Mӧssbauer spectroscopy as a useful method for distinguishing between real and false meteorites

In our paper fourMӧssbauer spectra of ordinary chondrites (previously classified by a classical method based on determining the ratio of ferrosilite (Fs) to fayalite (Fa) with an electron microprobe) are presented and discussed. These are the Mӧssbauer spectra of two ordinary chondrites type H (Pultusk and Grzempach), one ordinary chondrite type L (Hyattville) and one type LL (NWA 6287). These meteorites were compared, using their Mӧssbauer spectra with the following four other samples: a fragment of a rock that fell near Leoncin in Poland (sample No. 1), a fragment of a rock found in the vicinity of Pultusk in Poland (sample No. 2), a meteorite specimen bought on the meteorite exchange (sample No. 3) and a stone object whose decline was observed in Europe (sample No. 4). The spectrum of sample No. 1 is very similar to the spectrum of ordinary chondrite of type LL. This observation was confirmed using 4M method (previously created by us). The spectrum of sample No. 2 differs significantly from the spectrum of sample of the Pultusk meteorite. In the spectrum of sample No. 3, a clear signal from iron-nickel alloy and troilite can be observed. This fact allows us to state that sample No. 3 is a fragment of rock that was created in cosmic conditions. Sample No. 4 has a Mӧssbauer spectrum similar to the spectrum of terrestrial magmatic rocks. This observation does not clearly determine where the examined object comes from. This work demonstrates the usefulness of Mӧssbauer spectroscopy in recognizing samples that are fragments of meteorites

Hyperfine fields and magnetoelastic surface effects in Fe72Cu1.5Nb4Si13.5B9 nanocrystalline alloy

In this work hyperfine fields of two-phase nanocrystalline Fe72Cu1.5Nb4Si13.5B9 alloys were studied in order to verify the existence of surface effects. To obtain a series of nanocrystalline samples with small grains of different sizes, a special non- -isothermal annealing procedure of an initially amorphous ribbon was applied. In the case of samples with a significant amount of crystallites, a high field (about 27.5 T) component of continuous part of the hyperfine field distribution was found that could be attributed to boundary regions between the grains and rest of the sample. The existence of the surface effects was confirmed in the magnetostrictive experimen

Real-world effectiveness of abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport®) in adults with upper limb spasticity in routine clinical practice: an observational study

AbobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A, Dysport®) is used in clinical practice as a well-tolerated and effective therapy for muscle spasticity. AboBoNT-A has been shown to reduce upper and lower limb spastic paresis in clinical trials, demonstrating improvements in muscle tone and limb function. This open-label, multicentre, observational, non-interventional study was the first to investigate aboBoNT-A’s efficacy in adult patients with upper limb spasticity (ULS) in routine clinical practice in Poland. All enrolled patients received ≥1 aboBoNT-A injection cycles, per routine clinical practice (full analysis set, FAS), and ≥1 rehabilitation session. Patients attended a baseline visit (V1) and two follow-up visits (V2, V3) for retreatment, depending on the investigator’s assessment of individual patient needs, with a mean interval (SD) between injections of 4.4 (1.4) and 4.5 (1.2) months. The primary effectiveness endpoint was patient- and physician-based evaluation using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (CGII), a validated 7-point scale (1 = very much improved to 7 = very much worse) relative to baseline. CGI-I has not previously been used as a primary endpoint in studies evaluating ULS. Secondary endpoints included muscle tone in shoulder, elbow, carpal joint, and finger muscles, measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and muscle strength according to the Medical Research Council scale (MRC). Of 108 enrolled patients (FAS), 92 (85.2%) completed the study and 57 (52.8%) were included in the per protocol (PP) population. AboBoNT-A improved patient conditions in 96.4% and 98.6% at V2 and V3 (investigator assessment) and 92.8% and 98.6% (as reported by patient) of patients, respectively. Significant reductions in muscle tone from baseline were observed at both visits (p < 0.0001–0.0077) across muscle groups. Increased muscle strength by cumulative MRC was observed at V2 (p = 0.0566) and V3 (p = 0.0282) versus baseline. Safety was consistent with the known profile of aboBoNT-A. In conclusion, aboBoNT-A treatment is beneficial in patients with post-stroke ULS in routine clinical practice, assessed by patients and investigators

