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Background The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant system strain, requiring rapid redeployment of nurses to intensive care units. Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and surge models on nurses. Objective To identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses working in intensive care units. Methods A scoping review was performed. Articles were excluded if they concerned nurses who were not caring for critically ill adult patients with COVID-19, did not describe impact on nurses, or solely examined workload or expansion of pediatric intensive care units. Results This search identified 417 unique records, of which 55 met inclusion criteria (37 peer-reviewed and 18 grey literature sources). Within the peer-reviewed literature, 42.7% of participants were identified as intensive care unit nurses, 0.65% as redeployed nurses, and 72.4% as women. The predominant finding was the prevalence of negative psychological impacts on nurses, including stress, distress, anxiety, depression, fear, posttraumatic stress disorder, and burnout. Women and members of ethnic minority groups were at higher risk of experiencing negative consequences. Common qualitative themes included the presence of novel changes, negative impacts, and mitigators of harm during the pandemic. Conclusions Nurses working in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced adverse psychological outcomes, with unique stressors and challenges observed among both permanent intensive care unit and redeployed nurses. Further research is required to understand the impact of these outcomes over the full duration of the pandemic, among at-risk groups, and within the context of redeployment roles.

Zielone zamówienia są niejako odpowiedzią na aktualne trendy w zakresie ochrony środowiska. Definiuje się je jako proces, w wyniku którego instytucje publiczne uzyskać mają towary, usługi bądź roboty budowlane o zmniejszonym negatywnym oddziaływaniu, z zachowaniem przeznaczenia i funkcjonalności. Obecnie tego rodzaju zamówienia publiczne dotyczą zwykle największych inwestycji, które jednocześnie charakteryzują się innowacyjnością. Niezależnie jednak od dostrzegania przez zamawiających potrzeby stosowania tego rodzaju zamówień, przez wzgląd na brak konkretnych regulacji prawnych, w praktyce pojawiać się mogę problemy z ich stosowaniem, stąd kluczowa okazuje się analiza i znajomość orzecznictwa Krajowej Izby Odwoławczej. Problematyczny okazuje się m.in. sposób weryfikacji zdolności wykonawców do sprostania wymogom zamawiających w zakresie ochrony środowiska, co wiąże się z koniecznością sformułowania warunku udziału w postępowaniu nieograniczającego zasad konkurencji, choć Krajowa Izba Odwoławcza wskazała wielokrotnie, iż wymagania są zgodne z interesem i potrzebami zamawiającego, nawet jeśli są trudne do spełnienia dla większości wykonawców.

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), being apex predators and facultative scavengers, can bioaccumulate different environmental contaminants, including toxic elements that may adversely affect their health. We analyzed the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and other metals and metalloids, including arsenic (As), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), uranium (U), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) in liver samples taken from three golden eagles and 36 white-tailed eagles that were found dead across Poland to verify their exposure. We also used a systematic review to summarize the available literature data on Cd, Pb, and other studied elements in the liver of both eagle species. Analyses of trace elements in the liver samples of the Polish eagles revealed interspecific differences in Cd, Cu, and Mn and differences in Co, Mn, Tl, and Zn among study regions. All elements tested except Pb were below the suggested thresholds linked with adverse health effects in birds. The hepatic Pb found in almost half of all the tested individuals suggests environmental exposure to this toxic element. One of the tested white-tailed eagles had hepatic Pb above the threshold of sublethal poisoning. Although our results seem optimistic, as previous Polish studies showed a higher prevalence of birds with hepatic Pb exceeding the toxicity threshold, they indicate that exposure to this toxic metal could still pose an additional threat to the health of Polish eagles. Graphical abstract

