Optical density of Scots pine wood and climatic conditions in Toruń, Poland

The aim of the studies was to evaluate the usefulness of the microscopic features of wood in characterising the climatic conditions of a period for which only proxy data are available. Samples were taken from historical wood from Koronowo collegiate church and from a living Scots pine tree growing in the Toruń-Wrzosy site. All measurements were performed using ImageJ software. The dendroclimatological analysis was carried out in the program DendroClim2002. The results show a correlation between the microscopic features of wood and climatic conditions. For the period 1951–2000 the maximum optical density of pine wood depends on average May air temperature and June precipitation, with correlation coefficients of -0.32 and -0.29, respectively. A similar correlation was found for mean maximum and minimum temperatures in May; -0.35 and -0.37, respectively. Additional correlations between selected meteorological elements and the maximum optical density of the wood were found using 30-year moving averages and moving intervals

Droughts in the area of Poland in recent centuries in the light of multi-proxy data

The history of drought occurrence in Poland criteria used were those proposed by McKee et al. (1993) and in the last millennium is poorly known. To improve this modified for the climate conditions of Poland by Lab˛edzki knowledge we have conducted a comprehensive analysis us (2007). ing both proxy data (documentary and dendrochronological) More than 100 droughts were found in documen and instrumental measurements of precipitation. The paper tary sources in the period 1451–1800, including 17 presents the main features of droughts in Poland in recent megadroughts. A greater than average number of droughts centuries, including their frequency of occurrence, cover were observed in the second halves of the 17th century and age, duration, and intensity. The reconstructions of droughts the 18th century in particular. Dendrochronological data con based on all the mentioned sources of data covered the pe firmed this general tendency in the mentioned period. riod 996–2015. Examples of megadroughts were also cho Analysis of SPI (including its lowest values, i.e. droughts) sen using documentary evidence, and some of them were de showed that the long-term frequency of droughts in Poland scribed. has been stable in the last two or three centuries. Extreme Various documentary sources have been used to identify and severe droughts were most frequent in the coastal part droughts in the area of Poland in the period 1451–1800 and of Poland and in Silesia. Most droughts had a duration of 2 to estimate their intensity, spatial coverage, and duration. months (about 60 %–70 %) or 3–4 months (10 %–20 %). Fre Twenty-two local chronologies of trees (pine, oak, and fir quencies of droughts with a duration of 5-or-more months from Poland were taken into account for detecting nega were lower than 10 %. The frequency of droughts of all cat tive pointer years (exceptionally narrow rings). The delimita egories in Poland in the instrumental period 1722–2015 was tion of droughts based on instrumental data (eight long-term greatest in winter, while in the documentary evidence (1451– precipitation series) was conducted using two independent 1800) droughts in this season are rarely mentioned. approaches (Standard Precipitation Index, SPI, calculated for The occurrence of negative pointer years (a good proxy for 1-, 3-, and 24-month timescales, and a new method proposed droughts) was compared with droughts delimited based on by authors). For delimitation of droughts (dry months), the documentary and instrumental data. A good correspondence was found between the timing of occurrence of droughts identified using all three kinds of data (sources)

Porównanie warunków meteorologicznych na zachodnim wybrzeżu Spitsbergenu w sezonie letnim 2005 r.

W artykule przedstawiono porównanie warunków meteorologicznych w sezonie letnim 2005 r. na podstawie danych zebranych w trakcie trwania polskich wypraw polarnych do Hornsundu, Calypsobyen, doliny Ebby i Kaffiöyry. Dodatkowo, aby szczegółowiej poznać ich zróżnicowanie na zachodnim wybrzeżu Spitsbergenu skorzystano z dostępnych danych dla 2 norweskich stacji: Ny Ålesund i Svalbard Lufthavn. Ze względu na różny czas pracy polskich ekspedycji polarnych do porównania warunków meteorologicznych wybrano wspólny okres 21.07–31.08. Stwierdzono, iż zróżnicowanie przestrzenne większości badanych elementów meteorologicznych na zachodnim wybrzeżu Spitsbergenu latem 2005 r. było znaczące. Na kształtowanie warunków meteorologicznych na badanym obszarze, a więc i na ich zróżnicowanie przestrzenne, w pełni sezonu letniego większy wpływ wywiera stopień kontynentalizmu klimatu niż szerokość geograficzna. Jednak wraz ze zbliżaniem się końca lata polarnego rola wspomnianych czynników się odwraca

Screening for depression in chronic haemodialysis patients as a part of care in dialysis setting: a cross-sectional study

Background: Depressive disorder is common among haemodialysis patients. The purpose of this study was to explore approaches to diagnosing depression in the context of a real-life setting, with the view of creating practical recommendations. It also aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and dementia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in two Dialysis Centres in Poland. Cognitive functions were evaluated using Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE). The screening for depressive symptoms was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). The diagnosis of major depressive disorder was confirmed by a psychiatrist using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5). Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected. Results: Initially, 136 patients agreed to participate in the study. Dementia was found in 13% of the study group. Sixty-two patients did not agree to perform all the proposed tests and were not included in the analysis, which eventually consisted of 70 patients. According to BDI-II, depressive symptoms were present in 35.7% of patients, while the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) was confirmed by the psychiatrist in 25.7%. According to the ROC analysis the optimal cut-off score for diagnosing MDD using BDI-II was ≥13 points. Conclusions: This study suggests that the regular screening for depressive symptoms, followed by a psychiatric consultation in selected patients, might improve diagnosing depression with the goal of achieving a higher quality of life and a lower mortality rate. It may also be a cost-effective model for the management of depression among the haemodialysis population