Impact of primary health care providers’ initial role security and therapeutic commitment on implementing brief interventions in managing risky alcohol consumption: a cluster randomised factorial trial

Background: Brief interventions in primary healthcare to detect and intervene in risky alcohol consumption are cost-effective in reducing drinking problems, but poorly implemented in routine care. Although evidence about implementing brief interventions is growing, knowledge is limited with regard to impact of initial role security and therapeutic commitment on brief intervention implementation.Methods: In a cluster randomised factorial trial 120 Primary Healthcare Units (PHCUs) were randomised to eight groups: care as usual, training and support, financial reimbursement, and the opportunity to refer patients to an internet-based brief intervention (e-BI); paired combinations of these three strategies, and all three strategies combined. To explore the impact of initial role security and therapeutic commitment on implementing brief interventions, we performed multilevel linear regression analyses adapted to the factorial design. Results: Data from 746 providers of 120 PHCUs were included in the analyses. Baseline role security and therapeutic commitment were found not to influence implementation of brief interventions. Furthermore there were no significant interactions between these characteristics and allocated groups. Conclusions: The extent to which providers’ managed to change their brief intervention proportions when submitted to different implementation strategies was not determined by their initial attitudes towards alcohol problems. In future research more attention is needed for the causal relation between these parameters, as it can inform us whether to focus on these or not in implementation trajectories

Polonez z filmu Pan Tadeusz w reżyserii Andrzeja Wajdy jako utwór choreograficzny w rozumieniu prawa autorskiego

Choreographic work was the object of copyright protection under the Berne Convention, as revised at Berlin in 1908, as well as under the historical Polish copyright legislations — the 1926 Act (as an original, “not based on any existing work of art” work of “rhythmic art (choreography)”) and the 1952 Act (as a “work of choreographic art” preserved in “scenarios, drawings or photographs”). It was also included, as a “choreographic work”, in the exemplary catalogue of works protected under the Act of 4 February 1994 on Copyright and Related Rights (“the Copyright Act”), currently in force. The purpose of this paper, due to limited framework, is to analyse some basic concepts related to the conditions that a movement composition shall meet in order to qualify as a choreographic work in the meaning of the Copyright Act. It is shown based on the polonaise from the film Pan Tadeusz, directed by Andrzej Wajda. This choice allows to introduce threads related to folklore as well as the use of unprotected pieces of the public domain in choreographies into the discussion. Moreover, the article briefly presents the correlation between choreographic work and other intellectual works — literary, musical, and audiovisual.Choreographic work was the object of copyright protection under the Berne Convention, as revised at Berlin in 1908, as well as under the historical Polish copyright legislations — the 1926 Act (as an original, “not based on any existing work of art” work of “rhythmic art (choreography)”) and the 1952 Act (as a “work of choreographic art” preserved in “scenarios, drawings or photographs”). It was also included, as a “choreographic work”, in the exemplary catalogue of works protected under the Act of 4 February 1994 on Copyright and Related Rights (“the Copyright Act”), currently in force. The purpose of this paper, due to limited framework, is to analyse some basic concepts related to the conditions that a movement composition shall meet in order to qualify as a choreographic work in the meaning of the Copyright Act. It is shown based on the polonaise from the film Pan Tadeusz, directed by Andrzej Wajda. This choice allows to introduce threads related to folklore as well as the use of unprotected pieces of the public domain in choreographies into the discussion. Moreover, the article briefly presents the correlation between choreographic work and other intellectual works — literary, musical, and audiovisual

Post-penal isolating measure derived from law on the treatment of people with mental disorders posing a threat to life, health or sexual freedom of other persons

