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The main motivation of this work is to clarify whether the hopes of significantly improving the performance of the conventional guns by using plasma ignition have a realistic basis. We assessed the possibility of improving the whole interior ballistic process, its repeatability and safety, through a uniform propellant ignition. In addition, we planed to improve the gun performance [the projectile muzzle energy (velocity)] by 'forcing' 'cold' charges to perform as 'hot' ones (achieving 'temperature compensation'). All of these goals are intended to be accomplished by using reasonable electrical energies (which would allow the reduction of the mass and volume of the power supply). We also avoided any significant changes in the conventional gun topography in order to prevent unacceptable costs. The presented research program proved that by using a standard 105-mm gun (concerning its barrel length and charge chamber volume) and a standard propellant, improved performances (more than 28% in the projectile muzzle energy) can be achieved while dense charges are used. In addition, significant reduction of the important effect, the 'temperature gradient,' is obtained. The capacity of plasma as the ignition factor to provide ballistic gain has also been demonstrated. Index Terms--Ballistic gain, dense gun charges, ignition, ignition tester, temperature compensation.

Research into the binding of iron by probiotics is presented.

The high-pressure ellipsometric method with a diamond anvil cell is used for measuring the phase transition in iron and opaque materials. This method is shown to be very useful in the research of other metallic systems involving pressure induced electronic and structural changes.

The quality of products is one of the most important means of competition, gaining and retaining of market positions. Quality management is the main part of the production process, it is aimed not so much at the revealing of defects or rejection as on the check of product quality in the process its manufacture. The quality problem, uneasy at all times, is especially acute now, in the conditions of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC). In such conditions it is necessary to compete with various representatives of enterprises using internationally recognized standards. In this regard, enterprises should gradually introduce international quality standards, which means the transition to modern technologies, including environmentally friendly ones. This will also help enterprises that produce and process products to carry out their independent foreign economic activities, improve production efficiency and material well-being of production teams, to reduce the entry period to the international market and to create prerequisites for the introduction of labor organization modern methods. The basis for this should be the principles of voluntariness and economic interest of a small agricultural producer and a large industrialist. The quality of a product, its operational safety, reliability and design, the level of after-sales service are the main criteria for a modern buyer when you make a purchase and, therefore, they determine the success or failure of a company at the market. A skillful implementation of standardization, metrology, certification and quality management principles and mechanisms contribute to the acceleration of economy effective reforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social cognitive deficits (e.g. emotion perception, empathy, and theory of mind) seem to play crucial role in the symptoms persistence of anorexia nervosa (AN). Objectives: Aim of study was to verify the therapeutic efficacy of cultural adaptation of Social Cognitive Training (SCT) in socioemotional improvement of patients with AN. Methods: Participants. The participants were 60 healthy controls (HCs) and 60 AN patients, examined at the beginning and at the end of 12-week-long hospitalization. Half of them was offered treatment as usual (TAU) while the other half -TAU + SCT. Measures. The clinical variables were measured using: The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, The Eating Attitude Test, The Beck Depression Inventory, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Social cognitive deficits were assessed using: Penn Emotion Recognition/Discrimination, and Acuity Tasks, Penn Facial Memory, and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RME). Results: At the beginning both groups of patients presented with high level of clinical psychopathology and social cognitive deficits which decreased significantly throughout therapy however most of the measured variables did not reach the level presented by HCs, apart from: sad recognition, reaction time for happy recognition, emotion discrimination time for happy and sad in TAU + SCT group. Overall, TAU + SCT group showed significantly higher improvement compared to the TAU group in: sad recognition, fear and anger recognition, sad discrimination, RT happy recognition, and ToM after treatment. Conclusions: SCT appeared promising therapeutic tool in remediation of social cognitive functioning in AN. Project funded by National Science Centre NCN 2014/15/B/HS6/01847. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe(OH)3 was produced from Fe(II) and H2O2 by methods associated with high and low free radical activity. More Fe(OH)3 became bound to Bifidobacterium thermophilum when the former type of method was used, and protoplasting experiments indicated that binding to both the cell walls and membranes was enhanced. Binding to cell walls was instantaneous, whilst that by the membranes increased with time using both methods. Al (III), a lipid peroxidation enhancer, increased Fe(OH)3 binding by membranes only. It was concluded that B. thermophilum is able to abate increased activity of free radicals not only by scavenging them, but also by removing iron from their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current research emphasizes the significant role of cognitive deficits (especially in attention, cognitive flexibility, central coherence, visuospatial, and executive functions) play in the illness course and symptoms persistence. Objectives: Aim of study was to verify the therapeutic efficacy of cultural adaptation of Neurocognitive Training (NT) in cognitive remediation in AN patients. Methods: Participants. The participants were 60 healthy controls (HCs) and 60 AN patients, examined at the beginning and at the end of 12-week-long hospitalization. Half of them was offered treatment as usual (TAU) while the other half -TAU + NT. Measures. The clinical variables were measured using: The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, The Eating Attitude Test, The Beck Depression Inventory, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and The Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Cognitive deficits were measured using: The Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT), The Trail Making Test (TMT), The Stroop Test (TS), The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF), and The Verbal Fluency Test (VFT). Results: At the beginning both AN groups presented with bigger cognitive deficits which decreased significantly throughout therapy however most of the measured variables did not reach the level presented by HCs. NT+TAU showed significantly higher improvement compared to TAUs and some measured variables even reached the healthy level, as follows: TMT-A(time), TS black (time), RFFT, ROCF, VFT(errors). Moreover, greater improvement incognitive functioning co-occurred with greater improvement of clinical variables. Conclusions: AN is characterized by neurocognitive deficits responsive to cognitive remediation program. Project funded by National Science Centre NCN 2014/15/B/HS6/01847. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]