Poland’s energy security in the context of the EU’s common energy policy. The case of the gas sector

The concept of energy security can be rather difficult to precisely define. In fact, the scope of energy security includes a somewhat different set of issues in the gas sector than in the electricity sector. After all, electricity can be produced in every country of the European Union, but gas extraction is possible only in some. Natural gas is a commodity which constitutes a significant component of the export policy of only a few countries. As a result, the scarcity of gas in the EU makes it a very desirable resource for many countries, some of which are taking important energy-related decisions without consulting or assessing their impact on other Member States. This hampers the coordination of energy policy and the setting of common objectives with regard to energy security for the EU as a whole. The lack of cooperation among Member States has a clearly more negative impact on Poland and the other new Member States (which depend on a single gas supplier) than on the old EU-15, whose gas supply is generally well diversified. Moreover, the lack of proper infrastructure and cross-border connections puts in question the creation of a solid energy policy at the EU level in the gas sector.energy security, natural gas, common energy policy

Investigation of a high-efficiency and high-frequency 10-kW/800-V three-phase PWM converter with direct power factor control

The paper presents a concept of a control system for a high-frequency three-phase PWM grid-tied converter (3x400 V / 50 Hz) that performs functions of a 10-kW DC power supply with voltage range of 600÷800 V and of a reactive power compensator. Simulation tests (in PLECS) allowed proper selection of semiconductor switches between fast IGBTs and silicon carbide MOSFETs. As the main criterion minimum amount of power losses in semiconductor devices was adopted. Switching frequency of at least 40 kHz was used with the aim of minimizing size of passive filters (chokes, capacitors) both on the AC side and on the DC side. Simulation results have been confirmed in experimental studies of the PWM converter, the power factor of which (inductive and capacitive) could be regulated in range from 0.7 to 1.0 with THDi of line currents below 5% and energy efficiency of approximately 98.5%. The control system was implemented in Texas Instruments TMS320F28377S microcontrolle

Design, Analysis and Comparison of Si- and GaN-Based DC-DC Wide-Input-Voltage-Range Buck-Boost Converters

The purpose of the article is a comparison between DC/DC topologies with a wide input voltage range. The research also explains how the implementation of GaN E‑HEMT transistors influences the overall efficiency of the converter. The article presents a process of selection of the most efficient topology for stabilization of the battery storage voltage (9 V – 36 V) at the level of 24 V, which enables the usage of ultracapacitor energy storage in a wide range of applications, e.g., in automated electric vehicles. In order to choose the most suitable topology, simulation and laboratory research were conducted. The two most promising topologies were selected for verification in the experimental model. Each of the converters was constructed in two versions: with Si and with GaN E-HEMT transistors. The paper presents experimental research results that consist of precise power loss measurements and thermal analysis. The performance with an increased switching frequency of converters was also examined

“To be well laced up“. A corset in women's fashion, i.e. a reinterpretation of the past

