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This publication discusses the results of the project, which explains the mysterious lack of any traces of the Palaeolithic in the Tatra Mountains. Research undertaken in recent years in three caves – Obłazkowa and Dziura in the Polish Tatra and Hučivá diera Cave in the Slovak Tatras – have shown the destruction of sediments in Polish caves. Only in the Slovak cave was it possible to discover and partially examine a camp of the Late Paleolithic people. This discovery leads to the conclusion that during the Bölling warming of the Pleistocene, hunters operated in this cave, hunting goats and processed carcasses of hunted animals on site.

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the association between mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) and perioperative outcomes following nephrectomy in the minimally invasive surgery (MIS) era. Methods : All partial and radical nephrectomies between 2019 and 2021 from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were evaluated. Thirty-day perioperative outcomes were compared between groups where MBP was performed vs. not, in both the MIS and open surgery (OS) cohorts. A propensity score matching technique was utilized within MIS cases to control for covariates. The chi-square and t tests were used to determine significance. Results : A total of 11,869 cases met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Of these, 8,204 (69.1%; comprising 65.3% robotic and 34.7% laparoscopic) underwent MIS, while 3,665 (30.9%) underwent OS. The rate of MBP was higher in the MIS group (16.0% vs. 10.0%, p < 0.001). Within the MIS group, MBP was associated with reduced rates of postoperative ileus (0.9% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.02), while other complications were comparable. Propensity score matching showed no association between MBP and postoperative ileus. However, a lower rate of 30-day readmission in the MBP group became statistically significant (4.4% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.01). Conversely, patients in the MBP group also demonstrated higher rates of pneumonia (1.3% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.002) and pulmonary embolism (0.6% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) after matching. Conclusion : MBP practice prior to nephrectomy is infrequent in both OS and MIS cases, with minor differences in perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing MIS. Routine MBP should continue to be excluded from the standard of care for nephrectomy in the MIS era.

Abstract In this paper, we undertake a novel two-pronged investigation into the human recognition of deepfake speech, addressing critical gaps in existing research. First, we pioneer an evaluation of the impact of prior information on deepfake recognition, setting our work apart by simulating real-world attack scenarios where individuals are not informed in advance of deepfake exposure. This approach simulates the unpredictability of real-world deepfake attacks, providing unprecedented insights into human vulnerability under realistic conditions. Second, we introduce a novel metric to evaluate the quality of deepfake audio. This metric facilitates a deeper exploration into how the quality of deepfake speech influences human detection accuracy. By examining both the effect of prior knowledge about deepfakes and the role of deepfake speech quality, our research reveals the importance of these factors, contributes to understanding human vulnerability to deepfakes, and suggests measures to enhance human detection skills.

Today's Internet as a social medium can be perceived in many ways. In general terms, it can be a cyberspace used to provide services, sell goods, and for other purposes of public life. On the one hand, the Internet provides unlimited possibilities of freedom, access to the source of all information, but on the other hand it can be perceived as a source of threats to the accepted social order and legal order. Attacks using it are directed, among others, at systems, data and computer programs, user privacy and intellectual property. In Polish literature on the subject, the issue of counteracting and punishing crimes related to the content of information in the conditions of the perpetrator's use of electronic data processing systems has not until recently found much interest. This issue concerns not only socially and politically important and disturbing issues, which have not yet been fully scientifically developed, but is increasingly appearing in the practice of the justice system. Hence, it deserves much wider interest than before. The socially undertaken discourse on the free flow of information on the Internet and the multitude of assessments accompanying this topic prompted the author to edit the article.

The arrival of several million Ukrainians in the EU since February 2022 has posed new challenges to migration infrastructure. In this article, we pay particular attention to the determinants of labour market entry and its inclusiveness for war migrant women in countries with a history of Ukrainian labour migration. According to Xiang and Lindquist (2014), migration infrastructure consists of five overlapping dimensions: regulatory, commercial, social, technological, and humanitarian. These dimensions influence the position and behaviour of migrants in their host countries. Using this lens, we investigate how the actors within the migration infrastructure in Poland and Italy have played their part in facilitating the newcomers’ access to quality paid jobs as well as the biggest barriers they face in this process. Our analysis is based on the results of original field research carried out in 2023, when, apart from other methodological approaches, 37 in‐depth interviews with key infrastructure actors were conducted. The findings reveal large‐scale collaboration among migration infrastructure actors with overlapping commercial, social, and humanitarian dimensions in both countries. The text contributes to the growing stream of research on the so‐called infrastructural turn in labour migration in Europe, especially in terms of changes triggered by crises.

Abstract Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are commonly used in aviation, automotive and renewable energy markets, which are constantly growing. Increasing the production of composite parts leads to increased waste production and a future increase in end-of-life components. To improve the recyclability of CFRPs, new materials that fit in with the idea of a circular economy should be used as a composite matrix. One such material is a commercially available thermoplastic liquid resin, Elium® (Arkema, France). In this work, the authors investigated how the mechanical recycling process affects the properties of thermoplastic-based carbon fibre composites. CFRPs with neat Elium® resin and resin modified with 0.02 wt.% single-walled carbon nanotubes or 0.02 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes were manufactured using the resin infusion process. Afterwards, prepared laminates were mechanically ground, and a new set of composites was manufactured by thermopressing. The microstructure, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties were investigated for both sets of composites. The results showed that mechanical grinding and thermopressing processes lead to a significant increase in the electrical conductivity of composites. Additionally, a sharp decrease in all mechanical properties was observed.

