Influence of meta-atom geometry on the occurrence of local resonance regions in two-dimensional finite phononic structures

In this work, the influence of different cross-sections of meta-atoms and their distribution on the occurrence of local resonance regions in inter-meta-atomic spaces of finite phononic structures was investigated. Software based on the Mathematica package was designed and implemented using the finite difference algorithm in the time domain to simulate mechanical wave propagation in phononic structures. Then, for the recorded time series from the inter-meta-atomic spaces, resonant frequency distributions were determined using Fourier transforms, and an analysis of the differences in frequency distributions depending on the location of the inter-meta-atomic space was carried out.Web of Science144531230

Influence of material distribution and damping on the dynamic stability of Bernoulli-Euler beams

The study analyzed the influence of materials and different types of damping on the dynamic stability of the Bernoulli-Euler beam. Using the mode summation method and applying an orthogonal condition of eigenfunctions and describing the analyzed system with the Mathieu equation, the problem of dynamic stability was solved. By examining the influence of internal and external damping and damping in the beam supports, their influence on the regions of stability and instability of the solution to the Mathieu equation was determined

Dental awareness and oral health of pregnant women in Poland

Objectives: The level of dental awareness of a pregnant woman affects the sanitary condition of her own teeth and the health of the child to be born. Poor oral health is considered to be a probable risk factor for the pre-term birth or low birth weight. The aim of this work was to assess the level of oral health knowledge that determines oral health condition of pregnant women in Poland. Material and Methods: Empirical data were obtained from the National Monitoring of Oral Health and Its Determinants, financed by the Ministry of Health. This socio-epidemiological study assessed oral health status and dental health awareness, which affects that status. Study subjects included 1380 pregnant women at the age ranging from 15 to 44, randomly-selected from urban and rural environments. Dental health status was recorded in the clinical examination sheets supplied by the World Health Organization, and the socio-medical data were recorded in the questionnaire interview sheets. Results: Almost 3/4 of the pregnant women evaluated their dental health as unsatisfactory or poor. Over 60% of the pregnant women rated their knowledge and practical skills concerning care of their own teeth and of the child to be born as limited, inadequate or none. Only 40% of the pregnant women provided right answers to the questions about dental issues. Conclusions: Low oral health awareness results in poor oral health status of the study subjects. A statistical pregnant woman has a total of 13 teeth showing the symptoms of tooth decay or caries. Over 70% of the pregnant women developed gingivitis or periodontitis. There is an urgent need in Poland to make the European principle of treating pregnant women as a dentally vulnerable group obligatory

Influence of Material Defects on the Dynamic Stability of the Bernoulli-Euler Beam

The paper presents the results of tests on dynamic stability of Bernoulli-Euler beam with damages. Damages (cracks) were modeled using three rotational springs. An analysis of the influence of crack depth and their position relative to the beam ends on dynamic stability of the beam was carried out. The problem of dynamic stability was solved by applying the mode summation method. Applying an orthogonal condition of eigenfunctions, the dynamic of the system was described with the use of the Mathieu equation. The obtained equation allowed the dynamic stability of the tested system to be analyzed. Stable and unstable solutions were analyzed using the Strutt card

The Involvement of the United States of America in Kosovo in the Nineties

The disintegration of Yugoslavia and the accompanying conflicts are among the most important events in Europe after 1989. Yugoslav Wars had an exceptional nature. In contrast to the Central and Eastern Europe, due to deep ethnic, cultural and religious differences, transformations in Balkans had been particularly violent.One of such conflicts was that in Kosovo between Albanian majority striving for independence and the Serbian establishment attempting to retain the integrity of its historical territory. It had been developing since the moment Yugoslavia had been established, escalated after death of Josip Broz-Tito and climaxed in the last decade of the twentieth century.At that point the international community under leadership of the United States of America got involved in Kosovo. After the initial diplomatic attempts of resolving the conflict had been unsuccessful, NATO began military action in order to curb escalating violence and force the leaders of the hostile parties to the ceasefire. When the war was over, Americans stood at the head of the UN stabilization force to Kosovo Force (KFOR) and continue to watch over the situation in the region.This dissertation focuses on the role of the United States of America in the events in Kosovo. It draws attention to the actions of U.S. diplomats and the subsequent U.S. military participation in military activities. In the final section it explains the role of the United States and the international community in reconstruction, stabilization and development of Kosovo's administration, until the announcement of independence in 2008.Rozpad Jugosławii i wybuch konfliktów z nim związanych to jedno z najważniejszych wydarzeń w Europie po 1989 roku. Wojny w Jugosławii miały szczególny charakter. W odróżnieniu od Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, z powodu głębokich podziałów etnicznych, kulturowych i religijnych przemiany na Bałkanach miały wyjątkowo krwawy charakter.Jednym z takich konfliktów był ten w Kosowie, toczący się pomiędzy albańską większością walczącą o pełną autonomię, a sprawującymi władzę Serbami dążącymi do utrzymania spójności ich historycznego terytorium. Narastał on od momentu utworzenia Jugosławii, przybrał na sile po śmierci Josipa Broza-Tity i osiągnął punkt kulminacyjny w ostatniej dekadzie dwudziestego wieku. W tym też okresie w sytuację w Kosowie zaangażowała się społeczność międzynarodowa pod wyraźnym przewodnictwem Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki. Gdy początkowe próby pokojowego rozstrzygnięcia sporu zakończyły się niepowodzeniem, NATO pod wodzą USA rozpoczęło działania zbrojne mające ograniczyć eskalację przemocy i zmusić przywódców zwaśnionych stron do zawieszenia broni. Po zakończeniu działań zbrojnych Amerykanie stanęli na czele sił stabilizacyjnych Kosovo Force (KFOR) i nadal czuwają nad sytuacją w regionie.Praca ta koncentruje się na roli, jaką w wydarzeniach w Kosowie odegrały Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki. Zwraca uwagę na działania amerykańskich dyplomatów i późniejszy udział sił zbrojnych USA w działaniach militarnych. W końcowej zaś części wyjaśnia rolę Stanów Zjednoczonych i społeczności międzynarodowej w odbudowie, stabilizacji i tworzeniu administracji Kosowa, aż do momentu ogłoszenia przez nie niepodległości w 2008 roku