The structure of a corset changed over the course of the last century. Its shape was determined by the aesthetic ideal of a given era. At the end of the 19th century, it came to be recognized as a social symbol of women’s fashion, becoming a key part of the phenomenon of the pursuit of fashion, characteristic for the wealthy social strata of that time. From the 1880s, its form began to change and the necessity of wearing it became a widely discussed topic. Doctors and newly asserted representatives of feminist movements spoke out about harmful effects of the corset on the women’s health through series of lectures and informative brochures. However, it was believed that a woman, being a “temptation” for a man, was in need of a kind of an “armor” providing protection. In “The Theory of the Leisure Class”, Thorstein Veblen emphasized that the corset was worn to “lower the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work” It had social significance, as the woman became morally invincible.At that time, he also shaped the tailoring structure of the garment, considering its artistic sources of inspiration, such as Art Nouveau stylization or the influence of Japaneseism. The way it was laced and worn had a direct impact on women’s health. Therefore, a gradual dethronement of the corset started to occur, encouraged by women’s increased physical activity, participation in sports and actions of feminist movements, as well as fashion designers adjusting their proposals to the requirements of body ergonomics. This led to the liberation of women in the 10’s of the twentieth century from the shackles of corsets. However, due to the actions of various designers, the corset returned in the second half of the 20th century in the form of “memory copy and styling implant”. One can recall the “Ligne Carolle” publicized by Christian Dior, or the underwear corsets common in the 1950s, worn under evening dresses, which came to fashion thanks to English designers Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and Charles James, who promoted women’s ‘hourglass’ silhouette in fashion. Moreover, since the 1980s once could observe appearances of a corset as a reinterpretation of its original form and function, reflected in designs by Jean-Paul Gaultier, or Issey Miyake’s anatomical corset-armor, which imitates human skin. The article is devoted to the characteristics of the form and function of the corset as an element of women’s clothing and its implantation into contemporary fashion by giving it new distinctions.Gorset zmieniał swą konstrukcję na przestrzeni stuleci. Zależało to od ideału estetycznego danej epoki. W końcu XIX wieku stał się społecznym symbolem damskiej mody. Wpisał się w charakterystyczne – dla zamożnych warstw społecznych – zjawisko pogoni za modą.Od lat 80. XIX stulecia zmieniała się jego forma, a konieczność noszenia była szeroko dyskutowana. Lekarze oraz dochodzące do głosu przedstawicielki ruchów feministycznych w seriach odczytów i broszur informowali o szkodliwym wpływie gorsetu na zdrowie. Uważano jednak, że kobieta, stanowiąc dla mężczyzny pokusę, potrzebuje do ochrony swego rodzaju pancerza. Thorstein Veblen w Teorii klasy próżniaczej podkreślał, że gorset noszono dla stłumienia witalności i zapewnienia sobie kryjówki. Miało to bowiem znaczenie obyczajowe, kobieta bowiem stawała się moralnie niezwyciężona.W tym czasie kształtował on krawiecką konstrukcję stroju, uwzględniając również artystyczne źródła inspiracji mody damskiej, jak secesyjna stylizacja czy oddziaływanie japonizmu. Sposób, w jaki gorset był sznurowany i noszony, wpływał bezpośrednio na kłopoty zdrowotne kobiet. Nastąpiła zatem jego stopniowa detronizacja, do której przyczyniły się zwiększona aktywność fizyczna, uprawianie sportu, działalność ruchów feministycznych, ale i projektantów mody dostosowujących swoje propozycje do wymogów ergonomii ciała. Doprowadziło to w pierwszym dziesięcioleciu XX wieku do uwolnienia kobiet z okowów gorsetu. Jednak za sprawą projektantów gorset powrócił w drugiej połowie XX wieku w formie implantu kopii i stylizacji pamięci. Wystarczy przywołać wylansowaną przez Christiana Diora Ligne Carolle czy powszechne w latach 50. XX stulecia gorsety bieliźniane noszone pod sukienkami wieczorowymi, do czego przyczynili się angielscy projektanci Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies i Charles James, lansujący w modzie kobiecej linię klepsydry. Ale także obserwowane od lat 80. XX wieku pojawienie się gorsetu będącego reinterpretacją jego pierwotnej formy i funkcji, czego wyrazem są projekty Jeana-Paula Gaultiera czy anatomiczne, imitujące ludzką skórę gorsety-pancerze Issey’a Miyake. Artykuł poświęcony został charakterystyce formy i funkcji gorsetu jako elementu garderoby damskiej oraz jego implantowaniu do współczesnej mody przez nadanie mu nowych dystynkcji

Design, Analysis and Comparison of Si- and GaN-Based DC-DC Wide-Input-Voltage-Range Buck-Boost Converters

The purpose of the article is a comparison between DC/DC topologies with a wide input voltage range. The research also explains how the implementation of GaN E‑HEMT transistors influences the overall efficiency of the converter. The article presents a process of selection of the most efficient topology for stabilization of the battery storage voltage (9 V – 36 V) at the level of 24 V, which enables the usage of ultracapacitor energy storage in a wide range of applications, e.g., in automated electric vehicles. In order to choose the most suitable topology, simulation and laboratory research were conducted. The two most promising topologies were selected for verification in the experimental model. Each of the converters was constructed in two versions: with Si and with GaN E-HEMT transistors. The paper presents experimental research results that consist of precise power loss measurements and thermal analysis. The performance with an increased switching frequency of converters was also examined

Investigation of a high-efficiency and high-frequency 10-kW/800-V three-phase PWM converter with direct power factor control

The paper presents a concept of a control system for a high-frequency three-phase PWM grid-tied converter (3x400 V / 50 Hz) that performs functions of a 10-kW DC power supply with voltage range of 600÷800 V and of a reactive power compensator. Simulation tests (in PLECS) allowed proper selection of semiconductor switches between fast IGBTs and silicon carbide MOSFETs. As the main criterion minimum amount of power losses in semiconductor devices was adopted. Switching frequency of at least 40 kHz was used with the aim of minimizing size of passive filters (chokes, capacitors) both on the AC side and on the DC side. Simulation results have been confirmed in experimental studies of the PWM converter, the power factor of which (inductive and capacitive) could be regulated in range from 0.7 to 1.0 with THDi of line currents below 5% and energy efficiency of approximately 98.5%. The control system was implemented in Texas Instruments TMS320F28377S microcontrolle