This study describes the patterns of dialect use among L3 Norwegian speakers born in Poland who have migrated to Norway. We collected the data in the form of sociolinguistic interviews recorded in Tromsø and Oslo, two different dialect regions, in order to examine potential differences in acquisition of two dissimilar dialects in Norwegian by L3 speakers. The analyses focus on dialectal and accentual variation in their speech, and whether frequency of dialect use is dependent on selected sociocultural factors. We have found that some speakers, especially those scoring high for overall dialect use, also display style-shifting, i.e. they use dialect features from the region more frequently in unscripted speech as opposed to in more formal speech styles elicited through reading tasks or the wordlist reading tasks. This demonstrates that language learners are capable of developing sensitivity towards the vernacular form in an L3. Moreover, it shows that first-generation migrant communities in fact may be capable of developing their L2/L3/L4 language competencies in a similar way to L1 speakers, including at the level of sociolinguistic variation.

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are effective in reducing hospitalization, COVID-19 symptoms, and COVID-19 mortality for nursing home (NH) residents. We sought to compare the accuracy of various machine learning models, examine changes to model performance, and identify resident characteristics that have the strongest associations with 30-day COVID-19 mortality, before and after vaccine availability. Methods We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study analyzing data from all NH facilities across Ontario, Canada. We included all residents diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 and living in NHs between March 2020 and July 2021. We employed five machine learning algorithms to predict COVID-19 mortality, including logistic regression, LASSO regression, classification and regression trees (CART), random forests, and gradient boosted trees. The discriminative performance of the models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for each model using 10-fold cross-validation. Model calibration was determined through evaluation of calibration slopes. Variable importance was calculated by repeatedly and randomly permutating the values of each predictor in the dataset and re-evaluating the model’s performance. Results A total of 14,977 NH residents and 20 resident characteristics were included in the model. The cross-validated AUCs were similar across algorithms and ranged from 0.64 to 0.67. Gradient boosted trees and logistic regression had an AUC of 0.67 pre- and post-vaccine availability. CART had the lowest discrimination ability with an AUC of 0.64 pre-vaccine availability, and 0.65 post-vaccine availability. The most influential resident characteristics, irrespective of vaccine availability, included advanced age (≥ 75 years), health instability, functional and cognitive status, sex (male), and polypharmacy. Conclusions The predictive accuracy and discrimination exhibited by all five examined machine learning algorithms were similar. Both logistic regression and gradient boosted trees exhibit comparable performance and display slight superiority over other machine learning algorithms. We observed consistent model performance both before and after vaccine availability. The influence of resident characteristics on COVID-19 mortality remained consistent across time periods, suggesting that changes to pre-vaccination screening practices for high-risk individuals are effective in the post-vaccination era.

Day-boundary discontinuity (DBD) is an effect present in precise GNSS satellite orbit and clock products originating from the method used for orbit and clock determination. The non-Gaussian measurement noise and data processing in 24 h batches are responsible for DBDs. In the case of the clock product, DBD is a time jump in the boundary epochs of two adjacent batches of processed data and its magnitude might reach a couple of ns. This article presents the four GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) systems DBD analysis in terms of change over an 8 year period. For each of 118 satellites available in this period, the yearly value of DBD was subject to analysis including standard deviation and frequency of outliers. Results show that the smallest DBDs appear in the GPS system, the biggest – for the BeiDou space segment. Moreover, the phenomenon of changes in DBDs over time is clearly seen at the beginning of the analysed period when the magnitude and number of the DBDs were larger than for current, newest clock products

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the efficacy and outcomes of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in the context of younger male patients. Methods: Males aged ≤55 who underwent TURP at Rambam Health Care Campus from January 2011 to August 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicodemographic characteristics, indications for surgery, uroflowmetry, pressure-flow study, and early and late postoperative outcomes were collected. Patients with urethral or bladder abnormalities were excluded. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were employed for bivariate analysis. Results: Inclusion criteria were met by 58 men who underwent TURP at a median age of 52 years (interquartile range [IQR] 49.5–54). Median prostate size was 35 mL (24.5–56), with median prostate-specific antigen of 1.4 ng/mL (0.65–3.1). A total of 60% of patients used α-blockers, and 19% used 5α-reductase inhibitors pre-surgery. Overall, 54 (93.1%) had severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), with 34 (59%) being predominantly emptying and 20 (35%) storage. Most surgeries were performed for refractory LUTS in 38 (66%), followed by urinary retention in 16 (28%). At 6 weeks, 57 (98%) patients were catheter-free. The maximum flow rate and residual volume showed significant improvement from 9 mL/s to 21 mL/s (P=0.01), and from 171 mL to 61 mL (P=0.006), respectively. Pathology revealed benign prostatic hyperplasia in 53 (91.4%), and inflammation in 5 (8.5%). A total of 13 auxiliary procedures were required in 12 patients (20.7%) during follow-up: 7 transurethral bladder neck incisions, 3 re-TURP, 1 meatus widening, and 1 patient required artificial urinary sphincter implantation followed by simple cystectomy for end-stage bladder. Conclusions: In young men, TURP showed short-term gains in flowmetry and catheter removal rates, but a sustained need for subsequent procedures in the long run. In this unique population, patients should be carefully selected, and alternative, less aggressive, interventions should be considered.

