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Evolutionary processes lie at the base of the entire observable biodiversity, both at present and in the geological past (i.e., in the fossil record). For this reason, the teaching of evolution should receive more recognition than it currently has (e.g., in Poland) and become accurately applied from the early formal education stages onwards. To test the possibility of effective teaching of evolution to primary school pupils, workshops using non-standard learning methods (‘purposefully-framed play’) were organised during childrens’ university (UNIKIDS) courses of one-hour sessions for 33 groups, comprising several to 20 participants, aged 7 to 12. The final task for all participants was to predict future evolutionary processes by creating new species adapted to given environmental factors. Pupils effectively completed this task, but a few misconceptions also become clear. These workshop scenarios suggest that evolution can be taught effectively at least in extracurricular settings to primary school pupils, but for a detailed insight, a quantitative analysis and application of such scenarios in school programmes should be tested in future.

Permian fishes and their isolated microremains are known from many localities in the Zechstein Basin. However, up to date the vertebrates have never been revealed in the southeasternmost part of this ancient sea. The new material consists of euselachian-type dermal denticles,?Listracanthus sp. dermal denticle,?Omanoselache sp. tooth, actinopterygian scales and actinopterygian teeth. Here, the detailed study of euselachian and actinopterygian remains, their stratigraphic distribution and geographical contexts is presented. Based on the qualitative analysis of teeth shapes several ecomorphotypes were described as well as the probable dietary preferences of fishes were reconstructed. These finds confirmed existence of small predators who fed on soft bodied prey as well as durophagous forms which were feeding on small shelly crustaceans or molluscs. The analysis of stratigraphic distribution of microremains, and their comparison with neighbouring sections revealed a spatially correlatable trend in increasing abundance of fishes in the more clayey parts of sections, interpreted to be positively associated with a sea level transgression event.

Kliniczna ocena odruchu przedsionkowo-ocznego stanowi kluczowy element badania otoneurologicznego. Rozwj technologii w postaci okularw z kamer wideo i czujnikiem ruchw gowy wraz z odpowiednim oprogramowaniem komputerowym doprowadzi do udoskonalenia i zobiektywizowania badania odruchu przedsionkowo-ocznego za pomoc video Head Impulse Test (vHIT). Badanie to stwarza unikaln moliwo oceny wszystkich szeciu kanaw pkolistych. W interpretacji wyniku vHIT kluczowa jest analiza ksztatu krzywej prdkoci ruchw gaek ocznych w porwnaniu z krzyw ruchu gowy. Pod uwag brany jest take wspczynnik nadania bdcy stosunkiem prdkoci ruchu gaek ocznych do prdkoci ruchu gowy (gain). Metoda vHIT jest skuteczna w diagnostyce i monitorowaniu obwodowych uszkodze ukadu przedsionkowego takich jak zapalenie nerwu przedsionkowego, schwannoma nerwu przedsionkowo-limakowego czy choroba Meniere'a. W pracy przedstawiono podstawowe aspekty techniczne, zasady interpretacji wynikw badania, a take moliwe zastosowania tej metody w codziennej praktyce.

This paper examines the role of Saudi Arabia’s economic sectors in creating or rather transforming into a knowledge-based economy. It determines major enablers that could support the process. Judgments and opinions are used to make some general recommendations for the shift from an oil-based economy into a knowledge-based economy in the long term. As a main finding, it identifies four areas contributing most to that transformation: changes in the private sector and in the household (including education gaps and professional exclusion, especially of women), government support (including research and education, innovations, and new technologies, especially communications) and human capital (talent management).

The vicinity of the Rozprza archaeological site (central Poland) has been the area of a series of palaeoecological studies tracking the environmental history of the Luciąża River valley up to ca. 13,200 cal. BP. Numerous subfossil palaeomeanders of different sizes have been discovered in the valley floor. Here, we present the first results of multiproxy research on the paleo-oxbow lake fill, one of the oldest in the region. The wide range of palaeoecological analyses resulted in reconstructions of vegetation history, climatic, hydrological and habitat changes. The studied oxbow was an aquatic ecosystem with diverse invertebrate fauna until the end of Younger Dryas when it transformed into a limno-telmatic habitat. The sediment composition indicates active denudation processes and several episodes of turbulent hydrological conditions. Such an increased river activity could have caused flooding, resulting in an allochthonous matter supply to the oxbow lake in Late Vistulian. Environmental changes were strictly related to the regional features of the catchment, the transformation of soils, and the hydrogeological conditions. The chironomid- and pollen-inferred climatic reconstructions indicate periods of high and low continentality. The chironomid record indicates relatively cool summer conditions in the Allerød, especially ca. 13,000 cal. BP, possibly related to the Gerzensee Oscillation. On the other hand, a distinct increase of summer temperatures in Younger Dryas (up to 16 °C) was recorded. Such a situation was also confirmed in some other studies from the region, suggesting that it might be the effect of some specific, local palaeoclimatic conditions. Fundator badań: Fundator badań: Optional.empty