The foil tunnel crop control system presented in this article operates an irrigation system and a system that regulates air temperature and humidity. The irrigation system consists of solenoid valves, supplying water to a tunnel area divided into four zones. This allows four different types of plants to be grown. The system uses rainwater, collected in a reservoir when it is available. The water is delivered to the plants via by means of rubber hoses with holes. Thanks to this solution, the water is fed directly under the plant. The executive elements of the control system temperature and humidity are a motor and a fan. The motor opens the window when the measured parameters exceed the set value. If the humidity of the air is too high the fan is switched on, accelerating the air exchange. The system has an anemometer, the purpose of which is to measure and report dangerously strong winds. When the wind speed exceeds a critical value, the microcontroller forces the windows to be closed to protect the tunnel. The system also has a display, showing values of measured parameters and setpoints, as well as buttons to view them and change the expected value. An alarm is attached to the system. It is activated when the microcontroller registers a parameter value that is impossible to achieve under the tunnel's operating conditions. This indicates a possible failure of the measuring system. The executed system correctly adjusts the indicated parameters within its tolerance. The system has confirmed its usefulness, effectively reducing the time and labour required for plant care.

The subject of the article is the design and construction of a water and food dispenser for dogs. Its main goal is to present the design of the device adapted to both the requirements of the owners and the dogs themselves. The goals set for this project are to ensure its functionality in all weather conditions. The configuration methods described guarantee the versatility of the device. Design assumptions, a 3D model of the structure, electronics and a fragments of the control program are presented. The actual implementation of the dispenser, possibilities for its modification and, in conclusion, comments and conclusions are presented.

The article presents the design and fabrication of a remotely controlled two-wheeled self-balancing robot, along with its mobile control by means of an application on a phone displaying basic parameters in a terminal. A 3D model made in SolidEdge software, the electronic components used to build the robot and electronic schematics and software are presented. Real-world tests were conducted that demonstrate the robot's operation. The robot can be used for educational and commercial purposes, as well as in the human home environment.

This paper presents the design assumptions, 3D model, electronics, control and actual implementation of a programmable model of an industrial robotic arm used to transport parts with small masses. The arm communicates via Wi-Fi, has a user interface, keyboard and alphanumeric display. The necessary calculations were made for the torques of the arm's drives used, and its mechanical design and electronics schematic are presented. Tests to verify the operation of the arm were carried out.

The use of flying robots for various environmental protection issues is a very important and current research topic. Designing a dedicated multi-rotor flying robot is necessary for the efficient and automated localization of sources of air pollution, especially solid particles. In particular, one of the most important requirements that must be met by such a robot is its appropriate impact on the measurement process, i.e., increasing the sensitivity of sensors or reducing the interference. This is particularly difficult because its rotating rotors introduce significant disturbances to the surrounding fluid. In these studies, the design process is supported by the creation of a mathematical flow model and a series of analyzes to optimize the PM measurement system. The model is built using the finite-volume method in ANSYS Fluent software and steady-state RANS averaging. First, a flow field model with one propeller was modeled and its parameters identified by comparison with the results from the dedicated original dynamometer stand -- characteristics of the propeller performance. On the basis of the simulations and measurement of one rotor, subsequent systems of the highest practical importance are built. The effect of that design process was the preparation and testing of a functional robot prototype. The field parameter distributions resulting from the analyzes, in particular the turbulence intensity, allow one to propose a criterion on the basis of which both the best rotor configuration and localization of sensors are selected.

Exosomes are spherical membrane nanovesicles secreted from cells, and they play an important role in tumor immune response, metastasis, angiogenesis, and survival. Studies investigating exosomes isolated from cells exposed to photon radiation commonly used in conventional radiotherapy demonstrate the influence of this type of radiation on exosome characteristics and secretion. There is currently no research investigating the effects of densely ionizing particles such as protons and alpha radiation on exosomes. Thus we have evaluated the cellular response of human prostate cancer cells exposed to 0, 2, and 6 Gy of alpha radiation emitted from the Am-241 source. Irradiated PC3 and DU145 cell lines, characterized by differences in radiosensitivity, were studied using apoptosis, LDH, and IL-6 assays. Additionally, the corresponding concentration and size of isolated exosomes were measured using NTA. We found that exposure to ionizing radiation resulted in gross changes in viability and cell damage. There were increased amounts of apoptotic or necrotic cells as a function of radiation dose. We demonstrated that irradiated PC3 cells secrete higher quantities of exosomes compared to DU145 cells. Additionally, we also found no statistical difference in exosome size for control and irradiated cells.