The main aim of the research was to diagnose drivers' behavior in urban road traffic. It was preceded by careful observation and testing of drivers' behavior in terms of the violations assumed to be observed. It was taken into account, inter alia, aspects such as failure to comply with road signs and signals, behavior at the rail-road crossing, or offenses occurring in the pedestrian-driver relationship. During the observations, the assumption was to capture negative behaviors of drivers, but each time attention was also paid to positive behaviors related to road culture. The analysis of the results allowed the researchers to identify the most common mistakes made by drivers. This can help not only to better enforce regulations at selected measurement sites but also lead to improved education about these specific violations.

Background: Students are a group particularly high risk of adverse effects from such restrictions introduced within counter transmission the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Fear felt of contracting the disease and social isolation can lead to consuming excessive amounts of energy with food, resulting in weight gain and eating disorders. Objective. The aim of the study was analysed selected lifestyle aspects of Polish and Turkish students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the existence of differences between the lifestyles of these individuals during the two periods. Material and methods. The study was conducted at the turn of 2020-2021 among 435 students, including 331 Polish and 104 Turkish students: The research instrument was an original questionnaire created in a Google Forms, consisting of metric and a proper part regarding lifestyle before and during the pandemic. Prior to the actual study, in order to verify whether the research tool is understandable, a pilot study was conducted, which included 40 individuals. The Wilcoxon test was used to examine the differences between the lifestyle of students before and during the pandemic. A value of p

Aim of the study: Today, completely new forms of geo-information systems are becoming increasingly popular. New technological possibilities allow these systems to be adapted to the requirements and needs of societies. This paper is an extensive literature review of the use of geodata in various scientific fields, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. However, as there is no universal agreement as to which disciplines are included in the STEM, the authors also included related fields such as geography or transport. Material and methods: Already a preliminary analysis of the Web of Science Core Collection database has shown that geodata is used very widely, in every scientific discipline analysed (with varying degrees of sophistication). The main objective of the paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the usage of geodata in five areas: bathymetric measurements, satellite geodata, aerial retrieved geodata, levelling networks, and GIS data. Results and conclusions: The results showed the increasing availability of data that can contribute to a better understanding and management of our planet. Geodata as a tool is overly broad and general, and it is used or might be used in every discipline of science.

Vertical displacements are traditionally measured with precise levelling, which is inherently time consuming. Rapid or even real-time height determination can be achieved by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Nevertheless, the accuracy of real-time GNSS positioning is limited, and the deployment of a network of continuously operating GNSS receivers is not cost effective unless low-cost GNSS receivers are considered. In this study, we examined the use of geodetic-grade and low-cost GNSS receivers for static and real-time GNSS levelling, respectively. The results of static GNSS levelling were processed in four different software programs or services. The largest differences for ellipsoidal/normal heights reached 0.054 m/0.055 m, 0.046 m/0.047 m, and 0.058 m/0.058 m for points WRO1, BM_ROOF, and BM_CP, respectively. In addition, the values depended on the software used and the location of the point. However, the multistage experiment was designed to analyze various strategies for GNSS data processing and to define a method for detecting vertical displacement in a time series of receiver coordinates. The developed method combined time differentiation of coordinates estimated for a single GNSS receiver using the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique and Butterworth filtering. It demonstrated the capability of real-time detection of six out of eight displacements in the range between 20 and 55 mm at the three-sigma level. The study showed the potential of low-cost GNSS receivers for real-time displacement detection, thereby suggesting their applicability to structural health monitoring, positioning, or early warning systems.

The topic of the paper is the analysis of the situation in the secondary real estate market in Krakow from 2017 to 2020. The research was conducted based on data obtained from the register of real estate prices and values. The results of the research helped detect changes occurring in the indicated years; the number of transactions in the housing market in the city oscillated around the value of 4,000 for each year. The high demand for real estate was significantly disrupted by 2020 and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite an almost 50% drop in the number of transactions and reduced interest from potential buyers, the price of 1m2 of residential space rose steadily. Thus, the pandemic only affected the number of transactions, while no deceleration of the rising trend was observed in terms of the average transaction price or the average price per square meter.

The higher risk for kidney stone in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism is well-documented; stone risk in patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NPHPT) remains unclear. We present a case of recurrent calcium kidney stones in a patient with severe idiopathic hypercalciuria and NPHPT. The surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma failed to reduce kidney stone risk (based on the 24-hr urine study) and kidney stone burden (based on ultrasound). This unique case examines the impact of surgical resection of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma on stone risk in a patient with NPHPT and recurrent calcium kidney stones.

