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Copyright of Current Gynecologic Oncology is the property of Medical Communications Sp. z o.o. 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although there are many methods and instruments for measuring viscosity, it is still difficult to determine a reliable value of the dynamic viscosity of complex chemicals such as paraffins and fatty acids. This is due to the complex and heterogeneous structure of these compounds in the case of commercial products. On the other hand, the measuring instrument should be selected very carefully, including its measuring principle and measuring range. This paper presents results of viscosity measurements of three organic PCMs (phase change materials) obtained in four different research institutions. Commercial products: paraffin, myristic acid (97%) and mixture of palmitic acid (55%) and stearic acid (45%) were selected as PCMs. Four different viscometers, namely Fungilab V-Pad, Rheotest LK 2.2, Rheometer Anton Paar MCR 102, and Brookfield DV-II + Pro have been used to determine temperature dependent dynamic viscosity of the tested PCMs. Using a large database of present measurement results, correlations were developed to calculate the dynamic viscosity of fatty acids and paraffins, which predict the experimental data within a band of ±20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Safety & Fire Technology / Bezpieczeństwo i Technika Pożarnicza is the property of Centrum Naukowo-Badawcze Ochrony Przeciwpozarowej 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aluminum-based bearing materials are widely used for automotive applications. One special advantage is the weight savings associated with using aluminum alloys. However, the effect of submicro- and nanostructure on the tribology behavior of these materials is not studied in detail. The effects of normal load and sliding velocity on the frictional behavior of nanostructured aluminum alloy against steel is not studied yet. The paper contains the results of tribology examination of nanocrystalline (NC) aluminum alloy NC A2017. The possibilities of use of these materials obtained by the method of hydrostatic extrusion, in various friction units look very promising. It is found the 2017 aluminum alloy with nanometric structure exhibits low friction coefficients at low normal loads. From other side the NCA2017 aluminum alloy can be successfully formed 200°C and above. Plastic deformation of the material above 200°C causes noticeable grain growth. However, the determined average grain diameters are in the submicron range, even for compression temperature of 300°C. The friction behavior of NC 2017 Al alloy is characterized by three times anomalous fall of friction coefficient up to f=0.15 as compared with f=0.45 for coarse grained 2017 Al alloy. The wear rate of NC 2017 Al alloy is diminished by three times as compared to that of coarse grained 2017 Al alloy. The possible reason of such a behavior is the specific features of nanostructure and precipitates of NC 2017 Al alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Metal Forming / Obróbka Plastyczna Metali is the property of Instytut Obrobki Plastycznej 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The solutions of Maxwell and Rayleigh were the first of many attempts to determine the effective thermal conductivity of heterogeneous material. Early models assumed that no thermal resistance exists between the phases in heterogeneous material. Later studies on solid-liquid and solid-solid boundaries revealed that a temperature drop occurs when heat flows through a boundary between two phases and, as a consequence, the interfacial thermal resistance should be included in the heat transfer model. This paper is a review of the most popular expressions for predicting the effective thermal conductivity of composite materials using the properties and volume fractions of constituent phases. Subject to review were empirical, analytical and numerical models, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is an attempt to gather and analyse different approaches used in practice and literature towards energy security. A definition of this concept that suits best international comparisons has been identified. On the basis of existing literature and own reflections a comprehensive set of indicators was proposed and possibility of quantitative approach towards energy security measurement has been discussed. The indicators may be used for any comparative study of national energy systems made by international security and international relations researchers. The model will prove to be useful also for analyses of Asian economies. The paper is based on international and Polish literature. W artykule zestawiono różne podejścia do zagadnienia bezpieczeństwa energetycznego, stosowane w praktyce oraz w literaturze naukowej i poddano je krytycznej analizie. Na tej podstawie zidentyfikowano najbardziej trafną definicję pojęcia. W oparciu o istniejącą literaturę oraz własne przemyślenia, udało się zaproponować w miarę kompletny i uniwersalny zestaw wskaźników przydatnych do opisu bezpieczeństwa energetycznego oraz poddano pod rozwagę możliwość kwantyfikacji tych wskaźników. Materiał może posłużyć badaczom bezpieczeństwa międzynarodowego i stosunków międzynarodowych do wykonania analiz porównawczych systemów energetycznych poszczególnych państw. Zaproponowany model badawczy doskonale nadaje się do analizy gospodarek azjatyckich. Artykuł jest oparty na polsko- i obcojęzycznej literaturze przedmiotu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) exists between filler and matrix in any composite material and has a significant influence on its effective thermal conductivity. To predict the effective thermal conductivity of composite material, the conductivities of each component as well as the ITR must be known. Theoretical models, like the acoustic mismatch model (AMM), allow for accurate ITR determination only for an idealized case of perfect contact (no interfacial gaps and good bonding). The interfacial bonding in typical composites for thermal conduction, like diamond-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) is usually highly imperfect and the ITR, in composites of the same type, depends highly on the individual manufacturing conditions. Therefore, a great need exists for reliable experimental ITR measurement techniques. In this paper, the main difficulties regarding experimental ITR measurements are discussed. A review of measurement techniques is presented, with the main focus put on the principle of each technique and its appropriateness for the purpose of composite materials. The strengths and weaknesses of each technique are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anaesthesiology & Rescue Medicine / Anestezjologia