Interband cascade laser arrays for simultaneous and selective analysis of C1-C5 hydrocarbons in the petrochemical industry

Funding: European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 636930 (iCspec).The detection and measurement of hydrocarbons is of high interest for a variety of applications, for example within the oil & gas industry from extraction throughout the complete refining process, as well as for environmental monitoring and for portable safety devices. This paper presents a highly sensitive, selective and robust tunable laser analyzer that has the capability to analyze several components in a gas sample stream. More specifically, a multi-gas system for simultaneous detection of C1 to iC5 hydrocarbons, using a room temperature distributed feedback interband cascade laser array, emitting in the 3.3 micrometer band has been realized. It combines all the advantages of the tunable laser spectroscopy method for a fast, sensitive and selective in-line multicomponent tunable laser analyzer. Capable of continuous and milliseconds fast monitoring of C1-iC5 hydrocarbon compositions in a process stream, the analyzer requires no consumables (e.g. purging, carrier gas) and no in-field calibration, enabling a low cost of ownership for the analyzer. The system was built, based on an industrial GasEye series platform and deployed for the first time in field at Preem refinery in Lysekil, Sweden in autumn 2018. Results of the measurement campaign and comparison with gas chromatography instrumentation is presented.PostprintPeer reviewe

Concordance between coronary computed tomography angiography and coronary angiography in assessing the significance of coronary artery stenosis in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease

Wstęp. Choroba wieńcowa jest jednym z najczęściej występujących problemów kardiologicznych zarówno w Polsce, jak i na świecie. W przypadku wielonaczyniowej choroby wieńcowej (MVD) kwestia dalszego postępowania i leczenia jest jeszcze bardziej skomplikowana. Nieinwazyjne metody obrazowania są powszechnie stosowane w diagnozowaniu choroby wieńcowej. Celem niniejszej pracy była analiza porównawcza wyników tomografii komputerowej tętnic wieńcowych (CCTA) i koronarografii w odniesieniu do zmiennych demograficznych i klinicznych u pacjentów z MVD. Materiał i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono u 106 pacjentów z MVD hospitalizowanych w Klinice Kardiologii Centralnego Szpitala Klinicznego w Łodzi. Analizie poddano dostępne wyniki CCTA i koronarografii, porównując wyniki pod kątem istotności zwężeń w tętnicach wieńcowych w obu badaniach. Przeprowadzono również charakterystykę demograficzną oraz kliniczną analizowanej grupy pacjentów. Wyniki. Znaczną większość pacjentów stanowili mężczyźni (n = 69,8%). Średnia wieku pacjentów wynosiła 69,42 ± 8,28 lat. Czynniki ryzyka choroby wieńcowej były rozpowszechnione w dużym stopniu w badanej populacji. Całościowa zgodność w ocenie istotności zwężeń w tętnicach wieńcowych w badaniu CCTA w porównaniu z koronarografią wynosiła 73% (κ = 0,47). Największa zgodność w ocenie dotyczyła pnia lewej tętnicy wieńcowej 78% (κ = 0,5), a najmniejsza — gałęzi okalającej 69% (κ = 0,34). Wnioski. U pacjentów z MVD występuje umiarkowana zgodność pomiędzy opisem istotności zwężeń w tętnicach wieńcowych w badaniu CCTA w porównaniu do koronarografii. Tomografia komputerowa tętnic wieńcowych, jako metoda nieinwazyjna, jest jednym z narzędzi w początkowej diagnostyce przy podejrzeniu choroby wieńcowej. Czynniki ryzyka choroby wieńcowej są szeroko rozpowszechnione i stanowią istotny problem w analizowanej populacji pacjentów.Introduction. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common cardiovascular problems in Poland and worldwide. In the case of multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD), the matter of further management and treatment is even more complicated. The non-invasive diagnostic methods are commonly used in the initial diagnostics of CAD. The following study aimed to perform a comparative analysis of the results of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and coronary angiography in relation to the demographic and clinical variables in patients with MVD. Material and methods. The study was performed on 106 patients with MVD hospitalised in the Cardiology Department of the Central Clinical Hospital in Lodz. The available results of CCTA and coronary angiography were analysed and compared with regard to the significance of coronary artery stenosis in both examinations. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the analysed group of patients were also performed. Results. The vast majority of the participants were male (n = 69.8%). The average age of the patients was 69.42 ± 8.28 years. Coronary artery disease risk factors were highly prevalent in the study population. The overall concordance in the assessment of the significance of coronary artery stenosis by coronary computed tomography angiography compared with coronary angiography was 73% (κ = 0.47). The highest concordance in the assessment was noted for the left main coronary artery 78% (κ = 0.5) and the lowest for the circumflex branch 69% (κ = 0.34). Conclusions. In patients with MVD, there is a moderate concordance between the description of the significance of coronary artery stenosis in CCTA compared to coronary angiography. Coronary computed tomography angiography as a non-invasive imaging is one of the methods in the initial diagnostics of a suspected CAD. The risk factors of CAD are widespread and represent a significant problem in the analysed patient population

Sclerostin as a biomarker of physical exercise in osteoporosis: A narrative review