Aim of the study: The main objective of the study was to analyse the possibility of using GIS tools for 3D modelling of data presented on local spatial development plans (LSMP), with the view to maximising the use of planning provisions. Material and methods: Publicly available LSMP for the analysed scope were used in order to obtain the maximum building height for each section of the studied area. Then, based on data obtained from the Open Street Map (OSM) and the database of topographic objects (BDOT10k), areas were identified where further construction or increasing the height of existing buildings could be permitted. Results and conclusions: The analyses obtained made it possible to determine the regions for which increased development is possible. This type of knowledge can be useful for facility owners, real estate developers, and most importantly for public administration bodies – so that they are aware of planning provisions or possible elements in the MPZP that should be changed in order to prevent excessive building density. Such excessive development could result, for example, in obscuring the visibility of the sun for selected areas or blocking urban ventilation corridors. Thus, this type of study provides a very simple way of visualising the maximum possible development in the newly created local plans, and other similar analyses.

With the agricultural industry being vital for regional food safety, the extreme conditions under which it operated in Ukraine during the first half of 2022 has offered a unique insight on vulnerabilities of supply chains as well as the necessity of ensuring transport and logistics support for grain supply chain using adaptive methods. During that time frame, existing infrastructure, logistics, and involved materials were at risk of being stolen or by being destroyed due to direct combat damage or resulting fires. Established food transportation routes suffered from blockades, destruction, or congestion. Switching modes of transport for crop grains proved difficult with the absence of required transport and logistics support. The switch to vegetable oil transport proved harder still. Meanwhile, the re-established naval transportation shed a spotlight on GIS instruments that became critical for the safety of regional food supply chain. This inspired the idea of implementing methods of assessing the safety of transport facilities with the direct participation of the user based on geographic information. These methods can be key in enabling new export routes as part of a stable grain supply chain, supporting logistics behind constructing pipelines for transportation of vegetable oils. As the food safety of the world depends on new export routes, ensuring their efficiency and security will always remain relevant.

Aim of the study: The paper describes the problems of collecting, processing and sharing geospatial data on the example of the National Geodetic and Cartographic Resource (GUGiK). The Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography (GUGiK), on the basis of the acquired data, prepares spatial databases for the whole country, such as the database of topographic objects (BDOT) or the numerical terrain model. These data are used for further studies, environmental analyses such as hydrographic or sozological maps of Poland. Material and methods: The article indicates what functionalities and, above all, what geospatial data are collected in the geoportal, a government map service managed by the General Office of Geodesy and Cartography. The study included a survey of the geoportal. The purpose of the survey was to obtain information on whether this service is known to potential audiences seeking information on spatial data. Results and conclusions: The survey proved that the geoportal is a popular service used to display and process spatial data. Survey respondents use a lot of the data collected in the geoportal and take advantage of its functionality. Finally, an analysis was carried out of data obtained from the District Geodetic and Cartographic Documentation Center of Małopolska regarding the number of notifications of geodetic works, the number of applications for access to materials from the PZGiK, and the number of applications for extracts or extracts from the cadastral record – for the period 2014–2019.

The present study seeks to determine whether superior musical hearing is correlated with successful production of second language (L2) intonation patterns. Fifty Polish speakers of English at the university level were recorded before and after an extensive two-semester accent training course in English. Participants were asked to read aloud a series of short dialogues containing different intonation patterns, complete two musical hearing tests measuring tone deafness and melody discrimination, and a survey regarding musical experience. We visually analyzed and assessed participants’ intonation by comparing their F0 contours with the model provided by their accent training teachers following ToBI (Tones and Break Indices) guidelines and compared the results with the musical hearing test scores and the survey responses. The results suggest that more accurate pitch perception can be related to more correct production of L2 intonation patterns as participants with superior musical ear produced more native-like speech contours after training, similar to those of their teachers. After dividing participants into four categories based on their musical hearing test scores and musical experience, we also observed that some students with better musical hearing test scores were able to produce more correct L2 intonation patterns. However, students with poor musical hearing test scores and no musical background also improved, suggesting that the acquisition of L2 intonation in a formal classroom setting can be successful regardless of one’s musical hearing skills.

The work included an analysis of the primary real estate market in Krakow in 2017‑2020. The above analysis was carried out on the basis of transactions obtained from the official register at the city hall. The results of the research made it possible to observe the changes taking place in the market: the prices grew moderately, and the number of transactions was between 8,000 and 11,000 each year. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of transactions conducted dropped sharply. Despite the reduced interest of potential buyers, prices per square meter of residential space increased significantly during the period under review. Thus, the pandemic only affected the number of transactions and not the average price per unit of space.

This article presents a novel dataset focused on structural damage in quadcopters, addressing a significant gap in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) research. The dataset is called CrazyPAD (Crazyflie Propeller Anomaly Data) according to the name of the Crazyflie 2.1 nano-quadrocopter used to collect the data. Despite the existence of datasets on UAV anomalies and behavior, none of them covers structural damage specifically in nano-quadrocopters. Our dataset, therefore, provides critical data for developing predictive models for defect detection in nano-quadcopters. This work details the data collection methodology, involving rigorous simulations of structural damages and their effects on UAV performance. The ultimate goal is to enhance UAV safety by enabling accurate defect diagnosis and predictive maintenance, contributing substantially to the field of UAV technology and its practical applications.

