Southeast Poland Research Articles

Impact of Pneumococcal Vaccination on Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Microbiota Profiles in Preschool Children in South East Poland.

In 2017, Poland introduced the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) into its national immunization schedule. This prospective study was conducted between March and June 2020 to determine the impact of vaccination on prevalence of the nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae in 176 healthy children and to determine how conjugate vaccines indirectly affect colonization of nasopharyngeal microbiota. Pneumococcal isolates were analyzed by serotyping and antimicrobial resistance tests. Nasopharyngeal microbiota were detected and identified using the culture method and real-time PCR amplification primers and hydrolysis-probe detection with the 16S rRNA gene as the target. In the vaccinated group of children, colonization was in 24.2% of children, compared to 21.4% in the unvaccinated group. Serotypes 23A and 23B constituted 41.5% of the isolates. Serotypes belonging to PCV10 and PCV13 constituted 4.9% and 17.1% of the isolates, respectively. S. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to penicillin (34.1%), erythromycin (31.7%), and co-trimoxazole (26.8%). Microbial DNA qPCR array correlated to increased amounts of Streptococcus mitis and S. sanguinis in vaccinated children, with reduced amounts of C. pseudodiphtericum, S. aureus, and M. catarrhalis. Introduction of PCV for routine infant immunization was associated with significant reductions in nasopharyngeal carriage of PCV serotypes and resistant strains amongst vaccine serotypes, yet carriage of non-PCV serotypes increased modestly, particularly serotype 23B.

Frequency of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in ovarian cancer patients in South-East Poland

BackgroundMutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are well-established risk factors of breast and ovarian cancer. In our former study, we observed that approximately 6% of unselected ovarian cancer patients in the region of Podkarpacie (South-East Poland) carry BRCA1 causative founder variants, which is significantly lower than in other regions of Poland. Therefore, it is deeply justified to do research based on the sequencing of whole BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.MethodsWe examined 158 consecutive unselected cases of ovarian cancer patients from the region of Podkarpacie. We performed BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes Next-Generation Sequencing study in all cases.ResultsAltogether, in 18 of 158 (11.4%) ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic mutations were found. BRCA1 pathogenic variants were detected in 11 of the 158 (7.0%) ovarian cancer cases. 10 of 11 (91%) detected BRCA1 mutations were founder mutations, detectable with the standard test used in Poland. BRCA2 pathogenic variants were found in 7 of the 158 (4.4%) cases. No BRCA2 pathogenic variants were founder mutations. The median age of patients at the diagnosis of the 18 hereditary ovarian cancers was 57.5 years.ConclusionsThe frequency of BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation carriers among patients with ovarian cancer from the Podkarpacie region is comparable to other regions of Poland. However, a significantly higher percentage of BRCA2 gene mutations was observed, that were not detectable with a standard test for detection of founder mutations. Diagnostics based only on testing the BRCA1/2 Polish founder mutations is characterized by relatively low sensitivity in the case of ovarian cancer patients from South-East Poland and should be supplemented by NGS study, in particular of the BRCA2 gene.

Deep vs. shallow – two contrasting theories? A tectonically activated Late Cretaceous deltaic system in the axial part of the Mid-Polish Trough: a case study from southeast Poland