i Ratownictwo is the property of Akademia Medycyny Publishing House 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients with unfavorable prognostic factors. Material and methods: In the years 2002-2008, 121 consecutive prostate cancer patients underwent radical prostatectomy and postoperative radiotherapy. The median dose was 64 Gy (range: 60-72 Gy). Biochemical and clinical progression-free survival were estimated. Uni-variate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze clinicopathological variables associated with treatment failure. Results: The median follow-up was 27 months. Three-year bPFS was 72%. On uni-variate analysis it was influenced by: extracapsular tumor extension (60% vs. 75%, p = 0.0232), seminal vesicles invasion (52% vs. 85%, p = 0.00041), Gleason score > 7 (65% vs. 86%, p = 0.044) and the use of hormonal therapy (50% vs. 80%, p = 0.0058). On multivariate analysis bPFS was associated with: TNM stage (HR = 3.19), postoperative hormonal therapy (HR = 2.6), total irradiation dose (HR = 0.82) and the maximum pretreatment level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (HR = 0.95). Three-year cPFS was 84%. On univariate analysis it was influenced by: preoperative PSA level > 10 ng/ml (75% vs. 90%, p = 0.04), vascular-nerve bundles involvement (63% vs. 88%, p = 0.0031), adjacent organs infiltration (50% vs. 85%, p = 0.018) and the use of postoperative hormonal therapy (62% vs. 90%, p = 0.02). On multivariate analysis cPFS was associated with: TNM stage (HR = 2.68), postoperative hormonal therapy (HR = 3.61) and total irradiation dose (HR = 0.78). Conclusions: Postoperative radiotherapy in patients with unfavorable prognostic factors provides good biochemical and local control. Total irradiation dose and postoperative hormonal therapy are important treatment factors influencing prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anaesthesiology & Rescue Medicine / Anestezjologia i Ratownictwo is the property of Akademia Medycyny Publishing House 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Metal Forming / Obróbka Plastyczna Metali is the property of Instytut Obrobki Plastycznej 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Prostate cancer is one of most frequent malignant tumours at men. The androgen-deprivation therapy is the part of cancer treatment. It could be used both in the early stage of prostate cancer and in the bone metastates. From this reason the antiandrogen drugs waste systematically grows. Unfortunately androgen-deprivation therapy has numerous side effects such as: the inferior quality of live, sexual disturbances, the fatigue, the anaemia, the bone mineral density loss and the increase of the risk of breaks the bone, the increase of body mass, insulinresistance, hypercholesterolemia, the increase risk of cardiac disorders. The aim of this article is the introduction of the reader with possibly complications androgen- deprivation therapy and with possibilities in diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since testing wide range of management decision in real-world production is absolutely impossible, discrete-event simulation has often been adopted to evaluate the manufacturing system performance. Performance of various layout alternatives can be studied using simulation. In this paper there are presented reasons to use simulation in order to evaluate manufacturing system performance. Paper presents a simulation approach to assessing the impact of management decision on a production process and the associated impact on costs and on potential gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies multi-product production manufacturing systems with in-line quality control. Quality control is carried at inspection stations located within a production line. Quality control has an impact on performance of the system: through put decreases and resource utilization increases. Production lines are modeled as a multi-product Open Jackson Network, where stochastic character of routing is a result of quality control operations. Quality inspection can result in feedback to a work station of the manufacturing system. The approach developed allows for comparing different inspection allocations using three principal indices: overall cost, lead-time and equipment utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, natural-based polymeric composites have gained the attention of researchers and the industry due to their low environmental impact and good applicational properties. A promising example of these materials is polylactide-based composites filled with linseed cake. Even though they can be characterized by reduced brittleness and enhanced crystallization rate, their applicational potential cannot be fully evaluated without knowing their tribological properties. This paper is aimed to analyze the influence of the oil contained by the filler on the mechanical and frictional properties of polylactide-based composites. Specimens of unfilled polylactide and its composites containing 10 wt % of linseed cake with different oil content were prepared by injection molding. Their microhardness was measured by the Vickers method. The softening temperature was determined by the Vicat method. The scratch resistance of the samples was tested with the loading of 10, 20 and 40 N. The coefficient of friction was evaluated by the pin-on-plate method, using CoCrMo alloy as the counter surface. It was found that the oil content in the filler does not directly influence the mechanical and tribological properties, but the composite samples present comparable hardness and lower coefficient of friction than the unfilled polymer, so they can be a good eco-friendly alternative to the unfilled polylactide when the frictional properties are an important factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Operations Research & Decisions is the property of Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wroclawskiej 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Presence of liquid water is one of the agents responsible for damage of materials. A study on determination of the liquid water content in porous materials was carried out in the paper. At first a review of methods for moisture detection was performed. Then a new quantitative method, based on IR observation of variation in the surface temperature of the moist sample in the humid environment, is proposed. The mathematical model for the method was based on the fundamental assumption that the liquid phase appears in thermodynamic equilibrium with the water vapour in pores of the material. Analysis of the simplified solutions of the mathematical model is carried out for a common, red brick and relations between the water content and experimentally measurable parameters are presented. Finally, preliminary measurements