The paper discusses three stages in the development of hunting. Initially hunting had an adaptive value and contributed to the process of evolution of humanoids. When animals were domesticated hunting rituals still constituted an important element of cultural identity and were subject to various transformations due to the pressure from the state and the church. In the contemporary world, under the influence of ecology we witness the emergence of a new ethics which changes man’s relationship to animals. Hunting cannot be reconciled with the morality of modern humanity. Some people demand a complete ban on hunting or that only bloodless tradition should be continued.

The study investigates the use of speech signal to recognise speakers’ emotional states. The introduction includes the definition and categorization of emotions, including facial expressions, speech and physiological signals. For the purpose of this work, a proprietary resource of emotionally-marked speech recordings was created. The collected recordings come from the media, including live journalistic broadcasts, which show spontaneous emotional reactions to real-time stimuli. For the purpose of signal speech analysis, a specific script was written in Python. Its algorithm includes the parameterization of speech recordings and determination of features correlated with emotional content in speech. After the parametrization process, data clustering was performed to allows for the grouping of feature vectors for speakers into greater collections which imitate specific emotional states. Using the t-Student test for dependent samples, some descriptors were distinguished, which identified significant differences in the values of features between emotional states. Some potential applications for this research were proposed, as well as other development directions for future studies of the topic.

The work presents results of solution combustion method utilization for yttria (Y2O3) nanopowder fabrication. Experiments were carried out with four different reducing agents: urea, glycine, citric acid and malonic acid added in stoichiometric ratio. The reactions were investigated using simultaneous DSC/DTA thermal analysis. After synthesis the reaction products were calcined at temperature range of 800-1100°C and analyzed in terms of particle size, specific surface area and morphology. Best results were obtained for nanoyttria powder produced from glycine. After calcination at temperature of 1100°C the powder exhibits in a form of nanometric, globular particles of diameter <100 nm, according to SEM analysis. The dBET for thus obtained powder is 104 nm, however the powder is agglomerated as the particle size measured by dynamic light scattering analysis is 1190 nm (dV50).

Introduction: Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a Gram-positive, anaerobic rod-shaped bacteria, widely spread in the human environment. In the last decade, the frequency and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) have been increasing, making this particular disease one of the most significant nosocomial infections. The aim of our study was an analysis of CDI risk factors, its course and consequences.

Materials and Methods: Medical documentation of the patients treated for CDI in the University Hospital in Cracow and St Anne’s Hospital in Miechów has been analysed. The analysis focused on epidemiological data, blood parameters, comorbidities, recurrence rate, and complication rate (deaths included). As part of risk factors analysis, antibiotic use or hospitalisation in a period of 3 months before the episode of infection was considered relevant. Blood tests have been performed using routinely employed, standard methods.

Results: We evaluated data of 168 people infected with C. difficile, out of which there were 102 women (61%) and 66 men (39%). Th e median age of the patients was 74 years for the entire population with 76 years for women and 71 years for male patients. One hundred thirteen people (67%) had been previously hospitalised, and 5 person was a pensioner of a nursing home. 99 people (59%) were treated with antibiotics within 3 months before the first episode of infection. An average length of the hospital stay because of CDI was 11 days. One hundred thirty persons (77%) experienced only 1 episode whereas 38 people (23%) had more than 1 episode of infection. The person with the largest number of recurrences had 9 of them.

Conclusions: The development of CDI is an increasing problem in a group of hospitalised persons, particularly of an old age. The general use of beta-lactam antibiotics is the cause of a larger number of infections with C. diffi cile. Vast majority of patients have had at least one typical risk factor of CDI development.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the impact of local press on social capital. A content analysis of Gazeta Lipnicka, a newspaper published between 1997 and 2016 in Bielsko-Biała by the Lipnik Association, is used to examine its communicative and integrative role in the local community.

Since the beginning of the 21st century floating buildings have been growing in popularity in Poland. According to market research and quantitative studies, the majority of operative Polish floating buildings serve for commercial purposes, such as short-term rentals, vacation houses and floating marinas. Simultaneously, despite the increasing demand, the development of floating buildings in Poland is limited by the inconsistent legislation, government policy and, most importantly, natural conditions of Polish inland waters. The most attractive sites for floating architecture are the semi-natural lakeshores and riverbanks. At the same time, low water levels and poor maintenance of many Polish basins require special architectural and engineering solutions. The article presents our experience with meeting the market’s demand for small cost-effective floating commercial buildings despite the local shortcomings of inland waters on the example of the floating apartment built in 2019 on the Roś Lake in Pisz, Poland. The presented building was intended as a water-based extension of the existing hotel on land. It was designed as a “modern barn” with all-glazed gable wall allowing for a spectacular view to the lake. With a 50 sqm footprint, the one-story house with a mezzanine has a small draft of 33 cm and meets the stability criteria defined for inland waters. The presented case study shows that integrating the naval architecture theory, Building Information Modeling simulation along with cutting-edge construction techniques such as Scottsdale Construction System (SCS) and polyurethane spray insulation, can bring significant progress into the development of the floating buildings market in Poland.