Abstract. The Polish Basin is a part of a trans-European sedimentary basin comprising the Central European Basin System and stretching from Denmark through Germany to southeastern Poland, and even further to the south into Ukraine. It experienced uplift during the Late Cretaceous, which consequently resulted in the inversion of its axial part (i.e., the Mid-Polish Trough) and development into the Mid-Polish Anticlinorium. In many existing paleotectonic interpretations, southeast Poland – i.e., the subsurface San Anticlinorium and the present-day Roztocze Hills – was included in the Mid-Polish Trough during the Late Cretaceous, representing its axial, most subsiding part. This paleotectonic model was the basis for facies and bathymetric interpretations that assumed Upper Cretaceous sediments, deposited close to the axial part of the Mid-Polish Trough (e.g., in the Roztocze Hills), constituted the deepest facies. In recent years, several studies have contradicted this notion. A growing body of data suggests that this area (southeast Poland) was already a landmass by the Coniacian and Santonian – and certainly in the Campanian and Maastrichtian – rather than forming the deepest part of the Polish Basin. The shallow marginal marine, cyclic middle Campanian, marly to sandy deposits, recently discovered in the Roztocze Hills, were interpreted to be of deltaic origin. This has led to the adoption of new facies and bathymetric models, which – notably – are in stark opposition to most previous interpretations. Notably, the new interpretation implies the presence of a landmass in the place where, in prior frameworks, the deepest and most subsiding part of the Polish Basin (i.e., Mid-Polish Trough) was located during the Cretaceous. Here, we document this Late Cretaceous depositional system – the Szozdy delta developed in the axial part of the Mid-Polish Trough. These middle Campanian deposits crop out extensively in the Roztocze Hills region, close to the village of Szozdy, and exhibit coarsening-upward tripartite cyclothems. Three facies associations have been distinguished: (1) dark grey calcareous mudstones, (2) a yellow calcareous sandstone, and (3) calcareous gaize lithofacies. The sequence, as a whole, was accumulated via the repeated progradation and abandonment of deltaic complexes on the delta front platform setting, with the primary transport direction originating from the axis of the inverting Mid-Polish Trough (thus from the subsurface San Anticlinorium) toward the northeast. This interpretation is supported by a suite of sedimentological, palynofacies, and heavy mineral data. The development of the Szozdy delta system is framed in the context of the dynamic tectonic processes operating contemporaneously in southeast Poland: that is, tectonic inversion (uplift) on one hand, and the generation of new accommodation space via enhanced subsidence on the other. This discovery sheds new light on our understanding of Late Cretaceous facies distribution, bathymetry, and paleogeography and might potentially suggest a different burial history than assumed so far.

Importance of anthropogenic winter roosts for endangered hibernating bats

We aimed to assess the importance of anthropogenic roosts for bats hibernating in the Roztocze National Park (south-east Poland), based on data collected from 2009 to 2021. We recorded 310 bats from nine species hibernating in 27 artificial underground roosts (root cellars and basements of buildings). The most abundant and constantly recorded species were Plecotus auritus (60.2%), Barbastella barbastellus (20.6%) and Myotis nattereri (14.2%), while the remaining species can be considered of secondary importance; Plecotus austriacus (1.3%), Myotis myotis (1.9%), Myotis bechsteinii (1.3%), M. daubentonii (0.3%), Myotis mystacinus sensu lato (0.3%) and Eptesicus serotinus (1.3%). An estimate of the Shannon diversity index gave a mean H = 0.947 (SD = 0.247, range 0.377-1.352), while the Buzas and Gibson´s evenness index gave values of E = 0.695 (SD = 0.125, range 0.551-0.940). The Shannon index was positively correlated with the number of recorded bats and varied substantially among years.

Sediment Budget, Crops and Sediment Yield in a Small Loess Catchment in Southeast Poland

Sediment Budget, Crops and Sediment Yield in a Small Loess Catchment in Southeast Poland

The frequency method in studying habitat preferences of common forest birds in south-east Poland

This paper presents the results of a study on the habitat preferences of selected species of the bird community in the Morgi Forest, the Kolbuszowa Forest Division (SE Poland), with the use of the point-stand bird census method. The aim of the study was to test the effectiveness of the method in determining the frequency of colonisation of stands with different habitat parameters by the most abundant bird species. In 270 tree stands of a forest complex with diverse habitats, a bird census was carried out with four counts per each stand. Next, a list of the tree stands and the bird species recorded in the stands was compiled. The stands were divided into categories according to the forest habitat type, dominant species and age class. In the next step, the occurrence frequency of the most abundant bird species was calculated for each stand category. Among the analysed species, the majority showed a positive correlation between the frequency of occurrence and habitat fertility. The influence of the dominant stand species on the occurrence frequency of bird species was largely driven by habitat fertility. The lowest average frequency of the identified avian species was found in stands dominated by pine Pinus sylvestris, birch Betula sp. and black alder Alnus glutinosa. There was generally a positive relationship between age class and the bird community parameters. It is concluded that the point-stand method of bird census provides informative results for research on the habitat selectivity of bird populations.