When processing the carrier phase, the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) grants the highest precision for geodetic measurements. The analysis centers (ACs) from the International GNSS Service (IGS) provide different data such as precise clock data, precise orbits, reference frame, ionosphere and troposphere data, as well as other geodetic products. Each individual AC has its own strategy for delivering the abovementioned products, with one of the key elements being the cutoff elevation angle. Typically, this angle is arbitrarily chosen using generic values without studying the impact of this choice on the obtained results, in particular when very precise positions are considered. This article addresses this issue. To this end, the article has two key sections, and the first is to evaluate the impact of using the two different cutoff elevation angles that are most widely used: (a) 3 degrees cutoff and (b) 10 degrees cutoff elevation angle. This analysis is completed in two major parts: (i) the analysis of the root mean square (RMS) for the carrier phase and (ii) the analysis of the station position in terms of repeatability. The second key section of the paper is a comprehensive carrier phase analysis conducted by adopting a new approach using a mean of the 25-point average RMS (A-RMS) and the single-point RMS and using an ionosphere-free linear combination. By using the ratio between the 25-point average RMS and the single-point RMS we can define the type of scatter that dominates the phase solution. The analyzed data span a one-year period. The tested GNSS stations belong to the EUREF Permanent Network (EPN) and the International GNSS Service (IGS). These comprise 55 GNSS stations, of which only 23 GNSS stations had more than 95% data availability for the entire year. The RMS and A-RMS are analyzed in conjunction with the precipitable water vapor (PWV), which shows clear signs of temporal correlation. Of the 23 GNSS stations, three stations show an increase of around 50% of the phase RMS when using a 3° cutoff elevation angle, and only four stations have a difference of 5% between the phase RMS when using both cutoff elevation angles. When using the A-RMS, there is an average improvement of 37% of the phase scatter for the 10° cutoff elevation angle, whereas for the 3° cutoff elevation angle, the improvement is around 33%. Based on studying this ratio, four stations indicate that the scatter is dominated by the stronger-than-usual dominance of long-period variations, whereas the others show short-term noise. In terms of station position repeatability, the weighted root mean square (WRMS) is used as an indicator, and the results between the differences of using a 3° and 10° cutoff elevation angle strategy show a difference of −0.16 mm for the North component, −0.21 mm for the East component and a value of −0.75 mm for the Up component, indicating the importance of using optimal cutoff angles.

The aim of this paper is to assess the association between macroeconomic factors and house prices in selected OECD countries. In this paper, authors describe selected socioeconomic factors, adapt a transparent methodology based on the OECD database and derive results shedding a light on the main drivers shaping the trends of the real estate prices. Two main economic aggregates, inflation and gross domestic product (GDP) were analysed for the OECD member and non-member countries for which complete data have been made available for the period of 1990-2020. The OECD provides data for 60 countries in total, out of which 38 are members of the organization. Nevertheless, due to missing observations in certain countries, the analysis was carried out in 19 of them. The aim of the study was to determine how GDP and inflation dynamics are correlated with changes in property prices. Among the analysed countries, Japan and South Africa could be distinguished as outliers in terms of inflation, whereas in the case of GDP, Italy, Japan, Ireland and Norway stood out. Additionally, 12 representative countries were described in detail. These countries comprised four groups of three countries divided across two dimensions: the first, based on the highest and the lowest correlation coefficient, and the second, based on the measure used to calculate the correlation coefficient (correlation of the house prices with GDP and correlation of the house price with inflation). On the basis of the analyses, it was shown that the association between GDP and house prices is stronger than that between inflation and house prices – in most cases, prices increased at a similar rate as GDP. A particularly high correlation between GDP and house prices was found for Norway, New Zealand and Sweden, indicating a potentially higher marginal housing consumption responsiveness to changes in housing wealth in these highly developed countries, characterised by particularly low housing transaction costs and efficient mortgage market. It was deduced that such characteristics lead to a higher wealth elasticity of demand for new houses.

Abstract Background Fascial dehiscence after radical cystectomy may have serious clinical implications. To optimize its management, we sought to describe accompanying intraabdominal findings of post-cystectomy dehiscence repair and determine whether a thorough intraabdominal exploration during its operation is mandatory. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a multi-institutional cohort of patients who underwent open radical cystectomy between 2005 and 2020. Patients who underwent exploratory surgery due to fascial dehiscence within 30 days post-cystectomy were included in the analysis. Data collected included demographic characteristics, the clinical presentation of dehiscence, associated laboratory findings, imaging results, surgical parameters, operative findings, and clinical implications. Potential predictors of accompanying intraabdominal complications were investigated. Results Of 1301 consecutive patients that underwent cystectomy, 27 (2%) had dehiscence repair during a median of 7 days post-surgery. Seven patients (26%) had accompanying intraabdominal pathologies, including urine leaks, a fecal leak, and an internal hernia in 5 (19%), 1 (4%), and 1 (4%) patients, respectively. Accompanying intraabdominal findings were associated with longer hospital stay [20 (IQR 17, 23) vs. 41 (IQR 29, 47) days, P = 0.03] and later dehiscence identification (postoperative day 7 [IQR 5, 9] vs. 10 [IQR 6, 15], P = 0.03). However, the rate of post-exploration complications was similar in both groups. A history of ischemic heart disease was the only predictor for accompanying intraabdominal pathologies (67% vs. 24%; P = 0.02). Conclusions A substantial proportion of patients undergoing post-cystectomy fascial dehiscence repair may have unrecognized accompanying surgical complications without prior clinical suspicion. While cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for accompanying findings, meticulous abdominal inspection is imperative in all patients during dehiscence repair. Identification and repair during the surgical intervention may prevent further adverse, possibly life-threatening consequences with minimal risk for iatrogenic injury.

