Background The aim of this study was to determine the impact of umbilical cord arterial pH, gestational age, and birth weight on neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm neonates. Methods We examined 112 neonates. Inclusion criteria were: Saturations greater than 88%, and heart rates between 100–205 beats per minute. Measurements We assessed several neurodevelopmental factors as part of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), 4th edition, such as asymmetric tonic neck reflex (ATNR), motor maturity, response to sensory stimuli, habituation, and state regulation. Initial assessment parameters such as APGAR score and umbilical cord arterial pH were used to assess neonates. Results We found a strong correlation between the presence of the sucking reflex and umbilical cord arterial pH (r = 0.32; p = 0.018981). Umbilical cord arterial pH was also correlated with the presence of asymmetric tonic neck reflex (r = 0.27; p = 0.047124), cost of attention (r = 0.31; p = 0.025381) and general motor maturity (r = 0.34; p = 0.011741). Conclusions We found that the sucking reflex may be affected in infants with low umbilical cord arterial pH values. Practitioners and parents can use the NBAS to help determine neurodevelopmental factors and outcomes in preterm infants, possibly leading to safer and more effective feeding practices and interventions.

Background: The neonatal behavioral assessment scale (NBAS) was primarily developed to aid in the assessment of full-term neonates. The aim of this study was to detect if the NBAS was also valuable in the assessment of preterm neonates. Materials and Methods: We assessed 112 infants at a neonatal unit using the NBAS, 4th edition. The inclusion criteria included an oxygen saturation level between 88–95% and a heartrate of 100–205 beats per minute. Infant neurobehavior was assessed using the NBAS. Results: For full-term and preterm neonates, we observed that the NBAS enabled us to assess both groups of infants and gave relevant information pertaining to them. We found a significant correlation between the average week of gestation and response to touch, sensory input, peak of excitement, cost of attention, hand-to-mouth, and quality of alertness. Conclusions: The NBAS is a valuable scale for evaluating the neurobehavior of preterm neonates. The week of gestation at birth affects certain aspects of neurobehavior, such as response to sensory input, putting hand to mouth, peak of excitement, and cost of attention. The NBAS as an individually structured assessment may help in planning for early rehabilitation and intervention for this vulnerable population.

Introduction. The number of people with dementia increases. Patients are dependent of informal care provided by their family members, especially spouses, children and friends. As the disease progresses caregiving becomes more complex, stressful and demanding. The needs of informal caregivers are related to the lack of professional support in care, including information about the disease, advise of management of its symptoms and social and financial support. It is therefore important to create an information tool which will assist caregivers in their daily work with people with dementia.Aim. The aim of the study was the technical evaluation of the information platform for caregivers of patients with dementia. Material and methods. The study involved 18 caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The level of GDS scale comprised those between 4 and 7. Platform testing had been carried out from 15 February to 15 March 2015. Evaluation of the platform was made using a technical questionnaire depending on the result of the GDS and the Zarit scale. Results and conclusions. Platform was rated positively by caregivers (average score 4 out of 5) with the exception of a few areas which received an average rating of 3. These areas include: usefulness of the guidance provided for the application (26% of respondents assessed it negatively), ease to find the relevant information (25% negative assessments), application responsiveness (24% negative assessments) and the quality of the media files (23% negative assessments). Respondents assessed the platform positively, although some technical issues need improvement.

Introduction: The study is aimed at drawing the attention of the medical environment to the mental health aspects of young patients as a factor that significantly influences the efficiency of their rheumatic disease treatment. Aim: This paper is to check the risk of depression among a group of adolescents and young adults with rheumatic diseases. Material and Methods: The study was conducted among a group of 68 late adolescents and young adults (18-22 years old) with rheumatic diseases. The control group consisted of 102 young people (18-22 years old) without a diagnosed chronic disease. Risk of depression was measured using a screening tool – the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS). Results: The analysis showed that the probability of depression in the study group was 35.3%. In the control group, this rate was 19.6%. The results were statistical significance (p=0.028). Conclusions: The results of this study prove that the risk of depression among adolescents and young adults with rheumatic diseases is significantly higher than in healthy young people. The highest risk of depression is related to feeling tired, fatigue, low energy levels and lack of motivation as well as feeling worried, nervous, panicky, tense, keyed-up and anxious.

WprowadzenieZaprawa budowlana, jako składowa przegród budowlanych, jest również źródłem ich zawilgocenia technologicznego. Wpływa także na tempo wysychania całej przegrody, co przekłada się z kolei na zapotrzebowanie budynku na ciepło. Analizy dotyczące tempa wysychania wilgoci technologicznej ze ścian zewnętrznych w powiązaniu z efektywnością energetyczną budynków podejmowane są między innymi w pracach [1][2][3]. Pomocnym narzędziem do oceny stanu wilgotnościowego przegród oraz do wykonywania symulacji dotyczących ich wysychania może być program WUFI [2,4,5]. Można w nim bowiem założyć określone warunki klimatu wewnętrznego oraz zewnętrznego w zadanym przedziale czasowym symulacji. Przykładowy wynik takich obliczeń odniesionych do muru z betonu komórkowego w trakcie rocznego procesu wysychania przedstawiono na rysunku 1.Symulacje eksperymentalne nad kinetyką wysychania między innymi zaprawy cementowej zaprezentowano natomiast w pracy [6]. Autor wspomnianej pracy na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań na próbkach o wymiarach 4 x 4 x 4 cm wyznaczył krzywe wysychania oraz prędkości wysychania. W przytaczanym artykule proces usuwania wilgoci z materiału jednorodnego równomiernie nasyconego opisywany jest dwuetapowo. Pierwszy etap charakteryzuje się stałą szybkością wysychania, a odprowadzenie wody następuje z powierzchni całkowicie zawilgoconej. Z kolei w drugim etapie wysychania rozkład migrującej cieczy jest uzależniony od porowatej struktury materiału, czego konsekwencją są różne siły kapilarne występujące w porach o różnej wielkości i różnym kształcie [6]. Słowa kluczowe: zaprawy budowlane, cement, kinetyka wysychania Evaluation of the drying kinetics of selected cement mortars with variable w/c in different temperature conditions AbstractThe article presents an assessment of the results of the research process drying of cement mortars which are diversed by type of the cement and water-cement ratio w/c. It was assumed three levels of the w/c ratio, namely 0.5; 0.55 and 0.6. Conditioning of the prepared mortars was carried out at three levels of temperature: +5, +20 and +30°C. Measurement data enabled the determination of graphs depicting the rate of weight loss samples of cement mortars in 27 cases evaluated.