The presented methodology is based on coarse-grained representation of biomolecules in implicit environments and is designed for the molecular dynamics simulations of membrane proteins and their complexes. The membrane proteins are not only found in the cell membrane but also in all membranous compartments of the cell: Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, endosomes and lysosomes, and they usually form large complexes. To investigate such systems the methodology is proposed based on two independent approaches combining the coarse-grained MARTINI model for proteins and the effective energy function to mimic the water/membrane environments. The latter is based on the implicit environment developed for all-atom simulations in the IMM1 method. The force field solvation parameters for COGRIMEN were initially calculated from IMM1 all-atom parameters and then optimized using Genetic Algorithms. The new methodology was tested on membrane proteins, their complexes and oligomers. COGRIMEN method is implemented as a patch for NAMD program and can be useful for fast and brief studies of large membrane protein complexes.

Książka składa się z wprowadzenia do debaty zarówno w języku polskim jak i angielskim oraz 12 rozdziałów (referatów). Praca zawiera także noty o autorach oraz indeks. Autorami referatów są znawcy problematyki transhumanizmu, wywodzący się zarówno z renomowanych uczelni akademickich, jak i rozmaitych ośrodków badawczych. Publikacja jest nie tylko interesująca oraz inspirująca, ale też zmusza do pogłębionej refleksji nad naturą człowieka, jego istotą oraz wpływem technologii na jego życie, a także oceną etyczną tego wpływu. --------------------- Zgłoszono: 12/12/2021. Zrecenzowano: 09/01/2022. Zaakceptowano do publikacji: 26/04/2022.

The period of distance learning (March-May 2020) showed how the Polish educational system manages education and implementation of curricula using new technologies.The aim of the research team was to learn the opinions of nearly 80 students about the organization and efficiency of the distance education. The research was carried out using original questionnaire composed of 28 questions, including questions referring to demographic and social metrics. The statistical analysis used SPSS 26 package. The research allowed us to conclude that the educational and upbringing process was realized in this Youth Centre of Sociotherapy in a differentiated way. However, the levelof teaching and sociotherapeutic activities depended, on the one hand, on the motivation and engagement of students, Barents, teachers and educators, and, on the other hand, on the ICT tools and infrastructure available to the students, teachers, educators and the therapists.

Despite recent advances in research, the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood yet. Understanding the process of cleavage and then trimming of peptide substrates, can help selectively block γ-secretase (GS) to stop overproduction of the amyloidogenic products. Our GS-SMD server (https://gs-smd.biomodellab.eu/) allows cleaving and unfolding of all currently known GS substrates (more than 170 peptide substrates). The substrate structure is obtained by threading of the substrate sequence into the known structure of GS complex. The simulations are performed in an implicit water-membrane environment so they are performed rather quickly, 2–6 h per job, depending on the mode of calculations (part of GS complex or the whole structure). It is also possible to introduce mutations to the substrate and GS and pull any part of the substrate in any direction using the steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations with constant velocity. The obtained trajectories are visualized and analyzed in the interactive way. One can also compare multiple simulations using the interaction frequency analysis. GS-SMD server can be useful for revealing mechanisms of substrate unfolding and role of mutations in this process.

The years 2020–2021 were very difficult for the tourism sector. The restrictions were introduced in almost every European country concerning the tourism movement and restrictions for activities of restaurants and hotel and accommodation services. As a result the losses of tourism sector were enormous. The aim of the article was to find the answer to a questions: what were the results of the foreign inbound tourism to Poland and Hungary during the COVID-19 pandemic (first, second, third wave)? What were solutions taken in Poland and Hungary concerning the tourism sector in the particular waves of COVID-19 pandemic?