In this paper, we consider the class of nondifferentiable multiobjective fractional variational control problems involving the nondifferentiable terms in the numerators and in the denominators. Under univexity and generalized univexity hypotheses, we prove optimality conditions and various duality results for such nondifferentiable multiobjective fractional variational control problems. The results established in the paper generalize many similar results established earlier in the literature for such nondifferentiable multiobjective fractional variational control problems.

Przezczaszkowa stymulacja magnetyczna (ang. transcranial magnetic stimulation – TMS) jest rozwijaną od lat osiemdziesiątych dwudziestego wieku metodą nieinwazyjnej stymulacji mózgu. TMS serią bodźców (ang. repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation – rTMS) jest odmianą tej metody, wykorzystywaną coraz szerzej w leczeniu zaburzeń psychicznych. Od kilku lat, obserwuje się w Polsce wzrost liczby ośrodków oferujących terapię z użyciem rTMS oraz coraz większe zainteresowanie pacjentów leczeniem tą metodą. Obecny artykuł prezentuje stanowisko grupy roboczej powołanej przez Sekcję Psychiatrii Biologicznej Polskiego Towarzystwa Psychiatrycznego, dotyczące kwalifikacji chorych i bezpieczeństwa stosowania TMS w leczeniu zaburzeń psychicznych. Lekarze i personel techniczny powinni,przed rozpoczęciem używania TMS, odbyć staż w ośrodku posiadającym odpowiednie doświadczenie. Aparatura do stymulacji powinna posiadać wymagane certyfikaty bezpieczeństwa. Głównym, psychiatrycznym wskazaniem do stymulacji pozostaje depresja, włącznie z depresją lekooporną. Istniejący stan wiedzy pozwala także stosować rTMS w leczeniu zaburzeń obsesyjno-kompulsyjnych, negatywnych objawów schizofrenii, omamów słuchowych w przebiegu schizofrenii, uzależnienia od palenia tytoniu, zaburzeń poznawczych i zaburzeń behawioralnych w przebiegu choroby Alheimera oraz zespołu stresu pourazowego. Siła bodźców stymulujących i dozowanie stymulacji powinny opierać się na zaleceniach opublikowanych przez Międzynarodową Federację Neurofizjologii Klinicznej. Głównymi przeciwwskazaniami, mogącymi skutkować dyskwalifikacją chorego z terapii pozostają obecność metalowych elementów w ciele, a zwłaszcza elektronicznych urządzeń medycznych w pobliżu cewki stymulującej, padaczka, zaburzenia słuchu, zmiany strukturalne w obrębie mózgu, potencjalnie związane z obecnością ognisk padaczkorodnych, przyjmowanie leków obniżających próg drgawkowy oraz ciąża. Artykuł wymienia także główne działania niepożądane jak indukcja napadu padaczkowego, omdlenia, ból i dyskomfort w trakcie stymulacji oraz wywołanie epizodu hipomanii lub manii z opisem odpowiedniego postępowania.

The article presents a case study of a 65‑year‑old woman with age‑related hearing loss and auditory processing disorders. The results of diagnosis and training of auditory, visual and motor functions using the assumptions of the Warnke method are discussed. A positive influence of the auditory training using the Warnke method on the linguistic functioning of the patient was demonstrated. W artykule przedstawiono opis przypadku 65‑letniej kobiety z głuchotą starczą oraz trudnościami w przetwarzaniu słuchowym. Omówiono wyniki diagnozy i treningu funkcji słuchowych, wzrokowych i motorycznych przy zastosowaniu założeń metody Warnkego. Wykazano pozytywny wpływ treningu słuchowego metodą Warnkego na funkcjonowanie językowe pacjentki.

