The application of selected quality tools in analysing the reasons for discrepancies in wet refractory mortar manufacture

The basic objective of this paper is to present the possibilities of applying selected quality tools in analysing the reasons for discrepancies as exemplified by the process of manufacturing wet refractory mortars. Using various methods and tools, the authors looked for the root causes of a quality rejects occurrence. The following selected methods and tools were used: analysis of variance - ANOVA, the individual moving range (I-MR) chart, SIPOC process mapping, analysis of regression, identification of potential root causes of a problem - 7M, Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility (GRR). The paper shows how it is possible to search for the causes of quality rejects by means of deliberately selected tools and methods and to successfully decrease the number of discrepancies after introduction of the appropriate corrective actions. The authors indicate how it is possible to analyse the processes of manufacturing wet refractory mortars and what can be done in the situation when a faulty measuring system (returning seriously erroneous results) is the reason for a lack of or lower detectability of wet mortar flaws as it has affected the accuracy of feeding of all components of the recipe, as well as the consistency, moisture content, and hardness/softness of mortar. The collected analysis results allowed the authors to conclude that there were seven probable root causes influencing the hardening of mortar and the loss of its primary functions. This paper could be useful for those wet refractory mortars manufacturers who find it difficult to build their knowledge about product properties based on available publications sources

Affective State during Physiotherapy and Its Analysis Using Machine Learning Methods

Invasive or uncomfortable procedures especially during healthcare trigger emotions. Technological development of the equipment and systems for monitoring and recording psychophysiological functions enables continuous observation of changes to a situation responding to a situation. The presented study aimed to focus on the analysis of the individual’s affective state. The results reflect the excitation expressed by the subjects’ statements collected with psychological questionnaires. The research group consisted of 49 participants (22 women and 25 men). The measurement protocol included acquiring the electrodermal activity signal, cardiac signals, and accelerometric signals in three axes. Subjective measurements were acquired for affective state using the JAWS questionnaires, for cognitive skills the DST, and for verbal fluency the VFT. The physiological and psychological data were subjected to statistical analysis and then to a machine learning process using different features selection methods (JMI or PCA). The highest accuracy of the kNN classifier was achieved in combination with the JMI method (81.63%) concerning the division complying with the JAWS test results. The classification sensitivity and specificity were 85.71% and 71.43%

Relationship between body sway and body build in healthy adult men and women

Studies investigating the relationship between balance ability and body size, build and proportions tend to concentrate on body mass and height rather than breadth parameters or size of individual body segments. The purpose of this study was to determine a relationship between the ability to keep balance and the size, build and proportions, based on breadth and length dimensions of the body in healthy adult men and women during a position of free standing. This study also aimed to investigate how the lack of visual control affects the analyzed relationship. The study group consisted of 102 adults of both sexes. The investigations encompassed anthropometric measurements of the body and the ability to keep balance. The analysis covered a of series anthropometric parameters, 9 indices of body proportions, mean velocity of the COP movement (MV) and ellipse area (EA). A statistical analysis of the results was carried out taking into consideration the division into groups due to sexes. The results of the Pearson correlation have revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation (weak or moderate degree) between anthropometric parameters of the body and stabilographic values. Results differ between sexes and depend on whether Romberg’s test was performed with open or closed eyes. The obtained results showed that the surface area of ellipse significantly depends on the dimensions of these body elements which relate to the position of the centre of mass. The obtained results, which differ depending on sex, show that the values of the body sways in a position of free standing depend on breadth and length dimensions of the body, visual control and the analyzed parameter of balance

Computer Aided Diagnostics of Developmental Dyslexia

Dysleksja jest przedmiotem wielu badań. Jedną z przyczyn tego zjawiska może być wzrasta-jący w ostatnich latach odsetek społeczeństwa ze zdiagnozowanym problemem specyficznych trudności w nauce (obecnie zdiagnozowaną dysleksję ma ok. 10% uczniów; Brejnak, 2003). Peda-godzy szkolni w ramach posiadanych środków i czasu pracy często nie są w stanie zdiagnozować wszystkich uczniów z problemami w nauce. Zaproponowany uproszczony system o cechach user friendly został wdrożony w dwóch szkołach podstawowych, gdzie został pozytywnie oceniony przez pedagogów szkolnych. Dokładność poszczególnych modułów systemu oscylowała w okolicach 80%, swoistość przyjmowała wartości 90–100%, natomiast czułość wahała się mię-dzy 60 a 70%.Dyslexia is the subject of many studies. One of the reasons for this phenomenon may be the increasing percentage of society with diagnosed problems of specific learning difficulties (current-ly about 10% of pupils have diagnosed dyslexia; Brejnak, 2003). School teachers, with limited time and money, are often unable to diagnose all students with learning disabilities. The proposed system, which is a free alternative to commercially available solutions, was implemented in two primary schools, where it was positively evaluated by school counselors. The accuracy of the individual modules of the system oscillated around 80%, the specificity was 90–100%, and the sensitivity ranged between 60 and 70%

Technical culture as a stimulant for social costs of the use of public space

Niejednokrotnie osoby odpowiedzialne za przewóz towarów lekceważą limit nałożony na dopuszczalną masę całkowitą pojazdu, dążąc do maksymalizacji zysków. Należy jednak pamiętać o kosztach napraw pojazdów uszkodzonych na jezdniach zniszczonych przez przeciążone ciężarówki oraz, w szczególności, o ogromnych kosztach ponoszonych przez podatników w celu ochrony środowiska naturalnego. Kluczową kwestią staje się edukacja młodych osób.Often people responsible for the transport of products disregard the limit imposed on the permissible laden mass of the vehicle, seeking to maximize profits. However, they should be aware of the costs of repairing vehicles after using roads damaged by overloaded trucks and, in particular, of the huge costs incurred by taxpayers in order to protect the environment. It becomes crucial to educate young people