Food habits of the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in southeast Poland

We studied diet and prey preferences of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) inhabiting south-east Poland, based on kills found during GPS-GSM telemetry and opportunistic winter tracking. Among 64 lynx kills were roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (91%), red deer (Cervus elaphus) (3%) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) (6%). From the ungulate community, lynx selected roe deer (D = 0.845) and avoided all other ungulates. We recorded one case of surplus and two cases of parallel killing. Lynx visited the same killed roe deer on average for 2.3 days, and for up to six days when surplus or parallel killing occurred. High numbers of the roe deer in south-east Poland supports the persistence of the lynx, but we urge managers to take under consideration food requirements of the lynx when planning game management.

Nicht nur als Kopfschmuck getragen: ein außergewöhnlicher hallstattzeitlicher Fund aus Smržice-Trávníky u ostrova (Mittelmähren)

This study deals with the cultural and spatial analysis of finds discovered in the previous five years during surface prospecting in Smržice-Trávníky u ostrova (Prostějov district) on the area of a presumed settlement of the Platěnice group of the East Hallstatt culture. In the set of the analysed items, in addition to local ceramics of the Platěnice group and several metal objects of the Hallstatt type (rare type of a bronze boat-shaped fibula, a bronze pin with a hemispherical head and a ribbed neck, a bronze conical arrowhead of circular cross-section) dating to Ha C2 and Ha D1, there were also bronze arrowheads of the eastern type (with an inner socket), which demonstrate the connections between the Prostějov region and the Vekerzug culture during the Ha D period. An exceptional find of a ceramic fragment of a local (Platěnice group) vessel decorated with impressions of small nail-shaped earrings probably from Ha D1 indicates, on the contrary, the contacts of Central Moravia with the late phase of the Tarnobrzeg Lusatian culture of Southeast Poland. It is the Prostějov region, where we observe a significant concentration of objects of the eastern type during the Hallstatt period. Therefore, special attention in the study was paid to Hallstatt period finds of the eastern type with the focus on the provenience, chronological aspect and interpretation of their occurrence in Moravia as well as in the neighboring regions.

Identification of fungi inhabiting underground plant parts of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] in two developmental stages

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] plants are potential hosts for different pathogens. Soil-borne diseases, caused by pathogenic fungi, are considered to be the main reason for the loss of soybean yields worldwide. The aim of the research was to isolate fungi inhabiting underground parts of soybean in order to identify potential pathogens present in south-east Poland. Research material comprised of seven soybean cultivars grown in field in 2017-2019. Samples collected in three subsequent vegetative seasons constituted soybean plants with disease symptoms on cotyledons, stems and roots. Fragments of the infected plant tissues were subjected to mycological analysis. A total of 1692 pure fungal isolates were obtained from the sampled plants and almost 80% of these isolates were assigned to Fusarium genus. Among Fusarium spp. isolates, the most frequently detected species was F. oxysporum (71.3%). Other detected Fusarium species included: F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, F. poae, F. solani (syn. Neocosmospora solani), F. sporotrichioides and F. fujikuroi. Other fungi accounted for approx. 19% of the obtained isolates and their main representatives were: Alternaria alternata, Trichoderma sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Mucor sp., Cladosporium sp. and Rhizopus sp. Comparison of these results with published data from other regions of Poland shows differences in prevalence of different species of soil-borne fungi.

