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Norbert Grzelak,1 Dominik Kaczmarek,2 Krystian Marek Poziemba,2 Włodzimierz Mrówczyński1 1Department of Neurobiology, Poznań University of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland; 2Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Poznań University of Physical Education, Poznań, PolandCorrespondence: Włodzimierz Mrówczyński, Department of Neurobiology, Poznań University of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland, Email mrowczynski@awf.poznan.plIntroduction: The study aimed to determine whether heterozygous BDNF-deficient (BDNF-knockout, SD-BDNF) rats exhibit pathological changes in the myocardium and to assess whether a 5-week moderate-intensity endurance training program can reverse adverse changes in the heart muscle.Methods: Experiments were conducted on four groups of rats: control wild-type, control BDNF knockout, trained wild-type and trained BDNF knockout. Knockout rats were selected due to the presence of symptoms resembling metabolic syndrome in serum and liver while 5-week moderate endurance training was used as an intervention targeted at restoring heart function. Measurements of BDNF/Trk-B concentrations and molecules levels and activities, such as cardiac specific enzymes like creatine kinase and creatine kinase myocardial band, lipids as total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, metabolic enzymes including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and lactate dehydrogenase and interleukin-1 were carried out in myocardium homogenates.Results: In BDNF-deficient rats, the myocardium showed significantly reduced lipid concentrations, decreased metabolic and cardiac enzyme activity, and elevated Trk-B levels, all of which are indicative of myocardial ischemia or hypoxia. These changes in critical biomarkers were consistent with those earlier observed in the livers of BDNF-deficient rats, suggesting a link between the liver and cardiac function. Moderate endurance training led to an increase in creatine kinase activity in the myocardium of trained rats, suggesting increased production and utilization of energy required for myocardial contraction in trained wild-type and knockout populations of rats.Discussion: BDNF-deficient rats exhibited numerous myocardial abnormalities, most of which were not reversible after moderate-intensity endurance training. These findings provide a basis for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying myocardial disorders in BDNF-deficient rats, which appear to be a suitable model for studying various aspects of metabolic disorders.Keywords: BDNF, Trk-B, gene-deficiency rats, heart, endurance training

Marta Szukalska,1 Bartosz F Grześkowiak,2 Magdalena J Bigaj-Józefowska,2 Marta Witkowska,3,4 Emilia Cicha,5 Patrycja Sujka-Kordowska,6 Izabela Miechowicz,7 Michał Nowicki,6 Radosław Mrówczyński,3,4 Ewa Florek1 1Laboratory of Environmental Research, Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland; 2NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland; 3Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland; 4Centre for Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland; 5Laboratory of Experimental Animals, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland; 6Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland; 7Department of Computer Science and Statistics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, PolandCorrespondence: Marta Szukalska, Laboratory of Environmental Research, Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3 Street, Poznan, 60-806, Poland, Email martan@ump.edu.plPurpose: Polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) have great potential in medicine. Their applications being widely investigated in cancer therapy, imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and tissue repair. The aim of our study was to assess the in vivo toxicity and changes in oxidative stress biomarkers in organs of animals treated with mesoporous PDA NPs modified with iron (MPDAFe NPs), coated with the cancer cell membrane and loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), and subsequently subjected to PTT.Methods: Liver and kidney homogenates were obtained from BALB/c nude mice with xenograft HepG2 human hepatoma cells, treated with iron modified mesoporous PDA nanoparticles, coated with the cancer cell membrane and loaded with doxorubicin (MPDAFe@DOX@Mem NPs), and subjected to PTT. These samples were used for histological evaluation and measurement of oxidative stress biomarkers, including total protein (TP), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), S-nitrosothiols (RSNO), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD).Results: In the kidney, MPDAFe@DOX@Mem NPs in combination with PTT increased GSH (43%), TBARS (32%), and CAT (27%), while SOD decreased by 20% compared to the control group. Additionally, CAT activity in the liver increased by 79%.Conclusion: Significant differences in oxidative stress parameters and histological changes after administration with MPDAFe@DOX@Mem NPs and PTT were observed in the kidneys, showing more pronounced changes than the liver, indicating potential kidney toxicity. Our research provides insights into oxidative stress and possible toxic effects after in vivo administration of mesoporous PDA NPs combined with chemotherapy-photothermal therapy (CT-PTT), which is extremely important for their future applications in anticancer therapies. Keywords: polydopamine nanoparticles, oxidative stress, liver cancer model, in vivo toxicity, chemo- and photothermal therapy