Trudności związane z diagnozowaniem i leczeniem zaburzeń psychicznych oraz nieskuteczność procesu resocjalizacji prowadzonej w zakładach karnych, spowodowały konieczność wprowadzenia przez ustawodawcę postpenalnych środków stosowanych wobec sprawców najpoważniejszych przestępstw, których zachowanie w trakcie odbywania kary pozbawienia wolności, wskazuje, że zachodzi wysokie prawdopodobieństwo ponownego popełnienia przez nich czynu zabronionego przeciwko życiu, zdrowiu lub wolności seksualnej innych osób. Pilne uregulowanie tej kwestii związane było ze zbliżającym się terminem opuszczenia zakładów karnych przez „beneficjentów” ustawy amnestyjnej z 1989 r., skazanych pierwotnie na karę śmierci, którzy w opinii biegłych nadal stanowili poważne zagrożenie dla społeczeństwa.Celem niniejszej pracy jest ocena izolacyjnego środka postpenalnego wprowadzonego do polskiego systemu prawnego ustawą o postępowaniu wobec osób z zaburzeniami psychicznymi stwarzających zagrożenie dla zdrowia, życia lub wolności seksualnej innych osób w kontekście wątpliwości natury konstytucyjnej i systemowej.Difficulties related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders as well as the inefficiency of resocialization in penitentiaries created a necessity of enacting post-penal measures against perpetrators of the most severe crimes, whose behavior during imprisonment leads to an assumption of the high probability of repeatedly committing a crime against life, health or sexual freedom of other persons. The need to urgently establish legal procedures regarding this matter was connected with the approaching release from prisons term of ‘beneficiaries’ of the 1989 amnesty, who had been initially sentenced to death who, due to expert opinions still pose a great threat to society. The purpose of this thesis is to provide an assessment of isolating measures enacted by law on the treatment of people with mental disorders posing a threat to life, health or sexual freedom of other persons in the context of constitutional and systemic doubts

Electrochemical method of preparing metallic, polymeric and organic-inorganic hybrid nanowires inside porous anodic alumina templates

The fabrication of free standing silver, polypyrrole (PPy) and hybrid PPy – Ag nanowire arrays was reported. Silver, P Py and PPy – Ag nanowires were produced by electrochemical deposition/polymerization of metal/polymer in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The home – made AAO templates were fabricated by two – step anodization of aluminum performed in oxalic acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid at the anodizing potentials of 25 V, 45 V and 195 V, respectively. Silver nanowires with a diameter of ~40, 80 and 300 nm were synthesized by DC electrode position from a commercially available plating bath. PPy nanowires, ~80 nm in diameter, were synthesized by electropolymerization of a monomer in a solution containing pyrrole (Py) and NaClO 4 by applying a constant potential. The hybrid PPy – Ag nanowires, ~80 nm in diameter, were synthesized by a simple simultaneous cathodic elect ropolymerization of pyrrole and metal deposition in a solution containing HNO 3 , NaNO 3 , pyrrole (Py) and AgNO 3 by applying a constant potential. After the electrochemical deposition, free standing Ag, PPy and PPy – Ag nanowire arrays were obtained by a subseq uent chemical etching of the AAO template in an aqueous NaOH solution. The morphology and structural characterization of fabricated nanowires were performed by FE – SEM and EDAX analyses

pH sensors based on polypyrrole nanowire arrays

The hydroquinone monosulfonate-doped polypyrrole (PPy-HQS) nanowires were successfully fabricated by potentiostatic electropolymerization of pyrrole (Py) inside the pores of home-made through-hole anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. The AAO templates with a nominal pore diameter of 80 nm were prepared by a two-step anodization process. The potentiostatic electropolymerization of HQS-doped polymer nanowires was carried out in 0.1 M NaClO4, or 0.1 M LiClO4 or 0.1 M citric acid containing 0.05 M pyrrole and 0.05 M potassium hydroquinone monosulfonate. The synthesized PPy-HQS nanowire arrays were tested as potential potentiometric pH sensors. It was found that pH sensors based on PPy-HQS nanowires exhibited better electrochemical performance toward pH sensing than those based on PPy-HQS thin films. The best potentiometric response to pH changes and a very good stability in time showed the sensor based on the PPy-HQS nanowires polymerized in a 0.1 M LiClO4 solution