Conditions of the Development of Logistic Centers in Poland in the Context of European States Experiences

The article is, for the most part, the aftermath of his own examinations carried out in years 2007-2010 and concerning logistic centers development conditioning.Artykuł jest w znacznej mierze pokłosiem badań własnych autora przeprowadzonych w latach: 2007-2010 dotyczących uwarunkowań rozwoju centrów logistycznych

Validation of Galileo orbits using SLR with a focus on satellites launched into incorrect orbital planes

The space segment of the European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Galileo consists of In-Orbit Validation (IOV) and Full Operational Capability (FOC) spacecraft. The first pair of FOC satellites was launched into an incorrect, highly eccentric orbital plane with a lower than nominal inclination angle. All Galileo satellites are equipped with satellite laser ranging (SLR) retroreflectors which allow, for example, for the assessment of the orbit quality or for the SLR–GNSS co-location in space. The number of SLR observations to Galileo satellites has been continuously increasing thanks to a series of intensive campaigns devoted to SLR tracking of GNSS satellites initiated by the International Laser Ranging Service. This paper assesses systematic effects and quality of Galileo orbits using SLR data with a main focus on Galileo satellites launched into incorrect orbits. We compare the SLR observations with respect to microwave-based Galileo orbits generated by the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) in the framework of the International GNSS Service Multi-GNSS Experiment for the period 2014.0–2016.5. We analyze the SLR signature effect, which is characterized by the dependency of SLR residuals with respect to various incidence angles of laser beams for stations equipped with single-photon and multi-photon detectors. Surprisingly, the CODE orbit quality of satellites in the incorrect orbital planes is not worse than that of nominal FOC and IOV orbits. The RMS of SLR residuals is even lower by 5.0 and 1.5 mm for satellites in the incorrect orbital planes than for FOC and IOV satellites, respectively. The mean SLR offsets equal −44.9,−35.0, and −22.4 mm for IOV, FOC, and satellites in the incorrect orbital plane. Finally, we found that the empirical orbit models, which were originally designed for precise orbit determination of GNSS satellites in circular orbits, provide fully appropriate results also for highly eccentric orbits with variable linear and angular velocities

NuTria - system modelowania powierzchni NURBS i powierzchni triangulowanych

The paper presents the idea of a 3D modeller dedicated to bent metal plates modelling, designed as a part of a greater application and destined for small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim of the application is to deliver a simple tool for free form surface modelling in two independent modes: as a rectangular parametric NURBS surface defined by regular net of points or alternatively as a surface smoothly interpolating an irregular set of data points, exposed to the process of triangulation and multiple subdivision of mesh of triangles.W artykule zaprezentowano modeler powierzchni swobodnych zaprojektowany i zaimplementowany z przeznaczeniem do wdrożenia w małych i średnich przedsiębiorstwach. System pracuje w dwóch niezależnych trybach: NURBS i Triangulacja. W trybie NURBS służy do modelowania gładkich powierzchni o ciągłej krzywiźnie, zadanych regularnymi siatkami punktów. W trybie Triangulacja (Mesh) służy do wprowadzania nieregularnych zbiorów punktów i generowania na ich podstawie powierzchni interpolujacej. Zadanie to rozwiązano za pomocą triangulacji, a następnie iteracyjnego zagęszczania siatek (tzw. subdivision) z użyciem zmodyfikowanej metody Butterfly. Zapis wyników działania w obu trybach do postaci plików DXF umożliwia przekazywanie danych do innych aplikacji, w celu ich późniejszego wykorzystania do analiz metodą elementu skończonego, w procesie obróbki zaprojektowanej powierzchni itp

Isolation of Echimidine and Its C-7 Isomers from Echium plantagineum L. and Their Hepatotoxic Effect on Rat Hepatocytes

Echimidine is the main pyrrolizidine alkaloid of Echium plantagineum L., a plant domesticated in many countries. Because of echimidine’s toxicity, this alkaloid has become a target of the European Food Safety Authority regulations, especially in regard to honey contamination. In this study, we determined by NMR spectroscopy that the main HPLC peak purified from zinc reduced plant extract with an MS [M + H]+ signal at m/z 398 corresponding to echimidine (1), and in fact also represents an isomeric echihumiline (2). A third isomer present in the smallest amount and barely resolved by HPLC from co-eluting (1) and (2) was identified as hydroxymyoscorpine (3). Before the zinc reduction, alkaloids (1) and (2) were present mostly (90%) in the form of an N-oxide, which formed a single peak in HPLC. This is the first report of finding echihumiline and hydroxymyoscorpine in E. plantagineum. Retroanalysis of our samples of E. plantagineum collected in New Zealand, Argentina and the USA confirmed similar co-occurrence of the three isomeric alkaloids. In rat hepatocyte primary culture cells, the alkaloids at 3 to 300 µg/mL caused concentration-dependent inhibition of hepatocyte viability with mean IC50 values ranging from 9.26 to 14.14 µg/mL. Our discovery revealed that under standard HPLC acidic conditions, echimidine co-elutes with its isomers, echihumiline and to a lesser degree with hydroxymyoscorpine, obscuring real alkaloidal composition, which may have implications for human toxicity

Influence of Internal Carotid Endarterectomy on Patients' Life Quality

Appropriate treatment of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis can reduce ischemic cerebral strokes' risk and in some cases eliminate neurological symptoms. Endarterectomy is the most common surgical treatment.The aim of the study was to examine the influence of carotid endarterectomy on neurological symptoms and patients' life quality.Material and methods. The material comprised of 102 patients who underwent endarterectomy. All of the patients were given a questionnaire with a list of neurological symptoms (vertigos, headaches, left hemiparesis, right hemiparesis, numbness, acroparaesthesia, single syncope, recurrent syncopies, diplopia, tinnitus, concentration disturbances and aphasia) and with a numerical life quality scale to fill in before and a year after the surgery.Results. Vertigo, headache, single and recurrent syncopies and aphasia as well as cerebral stroke and amaurosis fugax were significantly more rarely observed after endarterectomy. The mean value of patients' life quality evaluated on a 10-point Likert scale after the surgery increased (3.9 vs 6.3).Conclusions. A year after carotid endarterectomy patients' life quality improves which is connected with neurological symptoms' regression and no further symptoms' occurrence due to a preventive role of the surgery