María José Valencia López,1,* Brigitte Stephan,1,* Anna Meineke,1 Sandra Wolf,1 Diamant Thaci,2 Ulrich Mrowietz,3 Valerie Andrees,1 Stephan Jeff Rustenbach,1 Kristian Reich,1 Linus Thalmann,1 Henriette Bogena,1 Petra Staubach,4 Ralph Michael von Kiedrowski,5 Matthias Augustin1 1Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; 2Institute and Comprehensive Center for Inflammation Medicine, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; 3Psoriasis-Center, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany; 4Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; 5Dermatological Practice Selters, Selters, Germany*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Matthias Augustin, Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, 20246, Germany, Tel +49 040 7410 55428, Fax +49 040 7410 55348, Email m.augustin@uke.deBackground: Limited data are available characterizing the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on psoriasis care for patients in Germany.Objective: To analyze patient perception and impact of the pandemic on well-being and psoriasis management of German patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis under systemic therapies.Methods: The CoronaBest registry captures events of SARS-CoV-2 infections and analyzes the impact of the pandemic on patients with psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis. In June 2020, and independently in February 2022, patients with psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis received a standardized questionnaire for current treatment, protective measures, well-being, and individual risks for COVID-19, among others.Results: Included were 4,194 patients in 2020 (mean age of 47.7 years and 41.8% women) and 4,818 patients in 2022 (mean age of 56.4 and 42.9% women). Treatment discontinuations were observed in 2.7% and 1.7% of patients in 2020 and 2022, respectively. In the vast majority of the cases (> 92%), no additional measures were taken concerning the management of psoriasis treatments in either 2020 or 2022. Those patients with changes reported most frequently: telephone calls instead of face-to-face visits (80.2%, in 2020 vs 40.5% in 2022) or more frequent controls (27.1%, 2020 vs 22.0%, 2022). A majority (66.7%, 2020, and 70.6%, 2022) did not perceive the virus as a considerable threat. The proportion of patients feeling well informed about COVID-19 by physicians increased from 42.6% in 2020 to 51.8% in 2022. About 81.1% of patients in 2020 and 67.5% in 2022 stated that their overall personal condition was not affected due to the pandemic. Physicians attributed no special risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in most of the patients.Conclusion: A high rate of systemic treatment persistence and awareness of risks and protective measures indicate that health care for psoriasis largely followed current national and international recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords: psoriasis, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, patient perception, risk factors

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and hard to treat cancers. Traditional anti-cancer treatment methods have low efficiency and the lifespan after diagnosis is only 12–18 months. Brain tumor cells overexpress many proteins that play an important role in tumor progression and can be used as therapeutic targets. One of the promising approaches in cancer treatment is down-regulation of an extracellular matrix glycoprotein – Tenascin-C (TN-C) through RNA interference therapy. However, the effective delivery of double stranded RNA with one strand complementary to TN-C mRNA sequence is difficult due to rapid degradation by nucleases and low intracellular uptake. Polydopamine (PDA), a biomimetic polymer characterized by high biocompatibility and simple modification ability, is commonly used in nanobiomedicine to create a drug/gene delivery vehicle. Furthermore, photothermal characteristics of this polymer enable its application in photothermal therapy (PTT), which is a great option for cancer treatment. Here we synthesize PDA nanoparticles (NPs) coated with polyamidoamine dendrimers generation 3.0 (DD3.0) for therapeutic anti-TN-C RNA and doxorubicin delivery. As prepared PDA@DD3.0 NPs are then used in combined drug delivery, gene silencing, and PTT of GBM. The obtained materials are analyzed in terms of physicochemical and photothermal properties as well as their cytotoxicity, using human GBM cells. The results demonstrate that the obtained nanocarriers are effective non-viral vehicle for combined therapeutic approach for killing glioma cells via anti-TN-C RNA delivery and combined chemo-PTT therapy (CT-PTT). The application of PDA@DD3.0 NPs contributed to the 3-fold reduction in the proliferation rate of GBM cells, a decrease in the level of TN-C expression (by 30%) and a reduction in the number of viable cells by up to 20%.

Candida albicans remains the most common species isolated from women with vulvovaginal candidiasis. However, closely related species such as Candida africana and Candida dubliniensis may also occur, although they are often misidentified. The aim of the study was to confirm the phenotypic identification of C. albicans and its closely related species isolated from women with genital tract infections by amplification of the hwp1 (hyphal wall protein 1) gene in a PCR assay. We report a detailed molecular identification of C. albicans and its closely related species among 326 patients in the Małopolska region, Poland. Initial phenotypic identifications were confirmed by amplification of the hwp1 gene. Based on molecular analysis, we revealed 307 strains (94.17%) as C. albicans and 17 as C. dubliniensis (5.22%). No strain of C. africana was detected. Two patients h ad co-infection with C. albicans and C. dubliniensis (0.61%). A PCR assay targeting the hwp1 gene was reliable for correctly identifying species among the C. albicans complex.

