University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow

An important factor in quality-of-life research is age. The deterioration of health-related quality of life (HR - QoL) in a group of patients is repeatedly emphasized. It is necessary to analyze which diseases (groups of diseases), in which spheres and how strongly they reduce HR - QoL. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of HR-QoL experienced in each sphere and evaluate their influence in a given disease before and at age 65 and older. The cross-sectional study was carried out in Poland on a group of 7620 patients in 13 different disease groups. HR-QoL was assessed using the SF-36. Inclusion criteria were: age≥18 years, chronic disease ≥2 years, no other comorbidities (double verification of the criterion: treatment at a specialist clinic for a given chronic disease and questions excluding other comorbidities), and consent to participate in the study. Analysis was performed in two age groups (&;lt65 and ≥ 65 years old) using fuzzy set method, a hierarchical cluster analysis and Student's t test. Correlation analysis in the group of patients before 65 years of age indicated a strong correlation between the variables: LD-RE (0.88), DSD-C-RP (0.75). In the group aged 65 and older indicated strong correlations between: NS-HCh (0.78) and NS-BP (0.70). CD, CVD and NS (with the exception of the RE sphere) were among the group of diseases that most severely lowered HR - QoL in the individual spheres of the SF-36 in the group of patients under 65 years of age. Among patients 65 and older, the group of diseases lowering HR - QoL was much more numerous: CD, CVD, NS, DM, DS, DSD-C, DSD-Th and depended on the individual spheres of quality of life assessed in the SF-36. DSD-C, DM, DS lowered HR - QoL of the older group of patients in the spheres: PF, RP, BP, GH, VT, SF, RE.

W niniejszym tekście przedmiotem rozważań czyni się medialny konflikt dwóch sieci dyskontowych. Celem badań jest opis językowo-komunikacyjnych zachowań członków wirtualnej wspólnoty skupionej wokół wydarzenia (dramy Biedronka – Lidl). Analizie poddaje się zebrany w lutym i marcu 2024 r. materiał egzemplifikacyjny, który stanowią różnego typu komunikaty: SMS-y, plakaty i paragony oraz, zamieszczone na portalach społecznościowych Instagram, TikTok, YouTube oraz X, memy, filmiki, posty, komentarze i odpowiedzi. W analizie przywołuje się wybrane koncepcje językowe, kulturowe i komunikacyjne. Interdyscyplinarność badawcza pozwala pokazać temat wieloaspektowo: 1) kontekstowe znaczenie form językowych i pozajęzykowych wyznaczanych klasyczną strukturą dramatyczną, tj. ekspozycją, zawiązaniem i rozwojem akcji, punktem kulminacyjnym, perypetią, rozwiązaniem akcji, 2) mechanizmy wywoływania efektu komicznego za pomocą wybranych kategorii, takich jak: tematyka wojny/walki, intertekstualność i obiekt śmiechu.

This paper explores the emerging phenomenon of neuroculture and its reflection in contemporary dystopian fiction. It examines the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and literature, focusing on how modern narratives portray society’s increasing dependence on dopamine-driven stimuli such as social media, psychiatric medication, and consumerist distractions. Through analyzes of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, the paper identifies patterns of escapism, passivity, and emotional withdrawal as central features of pleasure-oriented culture. The study adopts an interdisciplinary framework combining semiotics and neurobiology to interpret dystopian literature as both a mirror and a warning signal of collective detachment and mental health crises in the digital age.

Artykuł analizuje wpływ mediatyzacji na obraz nieruchomy w kontekście współczesnej komunikacji nowych mediów, badając dwukierunkowe, wzajemne oddziaływanie logiki mediów i obrazów. Podkreśla dominację obrazu w mediach społecznościowych i jego wpływ na ewolucję mediów tradycyjnych. Analiza odwołuje się do semiologicznej koncepcji Rolanda Barthesa (głównie w zakresie trzech sensów oraz denotacji i konotacji), koncentrując się na semantyce obrazu i jego potencjale perswazyjnym. Podkreślona została automatyzacja procesów percepcji i kontekstualizacji, które ułatwiają manipulację odbiorcą zmediatyzowanych obrazów. Wnioski wskazują, że takie obrazy stały się skutecznym, choć często nieprzewidywalnym pod względem skutków, narzędziem perswazji, kształtującym rzeczywistość społeczną. Ze względu na masowość percepcji obrazów i tworzenie ogólnego kontekstu odbiorczego, do sfery odbiorczej przebija się przede wszystkim potencjał znaczeń, co w perswazji pozwala na wykorzystanie znacznej pojemności semantycznej obrazów. Otwarty charakter semantyczny obrazu i łatwość wykorzystania mechanizmów psychologicznych i pragmalingwistycznych w konstruowaniu obrazowych przekazów perswazyjnych, stanowi jedną z wad komunikacyjnych i zarazem zalet perswazyjnych komunikacji zmediatyzowanym obrazem.

Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate (TBC) represents an emerging environmental contaminant with potential neurotoxic effects, attributable to its tendency to bioaccumulate and its capacity to traverse the blood-brain barrier. This study investigates the impact of TBC on cellular metabolism, membrane integrity or apoptosis-related caspase activity in mouse hippocampal cells, examining its interaction with key signaling pathways. Our results indicated that while TBC did not exhibit significant cytotoxicity at lower concentrations, prolonged exposure to higher concentrations substantially decreased metabolic activity and increased apoptotic marker activities (caspase-1, -3 and -9). Co-treatment with CAY10464 (AhR antagonist), GW9662 (PPARγ antagonist) and honokiol (NF-κB inhibitor) revealed that TBC significantly modulated NF-κB signaling, with notable reductions in AhR and IκBα protein expressions and altered levels of mTOR, NF-κB and p-IκBα proteins. Furthermore, TBC induced calcium release, supporting its role in neuroinflammatory responses. Moreover, TBC inhibited antioxidant enzyme activity and increased proinflammatory cytokine expression, implicating oxidative stress and inflammation in its neurotoxic effects. Antioxidants and Keap1-Nrf2 pathway inhibitors partially attenuated these responses, highlighting the role of oxidative stress pathways. These results suggest that prolonged TBC exposure may impair neuronal metabolism and activate apoptotic pathways, with NF-κB playing a pivotal role in mediating its neurotoxic effects.

