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The paper presents the effects of the application of a new technical solution along with medical procedures. This approach aims to correct the collapsed transverse arch of the foot and thus restore the physiological course of the anatomical structures. In this way, the alignment of the toes is achieved, thus also eliminating valgus of the big toe. In the article are presented results for 19 patients with stage I and 22 patients with stage II of the foot deformities. Patients applied the orthosis at 5−7 h daily per one year. Physical examination and X-ray scans were used to assess correction progress. Angles between individual bones of the foot were compared. Correction of the transverse arch of the foot reduces the remain toes deformities of the foot (II–V). The HV angle in the group of patients with the degree I deformity before and after the therapy was 18.3° (3.1°) and 15.2° (±2.6°), respectively, and for patients with degree II deformity it was 19.2° (±2.9°) and 16.3. (±3.2°).

Simulations in medicine have already become the mainstream trend in the field of research and education. It includes simulations on simulators through which students are afforded the opportunity to train manual skills as well as series of simulations that enable one to train not just motor and manual skills alone. Some of these offer the student the basis to train decision-making process and conduct experiments that visualize biological phenomena that are important from a doctor’s perspective. The authors have done a review of medical computer simulations and found that simulations in medicine focus, in respect of the issues raised, on techniques and computer science aspects. The first one is discussed in the paper “Simulations in orthopedics and rehabilitation – Part I: Simulators.” The second one is discussed in this paper. In the paper, the authors focus on computer simulations, in the broadest sense, presenting them while taking into consideration the distinction between simulations used for the following purposes: test (conducted under laboratory conditions), training (incorporated into school, universities syllabus), and diagnostic and therapeutic (within the hospital, clinics, private medical practice).

Nowadays, medical simulators and computer simulation programs are used to train various skills required in medicine. The development of medicine, including orthopedics and rehabilitation, has meant that resident physicians, within a much shorter period of time, must acquire the knowledge and skills that their older colleagues gained over years, learning as they operated on patients. For this reason, simulation very often helps the doctor and others engaged in health care train some techniques necessary during the work before they start working in a clinical environment. They have a chance of fine-tuning certain skills under nonclinical environment. On the other hand, simulation techniques are used in medical scientific research to know and explain the different biological processes that can be used for better patient treatment in the future. In this paper (Part I), the authors focused on the presentation of different types of simulators for the following purposes: test (conducted under laboratory conditions), training (incorporated into school, universities syllabus), diagnostic and therapeutic (within the hospital, clinics, private medical practice).

Congo red (CR) and other self-assembling compounds creating supramolecular structures of rod- or ribbon-like architecture form specific complexes with cellulose and also with many proteins, including antibodies bound to the antigen and amyloids in particular. The mechanism of complexation and structure of these complexes are still poorly recognized despite the importance of the problem for medicine. This work proposes the progress in electron microscopy studies of amyloid-dye complexes by labeling supramolecular ligand CR with silver ions as a marker. Silver ions are introduced to CR carried by the strongly binding silver dye Titan yellow, which in addition form comicellar structures with CR. Silver carried by self-assembled dye molecules forms in the resulting metal nanoparticles, making the specific amyloid ligand CR perceptible in EM studies.

Road Traffic Parameters Measuring System with Variable StructureSystems of road traffic parameters measurement play a key role in the process of road traffic control, its supervision as well as in gathering and processing information for statistical purposes. Expectations of users of such systems mainly concern automation and provision of measurement continuity, possibility of selection of the measured road traffic parameters and high accuracy along with reliability of obtained results. In order to meet the requirements set for such systems, at the Department of Instrumentation and Measurement of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow a new prototype system of road traffic parameters measurement - Traffic-1 - has been constructed. The innovativeness of the solution is manifested in the structure of the system that can be modified by the user adequately to current measurement needs and in the used algorithms of signals processing. The work contains a brief description of the constructed system with particular focus on the used innovations that are the result of many years of research work of the designers.

The study presents a fragment of pilot studies showing the reconstruction of the transverse arch of the foot using a specially constructed orthosis for this purpose. It involves the mechanical reinforcement of the effect by an orthosis, which pushes down the I, IV, and V metatarsal bones while elevating or blocking the fall of the near-immobile II and III metatarsal bones according to the “three-force” rule. The correction of the transverse arch of the foot runs simultaneously with the correction of hallux valgus (HV). As a result, the significant correction of HV and associated toe deformities was achieved. In stage I foot deformity, the reduction of HV was reduced from 19.1° before to 15.1° after putting on orthosis (p = 0.024). In stage II, the reduction was from 20.1° (before) to 16.2° (after; p = 0.032). Equally satisfactory results were obtained for the remaining angles of the metatarsal bones. In the future, the method can be suitable for patients undergoing preparation for corrective HV surgery and for maintaining postoperative HV results. It can be used preventively, for example, by women who frequently wear high-heeled shoes and by those who need to remain standing for prolonged periods of time.