on the moist material are done on a specially designed experimental stand using the infrared camera. It follows that the transient part of the surface temperature response is most suitable for determination of the water content in the porous material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this 2013 conversation, Dariusz Matys – one of the leading actors of Teatr Wierszalin, speaks about the local background of the company and the exceptional role of stage design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this 2013 conversation, Katarzyna Siergiej, who was then one of the leading actresses in Teatr Wierszalin, describes her contribution to the company’s work. She also speaks about notions such as improvisation and role of an actor in the ensemble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to analyze emissions in the supply chain and to identify, based on a literature analysis, which supply chain strategies could contribute to reducing these emissions. A broad spectrum of new supply chain strategy solutions was identified and, based on simulations of selected products, conclusions were drawn and the advantages and disadvantages of theoretical solutions were presented for individual cases. A critical analysis of the literature and simulation methods were used to illustrate the problem presented in this paper, to identify the factors causing greenhouse gas emissions and to draw conclusions in the form of proposals to redesign existing strategies, considering the factors determining the increase in pollution caused by the performed logistics processes. The results of the simulations and the literature analysis indicate that solutions related to the redesign of strategies must consider the specificity of the product and the nature of the chain. Not all proposed strategies are applicable to all chains, and each new strategy must be carefully considered and consider many factors. An important element to reduce the negative environmental impact of chains is a well-thought-out relationship with suppliers, a well-chosen and adapted logistics infrastructure, including means of transport. The presented solutions clearly indicate that the environmental aspect plays an increasingly important role in chain management and influences the applied chain strategies. However, reducing the environmental impact of a chain is not a revolutionary approach and an easy-to-implement strategy change, but a well-thought-out, long-term process that considers the specifics of the products, the possibilities of alternative sourcing and distribution modes, and the need to invest in logistics infrastructure to make it as environmentally neutral as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial knowledge is the main element of financial literacy, which is important for the sustainable development of individuals and society. Sustainability is a complex concept that spans many fields, including financial knowledge for all ages. Financial knowledge requires significant scientific research showing its impact on individuals and the economy, including non-cash payments. Consumer payment knowledge and its association with consumer financial behavior have long been a matter of widespread interest by researchers, but no in-depth, empirically based scientific research has been completed for Poland. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with cashless payment behavior with an emphasis on the role of consumer financial knowledge. A total of 1100 interviews were carried out with Polish nationals aged 15 and above. The collected data were analyzed with the use of statistical methods, including analysis of variances (ANOVA), in order to examine consumers' financial knowledge by basic economic and non-economic factors. Additionally, a data-mining method known as Random Forests was implemented for finding the variable importance in correlations between consumer financial knowledge and preferred methods of payment. The results revealed the diversity of factors influencing consumer behavior. Among the consumers' personal traits, financial knowledge was one of the most important determinants of their payment choices. The results have implications for the design of payment processes. The results can be used by central banks to determine the directions of financial inclusion, as well as for stakeholders in the payments market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to present and analyze the implementation of intelligent lighting within the concept of smart energies and smart cities. Motivation and research hypothesis: Electricity consumption in the world is based largely on non-renewable energy. Until these full changes, it is necessary to look for opportunities to save and use it efficiently. Today's cities are increasingly implementing the smart concept, of which smart energy is one area. One of the smart city elements implemented by cities is smart energy. Within this framework, a supported concept is the replacement of traditional lighting with LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes), which contributes to energy and cost savings and reduces the pollution of the sky with artificial light, while increasing the efficiency of urban lighting. Positive effects of modern solutions include reduced lighting expenses and increased safety of residents. Methods and results of the research: The authors chose the case study method for their research. The authors present forecasts for the development, not only from the point of view of the number of lamps but also the cost efficiency pointing out the importance of this element in the context of building smart cities. These are specific benchmarks for cities that have not yet implemented this concept. Conclusions and interdisciplinary implications: solutions are desirable directions for the development of the smart city concept, bringing benefits and reducing external costs. Considerations show a quantitative development forecast and an indication of the possibility of achieving trade-offs and cost reductions. It translates into meeting the requirements of sustainable development providing tangible benefits. The analysis of the case studies is intended to show the effects that can be achieved and the wide range of applications (indicating that modern lamps are not just lighting, but a platform for urban services). The analyses presented are intended to serve as benchmarks showing the possibilities of reducing costs and increasing the quality of life of residents in modern cities. The indicated examples and analyses are of economic importance, they show managers, but also inhabitants, in which direction they should lead the smart city concept, which will allow saving costs, but also to increase the quality of life of inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]