Background: We present a case of combined Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acanthamoeba and Candida keratitis and clinical course of treatment in two adolescents girls who did not follow the rules of proper use of soft contact lenses. Case reports: Two teenage contact lens users sought medical attention, reporting visual impairment, redness and pain of the eye. Slit lamp examination showed unilateral corneal ulcer. Confocal microscopy revealed images compatible with amoebic cysts and yeasts cells, whereas the results of conjunctival swabs confirmed the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After topical and general treatment in the first patient, the corneal defect was healed, and visual acuity improved. The girl remains under the constant supervision of an ophthalmological clinic. The medications were gradually reduced, but with time she developed crystalline keratopathy. Regrettably, the second patient, despite the applied treatment had recurrent inflammation and progressive corneal thinning, which required amniotic membrane transplantation to prevent perforation. Conclusion: The early identification of the pathogen as well as adequate treatment is crucial, as contact lens-associated keratitis are potentially sight threatening. Patient and caregiver education, adequate contact lens hygiene and consistent follow-up are important to prevent serious complications.

Experiments describing properties of nanomaterials on bacteria are frequently limited to the disk diffusion method or other end-point methods indicating viability or survival rate in plate count assay. Such experimental design does not show the dynamic changes in bacterial physiology, mainly when performed on reference microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Testing other microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, could provide novel insights into the microbial response to nanomaterials. Therefore, we aimed to test selected carbon nanomaterials and their components in a series of experiments describing the basic physiology of P. aeruginosa. Concentrations ranging from 15.625 to 1000 µg/mL were tested. The optical density of cultures, pigment production, respiration, growth curve analysis, and biofilming were tested. The results confirmed variability in the response of P. aeruginosa to tested nanostructures, depending on their concentration. The co-incubation with the nanostructures (in concentration 125 µg/mL) could inhibit the population growth (in most cases) or promote it in the case of graphene oxide. Furthermore, a specific concentration of a given nanomaterial could cause contradictory effects leading to stimulation or inhibition of pigmentation, an optical density of the cultures, or biofilm formation. We have found that particularly nanomaterials containing TiO2 could induce pigmentation in P. aeruginosa, which indicates the possibility of increased virulence. On the other hand, nanocomposites containing cobalt nanoparticles had the highest anti-bacterial potential when cobalt was displayed on the surface. Our approach revealed changes in respiration and growth dynamics that can be used to search for nanomaterials’ application in biotechnology.

Objectives: This study examines the biological sex and geographical origins of adolescents buried at the St Mary Magdalen leprosarium (Winchester, UK). The data are combined with archaeological and palaeopathological evidence to broaden the understanding of mobility and its relationship to leprosy and leprosaria in Medieval England. Materials and Methods: Nineteen individuals (~10–25 at death) with skeletal lesions diagnostic of leprosy were analyzed using standard osteological methods. Amelogenin peptides were extracted from five individuals whose biological sex could not be assessed from macroscopic methods. Enamel samples were analyzed to produce 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O values to explore mobility histories. Results: Amelogenin peptides revealed three males and two females. Tooth enamel samples provided an 87Sr/86Sr ratio range from 0.7084 to 0.7103 (mean 0.7090, ±0.0012, 2σ). δ18OP values show a wide range of 15.6‰–19.3‰ (mean 17.8 ± 1.6‰ 2σ), with corresponding δ18ODW values ranging from −9.7‰ to −4.1‰ (mean −6.3 ± 2.4‰ 2σ). Discussion Amelogenin peptide data reveal the presence of adolescent females with bone changes of leprosy, making them the youngest confirmed females with leprosy in the archaeological record. Results also show at least 12 adolescents were local, and seven were from further afield, including outside Britain. Since St. Mary Magdalen was a leprosarium, it is possible that these people traveled there specifically for care. Archaeological and palaeopathological data support the notion that care was provided at this facility and that leprosy stigma, as we understand it today, may not have existed in this time and place.