Zastosowanie linagliptyny u chorych na cukrzycę potransplantacyjną. Ocena bezpieczeństwa i skuteczności leczenia na podstawie opisu serii przypadków klinicznych

Post-transplantation diabetes (PTDM) is a frequent problem in patients after solid organ transplantation. PTDM is more common in recipients with risk fac­tors of diabetes mellitus, may also be associated with the immunosuppressive regimen used. No spe­cific guidelines for diagnosis and pharmacotherapy of this type of diabetes have been established, there­fore those for the treatment of diabetes in general population are followed. The basis of non-pharma­cological treatment are diet, weight loss, regular physical exercise. In the choice of antidiabetic therapy in PTDM, additionally graft function and pos­sible drug interactions (especially with immunosup­pressive therapy) should be considered. Linagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor belonging to a rela­tively new group of diabetic drugs, appears to be an effective and safe drug in monotherapy, but also in combination with other hypoglycemic medications in patients with PTDM

Poland’s energy security in the context of the EU’s common energy policy. The case of the gas sector

The concept of energy security can be rather difficult to precisely define. In fact, the scope of energy security includes a somewhat different set of issues in the gas sector than in the electricity sector. After all, electricity can be produced in every country of the European Union, but gas extraction is possible only in some. Natural gas is a commodity which constitutes a significant component of the export policy of only a few countries. As a result, the scarcity of gas in the EU makes it a very desirable resource for many countries, some of which are taking important energy-related decisions without consulting or assessing their impact on other Member States. This hampers the coordination of energy policy and the setting of common objectives with regard to energy security for the EU as a whole. The lack of cooperation among Member States has a clearly more negative impact on Poland and the other new Member States (which depend on a single gas supplier) than on the old EU-15, whose gas supply is generally well diversified. Moreover, the lack of proper infrastructure and cross-border connections puts in question the creation of a solid energy policy at the EU level in the gas sector

Real-Time Hand Shape Classification

The problem of hand shape classification is challenging since a hand is characterized by a large number of degrees of freedom. Numerous shape descriptors have been proposed and applied over the years to estimate and classify hand poses in reasonable time. In this paper we discuss our parallel framework for real-time hand shape classification applicable in real-time applications. We show how the number of gallery images influences the classification accuracy and execution time of the parallel algorithm. We present the speedup and efficiency analyses that prove the efficacy of the parallel implementation. Noteworthy, different methods can be used at each step of our parallel framework. Here, we combine the shape contexts with the appearance-based techniques to enhance the robustness of the algorithm and to increase the classification score. An extensive experimental study proves the superiority of the proposed approach over existing state-of-the-art methods.Comment: 11 page

Séparation manuscrit et imprimé dans des documents administratifs complexes par utilisation de SVM et regroupement

International audienceThis paper proposes a methodology for the segmentation of printed and handwritten zones in document images. The documents are mainly of administrative type in an unconstrained industrial framework. We have to deal with a large number each day. They can come from different clients so as to their content, layout and digitization quality vary a lot. The goal is to isolate handwritten notes from the other parts, in order to apply in a second time some dedicated processing on the printed and the handwritten layers. To achieve that, we propose a four step procedure: preprocessing, geometrical layout analysis at pseudo-word level, classification using a SVM, then post-correction with context integration allowing a better quality. The classification rates are around 90% for segmenting printed, handwritten and noisy zones.Cet article propose une méthodologie pour la séparation de l'imprimé et du manuscrit dans des images de documents. Les documents à traiter sont majoritairement de type administratif dans un environnement industriel sans contrainte, à savoir une masse quotidienne et importante de pages à traiter avec une grande diversité de contenu et de qualité de numérisation. L'objectif est d'isoler toutes les annotations manuscrites afin d'effectuer par la suite des traitements spécifiques sur le plan du manuscrit et sur le plan de l'imprimé. Nous proposons une solution en plusieurs étapes qui sont: un prétraitement des images, une segmentation du contenu en "pseudo-mots", une reconnaissance par séparateur à vaste marge de la classe d'appartenance, puis une post-correction utilisant le contexte pour affiner la segmentation. Les résultats obtenus sont de l'ordre de 90% de bonne séparation entre l'imprimé, le manuscrit et le bruit