Risk of climate-induced damage in historical textiles

Eleven wool and silk historic textiles and two modern artist's canvases were examined to determine their water vapour adsorption, moisture dimensional response and tensile behaviour. All the textiles showed a similar general pattern of moisture response. A rise in ambient relative humidity (RH) from dry conditions produced expansion of a textile until a certain critical RH level after which a contraction occurred to a greater or lesser degree depending on the yarn crimp and the weave geometry. The largest expansion recorded between the dry state and 80% RH was 1.2 and 0.9% for wool and silk textiles, respectively. The largest shrinkage of 0.8% at high RH range was experienced by a modern linen canvas. Two potential damage mechanisms related to the moisture response of the textiles—stress building as a result of shrinkage of the textile restrained in its dimensional response and the fretting fatigue when yarns move with friction one against another—were found insignificant in typical textile display environments unless the textiles are severely degraded or excessively strained in their mounting

The expression of SOCS1 and TLR4-NFkappaB pathway molecules in neoplastic cells as potential biomarker for the aggressive tumor phenotype in laryngeal carcinoma.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) is the key regulator of cytokine-mediated innate and adaptive immunity. One of the molecular mechanisms of SOCS1 is connected with inhibition of TLR4-NFkappaB pathway. The relationships among these molecules in laryngeal carcinoma are not exactly known. In this preliminary study we focused on their special activity and role in regulation of development and progression of laryngeal carcinoma. To investigate NFkappaB (p65 subunit) nuclear and cytoplasmic expression in 45 tumor samples of advanced laryngeal carcinoma IHC staining was performed. To determine the mRNA expression levels of TLR4, IRAK1, TRAF6 and SOCS1 in isolated neoplasm cells and non-cancerous adjacent mucosa epithelial cells RT-PCR was used. The invasiveness of laryngeal carcinomas was evaluated according to tumor front grading, TFG, which included tumor-related features (cytoplasmic differentiation, nuclear polymorphism, number of mitoses) and adjacent stroma-related characteristics of the peripheral edge of tumor infiltration (mode of infiltration, depth of invasion and plasmalymphocytic infiltration). The relationships between pT, pN status, the histological G grade, certain clinicopathological characteristics as well as postoperative observation time and the mRNA expression of the molecules mentioned earlier were investigated. Significant differences of TLR4-NFkappaB pathway molecules and SOCS1 mRNA expression in laryngeal tumor cells and normal adjacent mucosa cells as well as significant interconnections of TLR4, SOCS1 and NFkappaB(p65) in isolated tumor cells were obtained. This preliminary study demonstrated that the expression of SOCS1 and TLR4-NFkappaB pathway molecules had a strong association with the aggressiveness of laryngeal carcinoma. Positive relationships of TRAF6 in tumor margin cells with the histological grade and the mode of tumor invasion as well as the TFG total score were highlighted. Significant positive correlations were found between the TLR4 in tumor central cells and the TFG total score. Negative relationships of SOCS1 in tumor central cells with the histological grade were also noted. Significant positive correlations were found between the cytoplasmic NFkappaB(p65) and the mode of invasion as well as TFG total score. Our findings confirmed the importance of SOCS1 and TLR4-NFkappaB pathway molecules as potential biomarkers for assessment of the aggressive tumor phenotype in laryngeal carcinoma

Real-world effectiveness of abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport®) in adults with upper limb spasticity in routine clinical practice: an observational study

AbobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A, Dysport®) is used in clinical practice as a well-tolerated and effective therapy for muscle spasticity. AboBoNT-A has been shown to reduce upper and lower limb spastic paresis in clinical trials, demonstrating improvements in muscle tone and limb function. This open-label, multicentre, observational, non-interventional study was the first to investigate aboBoNT-A’s efficacy in adult patients with upper limb spasticity (ULS) in routine clinical practice in Poland. All enrolled patients received ≥1 aboBoNT-A injection cycles, per routine clinical practice (full analysis set, FAS), and ≥1 rehabilitation session. Patients attended a baseline visit (V1) and two follow-up visits (V2, V3) for retreatment, depending on the investigator’s assessment of individual patient needs, with a mean interval (SD) between injections of 4.4 (1.4) and 4.5 (1.2) months. The primary effectiveness endpoint was patient- and physician-based evaluation using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (CGII), a validated 7-point scale (1 = very much improved to 7 = very much worse) relative to baseline. CGI-I has not previously been used as a primary endpoint in studies evaluating ULS. Secondary endpoints included muscle tone in shoulder, elbow, carpal joint, and finger muscles, measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and muscle strength according to the Medical Research Council scale (MRC). Of 108 enrolled patients (FAS), 92 (85.2%) completed the study and 57 (52.8%) were included in the per protocol (PP) population. AboBoNT-A improved patient conditions in 96.4% and 98.6% at V2 and V3 (investigator assessment) and 92.8% and 98.6% (as reported by patient) of patients, respectively. Significant reductions in muscle tone from baseline were observed at both visits (p < 0.0001–0.0077) across muscle groups. Increased muscle strength by cumulative MRC was observed at V2 (p = 0.0566) and V3 (p = 0.0282) versus baseline. Safety was consistent with the known profile of aboBoNT-A. In conclusion, aboBoNT-A treatment is beneficial in patients with post-stroke ULS in routine clinical practice, assessed by patients and investigators