O b j e c t i v e s: To evaluate the properties of natural sweetener solutions in whole organ preservation and assess their influence on the dimension, weight and shape of cardiac tissue samples in stated time intervals, up to a one-year period of observation.

B a c k g r o u n d: Tissue fixation is essential for biological sample examination. Many negative toxic effects of formaldehyde-based fixatives have forced us to seek alternatives for formaldehyde based solutions. It has been demonstrated that natural sweeteners can preserve small tissue samples well and that these solutions can be used in histopathological processes. However, their ability to preserve whole human organs are unknown.

M e t h o d s: A total of 30 swine hearts were investigated. Th ree study groups (n = 10 in each case) were formed and classifi ed on the type of fixative: (1) 10% formaldehyde phosphate-buffered solution (FPBS), (2) 10% alcohol-based honey solution (ABHS), (3) 10% water-based honey solution (WBHS). Samples were measured before fi xation and in the following time points: 24 hours, 72 hours, 168 hours, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.

R e s u l t s: The WBHS failed to preserve heart samples and decomposition of tissues was observed one week after fixation. In half of the studied parameters, the ABHS had similar modifying tendencies as compared to FPBS. Th e overall condition of preserved tissue, weight, left ventricular wall thickness, right ventricular wall thickness and the diameter of the papillary muscle differed considerably.

C o n c l u s i o n s: The ABHS may be used as an alternative fi xative for macroscopic studies of cardiac tissue, whereas the WBHS is not suited for tissue preservation.

The paper presents results from social research on the Polish business representatives potentially interested in using the floating buildings. The main purposes of the study were to assess the level of knowledge about floating buildings and diag-nose stimulants and inhibitors of their development in the hotel, catering, and water tourism industry.

Combining the quantitative and the qualitative methodology, research was conducted using an on-line survey (CAWI)and Focused Group Interviews (FGI). Both involved a non-probabilistic, purposive sampling to reach a specific subgroup of the industry: owners or employees of catering, hotel or water tourism companies having or considering having a floating building. The group included both new and long-standing companies using facilities on water or with direct and indirect access to the water.

The study identified stimulating and inhibitory factors broken down into internal (context-independent) and external (context-dependent) conditions. Results show that in Poland floating commercial buildings are a niche topic but also a de-velopable one. Although 71% of the respondents notice difficulties resulting from the insufficient infrastructure and 66.5% of them indicate the lack of legal regulations, they also see the potential of floating buildings: depending on the industry, from 90 to 95% respondents find them “definitely attractive” or “rather attractive”. The most common reason for rejecting floating development is the lack of attractive moorages in the area (43.5% answers).

Authors paid attention to anatomy and clinical implications which are associated with the variations of the sphenoid sinus. We discuss also anatomical structure of the sphenoid bone implementing clinical application of this bone to diff erent invasive and miniinvasive procedures (i.e. FESS).

Pretreatment is aimed at making lignin structures, which in turn causes decrystallisation and depolymerisation of cellulose. This treatment allows to increase the energy potential of substrates. A properly selected method allows for obtaining larger amounts of biogas with a high content of biomethane. The aim of the study was to analyse selected pretreatment methods (ultrasonic and hydrothermal) for biogas yield, including biomethane, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of obtaining additional electricity and heat from these methods. It was based on the literature data. On basis the study, the following information was obtained: average yield of biogas and biomethane before and after treatment, difference in yield of biogas and biomethane after treatment, and the effect of treatment on the substrate used. Moreover, an estimate was made of the effectiveness of obtaining additional electricity and heat from selected pretreatment methods compared to hard coal. Based on the analysis of the ultrasonic treatment analysis, it was shown that the best result was obtained with the ultrasound treatment of the mixture of wheat straw and cattle manure with the following parameters: frequency 24 kHz, temperature 44.30°C, time 21.23 s. This allowed a 49% increase in biogas production. The use of pretreatment would therefore allow the production of more electricity and heat capable of replacing conventional heat sources such as coal.