Identification of fungi inhabiting underground plant parts of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] in two developmental stages

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] plants are potential hosts for different pathogens. Soil-borne diseases, caused by pathogenic fungi, are considered to be the main reason for the loss of soybean yields worldwide. The aim of the research was to isolate fungi inhabiting underground parts of soybean in order to identify potential pathogens present in south-east Poland. Research material comprised of seven soybean cultivars grown in field in 2017-2019. Samples collected in three subsequent vegetative seasons constituted soybean plants with disease symptoms on cotyledons, stems and roots. Fragments of the infected plant tissues were subjected to mycological analysis. A total of 1692 pure fungal isolates were obtained from the sampled plants and almost 80% of these isolates were assigned to Fusarium genus. Among Fusarium spp. isolates, the most frequently detected species was F. oxysporum (71.3%). Other detected Fusarium species included: F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, F. poae, F. solani (syn. Neocosmospora solani), F. sporotrichioides and F. fujikuroi. Other fungi accounted for approx. 19% of the obtained isolates and their main representatives were: Alternaria alternata, Trichoderma sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Mucor sp., Cladosporium sp. and Rhizopus sp. Comparison of these results with published data from other regions of Poland shows differences in prevalence of different species of soil-borne fungi.

Dysphania schraderiana (Schult.) Mosyakin & Clemants – An overlooked medicinal and ritual plant used in Poland

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe paper discusses the traditional ritual, medicinal and insect repellent use of Dysphania schraderiana in Poland, a plant with little ethnobotanical and phytochemical data. Our research suggests that its properties should be further studied comparing it with the related D. botrys and D. ambrosioides. Aim of the workD. schraderiana is an aromatic and medicinal annual herb related to D. ambrosioides and D. botrys and practically absent from historical accounts of plant uses in Europe. The aim of this work is to characterise the current use of D. schraderiana in south east Poland on the background of historical Dysphania species use in Europe. Materials and methodsThe data on D. schraderiana was collected in 2020, based on interviews with 42 people in rural areas of south-eastern Poland where the species is used today. A range of textual sources were searched including old medicinal herbals, pharmaceutical handbooks, ethnobotanical publications and culinary databases regarding all the uses of Dysphania species in Europe. ResultsIn the study area D. schraderiana occurs in the whole spectrum of cultivation stages – from being intentionally cultivated to completely wild. The plant is used mainly as an apotropaic and insect repellent, blessed during Catholic church holidays (mainly Assumption Day), and sometimes used as incense in churches (and blessed on Epiphany Day). D. schraderiana rarely occurs in European historical sources, except sometimes classed as a false, inferior form of D. botrys, which has been known for centuries as a moth repellent and treatment for respiratory illness. We hypothesise that the plant was not easily distinguished from D. botrys and their uses strongly overlapped. For some unknown reason the use of D. botrys died out, whereas a relatively large semi-feral population of D. schraderiana exists in south-eastern Poland where it has remained a culturally important plant. ConclusionsD. schraderiana is a rare case of a non-native plant traditionally used within an area of Europe but previously nearly overlooked in European ethnobotanical literature. Historical uses of Dysphania spp. in other areas of Poland and former Poland (now western Ukraine) suggest that the genus was used more widely in regions beyond the one studied. However, a very compact distribution of use suggests that D. schraderiana may have been brought to SE Poland from a single source outside the study area. Its common name, and use as a holy incense plant, is associated it with the well-known biblical tree resin obtained from Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl.

Assessment of the Botanical Origin of Polish Honeys Based on Physicochemical Properties and Bioactive Components with Chemometric Analysis.

Is it possible to characterize the types of honey based on their chemical composition, their content of bioactive substances, and their physicochemical properties? The objective of this study was a comparative analysis of four types of honey from the Carpathian Foothills area, located in south-east Poland, based on the content of the main phenolic acids and proline, the mineral composition, and selected physicochemical properties. Most analyses, such as those of phenolic acids, sugars, and proline content, in honey samples were performed using chromatographic methods. These experiments demonstrated that honeydew honeys were the richest in phenolic acids, minerals, as well as oligosaccharides, compared to other honeys. Dark-colored honeys were characterized by the highest proline content. The dominant elements in all types of honey were potassium and calcium. The results of the present study show that analyses of specific phenolic acids, minerals, proline, and sugar content, in combination with chemometrics analysis, may successfully differentiate between the biological origins of honey samples and allow the preliminary verification of the samples before performing time-consuming pollen analysis.