The suburbanization of cities began in many countries after World War II and was caused, among other things, by the growing popularity of the motor car, the development of transport networks, and the growth in human populations. In post-socialist countries, this process started later (mainly after the collapse of socialism). Suburbanization was often an uncontrolled phenomenon (due for instance to an ineffective urban spatial policy), which contributed to urban sprawl, and in which developers played a significant role. The growing costs of city maintenance have prompted local authorities to undertake planned activities for re-urbanization. The increase in development activities in recent years encourages reflection on their importance in these processes. This article aims to outline the role of developers, responsible for the new construction and the reconstruction of existing facilities, in the process of city re-urbanization, using the city of Łódź, Poland, as a case study. It is an example of a post-industrial city in which, the process of suburbanization, combined with the phenomenon of urban sprawl, proceeded rapidly after 1989. The phenomenon of depopulation has also been observed in Łódź for several years. Therefore, re-urbanization may be an antidote to some of Łódź’s population and spatial problems. The methods of desk research and a case study were used to achieve the aim.

15-Prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) regulates the concentration of prostaglandin E2

Background Vascular abnormalities and endothelial dysfunction are part of the spectrum of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The mechanisms behind these manifestations, including potential effects on the endothelial surface layer (ESL) and glycocalyx integrity, remain unknown. Methods Forty-five ambulatory adult patients with ADPKD were enrolled in this prospective, observational, cross-sectional, single-centre study. Fifty-one healthy volunteers served as a control group. All participants underwent real-time microvascular perfusion measurements of the sublingual microcirculation using sidestream dark field imaging. After image acquisition, the perfused boundary region (PBR), an inverse parameter for red blood cell (RBC) penetration into the ESL, was automatically calculated. Microvascular perfusion was assessed by RBC filling and capillary density. Concentrations of circulating glycocalyx components were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results ADPKD patients showed a significantly larger PBR compared with healthy controls (2.09 ± 0.23 µm versus 1.79 ± 0.25 µm; P Conclusions Dimensions and integrity of the ESL are impaired in ADPKD patients. Increased capillary density may be a compensatory mechanism for vascular dysfunction to ensure sufficient tissue perfusion and oxygenation.

W artykule zaprezentowane są wyniki badań partycypacyjnych prowadzonych z uczniami z głębszą niepełnosprawnością intelektualną, dotyczących stanu ich wiedzy na temat własnej seksualności oraz potrzeb związanych z prowadzeniem zajęć z edukacji seksualnej w szkole specjalnej. Przedstawione badania są częścią większego projektu, którego celem było stworzenie pomocy dydaktycznej do prowadzenia zajęć z edukacji seksualnej z osobami z głębszą niepełnosprawnością intelektualną. Badania przeprowadzono w duchu paradygmatu partycypacyjnego, stawiając postulaty, będące odpowiedzią na ratyfikowaną przez Polskę Konwencję ONZ o prawach osób niepełnosprawnych. The article presents the results of participatory action research conducted with polish students with intellectual disability. The research concerned students’ knowledge of their own sexuality and their needs related to conducting sex education at a special school. The presented research is part of a larger project, which aimed to create a didactic tool for conducting sex education classes with people with intellectual disabilities. The research was conducted in accordance with the assumptions of the participatory paradigm, putting postulates being a response to the UN Convention of the Disabled Rights of Poland ratified by Poland.

Objectives: The COVID pandemic has been associated with poorer mental health in youth. This study aimed to evaluate any change in General Practitioner (GP) referral pattern to Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) services during the first 10 months of Covid-19 and compare with a similar time frame in 2019. Methods: All accepted referrals to a CAMH Service in Dublin during the study time frame were reviewed. Referral letters were batch anonymised and clinical data extracted using a study specific proforma for analysis. Results: Referral numbers between the two time periods did not statistically differ. Proportionally more females were referred during the pandemic, increasing to 56.9%, n = 99, compared to 43.1%, n = 75 in 2019 (p = 0.01). Referrals were more often designated by the clinician as urgent during the pandemic (61.3%, n = 98) than before (39%, n = 62, p < 0.001). Referrals outlining self-harm or suicidal ideation increased significantly, from 42.1% (n = 67) to 55.9% (n = 90) (p = 0.014). Referrals for externalising problems fell from 2019 rates; ADHD (21.4%, n = 34 vs 11.1%, n = 18; p = 0.013), ASD (26.4%, n = 42 vs 16.1%, n = 26; p = 0.038) and conduct problems (23.3%, n = 37 vs 7.4%, n = 12; p < 0.001). Although numbers for psychosis in 2019 were low (10.7%, n = 17), these also fell significantly in 2020 (2.5%, n = 4; p < 0.001). Discussion: The finding of reduced referrals for ADHD and ASD has not previously been reported. With concerns regarding educational loss linked to online learning, it is crucial that these youth are not doubly disadvantaged by delayed referral and education decline.