About IT Education in Terms of Qualified Web Resources

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań poświęconych zagadnieniu doboru źródeł informa-cji, z których matki dzieci w wieku 6–36 miesięcy czerpią wiedzę na temat właściwego żywienia swojego potomstwa. Ze względu na fakt, że głównym źródłem wiedzy jest obecnie internet, ważną kwestią staje się edukacja kobiet w zakresie algorytmu poszukiwania informacji przygotowanych i udostępnionych przez specjalistów oraz oddzielenia ich od, często błędnych, porad zamieszcza-nych w sieci przez przypadkowe osoby. Aż 30% ankietowanych czerpie i stosuje porady w kwestii żywienia dzieci z portali społecznościowych, których rzetelność z natury rzeczy nie jest potwier-dzona. Kwestią naczelną jest przekonanie kobiet do poszukiwania wiedzy w dostępnym również w sieci kwalifikowanym piśmiennictwie oraz konsultowania diety z lekarzem specjalistą (pediatrą lub dietetykiem), co ma w zwyczaju zaledwie 20% kobiet.The paper presents research results, dedicated to the issue of sources, from which mothers of children aged 6–36 months learn about the proper nutrition of their offspring. Due to the fact that nowadays the main source of knowledge is the Internet, it is important to educate women in the search for real information, prepared and made available by professionals, and to isolate them from the sometimes erroneous advice posted on the web by random people. Even 30% of the respondents use advice on feeding children from social networking sites, which reliability is at least questionable. It is equally important to convince women to seek knowledge in qualified literature and to consult the diet with a specialist (pediatrician or dietician), which is customary for just 20% of women

ROAD TRAFFIC ESTIMATION USING BLUETOOTH SENSORS

The Bluetooth standard is a low-cost, very popular communication protocol offering a wide range of applications in many fields. In this paper, a novel system for road traffic estimation using Bluetooth sensors has been presented. The system consists of three main modules: filtration, statistical analysis of historical, and traffic estimation and prediction. The filtration module is responsible for the classification of road users and detecting measurements that should be removed. Traffic estimation has been performed on the basis of the data collected by Bluetooth measuring devices and information on external conditions (e.g., temperature), all of which have been gathered in the city of Bielsko-Biala (Poland). The obtained results are very promising. The smallest average relative error between the number of cars estimated by the model and the actual traffic was less than 10%

Analysis of the relationship between emotion intensity and electrophysiology parameters during a voice examination of opera singers

Objectives Emotions and stress affect voice production. There are only a few reports in the literature on how changes in the autonomic nervous system affect voice production. The aim of this study was to examine emotions and measure stress reactions during a voice examination procedure, particularly changes in the muscles surrounding the larynx. Material and Methods The study material included 50 healthy volunteers (26 voice workers – opera singers, 24 control subjects), all without vocal complaints. All subjects had good voice quality in a perceptual assessment. The research procedure consisted of 4 parts: an ear, nose, and throat (ENT)‑phoniatric examination, surface electromyography, recording physiological indicators (heart rate and skin resistance) using a wearable wristband, and a psychological profile based on questionnaires. Results The results of the study demonstrated that there was a relationship between positive and negative emotions and stress reactions related to the voice examination procedure, as well as to the tone of the vocal tract muscles. There were significant correlations between measures describing the intensity of experienced emotions and vocal tract muscle maximum amplitude of the cricothyroid (CT) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles during phonation and non-phonation tasks. Subjects experiencing eustress (favorable stress response) had increased amplitude of submandibular and CT at rest and phonation. Subjects with high levels of negative emotions, revealed positive correlations with SCM max during the glissando. The perception of positive and negative emotions caused different responses not only in the vocal tract but also in the vegetative system. Correlations were found between emotions and physiological parameters, most markedly in heart rate variability. A higher incidence of extreme emotions was observed in the professional group. Conclusions The activity of the vocal tract muscles depends on the type and intensity of the emotions and stress reactions. The perception of positive and negative emotions causes different responses in the vegetative system and the vocal tract. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(1):84–9

The long-lasting effect of early life family structure on social position, well-being, and biological condition in adulthood

AbstractBackground The absence of even one parent has short- and long-term effects on the child’s current and future health. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a long-term relationship between the type of family in which men were raised and an individual’s adult social position, well-being in adulthood and their biological condition regardless of social status in adulthood.Materials and methods Data for 4528 males, aged 25–80 years, were selected from the archives of the Lower Silesian Medical Centre in Wrocław, Poland. A total of 329 men declared that they grew up in incomplete families. Height, weight, % fat, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, blood parameters, and health of men who grew up in complete or incomplete families were compared.Results Growing up in an incomplete family reduced chances for better education, decreased life satisfaction in adulthood, and negatively affected the final height. After taking into account the education achieved, the effect persisted only for diastolic blood pressure, creatinine, and serum phosphorus levels.Conclusions Growing up in an incomplete family has a significant impact on male’s socioeconomic position (SES), life satisfaction, and final height. A poorer quality of diet is proposed as an early life risk factor for adult health