Bartosz Molasy,1,2 Patryk Zem&lstrok;a,1 S&lstrok;awomir Mrowiec,3 Ewa Grudzi&nacute;ska,3 Katarzyna Ku&sacute;nierz3 1Students’ Scientific Society of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland; 2Department of General Surgery, St Alexander Hospital, Kielce, Poland; 3Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, PolandCorrespondence: Ewa Grudzi&nacute;ska, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 14, Katowice, 40-752, Poland, Tel +48 32 7894252, Email ewa.grudzinska@sum.edu.plPurpose: Metastases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) can be found at the time of diagnosis in 20– 50% of cases. Small asymptomatic tumors may be left for observation; however, they can metastasize. The aim of the study was to evaluate risk factors for distant and lymph node metastases of pNETs.Patients and methods: One hundred and fourteen patients with postoperatively confirmed pNET were analyzed retrospectively in a single ENETS Center of Excellence. The relationship between location, size, differentiation of the tumor, and occurrence of lymph node and distant metastases was analyzed.Results: pNETs’ location was pancreatic head – 38 (33.3%), body or tail – 68 (59.7%), and 8 (7.0%) involved the entire organ. Fifty-six (49.1%) tumors were graded G1, 50 (43.9%) G2, and 8 (7.0%) G3. Seventy-two (63.2%) tumors were ≥ 2 cm in diameter, and 42 (36.8%) < 2 cm. Twenty-two (19.3%) patients had distant metastases and 47 (41.2%) had lymph node metastases. In ≥ 2 cm tumors distant and lymph node metastases were more frequent (p < 0.05). Distant metastases incidence was significantly higher in distally located tumors (p = 0.01) and in G2 and G3 tumors (p < 0.01). In 9.5% of < 2cm tumors, distant metastases were present at diagnosis.Conclusion: Distant metastases are more often found in larger, distally located pNETs grade G2 and G3, while a higher occurrence of lymph node metastases seems to be associated only with larger tumor size. A considerable number of tumors < 2 cm in size have distant metastases already at the diagnosis, which might indicate the need for careful qualification of smaller lesions for observation.Keywords: pancreas, neuroendocrine tumor, lymphatic metastasis, lymph nodes, pancreatic surgery

Aim/purpose – Internal whistleblowing is the most desirable form of reporting about wrongdoings for all kinds of organizations. The aim of this paper is to identify factors influencing the occurrence of internal whistleblowing and to provide recommendations for practitioners on how to encourage employees to report wrongdoings to an organization.

Artur Jędrzak,1,2 Bartosz F Grześkowiak,1 Klaudia Golba,1 Emerson Coy,1 Karol Synoradzki,1,3 Stefan Jurga,1 Teofil Jesionowski,2 Radosław Mrówczyński1 1NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan PL-61614, Poland; 2Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan PL-60965, Poland; 3Institute of Molecular Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan PL-60179, PolandCorrespondence: Radosław MrówczyńskiNanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, Poznan PL-61614, PolandTel +48618296709Email radoslaw.mrowczynski@amu.edu.plIntroduction: We present a multimodal nanoplatforms for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro. The nanoplatforms are based on polydopamine (PDA)-coated magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) and spheres (sMAG) with PAMAM dendrimers and functionalized with NHS-PEG-Mal (N-hydroxysuccinimide–polyethylene glycol–maleimide) linker, which allows their functionalization with a folic acid derivative. The nanomaterials bearing a folic acid-targeting moiety show high efficiency in killing cancer cells in the dual chemo- and photothermal therapy (CT-PTT) of the liver cancer cells in comparison to modalities performed separately.Materials and Methods: All materials are characterized in detail with transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, zeta potential and magnetic measurements. Also, photothermal properties were determined under irradiation of nanoparticles with laser beam of 2 W/cm2. The nontoxicity of nanoparticles with doxorubicin and without was checked by WST and LIVE/DEAD assay. Those tests were also used to evaluate materials bearing folic acid and anticancer drug in combined chemo- and photothermal therapy of HCC. Further, the generation of reactive oxygen species profile was also evaluated using flow cytometry test.Results: Both NPs and sMAG showed high photothermal properties. Nevertheless, the higher photothermal response was found for magnetic spheres. Materials of concentration above 10 μg/mL reveal that their activity was comparable to free doxorubicin. It is worth highlighting that a functionalized magnetic sphere with DOXO more strongly affected the HepG2 cells than smaller functionalized nanoparticles with DOXO in the performed chemotherapy. This can be attributed to the larger size of particles and a different method of drug distribution. In the further stage, both materials were assessed in combined chemo- and photothermal therapy (CT-PTT) which revealed that magnetic spheres were also more effective in this modality than smaller nanoparticles.Conclusion: Here, we present two types of nanomaterials (nanoparticles and spheres) based on polydopamine and PAMAM dendrimers g.5.0 functionalized with NHS-PEG-Mal linker terminated with folic acid for in vitro hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. The obtained materials can serve as efficient agents for dual chemo- and photothermal therapy of HCC. We also proved that PDA-coated magnetic spheres were more efficient in therapies based on near-infrared irradiation because determined cell viabilities for those materials are lower than for the same concentrations of nanomaterials based on small magnetic nanoparticles.Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles, polydopamine, liver cancer, drug delivery

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) can be attacked by a wide range of pests, for example, cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) and cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). One of the best methods of pest management is breeding for insect resistance in rapeseed. Wild genotypes of Brassicaceae and rapeseed cultivars can be used as a source of resistance. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, field trials were performed to assess the level of resistance to D. radicum and B. brassicae within 53 registered rapeseed cultivars and 31 interspecific hybrid combinations originating from the resources of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding of Poznań University of Life Sciences (PULS). The level of resistance varied among genotypes and years. Only one hybrid combination and two B. napus cultivars maintained high level of resistance in all tested years, i.e., B. napus cv. Jet Neuf × B. carinata – PI 649096, Galileus, and Markolo. The results of this research indicate that resistance to insects is present in Brassicaceae family and can be transferred to rapeseed cultivars. The importance of continuous improvement of rapeseed pest resistance and the search for new sources of resistance is discussed; furthermore, plans for future investigations are presented.