Okres XXI wieku jest bezprecedensowy, jeżeli chodzi o rozwój w obszarze technologii. Użytkownicy cyberprzestrzeni muszą proaktywnie korzystać z praktyk związanych zachowaniem bezpieczeństwa, aby były one realnie skuteczne i odczuwalne. Celem artykułu było zbadanie wpływu dynamicznie postępującej cyfryzacji na cyberbezpieczeństwo systemów teleinformatycznych oraz świadomości ich użytkowników w tym zakresie. Przeprowadzone badania jednoznacznie wskazują, iż istnieje kilka obszarów cyberbezpieczeństwa, w których należałoby poczynić kroki mające na celu zwiększenie świadomości społeczeństwa. Główny obszar stanowi uświadomienie, że każdy użytkownik Internetu może być potencjalnym celem ataku cybernetycznego. Kolejnym istotnym obszarem, który został uwidoczniony podczas analizy odpowiedzi na pytania ankietowe, jest rażąca polityka zarządzania hasłami praktykowana przez użytkowników Internetu. W artykule wykorzystano następujące metody i techniki badawcze: metody ankietowe, metody indukcji jako formy przechodzenia od szczegółu do ogółu, metodę dedukcji jako formę uogólniającą i wnioskową, analizę literatury oraz danych statystycznych. Poruszana tematyka w opracowaniu wskazuje na konieczność prowadzenia oraz rozwoju badań nad sposobem, w jaki społeczeństwo reaguje na zmiany zachodzące w cyberprzestrzeni.

In this paper, the convex nonsmooth optimization problem with fuzzy objective function and both inequality and equality constraints is considered. The Karush–Kuhn–Tucker necessary optimality conditions are proved for such a nonsmooth extremum problem. Further, the exact $$l_{1}$$ l 1 penalty function method is used for solving the considered nonsmooth fuzzy optimization problem. Therefore, its associated fuzzy penalized optimization problem is constructed in this approach. Then, the exactness property of the exact $$l_{1}$$ l 1 penalty function method is analyzed if it is used for solving the considered nonsmooth convex fuzzy optimization problem.

In today’s world, each airline is forced to look for new savings opportunities. One of the methods may be the use of formation flights in daily flight operations, which may allow a reduction in fuel consumption by several percentages. The paper presents the genesis of how the consideration of such flights and the possibility of their implementation in an airline had started. The leader’s plane generates vortices, which, with the proper alignment of the planes to one another, can reduce the drag on the wingman. However, the wrong position may not only have no positive effect but also may be a threat to stable wingman flight. The article presents a method of using these vortices in such a way as to have a positive impact on the aerodynamics of the wingman. A favourableposition in the vertical and horizontal axes will be determined in relation to the vortex generated by the leader’s plane in order to obtain the greatest benefit in reducing fuel consumption. The paper presents an operational analysis of the possibility of maintaining such a distance to obtain profit on fuel but also to ensure the highest level of safety of the flight.

State intervention in the housing market can take many different forms. In Poland, in 2018, a lex specialis regulation was introduced to the general principles of spatial policy in terms of special privileges for developers operating in the housing market. As the entity responsible for local spatial policy, the municipality has been deprived of its decision-making power by granting developers who build residential buildings the right to act against local planning rules. The article aims to determine the preparation of the largest Polish cities to negotiate with developers through the adoption of local urban standards, the scale of use of lex developer solutions in these cities, and the analysis of the level of non-compliance in privileged investments with local planning rules. The study used desk research methods (critical literature analysis, source materials - texts of legal acts and statistical data), case studies, and comparative analysis. The conducted research allows for answering the research question posed in work: the level of completion of lex specialis purposes indicated by the legislator.

The equine chorionic girdle is comprised of specialized invasive trophoblast cells that begin formation approximately 25 days after ovulation (day 0) and invade the endometrium to become endometrial cups. These specialized trophoblast cells transition from uninucleate to differentiated binucleate trophoblast cells that secrete the glycoprotein hormone equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG; formerly known as pregnant mare serum gonadotropin or PMSG). This eCG has LH-like activity in the horse but variable LH- and FSH-like activity in other species and has been utilized for these properties both in vivo and in vitro. To produce eCG commercially, large volumes of whole blood must be collected from pregnant mares, which negatively impacts equine welfare due to repeated blood collections and the birth of an unwanted foal. Attempts to produce eCG in vitro using long-term culture of chorionic girdle explants have not been successful beyond 180 days, with peak eCG production at 30 days of culture. Organoids are three-dimensional cell clusters that self-organize and can remain genetically and phenotypically stable throughout long-term culture (i.e., months). Human trophoblast organoids have been reported to successfully produce human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and proliferate long-term (>1 year). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether organoids derived from equine chorionic girdle maintain physiological functionality. Here we show generation of chorionic girdle organoids for the first time and demonstrate in vitro production of eCG for up to 6 weeks in culture. Therefore, equine chorionic girdle organoids provide a physiologically representative 3D in vitro model for chorionic girdle development of early equine pregnancy.