Currently, there is a real need for rapid progress and development in almost all industries and areas of human activity [...]

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with higher transmissibility and immune escape remain a persistent threat across the globe. This is evident from the recent outbreaks of the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron variants. These variants have originated from different continents and spread across the globe. In this study, we explored the genomic and structural basis of these variants for their lineage defining mutations of the spike protein through computational analysis, protein modeling, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. We further experimentally validated the importance of these deletion mutants for their immune escape using a pseudovirus-based neutralization assay, and an antibody (4A8) that binds directly to the spike protein's NTD. Delta variant with the deletion and mutations in the NTD revealed a better rigidity and reduced flexibility as compared to the wild-type spike protein (Wuhan isolate). Furthermore, computational studies of 4A8 monoclonal antibody (mAb) revealed a reduced binding of Delta variant compared to the wild-type strain. Similarly, the MD simulation data and virus neutralization assays revealed that the Omicron also exhibits immune escape, as antigenic beta-sheets appear to be disrupted. The results of the present study demonstrate the higher possibility of immune escape and thereby achieved better fitness advantages by the Delta and Omicron variants, which warrants further demonstrations through experimental evidences. Our study, based on

Lipidic-liquid crystalline nanostructures (lipidic cubic phases), which are biomimetic and stable in an excess of water, were used as a convenient environment to investigate the transport properties of the membrane antiporter E. coli CLC-1 (EcCLC).

Quantification of land surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes and their trends and uncertainties is essential for monitoring progress of the EU27+UK bloc as it strives to meet ambitious targets determined by both international agreements and internal regulation. This study provides a consolidated synthesis of fossil sources (CO2 fossil) and natural sources and sinks over land (CO2 land) using bottom-up (BU) and top-down (TD) approaches for the European Union and United Kingdom (EU27+UK), updating earlier syntheses (Petrescu et al., 2020, 2021b). Given the wide scope of the work and the variety of approaches involved, this study aims to answer essential questions identified in the previous syntheses and understand the differences between datasets, particularly for poorly characterized fluxes from managed ecosystems. The work integrates updated emission inventory data, process-based model results, data-driven sectoral model results, and inverse modeling estimates, extending the previous period 1990–2018 to the year 2020 to the extent possible. BU and TD products are compared with European National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs) reported by Parties including the year 2019 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The uncertainties of the EU27+UK NGHGI were evaluated using the standard deviation reported by the EU Member States following the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and harmonized by gap-filling procedures. Variation in estimates produced with other methods, such as atmospheric inversion models (TD) or spatially disaggregated inventory datasets (BU), originate from within-model uncertainty related to parameterization as well as structural differences between models. By comparing NGHGIs with other approaches, key sources of differences between estimates arise primarily in activities. System boundaries and emission categories create differences in CO2 fossil datasets, while different land use definitions for reporting emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) activities result in differences for CO2 land. The latter has important consequences for atmospheric inversions, leading to inversions reporting stronger sinks in vegetation and soils than are reported by the NGHGI. For CO2 fossil emissions, after harmonizing estimates based on common activities and selecting the most recent year available for all datasets, the UNFCCC NGHGI for the EU27+UK accounts for 3392 ± 49 Tg CO2 yr-1 (926 ± 13 Tg C yr-1), while eight other BU sources report a mean value of 3340 [3238,3401] [25th,75th percentile] Tg CO2 yr-1 (948 [937,961] Tg C yr-1). The sole top-down inversion of fossil emissions currently available accounts for 3800 Tg CO2 yr-1 (1038 Tg C yr-1), a value close to that of the NGHGI, but for which uncertainty estimates are not yet available. For the net CO2 land fluxes, during the most recent five-year period including the NGHGI estimates, the NGHGI accounted for -91 ± 32 Tg C yr-1 while six other BU approaches reported a mean sink of -62 [-117,-49] Tg C yr-1 and a 15-member ensemble of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) reported -69 [-152,-5] Tg C yr-1. The five-year mean of three TD regional ensembles combined with one non-ensemble inversion of -73 Tg C yr-1 has a slightly smaller spread (0th–100th percentile of [-135,45] Tg C yr-1), and was calculated after removing land-atmosphere CO2 fluxes caused by lateral transport of carbon (crops, wood trade and inland waters) resulting in increased agreement with the the NGHGI and bottom-up approaches. Results at the sub-sector level (Forestland, Cropland, Grassland) show generally good agreement between the NGHGI and sub-sector-specific models, but results for a DGVM are mixed. Overall, for both CO2 fossil and net CO2 land fluxes, we find current independent approaches are consistent with the NGHGI at the scale of the EU27+UK. We conclude that CO2 emissions from fossil sources have decreased over the past 30 years in the EU27+UK, while large uncertainties on net uptake of CO2 by the land surface prevent trend identification. In addition, a gap on the order of 1000 Tg C yr-1 between CO2 fossil emissions and net CO2 uptake by the land exists regardless of the type of approach (NGHGI, TD, BU), falling well outside all available estimates of uncertainties. However, uncertainties in top-down approaches to estimate CO2 fossil emissions remain uncharacterized and are likely substantial. The data used to plot the figures are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7365863.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading complication after both liver and kidney transplantation. Factors associated with and rates of cardiovascular events (CVEs) after simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (SLKT) are unknown. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult SLKT recipients between 2002 and 2017 at six centers in six United Network for Organ Sharing regions in the US Multicenter SLKT Consortium. The primary outcome was a CVE defined as hospitalization due to acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, or other CV causes (stroke or peripheral vascular disease) within 1 year of SLKT. Among 515 SLKT subjects (mean age ± SD, 55.4 ± 10.6 years; 35.5% women; 68.1% White), 8.7% had a CVE within 1 year of SLKT. The prevalence of a CVE increased from 3.3% in 2002-2008 to 8.9% in 2009-2011 to 14.0% in 2012-2017 ( p =0.0005). SLKT recipients with a CVE were older (59.9 vs. 54.9 years, p