Objects’ measurements often boil down to the determination of changes due to external factors affecting on their structure. The estimation of changes in a tested object, in addition to proper measuring equipment, requires the use of appropriate measuring methods and experimental data result processing methods. This study presents a statement of results of geometrical measurements of a steel cylinder that constitutes the main structural component of the historical weir Czersko Polskie in Bydgoszcz. In the initial stage, the estimation of reliable changes taking place in the cylinder structure involved the selection of measuring points essential for mapping its geometry. Due to the continuous operation of the weir, the points covered only about one-third of the cylinder area. The set of points allowed us to determine the position of the cylinder axis as well as skews and deformations of the cylinder surface. In the next stage, the use of methods based on artificial neural networks allowed us to predict the changes in the tested object. Artificial neural networks have proved to be useful in determining displacements of building structures, particularly hydro-technical objects. The above-mentioned methods supplement classical measurements that create the opportunity for carrying out additional analyses of changes in a spatial position of such structures. The purpose of the tests is to confirm the suitability of artificial neural networks for predicting displacements of building structures, particularly hydro-technical objects.

Paulina Mazur,1 Iwona Skiba-Kurek,2 Paulina Mrowiec,2 Elżbieta Karczewska,2 Ryszard Drożdż1 1Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Cracow, Poland; 2Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Cracow, PolandCorrespondence: Ryszard DrożdżFaculty of Pharmacy, Department of Medical Diagnostics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, PolandTel/Fax +48 12 6205985Email ryszard.drozdz@uj.edu.plIntroduction: Increasing bacteria resistance to antibiotics is a major problem of healthcare system. There is a need for solutions that broaden the spectrum of bactericidal agents improving the efficacy of commonly used antibiotics. One of the promising directions of search are silver nanoparticles (obtained by different methods and displaying diversified physical and chemical properties), and their combination with antibiotics.Purpose: In this study, we tested the role of reactive oxygen species in the mechanism of synergistic antibacterial activity of gentamicin and Tween-stabilized silver nanoparticles against gentamicin-resistant clinical strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis.Methods: Synergistic bactericidal activity of gentamicin and silver nanoparticles stabilized with non-ionic detergent (Tween 80) was tested by the checkerboard titration method on microtiter plates. Detection of reactive oxygen species was based on the chemiluminescence of luminol.Results: Hydrophilic non-ionic surface functionalization of silver nanoparticles enabled the existence of non-aggregated active nanoparticles in a complex bacterial culture medium. Tween-stabilized silver nanoparticles in combination with gentamicin exhibited bactericidal activity against multidrug-resistant biofilm forming clinical strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis. A synergistic effect significantly decreased the minimal inhibitory concentration of gentamicin (the antibiotic with numerous undesirable effects). Gentamicin significantly enhanced the generation of reactive oxygen species by silver nanoparticles.Conclusion: Generation of reactive oxygen species by Tween-coated metallic silver nanoparticles was significantly enhanced by gentamicin, confirming the hypothesis of oxidative-associated mechanism of the synergistic antibacterial effect of the gentamicin-silver nanoparticles complex.Keywords: gentamicin, silver nanoparticles, reactive oxygen species, multidrug-resistant, Staphylococcus epidermidis

The purpose of the conducted study was to analyse new materials intended for contact with the human body in view of their physical, chemical and biological properties. The authors have put to test six commercially available materials, four out of which were composite polyamide 12-based materials, while two were polyurethanes. The examined materials were assessed in terms of the surface. Subsequently, their hardness and biocompatibility were tested. The authors devoted major attention to the tests of absorption and emissivity of water, the pH = 7.4 PBS buffer solution and pH = 4.3 artificial sweat in temperatures of 21°C and 37°C. The results of the tests have confirmed the non-toxicity of all the tested materials and allowed to provide their characteristics in terms of their surface, hardness, as well as absorption and emissivity of various body fluids. Both polyamide 12 and the tested polyurethanes are classified as thermoplastics that may be used in additive technology.

Plastics are used in a great number of applications; therefore, the production of the sector intensively increases. It is estimated that in future, the production of plastics can double by 2035 and almost quadruple by 2050. Still globally, most of the plastic waste is landfilled. Only 9% of plastic waste generated between 1950 and 2015 was recycled. New strategy of European Commission proposes actions designed to make the vision for a more circular plastics economy a reality. The circular economy represents an alternative, more sustainable model to the traditional linear economy. EC has approved new recycling targets for plastics to a minimum of 50% by the end of 2025 and to a minimum of 55% by the end of 2030. Changes that will be introduced in design and production of plastics will contribute to increasing their recycling rates for all key applications. The new strategy will help achieve the priority set by the UE for an energy union with a modern, low-carbon and energy-efficient economy and will make a tangible contribution to reaching the 2030 sustainable development goals.

Determination of vertical displacements of engineering objects is closely related to geodesic monitoring. Its purpose is to record the dynamics of changes in the deformation phenomenon. Geodesic monitoring requires the use of appropriate measurement equipment and appropriate methods for processing observation results, which make it possible to determine the correlation between the causes and effects of deformations in engineering objects. Progress in information technology resulted in the appearance of new methods for processing and compressing experimental data which are resistant to noise or interference and enable reduction of the amount of information.

