on identifying the risks of the occurrence of forced labor as a key business risk and encourages further research in this area.Practical implications: The results developed in the progress of the conducted research provide opportunities to describe the management process of countering forced labor.According to the principle of going from particular to general, the main way of obtaining input data emerges, to which at a later stage there will be dedicated tools to manage the process as such. Social implications:The conducted research is a part of promoting good practices among local business, fostering dialogue with the public, and building a good corporate image.Originality/value:The value of this article lays in the implementation and testing of tools (surveys in particular) in describing the process of countering forced labor as such.

Analysis and assessment of the legal effects of exhausting the amount allocated for co-financing of projects under the appeal procedure in the system of implementation of the EU cohesion policy in Poland in the 2021-2027 financial perspective. Literature review, analysis of relevant legal regulations and the jurisprudence of administrative courts. The provisions of the Act on the rules for the implementation of tasks financed from European funds in the 2021-2027 financial perspective erroneously equate the exhaustion of the amount allocated for co-financing of projects under a measure or region category with the sum of funds distributed by concluding agreements or issuing administrative decisions on project co-financing. They do not take into account the fact that due to, e.g. the availability of additional financial resources resulting from termination of co-financing agreements or an increase in the euro exchange rate, the exhaustion of the allocation may change until the end of programme’s implementation period. It is necessary to shape the appeal procedure in such a way that will provide the applicants with a real chance of obtaining co-financing, because the implementation and protection of their constitutional rights cannot depend on the exhaustion of the available allocation of financial resources.

Understanding how reproductive isolation arises and accumulates between incipient species is an important goal of evolutionary biology. Patterns of interspecific hybridization in naturally occurring hybrid zones can provide an important insight into this process since they reflect the strength, symmetry and nature of reproductive barriers separating the species. Here we studied patterns of hybridization in two closely related passerine species, the common nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and the thrush nightingale L. luscinia, that diverged ~1.8 Mya and co‐occur in a secondary contact zone spanning across Europe. Genome‐wide genotyping of more than three hundred individuals from the sympatric population and adjacent allopatric populations revealed that the vast majority of sympatric individuals were pure parental species. Only 6.5% of sympatric individuals were hybrids, from which 3.4% were F1 hybrids and 3.1% backcross hybrids from the first to the fifth backcross generation. Most F1 hybrids arose from the cross of a thrush nightingale female and a common nightingale male. F1 hybrids showed intermediate morphology and could be distinguished with high confidence from the parental species based on several diagnostic traits. However, backcrosses were morphologically difficult to distinguish from the parental species from which they inherited most of the genome. Our results suggest strong, yet incomplete, reproductive isolation between the two nightingale species both at a prezygotic and postzygotic level. Nightingales thus represent a useful model system for exploring the late stages of speciation with ongoing gene flow after secondary contact.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of life of elderly patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis during treatment of chronic pain with transdermal buprenorphine. Transdermal buprenorphine was used for 10 days in 60 patients over 64 years old randomly assigned to 3 groups with starting doses 8.75 g/h (group 1), 17.5 g/h (group 2), and 35 g/h (group 3). The severity of pain, fatigue, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, depression, anxiety, well-being and another symptom reported by patients were evaluated every day with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r). At baseline depressive disorders were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale. Lower initial doses (8.75 g/h and 17.5 g/h) were better tolerated compared to 35 g/h. Drowsiness, confusion, and vomiting occurred less frequently in patients treated with lower initial doses (8.75 g/h, 17.5 g/h) compared to patients treated with starting dose of 35 g/h. A reduction of the intensity of pain, fatigue, drowsiness, lack of appetite, depression, anxiety, and well-being, without differences between patient groups was observed, although nausea and vomiting did not improve. Three patients in group 1 reported diarrhea, 2 patients in group 2 had diarrhea and itching, and 3 patients in group 3 had diarrhea, itching, and dizziness. Transdermal buprenorphine provided effective analgesia regardless of the starting dose of the drug. The treatment of elderly patients with chronic pain of severe intensity induced by osteoarthritis with transdermal buprenorphine resulted in an improved patients' quality of life with respect to symptoms and performance status. Lower initial doses of transdermal buprenorphine (8.75 g/h and 17.5 g/h) were associated with less adverse effects.