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Background This paper explores the relationship between selected motivation factors that affect the attitude to work among medical doctors at public hospitals and the organizational performance of hospitals and selected motivation factors that affect the attitude to work among medical doctors at public hospitals. Methods This study was based on World Health Organization questionnaires designed to estimate motivation factors according to Herzberg’s motivation theory and to measure the levels of organizational performance of hospitals using the McKinsey model in the social aspect. A survey was conducted among physicians (n=249) with either surgical or nonsurgical specialty in 22 departments/units of general public hospitals in Warsaw, Poland. The relationship between the examined factors of job motivation and organizational effectiveness was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation. Furthermore, 95% confidence intervals were computed. The independent samples t-test was used to confirm any statistically significant differences between the independent groups. Normality was tested by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Results The survey revealed that motivation factors related to “quality and style of supervision” have the greatest effect on the hospital’s organizational performance (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient = 0.490; p<0.001), whereas “performance feedback” was rated as the lowest to affect organizational performance among the surveyed healthcare professionals (54% of physicians). Conclusion The principles of Individual Performance Review should be incorporated into strategies designed to improve the organizational performance of hospitals (with NHS serving as a possible role model) in order to establish specific rules on how to share performance feedback with among individual physicians. The present study contributes to literature on human resource management in the healthcare sector, highlighting the importance of social nonfinancial aspects in improving organizational performance in a hospital setting.

Background: This paper examines the relationship between selected motivation factors that affect the attitude to work among medical doctors at public hospitals and the organizational performance of hospitals. Methods: This study was based on World Health Organization questionnaires designed to estimate motivation factors according to Herzberg's motivation theory and to measure the level of organizational performance of hospitals by using the McKinsey model. A survey was conducted among physicians (n = 249) with either surgical (operative) or nonsurgical (conservative) specialty in 22 departments/units of general public hospitals in Warsaw, Poland. The relationship between the chosen job motivation factors and organizational effectiveness was determined using Spearman's rank correlation. Furthermore, 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The independent samples ttest was used to confirm statistically significant differences between the independent groups. Normality of the data was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results: The survey revealed that motivation factors related to "quality and style of supervision" have the highest effect on the organizational performance of hospitals (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.490; p < 0.001), whereas "performance feedback" has the lowest effect on organizational performance according to the surveyed healthcare professionals (54% of physicians). Conclusion: The principles of Individual Performance Review should be incorporated into strategies designed to improve the organizational performance of hospitals (with NHS serving as a potential role model) in order to establish specific rules on how to share performance feedback with individual physicians. The present study contributes to literature on human resource management in the healthcare sector and highlights the importance of nonfinancial aspects in improving the organizational performance of hospitals.

Background: The CHD7 (chromosome domain helicase DNA binding protein 7) gene has been associated with familial idiopathic scoliosis (IS) in families of European descent. The CHD7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms have never been studied in Polish Caucasian IS patients. Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of CHD7 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to or progression of IS in Polish Caucasian females. The study group comprised 211 females who underwent clinical, radiological and genetic examination. The study group was analyzed in three subgroups according to: (1) Cobb angle (Cobb angle ≤30°vs. Cobb angle ≥35°), (2) age of diagnosis (adolescent IS vs. early-onset IS) and (3) rate of progression (non-progressive vs. slowly progressive vs. rapidly progressive IS). The control group comprised 83 females with no scoliosis and with a negative family history who underwent clinical and genetic examination. In total six CHD7 gene polymorphisms were examined. Three polymorphisms (rs1017861, rs13248429, and rs4738813) were examined by RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis, and three were quantified by Sanger sequencing (rs78874766, rs4738824, and rs74797613). Results: In rs13248429, rs78874766, and rs74797613 polymorphisms only the wild allele was present. The rs1017861 polymorphism demonstrated an association with IS susceptibility (p < 0.01). Two polymorphisms, rs1017861 and rs4738813, were associated with curve severity and progression rate (p < 0.05). None of the evaluated polymorphisms in CHD7 gene showed any association with the age of IS onset. Conclusions: The polymorphism rs1017861 in CHD7 gene showed an association with IS susceptibility. Two polymorphisms (rs1017861 and rs4738813) were associated with curve severity and progression rate. None of the evaluated polymorphisms in CHD7 gene showed any association with the age of IS onset. Further evaluation of CHD7 gene should be considered as IS modifying factor.

The effect of the well-characterized callus extract of Chaenomeles japonica on viability, morphology, and proliferation of normal human skin fibroblasts was investigated. The phytochemical analysis was performed using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method. The total phenolic, phenolic acid, and flavonoid contents were determined spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant activity was investigated using the DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl Radical Scavenging), FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power), and CUPRAC (CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity) assays. The callus growth index during passages was high as well as the content of pentacyclic triterpenoids. The microscopic observations of the fibroblast viability, morphology and the evaluation of the proliferation ratio (xCELLigence system) proved that the influence of callus extract on the fibroblasts was dose-dependent. The evaluated level of fibroblasts proliferation rate after 72 h of incubation with callus extract at concentration 12.5 µg L−1 was the highest compared to all the analyzed ligands. Moreover, callus extract administrated for 72 h caused a significant increase in the proliferation rate in comparison with the control group (5.7 ± 0.1 vs. 4.4 ± 0.9; p < 0.01). The preliminary studies carried out may suggest that the callus extract rich in triterpenoids may be a potential source of cosmetic ingredients with a beneficial effect on human skin.