Nowadays, wide applications of plastics result in plastic waste being present in the water environment in a wide variety of sizes. Plastic wastes are in water mainly as microplastics (the size range of 1 nm to < 5 mm). Microplastics have been recognized as an emerging threat, as well as ecotoxicological and ecological risk for water ecosystems. In this review are presented some of the physicochemical properties of plastic materials that determine their toxic effect on the aquatic environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mentioned as one of main sources of microplastics introduced into fresh water, and rivers are the pathways for the transportation of the pollutants to seas and oceans. But, effluents from tertiary wastewater treatment facilities can contain only minimally microplastic loads. The issue of discharge reduction of plastic pollutants into water environment needs activities in the scope of efficient wastewater treatment, waste disposal, recycling of plastic materials, education and public involvement.

Konrad Jarosz,1 Bartosz Kubisa,2 Agata Andrzejewska,3 Katarzyna Mrówczyńska,3 Zbigniew Hamerlak,4 Alicja Bartkowska-Śniatkowska5 1Department of Clinical Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University, 2Thoracic Surgery and Transplantation Department, Pomeranian Medical University, 3Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Department, Pomeranian Medical University, 4Stomatology Department, Pomeranian Medical University, 5Anaesthesiology and Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Szczecin, Poland Abstract: Tracheostomy is a routinely done procedure in the setting of intensive care unit (ICU) in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. There are two ways of making a tracheostomy: an open surgical tracheostomy and percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy is associated with fewer complications than open tracheostomy. In this study, we would like to compare both techniques of performing a tracheostomy in ICU patients and to present possible complications, methods of diagnosing and treating and minimizing their risk. Keywords: tracheostomy, percutaneous tracheostomy, percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, bronchoscopy, surgical tracheostomy, tracheoesophageal fistula, tracheostomy complications

The article demonstrates the relevance of the thought of Eugene Trubetskoy to the new method of political science, proposed by Eric Voegelin. In his essay under the title “Speculation in colors. Three Essays on the Russian icon”, the thinker develops analysis, surprisingly close to the principles of presentation and order, developed by Voegelin, and expresses a vision, which is absolutely relevant, including in terms of the offered by William Cavanaugh “theopolitical imagination”. Thanks to this approach it turns out that the availability of clear ecclesiological and historiosophical foundations for today and give us an example and a common base (for both Orthodox and Catholics) to overcome the division between East and West of the Christian world. This article attempts to show that the division between East and West, to the image of which we are so accustomed to, is neither ecclesial nor Christian, and that, on the contrary, naturally church vision of that separation is quite different. The author aims to identify in the theopolitical context, what exactly is the vision of a church split.

In the years 2008–2015, field experiments were conducted on the vines of cultivars ‘Solaris’ and ‘Regent’ grafted on SO4 rootstock. The following treatments: 1. control (untreated), 2. NPK (mineral fertilization 70 kg N·ha−1; 40 kg P·ha−1; 120 kg K·ha−1), 3. mycorrhizal substrate (AMF – Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi), 4. NPK + AMF, 5. manure (before planting), 6. NPK + manure (before planting), 7. Bioilsa, 8. NPK + Bioilsa, 9. BF-Ecomix, 10. NPK + BF-Ecomix, 11. Ausma and 12. NPK + Ausma were applied to evaluate the usefulness of biostimulants and mineral and organic fertilizers in organic grapevine production in “cool climate” conditions of Poland. The tests did not show a definite positive effect of the biostimulants and organic fertilizers on growth, yielding and healthiness of the cultivars ‘Solaris’ and ‘Regent’. There were no substantial differences in total marketable yield in the years 2009 to 2015 between control and other treatments. Grapevines planted in soil rich in minerals grew and yielded well despite no mineral fertilization for a number of years. In 2014, when the air humidity was high during vegetation, intensive rotting of the berries of cultivar ‘Solaris’, caused by Botrytis cinerea, was observed on plants fertilized with NPK.

Climate change causes a more frequent occurrence of extreme events. The result of these phenomena is the occurrence of floods and flooding, and periods of drought. Particularly unfavorable is intensive rainfall over the urban catchments. To prevent the negative consequences of these phenomena, unconventional solutions should be used. The use of green roofs in urban areas will serve the sustainable development of cities and the impact on local ecological changes. The study was performed at two green roof platforms 1.2×1.2×0.1 m each. An analysis was performed at different intensities given for precipitation. 20 min for the rain to stop was observed from 68 to 100% precipitation. The study was divided into two parts. The first part of the study has been performed in the dry period. In contrast, another round of tests was repeated in other conditions after rainfall. The amount of water at two experimental green roofs platforms before the test was 11.0 dm3. The research relates to the impact of green roofs on local hydrological changes. Development of technologies for green roofs had a positive impact on mitigating the effects of climate change associated with the occurrence of flooding the city.

The field of processing information provided by measurement results is one of the most important components of geodetic technologies. The dynamic development of this field improves classic algorithms for numerical calculations in the aspect of analytical solutions that are difficult to achieve. Algorithms based on artificial intelligence in the form of artificial neural networks, including the topology of connections between neurons have become an important instrument connected to the problem of processing and modelling processes. This concept results from the integration of neural networks and parameter optimization methods and makes it possible to avoid the necessity to arbitrarily define the structure of a network. This kind of extension of the training process is exemplified by the algorithm called the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH), which belongs to the class of evolutionary algorithms. The article presents a GMDH type network, used for modelling deformations of the geometrical axis of a steel chimney during its operation.