Tree rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as a source of information about past climate in northern Poland

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a very common tree in Polish forests, and therefore was widely used as timber. A relatively large amount of available wood allowed a long-term chronology to be built up and used as a source of information about past climate. The analysis of reconstructed indexed values of mean temperature in 51-year moving intervals allowed the recognition of the coldest periods in the years 1207–1346, 1383–1425, 1455–1482, 1533–1574, 1627–1646, and 1694–1785. The analysis of extreme wide and narrow rings forms a complementary method of examining climatic data within tree rings. The tree ring widths, early wood and late wood widths of 16 samples were assessed during the period 1581–1676. The most apparent effect is noted in the dry summer of 1616. According to previous research and our findings, temperature from February to March seems to be one of the most stable climatic factors which influenced pine growth in Poland. Correlation coefficients in the calibration and validation procedure gave promising results for temperature reconstruction from the pine chronology

Characteristics of natural background radiation in the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine, Poland

Natural radioactivity in underground locations is the main parameter for the safety of work (occupational hazards) and for the success of experiments in physics or biology requiring unique conditions. The characterization of natural prominence was carried out in the Conceptual Lab development in one of KGHM deep copper mines co‐ordinated by KGHM Cuprum R&D. Natural radioactivity studies were performed and included in situ gamma spectrometry, neutron flux measurements, radon concentration, and alpha and gamma laboratory spectrometry measurements of rock samples. At a depth of 1014.4 m (2941.8 m w.e.) within the anhydrite layer, a neutron flux of 2.0 ± 0.2 × 10−6 cm−2 s−1, a gamma‐ray dose of 0.008 ± 0.001 μSv/h, a photon flux density of 0.64 ± 0.20 cm−2 s−1, and a radon concentration of 6.6 Bq/m3 were determined. Laboratory analyses of 226,228Ra, 40K, and 238,234U concentrations in collected rock samples showed low values. The exceptionally low level of natural radioactivity in the Polkowice‐Sieroszowice mine makes this location a unique place for scientific research

Modification of cotton fabrics by organosilicon compound in order to obtain functionality

Wydział ChemiiTkaniny naturalne dzięki swym zaletom są chętnie stosowane w różnych przestrzeniach życia. Pomimo wielu walorów, właściwości takie jak palność, chłonność wody, biodeterioracja przez mikroorganizmy, ograniczają ich szerokie zastosowanie. W ramach niniejszej pracy modyfikowano tkaniny bawełniane w trzech kierunkach: hydrofobowości, biobójczości i ograniczenia palności. Do nadania tekstyliom funkcyjności zastosowano organofunkcyjne silany i najnowszej generacji difunkcyjne polisiloksany i silseskwioksany. Dzięki zastosowaniu związków krzemoorganicznych posiadających w swej strukturze grypy podatne na hydrolizę (alkoksylowe lub glicydylowe) możliwe było wytworzenie wiązań z grupami hydroksylowymi pochodzącymi od celulozy. Ponadto związki te posiadały w swej strukturze grupy funkcyjne nadające tkaninom pożądane właściwości. Dzięki temu, możliwym było uzyskanie efektywnych i trwałych powłok na powierzchni tkanin. W rezultacie modyfikacji tkanin polisiloksanami i silseskwioksanem w połączeniu z oktaanionem otrzymano powierzchnie superhydrofobowe. Zastosowanie zolu krzemionkowego z triklosanem pozwoliło otrzymać tkaniny o najwyższym z możliwych stopniu biobójczości. W rezultacie modyfikacji tkanin zolem na bazie aminopropylotrietoksysilanu z immobilizowanym wodorofosforanem amonu całkowicie uniepalniono tekstylia. W ramach realizacji badań otrzymano także tkaniny multifunkcyjne. Opracowano efektywne i skuteczne metody modyfikacji tkanin w celu nadania im charakteru hydrofobowego, biobójczego lub trudno zapalnego.Natural textiles, besides their many advantages, have some shortcomings such as flammability, lack of resistance to microorganisms and lack of resistance to water. Within this doctoral thesis cotton textiles have been modified with silanes and the latest generation of polysiloxanes and silsesquioxanes in order to make them functional. The research has been carried out to make the modified textiles hydrophobic, biocidal and restrict their combustibility. Thanks to the use of organosilicon compounds that contain in there structure groups susceptible to hydrolysis (trialkoxysilyl or glycidoxypropyl groups) it was possible to produce bonds with the hydroxyl groups derived from cellulose. Furthermore, these compounds have in their structure functional groups giving the fabrics desired properties. This way, it was possible to obtain effective and durable coatings on the surface of the textiles. As a result of modifying the textiles with polysiloxanes and silsesquioxanes in combination with octaanion give a superhydrophobic surfaces. The use of silica sol with triclosan resulted in obtaining textiles with the highest possible degree of antifungal effectiveness. As a result of the textiles modification with sol based on aminopropyltriethoxysilane with the immobilized ammonium hydrogen phosphate textiles were made fully inflammable. As part of the study also multifunctional textiles were obtained. Efficient and effective methods of modifying textiles in order to make them hydrophobic, biocidal or fire retardant have been developed. A number of analyses have been conducted to confirm the efficacy of performed modifications.Badania były realizowane w ramach projektu finansowanego przez Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju pt. „Nowe krzemoorganiczne środki do uszlachetniania włókien i tkanin naturalnych” nr 180 48