Dynamic changes in the farming practices, growing numbers of beef farmers and geographic distribution of beef cattle herds in the Czech Republic impact on helminth parasites of cattle and vice versa. We summarize in a brief form results of parasitological examination of samples collected by farmers from range of beef cattle farms across the whole Czech Republic in order to provide baseline data for parasite control and to report occurrence of an invasive rumen fluke Calicophoron daubneyi in the country.

Time is an extremely important element in the field of GNSS positioning. In precise positioning with a single-centimetre accuracy, satellite clock corrections are used. In this article, the longest available data set of satellite clock corrections of four GNSS systems from 2014 to 2021 was analysed. This study covers the determination of the quality (outliers number and magnitude), availability, stability, and determination of the specificity and nature of the clock correction for each satellite system. One problem with the two newest satellite systems (Galileo and BeiDou) is the lack of availability of satellite signals in the early years of the analysis. These data were available only in the later years of the period covered by the analysis, as most of the satellites have only been in orbit since 2018–2019. Interestingly, the percentage of outlying observations was highest in Galileo and lowest in BeiDou. Phase and frequency plots showed a significant number of outlying observations. On the other hand, after eliminating outlying observations, each system showed a characteristic graph waveform. The most consistent and stable satellite clock corrections are provided by the GPS and GLONASS systems. The main problems discussed in this paper are the determination of the number and magnitude of outliers in clock products of four GNSS systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou) and the study on the long-term stability of GNSS clocks analysis, which covers the years 2014–2021.

Background. A properly balanced diet should provide multiple valuable nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body through the proper frequency of consuming food products that are their source. This is particularly important during the pandemic when there is a need to support the immune system. Objective. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of consumption of selected groups of food products and to determine whether this frequency differs among medical and non-medical students in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. The study was conducted among 435 Polish and Turkish students using an original questionnaire. The proper study was preceded by a pilot study in 40 participants.The Wilcoxon test was used to assess the differences in the frequency of consumption of selected groups of products among medical and non-medical students both during and before the pandemic. A value of p

The right of ownership is the broadest and one of the most basic property rights, which allows the owner to use and dispose of possessions without the participation of third parties. Therefore, the process of modernising the land and building register (MLBR) is extremely important considering, for example, that the data contained in this register is the basis for the subsequent calculation of public-legal obligations associated with the owned property, such as taxes. According to the current legislation, the data collected in the land and building register (cadastre) on the type of land use in combination with the soil classification of agricultural and forest land, the use of the property, its purpose and other information, are the basis for determining the agricultural, forest and real estate taxes by the competent authority. In Poland, in most cases, we have to deal with a situation in which the data appearing in the register differs from the actual state. Municipal budgets suffer losses because of this, and owners of properties of similar area and value sometimes pay completely different taxes. In this paper, the authors show a practical example of MLBR and the problems existed with it.

Deepfakes present an emerging threat in cyberspace. Recent developments in machine learning make deepfakes highly believable, and very difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is fake. Not only humans but also machines struggle to identify deepfakes. Current speaker and facial recognition systems might be easily fooled by carefully prepared synthetic media – deepfakes. We provide a detailed overview of the state-of-the-art deepfake creation and detection methods for selected visual and audio domains. In contrast to other deepfake surveys, we focus on the threats that deepfakes represent to biometrics systems (e.g., spoofing). We discuss both facial and speech deepfakes, and for each domain, we define deepfake categories and their differences. For each deepfake category, we provide an overview of available tools for creation, datasets, and detection methods. Our main contribution is a definition of attack vectors concerning the differences between categories and reported real-world attacks to evaluate each category's threats to selected categories of biometrics systems.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Cracow real estate market. The data used in the study included transactions of purchase of flats and single-family houses. At the initial stage, the database was reduced by applying a four-step selection and outliers were removed. The data analysis included separate transactions for single-family houses and flats, 5 different types of charts were prepared for each type of real estate. The conducted research concerned: the analysis of the number of transactions in subsequent years, the share of the number of transactions in individual quarters, average transaction prices (for houses) or average prices per square meter (for flats), analysis of the number of transactions in individual districts, years and quarters, and a comparison of the number of contracts in individual quarters given years. The main conclusion drawn from the study is the significant impact of COVID-19 on the number of house and apartment purchase transactions, while the pandemic did not have a significant impact on the average prices in the analysed database.