PlanetScope Imageries and LiDAR Point Clouds Processing for Automation Land Cover Mapping and Vegetation Assessment of a Reclaimed Sulfur Mine

The present research investigated the possibility of using PlanetScope imageries and LiDAR point clouds for land cover assessment, especially vegetation mapping, in degraded and reclaimed areas. Studies were carried out on the former sulfur mine of Jeziórko located in Southeast Poland. In total, more than ca. 2000 ha of this mine area were reclaimed after borehole exploitation and afforestation. We investigated a total area of 216.72 ha. Integration of PlanetScope imageries and LiDAR point clouds processing offers the ability to derive information about the LULC classes and vegetation growth in the analyzed area and indicate the forest succession progress as an effect of the reclamation treatments. In the Jeziórko area, we identified coniferous forest (90.84 ha, 41.91% of the research area), broad-leaved forest (44.02 ha, 20.31%), and transitional woodland shrub areas with herbaceous communities (77.96 ha, 35.97%). The analyses focused on the detection and monitoring of the forest succession processes and obtaining the tree canopy profiles and characteristics of vegetation, i.e., the height and cover density.

Caffeine Consumption in a Group of Adolescents from South East Poland-A Cross Sectional Study.

Caffeine is the most common psychoactive substance available to adults, as well as to children and adolescents. The safety of its use in younger age groups requires further research. The aim of this study was to evaluate caffeine intake, to identify products and drinks that are the main sources of caffeine intake in the diet of the subjects and the risk of excessive caffeine intake with the diet of adolescents, stratified by gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 508 adolescents aged 16–18 years from southern Poland. Black tea, cola-based soft drinks and milk chocolate were the most frequently consumed products containing caffeine in the diet of the examined persons. The average caffeine intake was 95.54 mg/day (1.54 mg/kg b.w.). In 12.2% of the subjects the dose of 3 mg/kg b.w./day was exceeded, and in over 41.3% the dose causing sleep disorders was exceeded. The dose causing anxiety was also exceeded in 18.1% of the respondents, significantly more often in girls than boys (p = 0.0487).

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilisation and Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on the Fatty Acid Profile of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) Seeds

Soybean is a valuable protein and oilseed crop ranked among the most significant of the major crops. Field experiments were carried out in 2016–2019 in South-East Poland. The influence of soybean cultivars (Aldana, Annushka), nitrogen fertilizer (0, 30, 60 kg∙ha−1 N) and inoculation with B. japonicum (control, HiStick® Soy, Nitragina) on the content of fatty acids (FA) in soybean seeds was investigated in a three-factorial experiment. This study confirms the genetic determinants of fatty acid composition in soybean seeds and their differential accumulation levels for C16:0, C16:1, C18:1n9, C18:2, C18:3, and C20:0 as well saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids. Increasing the rate from 30 to 60 kg ha−1 N did not produce the expected changes, suggesting the use of only a “starter” rate of 30 kg ha−1 N. Inoculation of soybean seeds with a strain of Bradyrhizobium japonicum (HiStick® Soy, BASF, Littlehampton, UK and Nitragina, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation–State Research Institute, Puławy, Poland) is recommended as it will cause a decrease in SFA and C16:0 acid levels. This is considered nutritionally beneficial as its contribution to total fatty acids determines the hypercholesterolemic index, and it is the third most accumulated fatty acid in soybean seeds. The interaction of cultivars and inoculation formulation on fatty acid content of soybean seeds was demonstrated. An increase in the value of C16:0 content resulted in a decrease in the accumulation of C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3 acids. The content of each decreased by almost one unit for every 1% increase in C16:0 content. The dominant effect of weather conditions on the FA profile and C18:2n6/C18:3n3 ratio was demonstrated. This suggests a need for further evaluation of the genetic progress of soybean cultivars with respect to fatty acid composition and content under varying habitat conditions.