Background The identification of new biomarkers in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is crucial to improve and simplify prognostic assessment as a basis for patient selection for targeted therapies. Post-Hoc-Analyses of the TEMPO 3:4 study indicated that copeptin could be one of those biomarkers. Methods Copeptin was tested in serum samples from patients of the AD(H)PKD study. Serum copeptin levels were measured using a time-resolved amplified cryptate emission (TRACE) based assay. In total, we collected 711 values from 389 patients without tolvaptan treatment and a total of 243 values (of which 64 were pre-tolvaptan) from 94 patients on tolvaptan. These were associated to rapid progression and disease-causing gene variants and their predictive capacity tested and compared to the Mayo Classification. Results As expected, copeptin levels showed a significant negative correlation with eGFR. Measurements on tolvaptan showed significantly higher copeptin levels (9.871 pmol/l vs. 23.90 pmol/l at 90/30 mg; p Conclusion Copeptin levels are associated with kidney function and independently explained future eGFR slopes. As expected, treatment with tolvaptan strongly increases copeptin levels.

Prediction categories in the Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP) experiments change with the need to address specific problems in structure modeling. In CASP15, four new prediction categories were introduced: RNA structure, ligand-protein complexes, accuracy of oligomeric structures and their interfaces, and ensembles of alternative conformations. This paper lists technical specifications for these categories and describes their integration in the CASP data management system.

Valued for their temperament, beauty, athletic ability, and exhibition in the show ring, Arabian horses are an important component of the horse industry. Juvenile Idiopathic Epilepsy (JIE), a seizure disorder, is most often reported in Arabian foals from birth to six months of age. Affected foals exhibit tonic-clonic seizures lasting as long as five minutes and risking secondary complications like temporary blindness and disorientation. Some foals outgrow this condition, while others die or suffer lifelong complications if not treated. Previous work suggested a strong genetic component to JIE and proposed JIE to be a single-gene trait. In this work we conducted a GWAS in 60 cases of JIE and 120 genetically matched controls, identifying loci suggesting JIE is not caused by a single locus. Coat color (chestnut, grey) phenotypes were used as positive control traits to assess the efficacy of GWAs in this population. Future work will attempt to future define candidate regions and explore a polygenic mode of inheritance.

Motivation Tertiary structure alignment is one of the main challenges in the computer-aided comparative study of molecular structures. Its aim is to optimally overlay the 3D shapes of two or more molecules in space to find the correspondence between their nucleotides. Alignment is the starting point for most algorithms that assess structural similarity or find common substructures. Thus, it has applications in solving a variety of bioinformatics problems, e.g. in the search for structural patterns, structure clustering, identifying structural redundancy, and evaluating the prediction accuracy of 3D models. To date, several tools have been developed to align 3D structures of RNA. However, most of them are not applicable to arbitrarily large structures and do not allow users to parameterize the optimization algorithm. Results We present two customizable heuristics for flexible alignment of 3D RNA structures, geometric search (GEOS), and genetic algorithm (GENS). They work in sequence-dependent/independent mode and find the suboptimal alignment of expected quality (below a predefined RMSD threshold). We compare their performance with those of state-of-the-art methods for aligning RNA structures. We show the results of quantitative and qualitative tests run for all of these algorithms on benchmark sets of RNA structures. Availability and implementation Source codes for both heuristics are hosted at https://github.com/RNApolis/rnahugs.

Dataset of microCT scan of a shark coprolite from Odra II quarry (Opole Cretaceous).&nbsp

