Multicriteria selection of contractors in public procurement

One of the most important decision problem in public procurement is multicriteria selection of contractors. It can apply to both themselves as well as offers submitted by them. Number of public tenders where more than one evaluation criterion is used is still too low. This may be due to insufficient knowledge of contracting institutions on the possible use of quantitative methods. In this paper selected quantitative methods of multicriteria evaluation are presented and analysed from the point of view of their usefulness in the effective choice of contractors applying for the public contracts

Wpływ działania stresu solnego na wzrost i aktywność fotosyntezy roślin bazylii pospolitej (Ocimum basilicum L.)

The study evaluated basil plants’ response (var. Sweet Green) to increased concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) and macro- and micronutrients in the medium. The following variants were used: ½ Hoagland nutrient solution containing NaCl (0, 80 and 160 mM) and 4/2 Hoagland solution with 0 mM NaCl. Biometric and physiological parameters were measured 20 days after saline application. The application of 160 mM NaCl in nutrient solution caused the suppression of basil plants’ growth. The height of plants was decreased by 22% and the length of the roots was less by 60%. Control plants had 68% greater leaf area than those grown in the medium with 160 mM NaCl. Compared to the control, basil grown in ½ Hoagland solution with 80 mM NaCl and 4/2 Hoagland solution with 0 mM NaCl had leaf area reduced by 43.4% and 48.2%, respectively. A single plant’s highest fresh weight was found in the control variant (17.78 g) and the lowest in the ½ Hoagland solution with 160 mM NaCl (5.14 g). A negative effect of 160 mM NaCl in solution on the leaf gas exchange of salt-treated plants was found. At the same time, no negative influence of salinity on the content of photosynthetic pigments was found. The addition of NaCl into Hoagland solution did not affect the maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv /Fm) but modified the actual activity of Photosystem II (PSII). Increasing the concentration of macro- and microelements in the nutrient solution (4/2 of Hoagland and 0 mM NaCl) had a significantly lower negative effect on the growth and photosynthetic activity of basil plants.Badania obejmowały ocenę reakcji roślin bazylii pospolitej (odmiany Sweet Green) na podwyższone stężenie chlorku sodu (NaCl) oraz makro- i mikroskładników pokarmowych w pożywce. Zastosowano następujące warianty doświadczalne: ½ pożywki Hoaglanda zawierająca NaCl (0, 80 i 160 mM) oraz 4/2 roztwór Hoaglanda zawierający 0 mM NaCl. Parametry biometryczne i fizjologiczne mierzono 20 dni po zastosowaniu zasolenia. Zastosowanie 160 mM NaCl w pożywce spowodowało zahamowanie wzrostu roślin bazylii. Wysokość roślin była mniejsza o 22%, a długość korzeni o 60%. Rośliny kontrolne miały o 68% większą powierzchnię liści niż rośliny uprawiane na pożywce z 160 mM NaCl. W porównaniu z kontrolą, bazylia uprawiana w roztworze ½ Hoaglanda z 80 mM NaCl i roztworze 4/2 Hoaglanda z 0 mM NaCl miała zmniejszoną powierzchnię liści odpowiednio o 43.4% i 48.2%. Istotnie najwyższą świeżą masę pojedynczej rośliny stwierdzono w wariancie kontrolnym (17.78 g), a najniższą w roztworze ½ Hoaglanda z 160 mM NaCl (5,14 g). Stwierdzono negatywny wpływ 160 mM NaCl w roztworze na wymianę gazową roślin. Jednocześnie nie negatywnego wpływu zasolenia na zawartość barwników fotosyntetycznych. Wprowadzenie soli NaCl do pożywki Hoaglanda nie wpłynęło na maksymalną wydajność fotochemiczną (Fv /Fm), zmodyfikowało jednak faktyczną aktywność fotoukładu II (PSII). Zwiększone stężenie makro- i mikroelementów w pożywce (4/2 Hoaglanda i 0 mM NaCl) miało istotnie mniejszy negatywny wpływ na wzrost i aktywność fotosyntetyczną roślin

Comparison of the Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Thymus serpyllum Essential Oils

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Thymus serpyllum and Thymus serpyllum ‘Aureus’ has been investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Forty-seven compounds (99.67% of the total oil) were identified in the essential oil of T. serpyllum. The main components found in the oil were carvacrol (37.49%), -terpinene (10.79%), - caryophyllene (6.51%), p-cymene (6.06%), (E)--ocimene (4.63%) and -bisabolene (4.51%). Similarly, carvacrol (44.93%), -terpinene (10.08%), p-cymene (7.39%) and -caryophyllene (6.77%) dominated in the oil of T. serpyllum ‘Aureus’. A total of forty three compounds were identified in this oil, representing 99.49% of the total oil content. On the basis of the obtained data it was proved that the content of 1-octen-3-ol, eucalyptol, (Z)--ocimene, (E)--ocimene, -terpinene, carvacrol methyl ether, germacrene D and -bisabolene was significantly higher for T. serpyllum while T. serpyllum ‘Aureus’ was characterized by a significantly higher content of 3-octanone, 3-octanol, p-cymene, borneol and carvacrol. The isolated essential oils were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against nine reference strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Proteus vulgaris and Candida albicans) by the microdilution technique. Based on this test, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of essential oil were calculated. The volatile oil obtained from T. serpyllum showed the highest antimicrobial activity relative to the strain of E. coli (MIC=0.025 μL/mL) and to the yeast C. albicans (MIC=0.05 μL/mL). Similarly, a significant antimicrobial activity exhibited T. serpyllum ‘Aureus’ essential oil, although the MIC values obtained in that case for E. coli and C. albicans strains were twice as high and were respectively 0.05 μL/mL and 0.1 μL/mL