The article presents a method of designing single-chamber rectangular detention reservoirs based on nomographs connecting the parameters and the shape of the inflow with the reservoir hydrograph (triangular, described by the power function and described by the gamma distribution) as well as the hydraulic characteristics of the accumulation chamber and the orifice. The preparation of nomographs involved using the SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) program with the application of numerical calculations’ results of a differential equation for the stormwater volume balance. The performed analyses confirm a high level of similarity between the results of calculating the reservoir volume obtained by using the above mentioned program and using the developed nomographs. The examples of calculations presented in the paper confirm the application aspects of the discussed method of designing the detention reservoir. Moreover, based on the conducted analyses it was concluded that the inflow hydrograph described by the gamma distribution has the greatest impact on the reservoir’s storage volume, whereas the hydrograph whose shape in the rise and recession phases is described by the power function has the smallest effect.

The interpretation of marker experiments in studying the formation mechanism and defect structure of higher oxides during oxidation of lower oxides, showing rather high deviations from stoichiometry, has been discussed. It has been shown that correct results can be obtained only if the concentration of point defects in the substrate is taken into account. Theoretical considerations presented in this paper have been illustrated by the experimental results obtained during sulphidation of highly disordered Co1-yS to form CoS2, as well as Ni1-yS to form NiS2.

Development of microstructure in two-phase α+β titanium alloys is realized by thermomechanical processing – sequence of heat treatment and plastic working operations. Analysis of achieved results indicates that hot plastic deformation – depending on deformation degree – causes significant elongation of α phase grains. Following heat treatment and plastic deformation processes lead to their fragmentation and spheroidization. Characterization of microstructure morphology changes during thermomechanical processing of quenched Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-2Mo-2Cr alloys is presented in the paper. The effect of martensitic phase α’(α”) on microstructure development in plastic deformation process was confirmed.

The article presents the basic rules for constructing and training neural networks called the Support Vector Machine method as well as possible applications for this kind of network. SVM networks are mainly used for solving tasks of classifying linearly and non-linearly separable data and regression. However, in recent years more applications have been found for them. The networks also solve such problems as the recognition of signals and images as well as speech identification.

The hot deformation behavior of the 6xxx aluminum alloys was investigated by compression tests in the temperature range 100°C-375°C and strain rate range 10−4s−1 and 4×10−4s−1 using dilatometer DIL 805 BÄHR Thermoanalyse equipped with accessory attachment deformation allows the process to execute thermoplastic in vacuum and inert gas atmosphere. Associated microstructural changes of characteristic states of examined alloys were studied by using the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that the stress level decreases with increasing deformation temperature and deformation rate. And was also found that the activation energy Q strongly depends on both, the temperature and rate of deformation. The results of TEM observation showing that the dynamic flow softening is mainly as the result of dynamic recovery and recrystallization of 6xxx aluminium alloys.

The influence of small amounts of yttrium, electrochemically deposited on the surface of four steels utilized in the production of valves in car engines, on the protective properties of the oxide scale and its adherence to the surface of the oxidized materials has been studied under isothermal and thermal cycle conditions. Oxidation measurements have been carried out at 1173 K. It has been found that yttrium addition improves considerably the scale adherence to the substrate surface, increasing thereby corrosion resistance of the studied materials.

Docker containers are the de-facto standard to package, distribute, and run applications on cloud-based infrastructures. Commercial providers and private clouds expand their offer with container orchestration engines, making the management of resources and containerized applications tightly integrated. The Storage Group of CERN IT leverages on container technologies to provide ScienceBox: An integrated software bundle with storage and computing services for general purposes and scientific use. ScienceBox features distributed scalable storage, sync&share functionalities, and a web-based data analysis service, and can be deployed on a single machine or scaled-out across multiple servers. ScienceBox has proven to be helpful in different contexts, from High Energy Physics analysis to education for high schools, and has been successfully deployed on different cloud infrastructure and heterogeneous hardware.

Defect structure of NiS2 disulphide has been studied using marker technique and sulphidation rate measurements of NiS to NiS2, as a function of temperature and sulphur vapor pressure. It has been found that cation sublattice of the discussed compound is predominantly disordered and the prevailing defects are doubly ionized interstitial cations and quasi-free electrons. Using kinetic results, the self-diffusion coefficient of cations in NiS2 has been calculated basing on Wagner's theory of metal oxidation.

Defect structure and transport properties of Co3O4 cobalt oxide have been studied as a function of temperature and oxygen pressure, using marker and thermogravimetric techniques. It has been found that the oxidation of CoO to form Co3O4 follows parabolic kinetic, being thus diffusion controlled. Marker experiments have demonstrated that cation sublattice of Co3O4 oxide is predominantly disordered, but the defect structure is rather complex. At very low oxygen pressures, close to the dissociation pressure of the oxide, interstitial cations are the predominant point defects, while at high pressures cation vacancies predominate. This behavior is reflected in complex dependence of the parabolic rate constant of CoO oxidation on oxygen pressure. At low pressures, namely, parabolic rate constant of the reaction increases with oxygen pressure, reaching then virtually constant value in intermediate pressure range and increases again in highest pressure range. Theoretical analysis of kinetic results in terms of point defect thermodynamics confirmed the above conclusion, concerning complex defect structure of Co3±yO4 oxide. Finally, self-diffusion coefficient of cations in the discussed oxide has been calculated as a function of temperature and oxygen pressure from kinetic rate measurements, using Wagner's theory of metals oxidation.