Osteoporosis, a disease of low bone mass, is characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) through abnormalities in the microarchitecture of bone tissue. It affects both the social and economic areas, therefore it has been considered a lifestyle disease for many years. Bone tissue is a dynamic structure exhibiting sensitivity to various stimuli, including mechanical ones, which are a regulator of tissue sclerostin levels. Sclerostin is a protein involved in bone remodeling, showing an anti-anabolic effect on bone density. Moderate to vigorous physical activity inhibits secretion of this protein and promotes increased bone mineral density. Appropriate exercise has been shown to have an osteogenic effect. The effectiveness of osteogenic training depends on the type, intensity, regularity and frequency of exercise and the number of body parts involved. The greatest osteogenic activity is demonstrated by exercises affecting bone with high ground reaction forces (GRF) and high forces exerted by contracting muscles (JFR). The purpose of this study was to review the literature for the effects of various forms of exercise on sclerostin secretion

Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in Poland: Results of the Polish S-ICD Registry

Background: The use of a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) has been expanding in Poland since 2014. The Polish Registry of S-ICD Implantations was held by the Heart Rhythm Section of the Polish Cardiac Society between May 2020 and September 2022 to monitor the implementation of that therapy in Poland. Aims: To investigate and present the state-of-the-art of S-ICD implantation in Poland. Methods: Implanting centers reported clinical data of patients undergoing S-ICD implantations and replacements, including: age, gender, height, weight, underlying disease, history of pacemaker and defibrillator implantations, indications for S-ICD, electrocardiographical parameters, procedural techniques, and complications. Results: 440 patients undergoing S-ICD implantation (411) or replacement (29) were reported by 16 centers. Most patients were in New York Heart Association class II (218 patients, 53%) or I (150 patients, 36.5%). Left ventricular ejection fraction was 10-80%, median (IQR) 33% (25%‒55%). Primary prevention indications were present in 273 patients (66.4%). Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy was reported in 194 patients (47.2%). The main reason for the choice of S-ICD were: young age (309, 75.2%), risk of infective complications (46, 11.2%), prior infective endocarditis (36, 8.8%), hemodialysis (23, 5.6%), and immunosuppressive therapy (7, 1.7%). Electrocardiographic screening was performed in 90% of patients. The rate of adverse events was low (1.7%). No surgical complications were observed. Conclusions: Qualification for S-ICD in Poland was slightly different when compared to the rest of Europe. The implantation technique was mostly consistent with the current guidelines. S-ICD implantation was safe, and the complication rate was low

Ilościowa analiza liniowego rachunku lambda.

Rachunek lambda to system formalny wprowadzony przez Alonzo Churcha w latach 30 dwudziestego wieku. Pomysłem Churcha było zbudowanie rachunku na podstawie funkcji wraz z dwoma podstawowymi operacjami aplikacji i abstrakcji. W dzisiejszych czasach lambda rachunek jest szeroko używany w praktyce. Dla przykładu, jest on podstawą dla wielu funkcyjnych języków programowania oraz używany jest przy automatycznym sprawdzaniu twierdzeń. W tej pracy interesować nas będą dwie szczególne klasy wyrażeń formalnych lambda rachunku, czyli liniowe oraz afiniczne termy lambda z punktu widzenia kombinatoryki. Głównym celem pracy jest przegląd wyników dotyczących ilościowej analizy liniowego oraz afinicznego rachunku lambda.Lambda calculus is a formal system designed by Alonzo Church in the 1930s. Church's idea was to build a calculus on the concept of functions with two basic operations: abstraction and application. Nowadays, lambda calculus is widely used for example in functional programming languages or automated theorem provers. In this thesis we will be particularly interested in two restricted classes of formal expressions of lambda calculus, that is linear and affine lambda terms from the viewpoint of combinatorial properties. The main motivation of this thesis is to present a survey on recent results in the field of quantitative analysis of linear and affine lambda calculus

Intermediary and supplemental data for publication "Heterogenous circulating miRNA changes in ME/CFS converge on a unified cluster of target genes and may be a result of modulation by latent herpesviruses: A computational analysis"

Intermediary and supplemental data for publication "Heterogenous circulating miRNA changes in ME/CFS converge on a unified cluster of target genes and may be a result of modulation by latent herpesviruses: A computational analysis

The application of algebraic techniques in the construction of Steiner tree problem algorithms.

Problem drzewa Steinera polega na znalezieniu, dla danego na wejściu grafu G i zbioru wierzchołków terminalnych K⊆ V(G), najmniejszego podgrafu spójnego H grafu G takiego, że K zawiera się w zbiorze wierzchołków H. Choć definicja problemu nie jest skomplikowana okazuje się, że problem drzewa Steinera jest problemem NP-trudnym. Niemniej jednak istnieje wiele algorytmów parametryzowanych rozwiązujących ten problem.Praca ta ma na celu opis, implementacje oraz porównanie niektórych algorytmów parametryzowanych rozwiązujących problem drzewa Steinera.Let G be an undirected graph on n vertices and K ⊆ V(G) be a set of terminals. A Steiner tree for K in G is a connected subgraph H of G containing K, that is, K⊆V(H). In Steiner Tree Problem for graph G and terminals K we want to find the smallest possible Steiner tree. This definition is very simple but unfortunately Steiner Tree Problem is NP-hard. The aim of this thesis is to describe and implement some parametrized algorithms for Steiner tree problem

Application of artificial neural networks to predict the deflections of reinforced concrete beams

Nonlinear structural mechanics should be taken into account in the practical design of reinforced concrete structures. Cracking is one of the major sources of nonlinearity. Description of deflection of reinforced concrete elements is a computational problem, mainly because of the difficulties in modelling the nonlinear stress-strain relationship of concrete and steel. In design practise, in accordance with technical rules (e.g., Eurocode 2), a simplified approach for reinforced concrete is used, but the results of simplified calculations differ from the results of experimental studies