This study aimed to measure and validate altitudes from existing sources with direct GNSS measurements and airborne lidar data. For this purpose, 12 mountain peaks located in the south part of Polish territory were selected. Measurements were performed using a GNSS receiver using the Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) or static techniques enabling altitude measurements with accuracy of 10 cm. GNSS was treated as the primary data source, as the direct field measurements can determine the highest point on each peak. The obtained results were confronted with historical, internet sources, and official altitude data. Moreover, each altitude was determined using lidar data from an airborne lidar dataset of Poland from the ISOK program and provided by the national agency. Significant discrepancies in data were already detected during the analysis of internet materials and traditional maps, up to a few meters. The differences between measured and internet sources in altitude of mountain peak range from 27 cm to 504 cm. This study has shown the need to re-measure the altitudes of the mountain peaks and determine the highest point correctly.

ICT security in the banking area is going through rapid changes. It is ten years since we covered the state of e-banking security, and both authentication schemes and legislation has evolved. With the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) for European Union coming into force, we believe it is a good time to update our findings. PSD2 brings new requirements for multi-factor authentication, thus it is necessary to revise compliance of currently used schemes. This work’s main contribution is an overview of current authentication methods, their properties with respect to international standards, and their resistance against attacks. We further discuss the multi-factor authentication schemes composed of those methods and their compliance with the PSD2 requirements. In order to present the overview, we introduced the e-banking attacks taxonomy, which is compatible with authenticator threats from NIST Digital Identity Guidelines but has an increased level of detail with respect to the e-banking area. The available sources in this area are usually either very broad, targeted on the business executive, or focus on one particular issue or attack in greater detail. We believe our article can bridge such diverse sources by providing a comprehensive and complex tool to help with orientation in the area.

This study is a comprehensive and modern approach to predict customer churn in the example of an e-commerce retail store operating in Brazil. Our approach consists of three stages in which we combine and use three different datasets: numerical data on orders, textual after-purchase reviews and socio-geo-demographic data from the census. At the pre-processing stage, we find topics from text reviews using Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Dirichlet Multinomial Mixture and Gibbs sampling. In the spatial analysis, we apply DBSCAN to get rural/urban locations and analyse neighbourhoods of customers located with zip codes. At the modelling stage, we apply machine learning extreme gradient boosting and logistic regression. The quality of models is verified with area-under-curve and lift metrics. Explainable artificial intelligence represented with a permutation-based variable importance and a partial dependence profile help to discover the determinants of churn. We show that customers’ propensity to churn depends on: (i) payment value for the first order, number of items bought and shipping cost; (ii) categories of the products bought; (iii) demographic environment of the customer; and (iv) customer location. At the same time, customers’ propensity to churn is not influenced by: (i) population density in the customer’s area and division into rural and urban areas; (ii) quantitative review of the first purchase; and (iii) qualitative review summarised as a topic.

Abstract Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) was synthesized from guanidine hydrochloride (G), melamine (M) and dicyandiamide (DCDA). The CN materials synthetized from the pure precursors and their mixtures were characterized by common methods, including thermal analysis, and their photocatalytic activities were tested by the degradation of selected organic pollutants, such as amoxicillin, phenol, Rhodamine B (RhB). Remarkable changes in their texture properties in terms of particle sizes, specific surface areas (SSA) and consequently their photocatalytic activity were explained by the role of guanidine hydrochloride in their synthesis. The SSA increased due to the release of NH3 and HCl and its complex reactions with melamine and DCDA forming structure imperfections and disruptions. The photocatalytic activity of the CN materials was found to be dependent on their SSA.

Este artículo, basado en el trabajo de campo etnográfico que los autores realizaron entre los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes estacionales en Polonia, analiza el impacto de las soluciones de vía rápida del COVID-19 adoptadas en el sector sobre la situación general de los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes en la agricultura. Basados en la evidencia del campo así como en el análisis de políticas realizado en los últimos meses, argumentamos que las soluciones de vía rápida y las exenciones adoptadas en Polonia (como en muchos de los estados miembros de la UE) durante la pandemia de 2020-2021 no son únicas, sino que manifiestan la política de excepcionalismo agrícola de larga data. Esto tiene implicaciones prácticas sobre la salud y la seguridad de los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes y, paradójicamente, puede traducirse en un empeoramiento de sus condiciones de trabajo y de vida en las explotaciones. En este contexto, queremos arrojar luz sobre las dificultades de los trabajadores agrícolas durante la pandemia, para comprender mejor su posición, que resulta de la intersección de factores que aumentan las vulnerabilidades de los trabajadores agrícolas (temporalidades, aislamiento, baja sindicalización, intensificación del trabajo). Para comprender mejor el impacto de las soluciones especiales en el fenómeno del trabajo estacional, es necesario tener en cuenta la perspectiva de los empresarios. En conjunto, estas observaciones nos permiten trazar un cuadro más completo de la situación de los trabajadores agrícolas durante la pandemia en Polonia, un nuevo país de destino de inmigrantes.

Abstract Applications of nano‐ and microparticles of hydrogels in the modification of electrode surfaces and corresponding constructions of electrochemical sensors are presented in the study. Despite the fact that such a use of microgels started just a few years ago, several analytical possibilities were offered already. They include monitoring, under various conditions, of drugs including antibiotics, herbicides, glucose, and other molecules. A variety of electrochemical techniques were employed in the measurements.

