Navigating the Shifts: Retrospective Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and its Predictors Across Pre-Pandemic, Lockdown, and Post-Pandemic Eras in Poland.

BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption is a serious health risk that affects both physical and mental health. It is one of the major risk factors in the development of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of alcohol consumption patterns, determine of predictors of alcohol addiction, and attempt to distinguish and compare the profiles of participants differentiated in terms of their preferences in the pre-pandemic, lockdown, and post-pandemic periods. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study was conducted with a computer-assisted web interview on a representative sample of Polish citizens. Primary outcomes were sociodemographic and COVID-19-related variables, preferences regarding the type and location of consumed alcohol, reasons for drinking, severity of addiction symptoms, loneliness, quality of life, and health level. RESULTS During the lockdown period, the percentage of people declaring abstinence increased, as well as people who, according to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) cut-off points, could be diagnosed with probable alcohol dependence. The strongest predictors of the severity of addiction symptoms were preferences regarding the type and place of alcohol consumption, with a high percentage of explained variance (>50%). The analysis of profiles differentiated in terms of the preferred type of alcohol consumed allowed for the identification of 7 different profiles, which differed in terms of AUDIT score, loneliness, quality of life, and level of health. CONCLUSIONS Patterns of alcohol consumption changed during the pandemic. Alcohol-related preferences are important from the public health perspective.

[An attempt to estimate potentially useful parameters to evaluate the normal range of nasal peak inspiratory flow]. / Próba oceny parametrów przydatnych do wyznaczenia normy dla nosowego szczytowego przeplywu wdechowego.

INTRODUCTION: Measurement of peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF, peak nasal inspiratory flow) seems to be a cheap and simple method to assess nasal patency. Unfortunately, due to the lack of reference values a single measurement does not take any information about the degree of nasal obstruction. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish parameters useful for estimating PNIF reference values. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 221 respondents, from Wroclaw, answered a questionnaire based on ECRHS II and ISAAC. Sample was randomized based on the personal number, stratified and representative of age and sex. Subjects were divided into three groups on the basis of their age (6-7, 13-14 and 20-45 years). The PNIF was measured using an In-Check portable nasal inspiratory flow meter (In-Check's Clement-Clark). The highest of the five PNIF values was used as the measure of PNIF for each subject in subsequent analyses (PNIF MAX). Patients with rhinitis and/or asthma were withdrawn from the study. RESULTS: Repeated measurements of PNIF were performed in 221 healthy volunteers. PNIF values were higher in males compared to women and this difference was statistically significant. There was a statistically significant correlation between height and PNIF MAX, and there was no such correlation between age and PNIF MAX. Stepwise linear regression that included gender, height, age revealed that only sex and height were independent significant predictors of PNIF. Obtained dependence PNIF MAX = -137.7 - 22.5 x + 1.7 y, where x is the sex (a woman, 0 - male) and the y - height. Coefficient of determination (R(2)) was 0.45 which means that regression equation explains about 45% of the observed PNIF MAX variability. CONCLUSIONS: A correlation was found between PNIF value and sex and height of the patients, while age is irrelevant in this regard. Difficulty of establishing standards for the PNIF parameter are probably due to anatomical differences in the construction of the nose.

Commentary on COVID-19 situation in Poland: Practical and empirical evaluation of current state.

This commentary describes some of the aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. The 1st part of the text covers issues related to actions introduced by the Polish government to minimize the risk of infection as well as statistics and difficulties resulting from the restrictions introduced. In the 2nd part, we present the results of our own research, including predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity associated with the pandemic situation, and we discuss the results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Challenges with advanced therapy medicinal products and how to meet them.

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), which include gene therapy medicinal products, somatic cell therapy medicinal products and tissue-engineered products, are at the cutting edge of innovation and offer a major hope for various diseases for which there are limited or no therapeutic options. They have therefore been subject to considerable interest and debate. Following the European regulation on ATMPs, a consolidated regulatory framework for these innovative medicines has recently been established. Central to this framework is the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), comprising a multidisciplinary scientific expert committee, representing all EU member states and European Free Trade Association countries, as well as patient and medical associations. In this article, the CAT discusses some of the typical issues raised by developers of ATMPs, and highlights the opportunities for such companies and research groups to approach the EMA and the CAT as a regulatory advisor during development.