Exercise and Older People: Strategies to Prevent, Treat and Delay Frailty

Frailty, a prevalent geriatric syndrome observed in clinical practice, is recognised as a condition related to ageing where the evidence base is still developing. Frailty includes clinical indicators, such as fatigue, sedentary behaviour, weight loss, and physical function impairment, and is associated with a higher risk of disability, hospitalisation, loss of independence, and reduced quality of life. It is possible that by 2050, four million Australians aged 70 years and older will either be pre-frail or frail. Exercise has been proposed as an intervention strategy to prevent, delay and treat frailty. It has been shown to be beneficial in increasing muscle mass, maintaining and restoring muscular strength, improving physical function and mobility, and reducing the risk of falls and fractures. Exercise in combination with nutrition supplements may also be of benefit for pre-frail and frail older adults, however, only a few studies have been conducted and results have to date been conflicting. Although the benefits of exercise are well known, the uptake of exercise in older people remains poor. Doctors are an integral member of multi-disciplinary healthcare teams and have a role to play in advocating for exercise programs as well as encouraging older people to exercise. Sadly, doctors rarely focus on exercise when making treatment plans and commonly cite the lack of education during medical school as a reason for not prescribing exercise. Exercise has not been a focus of undergraduate medical and where it is included, there remains a gap in the delivery with considerable heterogeneity in the quality of the program. The aim of this PhD was to address gaps in the literature through different research projects including: a) an umbrella review to determine the most effective exercise characteristics alone or in combination with other interventions on physical function in pre-frail and frail older adults; b) a qualitative study to explore the perspectives of pre-frail and frail older adults on being advised about exercise; c) the impact of a physical activity module on fifth year medical students’ perceived competence in counselling older adults about exercise; and d) a study to determine the feasibility and the effects of exercise combined with protein supplements in community dwelling pre-frail older adults. The umbrella review indicates that multi-component exercise interventions including resistance training, aerobic, balance and flexibility tasks can currently be recommended to prevent, delay and treat frailty. Older people indicated a preference of being advised firstly by their general practitioner and we successfully demonstrated that a 1.5 hour physical activity module including a theoretical tutorial combined with a practical counselling session impacted positively on senior medical students’ perceived competence in advising older people about exercise. Preliminary data from the intervention study suggests that the multicomponent exercise program are feasible, tolerable and safe. However, several non-serious side effects relating to the consumption of the commercially available protein supplements were noted among the participants suggesting that even when protein supplements have undergone extensive consumer acceptance testing, many individuals still require tailored strategies to help them to adjust to this new nutritional product. Thesis Layout: This thesis is presented in publication format including seven manuscripts with their own referencing and appendices. A general introduction, a background literature review as well as a final discussion including implications for practice and future directions link together all the research that was conducted during this PhD. The references of the introduction, background and discussion chapters are presented together at the end of this thesis.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Adelaide Medical School, 201

The influence of selected agricultural factors on yield and content of some components of welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) 'Sprint'

The influence of three factors: sowing date (l0th April, 25th April, 10th May), sowing rate (4, 6, and 8 kg × ha-1), and row spacing (20, 25, and 30 cm), on the quantity and quality of yield of Welsh onion 'Sprint' was examined in the experiment. The highest total and marketable yield were obtained when seeds were sown on 25th April. An increase in sowing rates resulted in a significant increase of yield. The highest total and marketable yield were obtained at a sowing rate of 8 kg × ha-1. However, significantly greater total and marketable yield were obtained at a row distance of 20 cm. Dry matter content in Welsh onion yield depended significantly on the sowing date and the part of the plant. Plants obtained from seeds sown on 10th May contained the highest content of dry matter. Significantly more dry matter was in the pseudostems than in the leaves of Welsh onion. However, higher L-ascorbic acid content was estimated in the leaves. Welsh onion obtained from the earliest sowing date (10th April) contained significantly the most reducing sugars. Welsh onion obtained from seeds sown on 25th April was characterized by the highest content of pyruvic acid

Cyclotron-resonant exciton transfer between the nearly free and strongly localized radiative states of a two-dimensional hole gas in a high magnetic field

Avoided crossing of the emission lines of a nearly free positive trion and a cyclotron replica of an exciton bound to an interface acceptor has been observed in the magneto-photoluminescence spectra of p-doped GaAs quantum wells. Identification of the localized state depended on the precise mapping of the anti-crossing pattern. The underlying coupling is caused by an exciton transfer combined with a resonant cyclotron excitation of an additional hole. The emission spectrum of the resulting magnetically tunable coherent state probes weak localization in the quantum well.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Nie taki diabeł straszny, czyli jak monitorować podstawę programową. Podstawa programowa wychowania przedszkolnego i I etapu edukacyjnego

Publikacja elektroniczna powstała w ramach projektu "Wdrożenie podstawy programowej w przedszkolach i szkołach