Basing on actual theoretical approach and experimental results, the mechanism of sulphide formation beneath the oxide scale grown on metals in SO2-O2 atmospheres has been described. It has been shown that in spite of much lower sulphur partial pressure in the oxidizing atmosphere than the dissociation pressure of the sulphide to be formed, the sulphidation process takes place beneath the oxide scale. This, at the first sight, unexpected behavior results from the fact that sulphur is diffusing inwards through the primary oxide scale in the molecular form, i.e. SO2 molecules. Reaching thus metal-scale interface, where the oxygen partial pressure is very low, virtually equal to the dissociation pressure of the oxide forming the scale, SO2 ⇔ O2 + ½S2 equilibrium is shifted to the right, as a result of which the partial pressure of sulphur vapor dramatically increases, reaching the value several orders of magnitude higher than that needed for sulphide formation.

The objective of the paper is to show the role of geodetic monitoring and modern methods of measurement data processing with the use of neural-fuzzy systems in identifying changes occurring in engineering structures. Fast methods of measurement and data processing are of key importance whenever rapidly changing phenomena should be captured (e.g. deformations of buildings, fires spreading in forest areas, flood waves, landslides caused by endogenous and exogeonic factors). Processes and phenomena occurring in engineering structures can be modelled based on information obtained by geodetic monitoring. At present, elements of geodetic technologies are being supplemented with artificial intelligence methods, which include neuro-fuzzy systems. These systems can process information that is provided at the input both as numerical and linguistic values. This approach is used for qualitative assessment of the condition of objects and physical quantities and it is characterized by parallel information processing. The paper presents the possibility of using the Takaga-Sugeno neural-fuzzy model for prediction and assessment of horizontal and vertical displacements of engineering structures as illustrated by the example of a historical footbridge in Muskauer Park, located in Germany and Poland.

The interest in using scalable data processing solutions based on Apache Hadoop ecosystem is constantly growing in the High Energy Physics (HEP) community. This drives the need for increased reliability and availability of the central Hadoop service and underlying infrastructure provided to the community by the CERN IT department. This paper reports on the overall status of the Hadoop platform and related Hadoop and Spark service at CERN, detailing recent enhancements and features introduced in many areas including the service configuration, availability, alerting, monitoring and data protection, in order to meet the new requirements posed by the users’ community.

Standard orifice flowmeters are widely used in the chemical and energy industry. Therefore, it is essential to know how accurate the measurements made with these instruments are. The paper presents an estimation of measurement uncertainty of a liquid mass flow using the orifice plate. The authors will present the influence of ranges of the Reynolds number on the estimated uncertainty, obtained on the basis of simulation and laboratory experiments. The research was conducted for the central orifice in the Reynolds number 8,000 < Re < 21,000. The results of estimating the extended uncertainty of the measurement of water flow using simulation and experimental method, are convergent. The maximum difference in the extended uncertainty values of flow measurement for the simulation and experiment was 0.04.10-3 kg/s.

This talk is about sharing our recent experiences in providing data analytics platform based on Apache Spark for High Energy Physics, CERN accelerator logging system and infrastructure monitoring. The Hadoop Service has started to expand its user base for researchers who want to perform analysis with big data technologies. Among many frameworks, Apache Spark is currently getting the most traction from various user communities and new ways to deploy Spark such as Apache Mesos or Spark on Kubernetes have started to evolve rapidly. Meanwhile, notebook web applications such as Jupyter offer the ability to perform interactive data analytics and visualizations without the need to install additional software. CERN already provides a web platform, called SWAN (Service for Web-based ANalysis), where users can write and run their analyses in the form of notebooks, seamlessly accessing the data and software they need. The first part of the presentation talks about several recent integrations and optimizations to the Apache Spark computing platform to enable HEP data processing and CERN accelerator logging system analytics. The optimizations and integrations, include, but not limited to, access of kerberized resources, xrootd connector enabling remote access to EOS storage and integration with SWAN for interactive data analysis, thus forming a truly Unified Analytics Platform. The second part of the talk touches upon the evolution of the Apache Spark data analytics platform, particularly sharing the recent work done to run Spark on Kubernetes on the virtualized and container-based infrastructure in Openstack. This deployment model allows for elastic scaling of data analytics workloads enabling efficient, on-demand utilization of resources in private or public clouds.

The paper presents an attempt to determine an optimum structure of a geodesic measurement and control network used for geodesic monitoring to determine horizontal displacements of buildings. In geodesy, horizontal networks can be used to determine terrain deformations as well as displacements of engineering structures (dams, water reservoirs, open-cast mines). The network subjected to analysis is a directional network. In order to find a correct solution, its structure should include so-called supernumerary observations. An adequate number of observations should be carried out in the network to obtain a solution with reliable values of horizontal displacements. Moreover, the way in which the observations are carried out and their number should make it possible to show changes taking place in the object and meet the economic criteria of geodesic measurements. In order to optimize the structure of a geodesic measurement and control network, information entropy and evolutionary algorithms are used in the paper. Information entropy is a logarithmic measure of probability, and an optimum number of observations carried out in the network depends on the increment of the content of information in the observation system. Evolutionary algorithms were developed in the 1980s, and they are currently very popular and widely used. Their main principle is based on the evolution or behaviour of the best adapted individuals in subsequent computational cycles.