Community structure of Lumbricidae in beech woodland of the Bieszczady National Park, Southeast Poland

As ecosystem engineers, earthworms play a key role in the soil environment. However, due to increasing anthropogenic pressure, soil organisms, including earthworms, are being threatened by habitat loss. In this study, we undertook a qualitative and quantitative investigation of earthworms of the family Lumbricidae in four types of Carpathian beech woodland (Fagetum carpaticum), characterized by their understory vegetation (I, F. c. festucetosum drymejae; II, F. c. typicum; III, F. c. lunarietosum; and IV, F. c. allietosum), in the Bieszczady National Park (Eastern Carpathians, Southeast Poland). At each investigated site, soil monoliths (25 cm × 25 cm × 25 cm) were examined by hand sorting. Earthworms were expelled from deep soil layers using a weak formalin solution (0.4%). Depending on the phytocoenosis, 7 species of Lumbricidae were identified at each of the sites I, II, and III and 10 at site IV. Site IV (F. c. allietosum) differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the other three sites with respect to earthworm biomass (59.71 ± 39.53 g m–2) and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (0.52 ± 0.12). Although present three decades ago, the deep-burrowing species Octodrilus transpadanus and the litter-dwelling species Dendrobaena octaedra were not found at site IV in the present study. We suspect that these two species may have been displaced by the invasive Lumbricus terrestris, which was not found at the same site in the 1980s. Such observations warrant further investigation to verify the predicted effects of an invasive earthworm, including the potential effects on soils and other fauna and flora, which have been documented in numerous countries.

Occupational burnout among active physiotherapists working in clinical hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in south-eastern Poland.

Occupational burnout, which is more and more commonly encountered among medical professionals and investigated by researchers worldwide, may in particular affect health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of occupational burnout among physiotherapists working actively in clinical hospitals in south-eastern Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of burnout among the studied physiotherapists was assessed using the Polish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory by Maslach (MBI). The study was conducted from 20 March to 3 May, 2020 among physiotherapists working professionally during the COVID-19 pandemic in the south east of Poland, during which time health services related to therapeutic rehabilitation were suspended. The study was conducted among 1,540 physiotherapists with a license to practice who worked in clinical departments. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 106 physiotherapists were qualified for the study. The current findings show that during the COVID-19 pandemic physiotherapists present high burnout rates in all three dimensions: EE (Mean 32.31; CI 29.47-35.15); DP (Mean 16.25; CI 14.48-18.03); PA (Mean 26.25; CI 24.41-28.10). As for gender-related effects, higher burnout rates were observed in the male workers, compared to the females, in all three domains: EE (Men: Mean 34.70; CI 29.90-39.50 -Women: Mean 31.03; CI 27.45-34.60); DP (Men: Mean 18.78; CI 15.98-21.59 -Women: Mean 14.90; CI 12.64-17.16) and PA (Men: Mean 24.54; CI 21.32-27.76 -Women: Mean 27.17; CI 24.90-29.44). The highest burnout rates, presented by the physiotherapists working in the profession for more than 20 years, were identified in the domain of EE (Mean: 35.30; CI 30.51-40.10) and in those with 10-15 years of experience, in the domains of DP (Mean: 18.31; CI 14.89-21.73) and PA (Mean: 23.97; CI 20.13-27.81). The highest rate of occupational burnout, reflected by the scores in all three domains (EE, DP, PA), was identified in Department I -Intensive Care and Anaesthesiology Department: EE - (Mean: 40.89, CI 35.27-46.52); DP - (Mean: 21.39, CI 17.90-24.88); and PA - (Mean: 23.07, CI 20.04-26.10), compared to the other departments. The subjects who rarely participated in courses or training programs showed the highest burnout rates (EE- Mean: 33.55, CI 29.33-37.77; DP- Mean: 16.71, CI 13.99-19.43; PA- Mean: 25.45, CI 22.47-28.43). Occupational burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic is noticeable among physiotherapists working in clinical departments. The current findings show high burnout rates in all three domains: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). A comparative analysis of these findings with reference to related studies published before the pandemic shows that the burnout rates among physiotherapists may have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, given the scarcity of scientific evidence related to this specific problem in Poland and worldwide, it is necessary to continue research in occupational burnout affecting physiotherapists, particularly during the second wave of the pandemic, in order to gain a better understanding of the possible effects of social isolation and greater personal work-related health risks on the mental health of these medical professionals.

