Two sides of radon - a radioactive and healing component of water and air

This work presents two sides of radon - a radioactive, toxic element which has healing properties. Authors in this work present selected data about radon measurements in medicinal waters commonly used for radon therapy, to describe a phenomenon of radiation hormesis and healing properties of radon waters. From the other side, authors present the data about radon as a component of the atmosphere: radon-enriched air in health resorts, buildings (indoor radon). Authors present advantages and disadvantages of radon occurrence in human environment.

Gross alpha and gross beta activities measurements in groundwaters using liquid scintillation counting (LSC)

In this work Authors describe the methodology of gross alpha and gross beta activities determination in water samples. The chosen method is dedicated to LSC and is based on ISO 11704:2018 and it is suitable for ground waters with low and medium salinity, especially drinking or tap waters as well as medicinal waters (with healing properties, using in health resorts). Authors describe the proper sampling, laboratory preparation including radon removal and measurements conditions. The local and European law regulations showing the limits of radioactivity of drinking waters and medicinal waters are presented. This work presents also selected data of gross alpha and gross beta activities from selected research: the highest levels is measured in Jordanian (gross alpha) and in Brazil (gross beta) and it is respectively 3.58 Bq/L and 5.22 Bq/L.

Conan Doyle: Man of Letters, Man About Town

This essay attempts to deduce Conan Doyle’s map of London from the writings of his long career and particularly his autobiography Memories and Adventures (1924). Here we can find a portrait of the layers of late-Victorian London: the historic centre of government, business, and the great institutions of national culture, the old working-class areas that surround it, and the new suburbs sprawling in every direction. In magazine and publishing offices, in West End theatres, in gentlemen’s clubs including the Authors’ Club, and in public and private dining rooms, Conan Doyle participated in the largely masculine business of literature as a highly clubbable man of letters who was also an energetic man about town. He journeyed into and across the city, coming in from the suburbs or up from the country. These journeys were repeated on a global scale as he travelled to foreign health resorts, battlefields in Africa and Europe, or on overseas lecture tours, always returning to the imperial and cultural capital, the centre of gravity of his life and work.

Competitive Matrix As a Platform for Forming Strategies for the Development of Health Resort Organizations

The article presents the results of a study on the competitiveness of health resort organizations. The article analyzes the trends in the development of this socially significant sphere, which made it possible to determine the vector of the state's social policy, comparing it with the stated goals of its implementation. The factors influencing the competitiveness of health resorts are identified. A general competitiveness matrix is constructed, including various sectors, which can be considered as a platform for strengthening the competitive advantages of health resort organizations.

A self-assessment methodology for improving the activity of a health resort based on the global model EFQM 2020.

Improving the quality of health resort services through effective management is one of the key tools to increase their competitiveness, which increases the demand, ensures year-round occupancy and increases their financial results. An independent assessment of the management system in a health resort and the publication of the results build the trust of guests as well as authorities and investors, which contributes to attracting investment in the resort and its sustainable development. Purpose of the study. This study develops a methodology for managing changes in accordance with standardized international criteria to improve the results and ensure the development of a health resort. Materials and methods. An express self-assessment of the health resort's management system was carried out by means of a questionnaire, which reveals the development level according to the most effective approaches within each criterion of the global model EFQM 2020. These criteria emphasize consumer priorities, sustainable values, the satisfaction of stakeholder needs, and the environment. The approaches characterizing the health resort’s activity, help to estimate the level of its maturity in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The results were used to plan improvements in the health resort's operations. In comparison with the results of past self-assessments, these results record the current state of the management system and demonstrate the levels of development and tendencies in work practices, showing possibilities for the development of the resort. To assess the activities of the health resort organization for each element of the model, four options for assessing the levels of maturity were selected. Conclusions. Express self-assessment gives a rapid assessment of the activities of health resorts based on the questionnaire and information supplied verbally. The results can be obtained within one day and can represent graphically the evaluation profile of the health resort. The method can be used in any health resort, regardless of its organization, ownership, or medical specialization. Indirectly, the methodology develops patient- and risk-oriented thinking among management, which forms a culture of quality and innovation in the health resort itself and in the professional community of organizations in order to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the spa industry in Russia as a whole. Improving the methodology of express self-assessment includes clarifying and adding statements to the questionnaire in relation to the best management practices of health resorts, new goals, objectives, and business technologies, as well as challenges at the regional and global levels.

Corporate Security in Tourism: The Example of Slovenia

Introduction. Tourism is part of the global security space and is the largest global industry with the highest levels of annual growth. In recent years, the issue of security has begun to significantly impact the development of tourism. This requires answers regarding the satisfaction of tourists from security, cultural, economic and sociological perspectives. Material and Methods. Our research problem is aimed at corporate security in health resorts (one of the conditions for establishing a health resort is e.g. the surrounding environment, natural mineral water), which differs from the security present in hotels or other tourist facilities. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, we developed a new theoretical model of corporate security in health resort tourism where we applied both a qualitative and quantitative paradigm in this research. In the qualitative part of this study, we collected data using the methods of document analysis and interviews and processed it in the software Atlas.ti. In the quantitative part, we collected data using a survey questionnaire and analysed the results using the SPSS software Results. The study will contribute an original theoretical model of corporate security in Slovenian health resort tourism to the treasure trove of knowledge and it will be possible to theoretically verify it and apply it in health resorts. Conclusions. In this way, we opened up the theoretical and practical dimensions of poorly researched field of security in Slovenian health resorts and, in doing so, contribute to the better understanding and improving of models of corporate security in health resort tourism.