Wstęp. Padaczka jest przewlekłą chorobą mózgu charakteryzującą się trwałą (tj. uporczywą) predyspozycją do generowania napadów padaczkowych, niesprowokowaną jakimkolwiek bezpośrednim urazem ośrodkowego układu nerwowego oraz neurobiologicznymi, poznawczymi, psychologicznymi i społecznymi konsekwencjami nawrotów napadów. Padaczka dotyka obu płci i w każdym wieku, występując na całym świecie.Cel. Celem pracy było przedstawienie i omówienie problemów związanych z opieką nad dzieckiem z padaczką w środowisku domowym oraz omówienie wad i objawów dotyczących w/w jednostki chorobowej.Przegląd. Większość napadów jest dobrze kontrolowana za pomocą leków i innych rodzajów leczenia, ale padaczka może powodować problemy w sytuacjach społecznych, szkolnych i zawodowych, utrudniając samodzielne życie. Dzieci z napadami często mają problemy fizyczne (np. złamania, siniaki i nieznacznie zwiększone ryzyko nagłej śmierci), a także problemy społeczne z powodu napiętnowania chorobą. Osoby z padaczką i ich rodziny mogą nie mieć wsparcia społecznego lub doświadczać izolacji społecznej, zakłopotania, strachu i dyskryminacji.Samoleczenie padaczki odnosi się do szerokiego zakresu zachowań i czynności zdrowotnych, których dana osoba jak i opiekunowie tej osoby mogą się nauczyć i dostosować, aby kontrolować napady i poprawiać samopoczucie. Podejście to wymaga partnerstwa między osobą a świadczeniodawcami usług (np. specja-listyczne poradnie leczenia padaczki, pielęgniarskie usługi łącznikowe między lekarzami rodzinnymi a lekarzami szpitali specjalistycznych, specjalistyczne zespoły środowiskowe ds. padaczki).Wnioski. Obecnie pomimo zmniejszenia obciążenia chorobą, padaczka jest nadal ważną przyczyną niepełnosprawności i śmiertelności.

Accurate prognostication of individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) is an essential initial step for effective primary indicated prevention. We aimed to summarise the prognostic accuracy and clinical utility of CHR-P assessments for primary indicated psychosis prevention. Web of Knowledge databases were searched until 1st January 2022 for longitudinal studies following-up individuals undergoing a psychometric or diagnostic CHR-P assessment, reporting transition to psychotic disorders in both those who meet CHR-P criteria (CHR-P + ) or not (CHR-P−). Prognostic accuracy meta-analysis was conducted following relevant guidelines. Primary outcome was prognostic accuracy, indexed by area-under-the-curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity, estimated by the number of true positives, false positives, false negatives and true negatives at the longest available follow-up time. Clinical utility analyses included: likelihood ratios, Fagan’s nomogram, and population-level preventive capacity (Population Attributable Fraction, PAF). A total of 22 studies (n = 4 966, 47.5% female, age range 12–40) were included. There were not enough meta-analysable studies on CHR-P diagnostic criteria (DSM-5 Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome) or non-clinical samples. Prognostic accuracy of CHR-P psychometric instruments in clinical samples (individuals referred to CHR-P services or diagnosed with 22q.11.2 deletion syndrome) was excellent: AUC = 0.85 (95% CI: 0.81–0.88) at a mean follow-up time of 34 months. This result was driven by outstanding sensitivity (0.93, 95% CI: 0.87–0.96) and poor specificity (0.58, 95% CI: 0.50–0.66). Being CHR-P + was associated with a small likelihood ratio LR + (2.17, 95% CI: 1.81–2.60) for developing psychosis. Being CHR-P- was associated with a large LR- (0.11, 95%CI: 0.06−0.21) for developing psychosis. Fagan’s nomogram indicated a low positive (0.0017%) and negative (0.0001%) post-test risk in non-clinical general population samples. The PAF of the CHR-P state is 10.9% (95% CI: 4.1–25.5%). These findings consolidate the use of psychometric instruments for CHR-P in clinical samples for primary indicated prevention of psychosis. Future research should improve the ability to rule in psychosis risk.

We report an in situ study of the thin-film growth of cobalt-phthalocyanine on Ag(100) surfaces using photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) and the Anderson method. Based on the Fowler-DuBridge theory, we were able to correlate the evolution of the mean electron yield acquired with PEEM for coverages up to two molecular layers of cobalt-phthalocyanine to the global work function changes measured with the Anderson method. For coverages above two monolayers, the transients measured with the Anderson method and those obtained with PEEM show different trends. We exploit this discrepancy to determine the inelastic mean free path of the low-energy electrons while passing through the third layer of CoPc.