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar la imagen de España en la obra de Jovan Dučić (1872-1943), poeta serbio y embajador del Reino de Yugoslavia en Madrid. Su obra más importante sobre este tema es “Carta desde España”, del volumen Ciudades y quimeras. Las reflexiones sobre España se incluyen también en dos libros de ensayos, Tesoro del zar Radovan y Mañanas de Leutar. El autor no hace referencia a la actualidad, sino que se centra en la historia de España, menciona a muchos personajes históricos (gobernantes, pintores, poetas) y le otorga un lugar central a Santa Teresa de Ávila. La España representada por Dučić es un país desprovisto de belleza, lleno de dolor y sufrimiento, que recuerda la visión creada por El Greco en su cuadro Vista de Toledo.

The global digital shift, recently accelerated by the COVID‐19 pandemic, requires that consumers have knowledge allowing them to navigate increasingly cashless markets safely and effectively. To enable valid and reliable measurement of such knowledge, we used data obtained from a random sample of adult Poles to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties and applicability of an original cashless payments knowledge scale (CPK scale). Our analyses based on Item Response Theory show that some evident subdomains exist within the CPK construct. The separate dimensions of the CPK merge into a coherent scale with solid psychometric properties. We find that the CPK score depends on the place of residence, education, and household size, and is positively related to safe cashless behavior. Our findings may have important implications for financial institutions as well as policymakers interested in segmenting consumers in terms of their financial knowledge, potential risks resulting from deficits in this knowledge, and enhancing financial literacy. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Consumer Affairs is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