Greek Catholic and Orthodox shrines in the Polish People’s Republic as examples of destroying and saving the cultural heritage of the frontier

The shrine constituting the centre of spirituality was inseparable from the religious life of the Ukrainian people. The deportations of Ukrainians from the south-east of Poland in 1944–1947 exposed their churches to intentional and unintentional devastation. The communist authorities aimed to erase the traces of Ukrainian people in that area therefore they were not interested in preserving the abandoned Greek Catholic shrines. What is more, they even encouraged their demolition. One way to save them was allowing them to be taken over by the Roman Catholic Church. However, it often involved a change to their interior décor. The best solution was allowing them to be taken over by the Orthodox Catholic Church, or transferring them to open-air museums as museum objects.

The investigation of eco-driving possibilities in passenger car used in urban traffic

As commonly known during the operation of technical facilities their properties of operating parameters are changed, this also applies to the vehicle used internal combustion engines. It is connected with the influence of working and external factors on the internal combustion engine. For many years, there has been a discussion on the improvement of the ecological properties of vehicles moving in urban traffic, including technical, legal and solutions related to the technology of vehicle operation and use. This article presents preliminary test results of vehicle in the eco-driving operation in road condition in urban traffic. The results of the impact of chosen parameters like: average speed, time driving, course, type of road, number of stop’s, number of braking, was presented. Tests was carried out on passenger car powered by gasoline engine in urban traffic condition travel by so called ”routine route”, of a selected area of the city of Lublin in the south-east Poland.

Epidemiological characterization of Mycobacterium caprae strains isolated from wildlife in the Bieszczady Mountains, on the border of Southeast Poland

BackgroundThe majority of animal tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in wildlife in Poland over the past 20 years have concerned the European bison inhabiting the Bieszczady Mountains in Southeast Poland: an area running along the border of Southeast Poland. As no TB cases have been reported in domestic animals in this region since 2005, any occurrence of TB in the free-living animals inhabiting this area might pose a real threat to local livestock and result in the loss of disease-free status. The aim of the study was to describe the occurrence of tuberculosis in the wildlife of the Bieszczady Mountains and determine the microbiological and molecular characteristics of any cultured strains. Lymph node samples were collected for analysis from 274 free-living animals, including European bison, red foxes, badgers, red deer, wild boar and roe deer between 2011 and 2017. Löwenstein–Jensen and Stonebrink media were used for culture. Molecular identification of strains was performed based on hsp65 sequence analysis, the GenoType®MTBC (Hain Lifescience, Germany) test, spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR analysis.ResultsMycobacterium caprae was isolated from the lymph nodes of 21 out of 55 wild boar (38.2%; CI 95%: 26.5%, 51.4%) and one roe deer. Since 2014, no new TB cases have been reported in the Bieszczady European bison population.ConclusionsThe identification of TB in wild boar in the Bieszczady is an alarming phenomenon, which requires further investigation. The Bieszczady mountains are a precious, unique area, home to many protected species. However, it is also the only area in Poland where TB cases have been reported in free-living animals. The occurrence of TB in wild boar inhabiting this area might pose a real threat to local livestock and many of the protected species (for example European bison that can share feeding places with wild boar). Given this situation, ongoing monitoring of the prevalence of TB should be conducted, and protective measures should be considered.