The aim of this study was to conduct a geospatial analysis of natural disasters occurring worldwide between 1960 and 2018. A total of 9962 disasters were considered, covering 39,953 locations. These phenomena were analysed in terms of frequency and number to determine changes over time and predict future trends. The data included information such as location and year of occurrence. The following natural disasters were included in the analyses: droughts, earthquakes, extreme temperatures, floods, landslides, earth mass movements, storms, and volcanic activity. The analyses were carried out across three dimensions: by continent, by number of disasters in relation to population, and in relation to the area of the continents concerned. An additional objective was to visualise the distribution of disasters by affected countries. This aspect shows the incidence of disasters by year during the period under study, with a 20-year forecast for the coming years.

The application and prognostic nature of systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome (SIRS) is still being researched, as using SIRS parameters to predict patient status is cheap, efficient, fast, and easy. The study aimed to determine SIRS markers and postoperative complications occurrence in patients undergoing kidney tumor surgery, and to verify if SIRS occurrence depends on age, sex, BMI (body mass index), comorbidities, patients’ general condition before the surgery, type of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, or intraoperative ischemia time. Body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and leukocyte count were measured in patients (n = 285) operated on due to a kidney tumor on the first (T0) and third (T3) postoperative day. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze the factors affecting postoperative SIRS and complications occurrence. T0: SIRS developed in patients with higher BMI, >2 ASA points, and more substantial intraoperative blood loss. T3: SIRS developed in obese or overweight patients, with >2 ASA points, significantly higher relative HR change, lower relative body temperature change, respiratory rate, and leukocyte count. BMI values, preoperative general health status, and the amount of intraoperative blood loss in patients undergoing surgery due to a kidney tumor can contribute to SIRS occurrence. Patient’s sex, age, tumor size, type of surgery, operated side, and time of intraoperative ischemia do not affect SIRS occurrence.

The aim of this study was to show the effect of manufacturing defects in a commercially pure Ti Grade 2 produced by a laser beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) process on its high-cycle fatigue life. For this purpose, the high-cycle fatigue performance of PBF-LB Ti Grade 2 was compared to its ultrafine-grained (UFG) counterpart processed by hydrostatic extrusion exhibiting a similar mechanical properties under static tensile. The yield strength of the PBF-LB and UFG Ti Grade 2 was 740 and 783 MPa, respectively. The PBF-LB Ti Grade 2 consisted of a typical columnar of prior β grains with an acicular martensite α’ microstructure, while UFG Ti Grade 2 was mainly composed of fine, equiaxed α phase grains/subgrains with a size of 50–150 nm. A residual porosity of 0.21% was observed in the PBF-LB Ti Grade 2 by X-ray computed tomography, and, despite similar yield strength, a significantly higher endurance fatigue limit was noticed for UFG Ti Grade 2 (420 MPa) compared to PBF-LB Ti Grade 2 (330 MPa). Fatigue striation analysis showed that the fatigue crack propagation rate was not affected by manufacturing technology. In turn, the high-cycle fatigue life was drastically reduced as the size of manufacturing defects (such as pores or lack of fusion zones) increased.

Abstract Maize is one of the important food crops in the Czech Republic, its growth and productivity are influenced by climate change. This study investigated the influence of precipitation under recent climate change on maize yield both for grain and silage in the whole Czech Republic during 2002–2019. Total maize yield and yield rate increased in the Czech Republic from 1961 to 2010, but they became to decrease after 2010. This is in line with the tendency of decreased precipitation and an increase in temperature after 2010, and changes are especially significant during the maize growing period, which indicates the importance of temperature and precipitation. In detail, there is a low to moderate negative correlation (−0.39 to −0.51) between grain maize yield and the average temperature in August for almost all the regions. While there is a low negative correlation between silage maize yield with the average temperature in July and August from some regions. The precipitation in July exhibited moderate to high positive correlation (0.54–0.79) to grain maize yield rate for almost all the regions, and it had low to moderate positive correlation (0.35–0.70) to silage maize yield rate for all the regions. Water deficit exhibited a negative correlation with both maize yield rate and its influence mainly in July for silage but both in July and August for grain. Farmer’s profit from grain maize is influence by yield rate, temperature, precipitation, and water deficit. A positive correlation was found between profit and grain yield rate and precipitation from July and August, while a negative correlation was detected between profit and water deficit and the average temperature in July and August. In conclusion, our results pointed out the factors influencing maize yield rate under changing climate conditions in the Czech Republic, and it warrants further studies on how to maintain maize production in a changing climate.

the article presents an outline of a virtual currency- cryptocurrency exchange and the possible risks and opportunities associated with it. The genesis of cryptocurrency was discussed on the example of bitcoin. The aim of the article is to present various aspects of functioning of bitcoin in association with the events influencing the growth of interest in it. The article presents the creation of bitcoin and the concept behind its creation. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of this cryptocurrency was carried out. Bitcoin as an entirely virtual currency, which is not subject to any state institution or central bank, requires much more trust from its users than traditional states’ currencies. Also, the method of storing bitcoins is far from traditional. The article also describes the technical steps for using said cryptocurrency.