The concept of space settlement is often embraced for granted as the only ultimate way to save humanity in the face of future global cataclysm. This vision seems to overlook the difficulties associated with survival in space. In the paper, these difficulties and the resulting expected poor quality of life in a space base become the starting point for adopting a philosophy of antinatalism. If we expect the quality of life in space to be low, it may not be worth directing our technical development toward space settlement, but to look for alternative means of survival other than space settlement. Antinatalism is discussed as a counterintuitive but rational alternative to space settlement understood as the only means of saving humanity. The paper also discusses the racist and discriminatory consequences of the concept of space settlement which de facto could mean the survival of only the privileged, and exclude those already excluded now on Earth, for which antinatalism may be one alternative, however counterintuitive and difficult to accept. The paper suggests that if space settlement can only save a small group of the privileged, humanity should accept its extinction and not attempt to prolong the existence of the human species by settling a small number of unrepresentative humans in space.

ABSTRACTWith the growing environmental concerns, the existing literature mostly highlights the industrial pollution while neglecting the factors associated with the agriculture‐related greenhouse gas emissions. Regarding this, the study explores the impacts of green energy, tech development, and urbanization on agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions. The prime objective of the current research is to unveil the green energy, tech innovations, and environmental sustainability nexus to draw novel implications in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In doing so, the authors employ the quarterly data of China from 1990Q1 to 2020Q4. For the long‐run empirical analysis, the authors utilize various time‐series estimating approaches, such as Quantile regression, which performs better in testing the nexus at different quantiles. However, the Fully Modified OLS, Dynamic OLS, and Canonical Cointegration Regression methods are used as robustness tools to authenticate the estimate of the primary approach. The results suggest that greener energy and technological innovations significantly reduce agriculture sector emissions. Furthermore, the presence of green energy transforms its negative influence into a positive one. Contrastingly, the use of traditional fossil fuel energy, urbanization, and financial development are significant drivers of emissions. This study's findings support SDGs, particularly SDG‐2, which supports the stance of sustainable agriculture and encourages green energy use. Overall, the study discourses policy‐related suggestions in the sustainability's context.

The aim of this article is to identify and analyze the key factors determining employer selection among technical university students, with particular emphasis on organizational values, job expectations, and the role of digital communication. The study was conducted between 2023 and 2025 and comprised three stages: a pilot survey (n = 67), a quantitative online survey (n = 251), and nine in-depth interviews. The application of a mixed-methods strategy enabled data triangulation by combining quantitative results with qualitative insights. The findings indicate that students value not only job stability and attractive working conditions but also a trust-based culture, development opportunities, and authentic employer branding. Social media play a significant role in the process of evaluating potential employers and in shaping application decisions.

This study explores the concept of environmental responsibility and assesses the attitudes and perceptions of young adults towards environmental challenges. Applying a hybrid approach based on feature selection, machine learning methods (classification and regression trees (CART) and recursive feature elimination (RFE)) and statistical methods (chi-squared tests), we analyzed survey data from 500 students across three universities. The results reveal that 82% of students rate their climate knowledge as moderate or good, while 92% perceive climate change as a serious threat. Women are more likely than men to report engagement in pro-environmental initiatives. Students’ environmental orientation weakens in the middle years of study but re-emerges in the final year, possibly reflecting greater maturity and a stronger sense of responsibility before graduation. The willingness to establish sustainable enterprises does not always correspond to a high level of knowledge or daily environmental practices. While undergraduates report high levels of climate awareness, they often fail to translate this into concrete actions, indicating a gap between knowledge, motivation, and practice. The insights from the research can inform environmental education strategies, institutional practices, and youth engagement programs within higher education.

Purpose We are witnessing rapid and unprecedented developments in artificial intelligence (AI), exposing the vulnerabilities of the current scientific publishing ecosystem. This system – comprising, among others, commercial and non-profit publishers, scholarly journals, editors and reviewers – struggles to keep pace with the speed of AI research. The paper calls for urgent reform among the key actors shaping how manuscripts are handled: publishers, journal editors, editorial boards and reviewers. Design/methodology/approach The article examines the ecosystem’s role in shaping research dissemination. It contrasts the pace of the AI industry – especially companies like OpenAI and Google – with the slower, peer-reviewed publishing process in academia. Special attention is given to peer review and emerging publishing models such as Publish–Review–Curate (PRC). PRC addresses several shortcomings of the traditional peer review system and may provide a foundation for future adaptations aimed at accelerating scholarly publishing. Findings Given the rapid progress in both methodological and applied AI research, scientific publishing must adapt by accelerating its processes while preserving its core functions, particularly quality control. Originality/value Failing to keep pace with industry, academia risks becoming a second-tier player in AI development, trailing far behind industry research. This lag might seriously affect the direction and integrity of future science across all scientific fields and disciplines. Scholarly publishers may be sidelined – unless they adapt. Drawing on parallels with accelerated publishing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper calls on all stakeholders to act to ensure scholarly publishing remains vital in the AI age.