The expensive energy revolution in Germany. The implementation of the Energiewende is behind schedule. OSW Commentary No. 77, 2012-05-10

One year after the events of Fukushima the implementation of the new German energy strategy adopted in the summer of 2011 is being verified. Business circles, experts and publicists are sounding the alarm. The tempo at which the German economy is being rearranged in order that it uses renewable energy sources is so that it has turned out to be an extremely difficult and expensive task. The implementation of the key guidelines of the new strategy, such as the development of the transmission networks and the construction of new conventional power plants, is meeting increasing resistance in the form of economic and legal difficulties. The development of the green technologies sector is also posing problems. The solar energy industry, for example, is excessively subsidised, whereas the subsidies for the construction of maritime wind farms are too low. At present, only those guidelines of the strategy which are evaluated as economically feasible by investors or which receive adequate financial support from the state have a chance of being carried through. The strategy may also turn out to be unsuccessful due to the lack of a comprehensive coordination of its implementation and the financial burden its introduction entails for both the public and the economy. In the immediate future, the German government will make efforts not only to revise its internal regulations in order to enable the realisation of the energy transformation; it is also likely to undertake a number of measures at the EU forum which will facilitate this realisation. One should expect that the German government will actively support the financing of both the development of the energy networks in EU member states and the development of renewable energy sources in the energy sector

A model structure on GCat

We define a model structure on the category GCat of small categories with an action by a finite group G by lifting the Thomason model structure on Cat. We show there is a Quillen equivalence between GCat with this model structure and GTop with the standard model structure.Comment: 12 pages. Final version. Will appear in Proceedings for WIT (Women in Topology Workshop

A neural-network controlled dynamic evolutionary scheme for global molecular geometry optimization

A novel, neural network controlled, dynamic evolutionary algorithm is proposed for the purposes of molecular geometry optimization. The approach is tested for selected model molecules and some molecular systems of importance in biochemistry. The new algorithm is shown to compare favorably with the standard, statically parametrized memetic algorithm

In vivo reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in leaves of Nicotiana tabacum L. transformed with plastin-GFP. Correlation with light-activated chloroplast responses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The actin cytoskeleton is involved in the responses of plants to environmental signals. Actin bundles play the role of tracks in chloroplast movements activated by light. Chloroplasts redistribute in response to blue light in the mesophyll cells of <it>Nicotiana tabacum</it>. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between chloroplast responses and the organization of actin cytoskeleton in living tobacco cells. Chloroplast movements were measured photometrically as changes in light transmission through the leaves. The actin cytoskeleton, labeled with plastin-GFP, was visualised by confocal microscopy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The actin cytoskeleton was affected by strong blue and red light. No blue light specific actin reorganization was detected. EGTA and trifluoperazine strongly inhibited chloroplast responses and disrupted the integrity of the cytoskeleton. This disruption was reversible by Ca²⁺or Mg²⁺. Additionally, the effect of trifluoperazine was reversible by light. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphoinositide kinases, potently inhibited chloroplast responses but did not influence the actin cytoskeleton at the same concentration. Also this inhibition was reversed by Ca²⁺and Mg²⁺. Magnesium ions were equally or more effective than Ca²⁺in restoring chloroplast motility after treatment with EGTA, trifluoperazine or wortmannin.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The architecture of the actin cytoskeleton in the mesophyll of tobacco is significantly modulated by strong light. This modulation does not affect the direction of chloroplast redistribution in the cell. Calcium ions have multiple functions in the mechanism of the movements. Our results suggest also that Mg²⁺is a regulatory molecule cooperating with Ca²⁺in the signaling pathway of blue light-induced tobacco chloroplast movements.</p

ARTEFAKTY W MIEJSCACH PAMIĘCI - KWESTIA RESTYTUCJI EKSPONATÓW MUZEALNYCH

Dina Gottliebova-Babbitt, commissioned by Dr. Mengele, created several portraits on which she depicted Roma. In 1963, they were bought by the Museum in Auschwitz, and six years later, the employees managed to find their author. Already during the first visit to the camp Dina Gottliebova wanted to recover her watercolors. Then, over the following years, she fought for their recovery, which is now continued by her family. Another example of making a claim to the Museum in Auschwitz is the issue of returning a suitcase to a family that belonged to Pierre Levy. The matter was settled by a settlement. The article will be considered on whether the exhibits should be returned.Dina Gottliebova-Babbit na zlecenie dr Mengele stworzyła kilka portretów, na których przedstawiła Romów. W 1963 roku zostały one zakupione przez Muzeum w Auschwitz, a 6 lat później pracownikom udało się odnaleźć ich autorkę. Już w trakcie pierwszej wizyty w obozie Dina Gottliebova chciała odzyskać swoje akwarele. Następnie przez kolejne lata prowadziła walkę o ich odzyskanie, która obecnie jest kontynuowana przez jej rodzinę. Innym przykładem wystąpienia z roszczeniem wobec Muzeum w Auschwitz jest kwestia zwrotu rodzinie walizki, która należała do Pierra Levy. Sprawę tę udało się zakończyć ugodą. W artykule zostaną podjęte rozważania dotyczące tego, czy muzealia powinny być zwracan

Struktura relacji aktywności fizycznej i wybranych czynników kształtujących stan i samoocenę stanu zdrowia pacjentów w zespole bólowym odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa

Introduction. The pain syndrome of the lumbar spine is one of the most common civilization diseases and requires surgery in the case of a significant percentage of patients. It is also associated with a number of other health problems, with gender being an important factor that differentiates patients’ health.Aim. For this reason, our own research was focused on determining the structure of the relationship between physical activity and selected factors shaping the condition and self-assessment of health of patients in the lumbar spine pain syndrome depending on gender.Material and Methods. The study sample consists of 205 patients hospitalized at the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery of the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin and at the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurotraumatology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz. The Research used the Physical Activity Questionnaire IPAQ in Polish version, Visual Analogue Scale VAS, Questionnaire for Depression Measurement KPD, a proprietary questionnaire, as well as the results of laboratory tests of glucose concentration in the blood serum. The analysis of multidimensional relations between the variables was performed using the SEM structural equation modeling using the IBM SPSS 25 program with the AMOS extension.Results. In the subgroups of women and men, models that were structurally similar, although different in the values of selected path coefficients, were developed, which explains the variances of: blood glucose concentration, BMI, intensity of depression symptoms and self-assessment of health condition. The developed structural model shows that physical activity with mediating participation of blood glucose concentration, BMI and depression is associated with self-assessment of health. The indirect dependencies of physical activity and self-assessment of health condition also occur with the mediating participation of the BMI index and blood glucose concentration, as well as the BMI index and depression.Conclusions. The obtained data indicate that in the absence of health contraindications, an important element of interdisciplinary programs supporting the condition and self-assessment of health of patients with lumbar spine pain syndrome may be regular physical activity, adjusted to the needs and capabilities of the body. The differences between men and women suggest that preventive interventions should be gender-specific. (JNNN 2021;10(4):153–161)Wstęp. Zespół bólowy odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa jest jedną z najczęstszych chorób cywilizacyjnych i u znacznego odsetka pacjentów wymaga operacji. Wiąże się to również z szeregiem innych problemów zdrowotnych, przy czym płeć jest ważnym czynnikiem różnicującym stan zdrowia pacjentów.Cel. Badania własne koncentrowały się na określeniu struktury związku między aktywnością fizyczną a wybranymi czynnikami kształtującymi stan i samoocenę zdrowia pacjentów z zespołem bólowym odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa w zależności od płci.Materiał i metody. Badaną próbę stanowiło 205 pacjentów hospitalizowanych w Oddziale Neurochirurgii i Neurochirurgii Dziecięcej Samodzielnego Publicznego Szpitala Klinicznego nr 4 w Lublinie oraz w Oddziale Neurochirurgii, Neurotraumatologii i Neurochirurgii Dziecięcej Szpitala Uniwersyteckiego nr 1 w Bydgoszczy. W badaniu wykorzystano Kwestionariusz Aktywności Fizycznej IPAQ, Wizualną Skalę Analogową VAS, Kwestionariusz do Pomiaru Depresji KPD, autorską ankietę, a także wyniki badań laboratoryjnych stężenia glukozy w surowicy krwi. Analizę wielowymiarowych relacji między zmiennymi przeprowadzono za pomocą modelowania równań strukturalnych SEM za pomocą programu IBM SPSS 25 z rozszerzeniem AMOS.Wyniki. W podgrupach kobiet i mężczyzn opracowano analogiczne pod względem strukturalnym modele, ale różniące się wartościami wybranych współczynników ścieżkowych, które wyjaśniają wariancje: stężenia glukozy we krwi, BMI, nasilenia objawów depresji oraz samooceny stanu zdrowia. Opracowany model strukturalny wskazuje, że aktywność fizyczna przy pośredniczącym udziale stężenia glukozy we krwi, BMI i depresji wiąże się z samooceną stanu zdrowia. Pośrednie zależności aktywności fizycznej i samooceny stanu zdrowia występują również przy mediującym udziale wskaźnika BMI i stężenia glukozy we krwi oraz wskaźnika BMI i depresji.Wnioski. Uzyskane dane wskazują, że przy braku przeciwwskazań zdrowotnych istotnym elementem interdyscyplinarnych programów wspierających stan i samoocenę stanu zdrowia pacjentów w zespole bólowym odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa może być regularna aktywność fizyczna, dostosowana do potrzeb i możliwości organizmu. Różnice między mężczyznami i kobietami sugerują, że interwencje zapobiegawcze powinny być dostosowane do płci. (PNN 2021;10(4):153–161

Development and validation of stability-indicating TLC-densitometric method for determination of betaxolol with LC-ESI/MS analysis of degradation product

The purpose of this work was to develop a sensitive stability indicating TLC-densitometric method for the determination of betaxolol (Bx) in pharmaceutical preparations and to study the stability of Bx in acidic solutions. The method was developed on TLC aluminium plates precoated with silica gel F254 using the mobile phase chloroform-methanol-ammonia 25% (18 : 4 : 0.2, v/v/v) which gives compact spots for Bx (Rf ≅ 0.64) and its degradation product (Rf ≅ 0.39). Densitometric analysis was carried out in UV at 280 nm. The developed method is highly sensitive (LOD = 66.6 ng/spot, LOQ = 200 ng/spot), precise (RSD = 2.73%) and accurate (mean recovery = 100.28% at 100% level). Bx was subjected to acidic and alkaline hydrolysis but degradation was observed only in acidic solutions. The degradation process was described with kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. Based on LC-ESI/MS analysis, it was found that Bx decomposes in acidic solution to produce ethoxyphenoxy-3-[(1-methylethyl)amino]propan-2-ol

A Case of Extensive Infl ammatory Changes (Osteomyelitis) in an Infant’s Skeleton from the Medieval Burial Ground (11th–12th c) in Wawrzeńczyce (Near Krakow)

The aim of this study was to diagnose and describe extensive infl ammatory changes in a child’s skeleton from Wawrzeńczyce, (the medieval period). The aim of the analysis was to determine the nature of the infl ammatory changes and their etiology by means of macroscopic techniques as well as X-ray analysis. The tests revealed that the individual suffered from a hematogenous multifocal osteitis. This condition might have been a result of an acute or sub-acute osteitis, and the untreated form of osteomyelitis might have contributed to the infection of the entire developing organism, leading to death