The analysis of mercury content in coals and ashes

It is well known that mercury that enters the atmosphere is a serious threat to the natural environment. From the available literature, it can be stated that fossil fuels are among the main carriers of this fuel. The question arises whether it is the right approach. While the enrichment of bituminous coal produces limited amounts of mercury, they are being released into the atmosphere as a result of the combustion of coal. The situation is similar in the case of biomass, which releases large amounts of mercury into the atmosphere when subjected to the combustion process. While bituminous coal is the carrier of mercury, the application of currently known technology, rational production and the use of fossil fuels make it possible to maximally minimize mercury emissions into the atmosphere. This study evaluated the mercury content in the ashes resulting from the combustion of bituminous coal subjected to the enrichment process. The samples were collected from ten mines located in the Polish part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). In total, thirty coal samples and thirty products of the combustion process were examined. All sixty samples were subjected to physicochemical analysis, including: moisture content, ash content, sulfur content, carbon content, and Gross Calorific Value

The determination of mercury content in the biomass untended for industrial power plant

Biomass is one of the oldest and most widely used renewable energy sources. The biomass is the whole organic matter of vegetable or animal origin which is biodegradable. Biomass includes leftovers from agricultural production, forestry residues, and industrial and municipal waste. The use of biomass in the power industry has become a standard and takes place in Poland and other European countries. This paper discusses the correlation of mercury content in different biomass types used in the power industry and in products of biomass combustion. Different biomass types, which are currently burned in a commercial power plant in Poland, were discussed. A photographic documentation of different biomass types, such as straw briquettes, wood briquettes, pellets from energy crops (sunflower husk and wood husk), wood pellets, wood chips, and agro-biomass (seeds) was carried out. The presented paper discusses the results obtained for 15 biomass samples. Five selected biomass samples were burned in controlled conditions in the laboratory at the University of Silesia. The ash resulting from the combustion of five biomass samples was tested for mercury content. A total of twenty biomass samples and its combustion products were tested. Based on the obtained results, it was found that any supply of biomass, regardless of its type, is characterized by variable mercury content in dry matter. In the case of e.g. wood chips, the spread of results reaches 235.1 μm/kg (in dry matter). Meanwhile, the highest mercury content, 472.4 μm/kg (in dry matter) was recorded in the biomass of straw, wood pellets, and pellets from energy crops (sunflower husk). In the case of combustion products of five selected biomass types, a three or four fold increase in the mercury content has been observed

Ocena i pomiar społecznych efektów pracy szkół wyższych – refleksje metodologiczne

Assessing and measuring the social effects of Higher Education (HE) institutions — methodological reflections In theory and practice of public policies are increasingly talking about the need to build policies based on the evidence. Similarly, more and more is expected of managers of the higher education sector: more frequent use of data for decision-making and reliable, supported by data assessment of the effects of implemented policies. These policies may increase or decrease the ability to generate the higher education outcomes that are socially beneficial. This article will address the dilemmas associated with the measurement of the social effects of Higher Education institutions, special emphasis will be placed on the specific dilemmas for the Polish academic sector. The authors will try to answer the questions: whether this measurement is possible and whether it is real in Polish HE sector, what are the costs and benefits related with this assessment

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation in secondary stroke and systemic embolism prevention

Background: Oral anticoagulants (OAC) are recommended in all patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after thromboembolic events without contraindications. It is hypothesized herein, that the majority of patients with AF after thromboembolic events receive OAC and the presence of specific factors, predisposes the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Methods: This is a retrospective study, encompassing patients with AF hospitalized in a reference cardiology center over the years 2014–2017. Thromboembolic events were defined as: ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack and systemic embolism. Inclusion criteria were the following: diagnosis of non-valvular AF at discharge from hospital, hospitalization not resulting in death. Results: Among 2834 hospitalized patients with AF, a history of thromboembolic events was identified in 347 (12.2%) patients. In the group studied, of 347 patients with AF after a thromboembolic event, 322 (92.8%) received OAC, including 133 patients on vitamin K antagonist (41.3% of patients on OAC) and 189 patients on NOACs (58.7% of patients on OAC). Among patients treated with NOACs the majority were on dabigatran (116 patients, 61.4%), followed by rivaroxaban (54 patients, 28.6%), and apixaban (19 patients, 10%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the presence of arterial hypertension reduced the chance for NOACs use (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.9, p = 0.04) and left atrial size ≤ 40 mm was a factor increasing the chance for the use of NOACs (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1–5.8, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Nearly all hospitalized patients with AF received OAC in the secondary prevention of thromboembolic complications. NOACs were used for secondary prevention of stroke among patients with AF in patients with fewer comorbidities

The analysis of mercury content in coals and ashes

It is well known that mercury that enters the atmosphere is a serious threat to the natural environment. From the available literature, it can be stated that fossil fuels are among the main carriers of this fuel. The question arises whether it is the right approach. While the enrichment of bituminous coal produces limited amounts of mercury, they are being released into the atmosphere as a result of the combustion of coal. The situation is similar in the case of biomass, which releases large amounts of mercury into the atmosphere when subjected to the combustion process. While bituminous coal is the carrier of mercury, the application of currently known technology, rational production and the use of fossil fuels make it possible to maximally minimize mercury emissions into the atmosphere. This study evaluated the mercury content in the ashes resulting from the combustion of bituminous coal subjected to the enrichment process. The samples were collected from ten mines located in the Polish part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). In total, thirty coal samples and thirty products of the combustion process were examined. All sixty samples were subjected to physicochemical analysis, including: moisture content, ash content, sulfur content, carbon content, and Gross Calorific Value

Erythema ab igne as a side effect of working in a flower shop : case report and literature review

Introduction . Erythema ab igne (EAI) is a rare skin disease (since the common use of central heating) characterized by reticular, erythematous and hyperpigmented patches resulting from chronic exposure to infrared radiation. Although the condition is generally benign, chronic heat exposure can induce dysplasia and, rarely, squamous cell carcinoma. The pathogenesis of the disease is not yet fully understood. Objective . Presentation of the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in a patient with EAI. Case report. The patient had erythema ab igne that developed on the shins, due to the effect of a heating device used in the flower shop. The clinical presentation, differential diagnosis and available treatment options of the disease are described. Conclusions . Erythema ab igne is a rare skin disease, but there is a need for special oncological observation of these patients

Descending dysploidy and bidirectional changes in genome size accompanied Crepis (Asteraceae) evolution

The evolution of the karyotype and genome size was examined in species of Crepis sensu lato. The phylogenetic relationships, inferred from the plastid and nrITS DNA sequences, were used as a framework to infer the patterns of karyotype evolution. Five different base chromosome numbers (x = 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11) were observed. A phylogenetic analysis of the evolution of the chromosome numbers allowed the inference of x = 6 as the ancestral state and the descending dysploidy as the major direction of the chromosome base number evolution. The derived base chromosome numbers (x = 5, 4, and 3) were found to have originated independently and recurrently in the different lineages of the genus. A few independent events of increases in karyotype asymmetry were inferred to have accompanied the karyotype evolution in Crepis. The genome sizes of 33 Crepis species differed seven-fold and the ancestral genome size was reconstructed to be 1 C = 3.44 pg. Both decreases and increases in the genome size were inferred to have occurred within and between the lineages. The data suggest that, in addition to dysploidy, the amplification/elimination of various repetitive DNAs was likely involved in the genome and taxa differentiation in the genus