New acetyl derivatives of uracil, 6-methyluracil, and thymine were obtained in the course of an unconventional synthesis in methylene chloride. It was shown that products with the acetyloxymethyl fragment are formed according to a mechanism different from that for products with the acetyloxyethyl group. In particular, for uracil it was proven that the reaction with Ac2O, TEA, and CH2Cl2 leads to 1-acetyloxymethyluracil, where the N1 substituent is composed of the -CH2- fragment that originated from CH2Cl2 and the 1-acetyloxy moiety from Ac2O. The reaction of uracil with Ac2O, TEA, CH2Cl2, and DMAP leads to an acetyloxyethyl derivative in which the -CH2-CH2- fragment originates from TEA and the 1-acetyloxy moiety from Ac2O. A possible mechanism for the formation of new compounds was suggested and supported by the density functional theory/B3LYP quantum mechanical calculations. New compounds (39 in total, including seven deuterated) were fully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques.

A new pyrophosphate(V) of the formula Co5Cr2(P2O7)4 was obtained in the system Co2P2O7–Cr4(P2O7)3 as a result of solid-state reactions taking place between different reactants. The new compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and belongs to the family of pyrophosphates of the general formula M52+M23+(P2O7)4 and is probably isostructural with Fe52+Fe23+(P2O7)4. Powder diffraction pattern, infrared spectrum and SEM image of the new compound were presented. As a new potential inorganic pigment, Co5Cr2(P2O7)4 was tested for its thermal stability, particle size distribution and colour properties, which were studied both for powder and after introduction into organic matrix and leadless ceramic glaze. The colour of Co5Cr2(P2O7)4 powder was defined as deep grey with the colour coordinates L*/a*/b* = 60.63/-1.42/-3.41 and according to the hue angle (h° = 247.39°) it belongs to the blue region. Co5Cr2(P2O7)4, with its relatively high thermal stability (t m = 1230 ± 10 °C) and appropriate colour properties, is a good candidate to be used as inorganic pigment for colouring of acrylic paints. In the case of leadless glaze, the obtained compound acts as a dye.

The COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States in early 2020 and spread rapidly across the country. This retrospective study describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of 308 children presenting to an Arkansas Children's emergency department (ED) or admitted to an Arkansas Children's hospital with COVID-19 in the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the emergence of clinically significant variants and available vaccinations. Adolescents aged 13 and older represented the largest proportion of this population. The most common presenting symptoms were fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, and upper respiratory symptoms. Patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) had a longer length of stay (LOS) than patients with acute COVID-19. Children from urban zip codes had lower odds of admission but were more likely to be readmitted after discharge. Nearly twenty percent of the study population incidentally tested positive for COVID-19. Despite lower mortality in children with COVID than in adults, morbidity and resource utilization are significant. With many Arkansas children living in rural areas and therefore far from pediatric hospitals, community hospitals should be prepared to evaluate children presenting with COVID-19 and to determine which children warrant transport to pediatric-specific facilities.

Cargo security is one of the most critical issues in modern logistics. For high-value theft-targeted (HVTT) cargo the driving phase of transportation takes up a major part of thefts. Dozen fleet management solutions based on GNSS positioning were introduced in recent years. Existing tracking solutions barely meet the requirements of TAPA 2020. Map-matching algorithms present valuable ideas on handling GNSS inaccuracy, however, universal map-matching methods are overcomplicated and not suitable for real-time implementation. The dynamic geofencing algorithm presented in this article was developed for the specific purpose of HVTT security. The algorithm is adaptive geometric-based matching (alternately curve-to-curve, point-to-curve, point-to-point). The idea behind the algorithm is to detect and eliminate the atypical matching circumstances - namely if the raw position is registered at one of the exceptions described in the paper. The problem of adaptive cartographic projection is also addressed. The practical value of the proposed algorithm is that the distance between the raw GNSS position and map-matched position can be used as a quantitative security factor. Further development works focus on reducing false alarms caused by GNSS inaccuracy and drift.