Optimization of a Bandgap in the Ultrasonic Phononic Coating

This work concerns the study of the coatings for the ultrasound frequency range as a quasi one-dimensional phononic crystal structure protecting a sea object against high resolution active sonar in the frequency range most commonly found for this type of equipment. The topology of the examined structure was optimized to obtain a band gap in the 2.2-2.3 MHz frequency band. For this purpose, a genetic algorithm was used, which allows for optimal distribution of individual elements of the ultrasound multilayer composite. By optimal distribution is meant to achieve a structure that will allow minimal reflectance in a given frequency range without height reflectance peaks with a small half width. Analysis of the wave propagation was made using the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM). As part of the research, 15 and 20-layer structures with reflectance at the level of 0.23% and 0.18%, respectively, were obtained. increasing the number of layers in the analyzed structures resulted in finding such a distribution in which a narrow band of low reflectance was obtained, such distributions could also be used as bandpass filters. The use of a genetic algorithm for designing allows to obtain modern coatings, the characteristics of which result from the structure

Dental awareness and oral health of pregnant women in Poland

Objectives: The level of dental awareness of a pregnant woman affects the sanitary condition of her own teeth and the health of the child to be born. Poor oral health is considered to be a probable risk factor for the pre-term birth or low birth weight. The aim of this work was to assess the level of oral health knowledge that determines oral health condition of pregnant women in Poland. Material and Methods: Empirical data were obtained from the National Monitoring of Oral Health and Its Determinants, financed by the Ministry of Health. This socio-epidemiological study assessed oral health status and dental health awareness, which affects that status. Study subjects included 1380 pregnant women at the age ranging from 15 to 44, randomly-selected from urban and rural environments. Dental health status was recorded in the clinical examination sheets supplied by the World Health Organization, and the socio-medical data were recorded in the questionnaire interview sheets. Results: Almost 3/4 of the pregnant women evaluated their dental health as unsatisfactory or poor. Over 60% of the pregnant women rated their knowledge and practical skills concerning care of their own teeth and of the child to be born as limited, inadequate or none. Only 40% of the pregnant women provided right answers to the questions about dental issues. Conclusions: Low oral health awareness results in poor oral health status of the study subjects. A statistical pregnant woman has a total of 13 teeth showing the symptoms of tooth decay or caries. Over 70% of the pregnant women developed gingivitis or periodontitis. There is an urgent need in Poland to make the European principle of treating pregnant women as a dentally vulnerable group obligatory

Relationship between Selected Functional Performance Parameters and the Occurrence of Anaemia in Hospitalized Females and Males Aged 80 and More

Anaemia is considered a factor that significantly increases the risk of disability and mortality in the elderly. Among the hospitalized elderly, the incidence of anaemia is higher than in the general population, which necessitates extensive diagnostics for anaemia in this group. The aim was to assess the relationship between the occurrence of anaemia in hospitalized females and males, aged 80 years and more, and selected determinants of motor fitness. The analysis covered 91 females and 57 males aged 80 and more. The study implemented haemoglobin level, handgrip strength, a lower limb strength, mobility and balance measurement. The analysis used the logistic regression model and the cut-off point was determined by ROC curve. A 1 kg increase in muscle strength reduced the risk of anaemia in a group of males by 12%. The value of handgrip strength from which anaemia can be predicted in a group of males is 24.4 kg. In the female group, no statistically significant correlations were found. There is a need to continue research in this area with the participation of a larger group of respondents to look for potential factors that may be related to anaemia, in order to find non-invasive diagnostic tools useful for elderly people