Methods and Means of Estimation of Technical State Features of the Marine Diesel Engines Injector Nozzles Type Sulzer 6AL20/24

Artykuł przedstawia metody i środki badań cech stanu technicznego rozpylaczy wtryskiwaczy okrętowych silników średnioobrotowych, które zostały wycofane z eksploatacji. Pomiaru wybranych cech stanu dokonano za pomocą badań geometrycznych i przepływowych. Przykładowe wyniki badań dają informacje o zakresach oraz rozkładach zużycia i uszkodzeń rozpylaczy wtryskiwaczy.The article shows methods and means of investigations of the technical state features of marine medium-speed engines, which were withdrawn from operation. Measurements of selected features of state were realised through geometrical and flow testing. Examples of the results give information about ranges and distributions of the wear and failures of injection nozzles

Electron-impact ionization cross sections out of the ground and 6^{2}P excited states of cesium

An atom trapping technique for determining absolute, total ionization cross sections (TICS) out of an excited atom is presented. The unique feature of our method is in utilizing Doppler cooling of neutral atoms to determine ionization cross sections. This fluorescence-monitoring experiment, which is a variant of the “trap loss” technique, has enabled us to obtain the experimental electron impact ionization cross sections out of the Cs 6 2P3∕2 state between 7 eV and 400 eV. CCC, RMPS, and Born theoretical results are also presented for both the ground and excited states of cesium and rubidium. In the low energy region (<11 eV) where best agreement between these excited state measurements and theory might be expected, a discrepancy of approximately a factor of five is observed. Above this energy there are significant contributions to the TICS from both autoionization and multiple ionization

Excitation spectra of CdRg (Rg = He, Ne, Xe) complexes recorded at the D1Σ0+←X1Σ0+D^{1}\Sigma _{0}^{+}\leftarrow X^{1}\Sigma _{0}^{+} transition : from the heaviest CdXe to the lightest CdHe

Laser-induced fluorescence excitation spectra of CdRg (Rg = He, Ne, Xe) complexes were recorded at the $D^{1}\Sigma _{0}^{+}\leftarrow X^{1}\Sigma _{0}^{+}$ bound $\leftarrow$ bound and free $\leftarrow$ bound transitions. In case of CdXe, analysis of the recorded profiles resulted in determination of the $D^{1}\Sigma _{0}^{+}$ -state potential energy curve and ground-state dissociation energy. In case of CdHe and CdNe, analysis of the free $\leftarrow$ bound profiles provided a repulsive part of the $D^{1}\Sigma _{0}^{+}$ -state potential. Valence ab initio calculations of the ground- and excited-state potentials and electronic transition dipole moments of the studied transition were performed taking scalar-relativistic and spin-orbit effects into account. The results were supplemented with those for CdAr and CdKr of our earlier study

Komputerowy system kontrolno-pomiarowy hamowni silnikowej HWZ-3

This article presents a project that contributed to the computerization of the obsolete measurement and control cabinet SPS1, which is part of a test stand designed to determine the parameters of the engine in wheeled tractors. The test stand is located in the Department of Energy Systems Engineering at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań. Arduino platform was used as a built-in system, which enabled the exchange of information between the computer and the measurement and control cabinet along with the readout of analogue meter readings and the control of the engine dynamometer brake load. In order to clearly display measured parameters, proprietary applications were developed in the .NET environment, which in real time presents the results and graphs the speed characteristics of the engine. The implementation was carried out without violating the design of the test station.Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia projekt, który przyczynił się do skomputeryzowania przestarzałej szafy pomiarowo-sterującej SPS-1, wchodzącej w skład stanowiska badawczego przeznaczonego do wyznaczania parametrów silnika w ciągnikach kołowych. Stanowisko badawcze znajduje się w Zakładzie Inżynierii Systemów Energetycznych Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Poznaniu. Jako system wbudowany wykorzystano platformę Arduino, która umożliwiła wymianę informacji pomiędzy komputerem a szafą pomiarowo-sterującą wraz z odczytem wskazań analogowych mierników i sterowaniem obciążeniem hamulca hamowni silnikowej. W celu przejrzystego zobrazowania mierzonych parametrów opracowano autorską aplikację w środowisku .NET, która w czasie rzeczywistym prezentuje wyniki oraz wykreśla charakterystykę prędkościową silnika. Implementacja została przeprowadzona bez naruszania konstrukcji stacji badawczej