The study of selected properties of pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.) subjected to acetylation. In the paper pine wood was subjected to acetylation with acetic anhydride and mixture of acetic anhydride and glacial acetic acid (50:50)v/v. After modification process density, WPG index, water absorbability, volume swelling and colour of wood were carried out and compared with results obtained for unmodified pine wood. Based on the obtained results the density of acetylated pine wood was increased for each group of samples. The highest WPG index was obtained for previously dried wood modified with acetic anhydride (15.6%) or mixture of acetic anhydride and glacial acetic acid (10.5%). Acetylation process with acetic anhydride or mixture of acetic anhydride and glacial acetic acid of samples, which were extracted (in chloroform-ethanol 93:7w/w mixture) and dried before modification, had beneficial effect on water absorbability of pine wood. These samples after 1001h (about 42 days) of soaking in water reached the lowest values of water absorbability (about 94%). Moreover, the volume swelling were significantly reduced for samples after double impregnation cycle (both in case of modification with acetic anhydride or mixture of acetic anhydride and glacial acetic acid). Wood after acetylation process was slightly darker than unmodified pine wood. Acetylation of samples, which were dried and soaked in DMF before modification, caused significant darkening of pine wood. The obtained colour was similar to colour of furfurylated wood (Kebony wood) or some of exotic species.

Cybercriminals during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic have redefined both their targets and the form of their cyberattacks. The increased dependence of people around the world on the Internet is driving increasingly bold hacking attacks. Business unit managers are forced to implement better and better security of data resources, which should be organized and at the same time characterized by confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The purpose of the article was to identify and analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cyber security of the business entity. In realizing the purpose of the article, the starting point was a theoretical introduction to cybersecurity. Then, based on the Cybercrime: Covid-19 Impact report developed by Interpol, it was indicated that the coronavirus pandemic has a very high impact on the cyber threat panorama. To analyse the actual market situation, the effects of the cyber-attack on CD PROJEKT Capital Group were analysed.

Advances in experimental and computational techniques enable the exploration of large and complex RNA 3D structures. These, in turn, reveal previously unstudied properties and motifs not characteristic for small molecules with simple architectures. Examples include entanglements of structural elements in RNA molecules and knot-like folds discovered, among others, in the genomes of RNA viruses. Recently, we presented the first classification of entanglements, determined by their topology and the type of entangled structural elements. Here, we introduce RNAspider – a web server to automatically identify, classify, and visualize primary and higher-order entanglements in RNA tertiary structures. The program applies to evaluate RNA 3D models obtained experimentally or by computational prediction. It supports the analysis of uncommon topologies in the pseudoknotted RNA structures. RNAspider is implemented as a publicly available tool with a user-friendly interface and can be freely accessed at https://rnaspider.cs.put.poznan.pl/.

Poland’s power plays an important role in building the image and international position of the country in the region. It is a good starting point to conduct a proactive policy, which gives Poland the opportunity to act on behalf or in defence of smaller regional neighbours. This, of course, can increase Poland’s own significance and potentially opens new political opportunities to contribute to the realization of its own geostrategic interests and goals; in this sense, broadening its influence. It is therefore worth analysing the roles that Poland plays within its region and find the answer to the question of how its position evolves, and to what extent regional roles have an impact on the international position and strength of the state in the European Union. The paper argues that Poland does not effectively exploit cooperation in regional organizations. Thus, its role remains below its own capabilities and it is inferior to the nation’s ambitions. Nevertheless, there is still potential to strengthen the state’s position and its international role in the European Union and beyond. Siła Polski i jej znaczenie w regionie odgrywa ważną rolę w budowaniu wizerunku i międzynarodowej pozycji kraju. To dobry punkt wyjścia do prowadzenia aktywnej polityki, która daje Polsce możliwość działania w imieniu lub w obronie mniejszych sąsiadów. To oczywiście może zwiększyć znaczenie Polski i potencjalnie otwiera nowe możliwości polityczne dla przyczyniania się do realizacji własnych interesów i celów geostrategicznych. Warto zatem przeanalizować role, jakie Polska odgrywa w swoim regionie i znaleźć odpowiedź na pytanie, jak ewoluowała jej pozycja i w jakim stopniu role regionalne wpływają na pozycję międzynarodową i siłę państwa w Unii Europejskiej. Artykuł argumentuje, że współpraca w ramach organizacji regionalnych nie jest przez Polskę efektywnie wykorzystywana, a jej rola jest poniżej jej własnych możliwości i ambicji narodu. Niemniej jednak nadal istnieje potencjał do wzmocnienia pozycji państwa, a tym samym pozytywnego wpływania na jego rolę międzynarodową w Unii Europejskiej i poza nią.

Development activity in Poland is regulated by many legal provisions, but one of the most important acts for the implementation of developers’ projects is the Act of March 27, 2003 on spatial planning and development. The Act includes, among others, procedures for the preparation and scope of local spatial development plans. One of the parameters significant from the point of view of housing development which these plans define is the minimum and maximum intensity of development and the percentage of biologically active space that should be preserved on a property covered by the investment project. The article adopts two research goals. Firstly, it is an attempt to verify, using examples of selected developers, whether they, as profit-oriented entities, decide to develop the property as much as possible or to keep more undeveloped space, which is a more desirable phenomenon from the environmental point of view. Secondly, an attempt will be made to determine how developers in Poland create a biologically active surface in their projects. Based on desk research, it was found that, among the discussed cases, there is no evident tendency to maximize the permissible built-up areas and the created biologically active areas are sparse and not diversified.