With modern measurement technologies, it is possible to achieve higher precision and solve complex measurement tasks. The tested device (TDRA 6000 laser station) features a direct drive technology ensuring a 3D point accuracy of 0.25 mm. TDRA 6000 combined with proper software is a perfect tool to monitor engineering objects. The article presents the measurement technique and the method of calculation of 3D displacements of control and measurement networks using the TDRA 6000 laser station from Leica. The values presented herein derive from periodic measurements carried out in control points stabilised at a ground the above-ground crossing between buildings located on the premises of the University of Science and Technology campus in Bydgoszcz.

The aim of this paper was to review the literature data regarding the physico-chemical characteristic of plastic pollutants discharged with municipal sewage, the practical possibility of removing microplastic particles from wastewater during different treatment steps in WWTPs and the problem of surface water contamination within them. Microplastics (the size range of 1 nm to < 5 mm), have been recognized as an emerging threat, as well as an ecotoxicological and ecological risk for water ecosystems. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mentioned as the main point sources of microplastics in an aquatic environment. Microplastic particles can be effectively removed in the primary treatment zones via solids skimming and sludge settling processes. Different tertiary treatment processes such as: gravity sand filtration, discfilter, air flotation and membrane filtration provide substantial additional removal of microplastics, and the efficiency of wastewater treatment process can be at a removal level of 99.9%. Nevertheless, given the large volumes of effluent constantly discharged to receivers, even tertiary level WWTPs may constitute a considerable source of microplastics in the surface water.

Artificial neural networks are an interesting method for modelling phenomena, including spatial phenomena, which are difficult to describe with known mathematical models. The properties of neural networks enable their practical application for solving such problems as: approximation, interpolation, identification and classification of patterns, compression, prediction, etc. The article presents the use of multilayer feedforward artificial neural networks for describing the process of changes in land surface deformation in the area of the Legnica-Głogów Copper Mining Centre, located in the southern part of the Fore Sudetic Monocline. Results provided by geodesic monitoring, which consists of land surveying and interpreting data obtained in this way, are undoubtedly significant in terms of identifying the impact of mining on the land surface the results of measurements carried out by precise levelling in the years 19672014 were used to determine changes in land deformation in the Legnica-Głogów Copper Mining Centre. The concept of a flexible reference system was used to assess the stability of points in the measurement and control network stabilized in order to determine vertical displacements. However, the reference system itself was identified on the basis of the critical value of the increment of the square of the norm of corrections to the observations.

The reason of shaping and building cities is primarily to improve the quality of life of inhabitants. Changes in space in cities concern not only their basic functioning principles but also the transformation of structures and systems (green areas, communications andother). Regardless, spatial policy is based on the continuous search for new services and economic activity to raise standards. The article describes a study which makes an attempt to identify the main desired features that can be taken into account while formulating concepts for planning and designing a prospective city. The study was intended to analyze terms promoted in literature or labels of a desired city, that shape the aspirations of future inhabitants. The city's image-building activities concern the future measured in economic, social and environmental effects. Modelling the future potential concepts of a city development as part of planning for its development, is one of the ways of thinking about the future. Using mathematical and spatial models for this purpose, we acquire knowledge on the possible variants of the city development, as well as measurable effects of this type of phenomena

Urbanization causes many changes to the land management system. It is estimated that cities are responsible for 75% of the total energy consumption, and in 2045 they will be inhabited by about 70% of the world's population. These are the reasons why they should be reflected upon with regard to the problem of environmental protection, and further by means of energy production from renewable energy sources, an efficient public transport system, or securing green areas in a city space. In protecting the natural environment, urban development policy should, according to the guidelines of the European Union, be adapted to the requirements for the reduction of the need for heat, electricity and gaseous fuels. The EU directives indicate the need to increase the share of renewable energy in final consumption (in the first stage, up to 15%) and to reduce CO2 emissions by 20%. The aim of the article is an attempt to determine how to implement green energy into cities through planning documents. Material for analysis was obtained from standardized interviews carried out with the inhabitants of Zielona Góra and the documents which are the base to the implementation of the Urban Energy Audit (EAM). Policy concerning the introduction of green energy to cities should primarily be determining tasks to carry out at a national (centralized) and local (decentralized) level. Tools to implement this vision at a local level shall be, inter alia, municipal planning documents.

The paper presents the possibilities of using data obtained by airborne laser scanning for identifying areas where lignite used to be mined. The technology of airborne laser scanning presented in the paper as and its results have a vast potential in terms of identifying local terrain deformations. The paper also presents the history of lignite mining in the region of Ośno Lubuskie (the north-west of Ziemia Lubuska - western Poland). It describes underground mining in complicated geological conditions (glaciotectonic deformations). The paper is supplemented with historical maps showing the locations of the mines