Development of a Stakeholder Approach to Improving the Competitiveness of Health Resort Organizations

The article reveals the main directions of the development of the stakeholder approach to improving the competitiveness of health resort organizations, based on identifying the needs of the main groups of stakeholders and meeting them. Wellness organizations that balance the interests of internal stakeholders are represented in the market of wellness services in the position of strong participants, which, combined with a focus on customer needs, provides leadership for a long period of time. The practical use of the stakeholder approach by the management of health resorts will allow implementing a sustainable development strategy aimed at improving the quality of services and expanding their accessibility to citizens.

A Conceptual Framework of Forest Therapy as an Innovative Health Approach Combined with Local Health Resort Medicine in Alpine Regions to Increase Mental Health and Well-Being

Introduction: There has been a constant increase in mental health disorders in Western industrialized nations, and the current Covid 19 pandemic is increasingly exacerbating the problem. The health resorts in Germany are well equipped to improve mental, emotional and physical health with their local remedies and procedures to improve the individual health status. Method: The available alpine health resort procedures/interventions as well as the novel forest therapy with their various effects are described in order to develop a novel health resort concept for the treatment of mental-health disorders and well-being. Result: Based on the principles of health resort medicine and the available alpine interventions, a three-week treatment concept has been developed. Different procedures such as climatotherapy, balneotherapy, forest therapy & nature connection, mindfulness practice and physiotherapy have been combined in a healthy manner. Alpine health resorts are particularly well suited because of their excellent health-promoting climate factors. Conclusion: The novel combination of HRM with forest therapy will to lead to stress reduction and an increase in mental health and general well-being. This new approach shows promising benefits for future health resort treatments. Studies on this new approach are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the conceptual framework.

Solar Climate Features Taking into Account the Morphometric Conditions of the Area and the Possibility of Using Them in Heliotherapy on the Example of the Cieplice and Kołobrzeg Health Resorts (Poland)

Global solar radiation is an important atmospheric stimulus affecting the human body and has been used in heliotherapy for years. In addition to environmental factors, the effectiveness of global solar radiation is increasingly influenced by human activity. This research was based on the use of heliographic and actinometric data (1996–2015) and the model distribution of global solar radiation to determine the possibility of heliotherapy with the example of two health resorts: Cieplice and Kołobrzeg (Poland). The solar features of health resorts (sunshine duration and global solar radiation) were characterized, and they were correlated with the spatial distribution of global solar radiation data obtained with the use of remote sensing techniques (System for Automated Geoscientific Analyzes-SAGA), including COoRdination and INformation on the Environment (CORINE) land cover (CLC) data. Using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt), a qualitative and quantitative relationship between morphometric parameters and solar climate features was demonstrated for individual land cover types. Studies have shown that the period of late spring and summer, due to the climate’s solar features, is advisable for the use of heliotherapy. The human activity that determines the land cover is the main element influencing the spatial differentiation of the possibilities of using this form of health treatment. It also affects topographic indicators shown as significant in the MaxEnt predictive model. In general, areas with high openness were shown as predisposed for health treatment using global solar radiation, which is not consistent with areas commonly used for heliotherapy. The conducted research has shown the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the issue of heliotherapy, which will contribute to the optimization of the use of this form of health treatment from the perspective of climate change and human pressure.

THE IMPACT OF A COURSE OF THE AUTHOR'S METHOD OF VIBROACOUSTIC MASSAGE ON THE PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL STATE OF A PERSON

В исследовании изучались изменения показателей психоэмоциальных характеристик в результате воздействия курсом виброакустического массажа поющими чашами (8-12 процедур ежедневно), выполненного по протоколу государственного патента на изобретение RU 2 687 006 C1. Автор и патентообладатель - Огуй Виктор Олегович. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о том, что под воздействием виброакустического массажа поющими чашами, выполненного курсом из 8-12 процедур у испытуемых, значительно улучшаются психоэмоциональные характеристики. Кроме того, отмечалось статистически значимое снижение уровня депрессии, уменьшение уровня личностной и ситуативной тревожности. Представленный метод можно рекомендовать к использованию в санаторно-курортных и СПА-учреждениях. The research studied changes in psycho-emotional characteristics as a result of exposure to a course of vibroacoustic massage with singing bowls (8-12 procedures daily), performed under the protocol of the state patent for invention RU 2 687 006 C1. Author and patentee - Oguy Viktor Olegovich. Conducting vibroacoustic massage according to the "singing bowls" method in a course of 8-12 sessions contributed to a significant improvement in the psycho-emotional characteristics of the subjects. In addition, there was a statistically significant decrease in the level of depression, a decrease in the level of personal and situational anxiety. The presented method is recommended for use in health resorts and SPA-institutions.