In this paper, the definitions of Clarke generalized directional $$\alpha $$ α -derivative and Clarke generalized gradient are introduced for a locally Lipschitz fuzzy function. Further, a nonconvex nonsmooth optimization problem with fuzzy objective function and both inequality and equality constraints is considered. The Karush-Kuhn-Tucker optimality conditions are established for such a nonsmooth extremum problem. For proving these conditions, the approach is used in which, for the considered nonsmooth fuzzy optimization problem, its associated bi-objective optimization problem is constructed. The bi-objective optimization problem is solved by its associated scalarized problem constructed in the weighting method. Then, under invexity hypotheses, (weakly) nondominated solutions in the considered nonsmooth fuzzy minimization problem are characterized through Pareto solutions in its associated bi-objective optimization problem and Karush-Kuhn-Tucker points of the weighting problem.

Basque SeparatismThis article examines the origins of Basque nationalism, major reasons why the terrorist organization ETA was founded, and the evolution of ETA’s activities. Alongside this discussion, a parallel history of moderate nationalism pursued by the Basque Nationalist Party is also examined. The article adopts a historical approach, since Basque nationalism has evolved in a specific way, and the historical, political and systemic changes influenced the Basque Country in a different way than other regions of Spain.In the literature, researchers show that Basque citizens are characterized by a strong sense of national identity. This is due firstly to the fact that many Basques identify themselves with the Basque Country rather than with Spain, which indicates a clear declaration of their national identity. This means that the Basques consider themselves a separate nation. The consequence of this is their desire to have a greater autonomy, preferably under the Spanish federal state, or to gain independence.

In this paper, a class of nonconvex nondifferentiable generalized minimax fractional programming problems is considered. Sufficient optimality conditions for the considered nondifferentiable generalized minimax fractional programming problem are established under the concept of (?, ?)-invexity. Further, two types of dual models are formulated and various duality theorems relating to the primal minimax fractional programming problem and dual problems are established. The results established in the paper generalize and extend several known results in the literature to a wider class of nondifferentiable minimax fractional programming problems. To the best of our knowledge, these results have not been established till now.

The common γ chain family of cytokines and their receptors play fundamental roles in the immune system. Evolutionary studies of γ chain cytokines have elegantly illustrated how the immune system adapts to ever-changing environmental conditions. Indeed, these studies have revealed the uniqueness of cytokine evolution, which exhibits strong positive selection pressure needed to adapt to rapidly evolving threats whilst still conserving their receptor binding capabilities. In this review, we summarise the evolutionary mechanisms that gave rise to the characteristically diverse family of γ chain cytokines. We also speculate on the benefits of studying cytokine evolution, which may provide alternative ways to design novel cytokine therapeutic strategies. Additionally, we discuss current evolutionary models that elucidate the emergence of distinct cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) and cytokine receptors (IL-2Rα and IL-15Rα). Finally, we address and reflect on the difficulties associated with evolutionary studies of rapidly evolving genes and describe a variety of computational methods that have revealed numerous aspects of cytokine evolution.

P-Diastereomers 1 were used in the stereoretentive synthesis of chimeric [PS]-{DNA:(2′-OMe)-RNA/RNA} oligomers and the stability of their duplexes did not correlate with the P-stereochemistry.

DNA glycosylase enzymes recognize and remove structurally distinct modified forms of DNA bases, thereby repairing genomic DNA from chemically induced damage or erasing epigenetic marks. However, these enzymes are often promiscuous, and advanced tools are needed to evaluate and engineer their substrate specificity. Thus, in the present study, we developed a new strategy to rapidly profile the substrate specificity of 8-oxoguanine glycosylases, which cleave biologically relevant oxidized forms of guanine. We monitored the enzymatic excision of fluorophore-labeled oligonucleotides containing synthetic modifications 8-oxoG and FapyG, or G. Using this molecular beacon approach, we identified several hOGG1 mutants with higher specificity for FapyG than 8-oxoG. This approach and the newly synthesized probes will be useful for the characterization of glycosylase substrate specificity and damage excision mechanisms, as well as for evaluating engineered enzymes with altered reactivities. ISSN:2041-6520 ISSN:2041-6539