Software for the robot-operated inspection station for engine guide vanes taking into consideration the geometric variability of parts

U radu je prikazan proces projektiranja i izgradnje softvera za robotsku ispitnu stanicu koja se koristi za provjeru statora. Softver je razvijen za stanicu sa ABB IRB 140 robotskim manipulatorom i PC radnom stanicom koja upravlja s dva ultrazvučna senzora i pokreće LabVIEW softverski paket. Kontrolni algoritmi robota uključuju potencijalne razlike u geometrijskim značajkama pregledanih elemenata na ispitnoj stanici i nastalim razlikama u stazama kretanja manipulatora alata. Softver je dizajniran i isporučen Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów Sp. z o.o.The paper presents a process of designing and building software for a robotic test stand used for inspection of stators. The software was developed for a test stand comprising the ABB IRB 140 robotic manipulator, and a PC workstation that handles two ultrasound sensors and runs the LabVIEW software suite. The control algorithms of the robot include the potential differences in the geometric features of the items inspected on the test stand and the resulting differences in the manipulator tool motion paths. The software was designed for and delivered to Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów Sp. z o.o

The outcomes of Polish patients with advanced BRAFpositive melanoma treated with vemurafenib in a safety clinical trial

Aim of the study: The BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib has improved progression- free survival and overall survival in patients with BRAFV600-mutationpositive metastatic melanoma. Here we present the results of an open-label safety study with vemurafenib in patients with metastatic melanoma enrolled in Polish oncological centres. Material and methods: Patients with untreated or previously treated Stage IIIC/IV BRAFV600 mutation-positive melanoma were treated with oral vemurafenib in an initial dose of 960 mg twice daily. Assessments for safety and efficacy were made every 28 days. For the survival analysis the Kaplan-Meier estimator was used with the log-rank tests for bivariate comparisons. Results: In total, 75 Polish patients were enrolled in the safety study across four centres. At data cut-off, 28 patients died (37%), mainly (26) due to disease progression; 33 (44%) patients continued vemurafenib after disease progression. The objective response rate was 46%, including two patients with a complete response and 29 with a partial response. Median progression-free survival was 7.4 months. The one-year overall survival rate was 61.9% (median overall survival was not reached). Seventy-three (97.3%) patients reported adverse events (AEs), and grade 3–5 toxicity was reported in 49.4% (37) patients. The most common AEs were: skin lesions (including rash and photosensitivity), arthralgia, and fatigue. Conclusions: The overall safety profile and response rate of vemurafenib were comparable to those reported in previous studies of this drug. Our study confirmed the value of well-established prognostic features for overall survival, such as initial LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) level and AJCC staging

O harmonijny rozwój człowieka. Myśl pedagogiczna Profesora Andrzeja Jaczewskiego

Z wprowadzenia: "Andrzej Jaczewski, Profesor Honorowy Krakowskiej Akademii im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w Krakowie, uczony, który we wrześniu b.r. ukończy 90. rok życia, to najstarszy i jeden z nielicznych obecnie autorytetów naukowych w dziedzinie badań nad rozwojem seksualnym dzieci i młodzieży. Jego działalność sytuuje się na pograniczu nauk medycznych i pedagogicznych."(...

Photosynthèse et chlororespiration - compétition ou synergie ?

Chlororespiration was initially described in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This electron transfer pathway, found in all photosynthetic lineages, consists of the action of a NAD(P)H:plastoquinone oxidoreductase and a plastoquinol oxidase (PTOX). Hence, because it uses plastoquinones for electron transport, chlororespiration constitutes an electron pathway potentially antagonistic to the linear photosynthetic electron flow from H2O to CO2 However, the limited flow these enzymes can sustain suggests that their relative contribution, at least in the light and in steady-state conditions, is limited. I thus focused on the involvement of PTOX in Chlamydomonas during transitions from dark to light and vice versa. I found that, following a brief illumination, the redox relaxation of the chloroplast in the dark was much affected when PTOX2, the major plastoquinol oxidase in Chlamydomonas, is lacking. Importantly, I show that this has a significant physiological relevance as the growth of a PTOX2- lacking mutant is markedly slower in intermittent light, which can be rationalized in terms of a decreased flux sustained by photosystem II. I also investigated the influence of chlororespiration on cyclic electron flow using novel experimental techniques combined with theoretical modelling. Last, I explored, in collaboration with Stefano Santabarbara, the mechanism for redistribution of light excitation energy between the two photosystems, a process triggered by changes in the redox state of plastoquinone pool. I showed that, contrarily to what has been suggested recently, this regulation mechanism corresponds to an actual transfer of light harvesting antenna between the two photosystems.La chlororespiration a été initialement décrite chez Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Cette voie alternative du transfert d’électrons, présente dans toutes des lignées photosynthétiques, est constituée par l’activité d’une NAD(P)H:plastoquinone oxidoreductase, et d’une plastoquinol oxydase (PTOX). Parce qu’elle utilise les plastoquinones comme transporteur d’électrons, la chlororespiration représente une voie potentiellement antagoniste au transfert photosynthétique de l’eau au CO2. Néanmoins, le faible flux autorisé par ces enzymes suggère que, au moins sous éclairement continu et en conditions stationnaires, leur contribution est limité. Je me suis donc concentré sur la rôle du PTOX pendant les transitions lumière-obscurité et vice-versa. J’ai observé qu’après une brève illumination, la relaxation redox du chloroplaste est entravée quand PTOX2, l’oxydase majeure chez Chlamydomonas, est absente. J’ai démontré la pertinence physiologique de cette observation par une étude des courbes de croissance de souches mutantes pour PTOX et de la souche sauvage: la croissance du mutant de PTOX2 est retardée en condition de la lumière intermittente – ce qui peux être expliqué par une diminution du flux d’électrons à partir du photosystème II. Je me suis également intéressé à l’impact de la chlororespiration sur le flux d’électrons cyclique en utilisant une nouvelle approche spectroscopique combinée à de la modélisation. Enfin, j’ai exploré, en collaboration avec Stefano Santabarbara, le mécanisme de redistribution de l’énergie lumineuse entre les deux photosystèmes, mécanisme gouverné par des changements d’état redox des plastoquinones. J’ai démontré que, contrairement à des récentes suggestions, un véritable transfert d’antennes se produit entre les deux photosystèmes

Decarbonizing of Ductile Cast Iron Surface for Usage in Two-Layered Casting

The main purpose of the present study is to verify the possibility of decarbonizing the surface of heat-resistant ductile iron GJS-XSiMo5-1 to provide a significant difference in carbon content between this material and gray cast iron EN-GJL-250. In the future, this will allow to increase the diffusion of elements during the creation of the two-layered material using the casting process with materials in a liquid state and solid state. The above method was assumed to solve the problem of defects on turbocharger’s housing in an economically justified manner which occurred in some high-performance premium applications. Evaluation of decarbonized surface quality was investigated by microstructure observation (light microscopy) and alloy elements diffusion (scanning electron microscopy), and hardness measurement and the element content were checked by spark optical emission spectrometry and glow discharge optical emission spectrometry, respectively