HIGH-TEMPERATURE RHEOMETRY OF BLAST FURNACE SYNTHETIC SLAGS DOPED WITH TiO2 AND TiN

StreszczenieW pracy zaprezentowano wyniki badań przeprowadzone przy użyciu reometrii wysokotemperaturowej, w oparciu o metodę Searle’a. Przeprowadzono analizę reologiczną ciekłych systemów CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-TiO2 slags domieszkowanych TiN,w zakresie 0,1 -0,7 ułamka objętościowego TiN. Badania przeprowadzono w temperaturze 1310-1500oC, która jest chatakterystyczna dla strefy wysokich temperatur występującej w wielkim piecu. Głównym celem prowadzonych badań była analiza możliwości pomiarów lepkości dla układów heterogenicznych (nietypowych dla zastosowań przemysłowych), a nie zdefiniowanie parametrów reologicznych całkowicie ciekłych systemów żużlowych – które wykazują podobieństwo do cieczy idealnej Newtona. Słowa kluczowe: lepkość żużla, reometria wysokotemperaturowa, azotek tytanu, reologia AbstractThe development of the methodology of rotational measurements with a high temperature rheometer using Searle’s method have been conducted. The rheological analysis of liquid systems - CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-TiO2 slags, and solid particles of titanium nitride –TiN are presented, within a range of 0.1-0.7 of volume fraction of TiN. The measurements were conducted at a range between 1310-1500oC, which is typical for high temperature zones in the blast furnace. The main objective of the study was to analyse the possibilities for viscosity measurements in heterogenic systems (not standard within industrial practice), rather than to determine the rheological character of those systems totally liquid blast furnace slags are similar to ideally viscous Newtonian bodies. Key words: slag viscosity, high-temperature  rheometry, titanium nitride, rheology

Application of targeted 2D planar chromatography in the control of ginkgolic acids in some herbal drugs and dietary supplements

Two-step targeted 2D planar chromatographic method (2D-TLC) was used in the determination of ginkgolic acids in pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. The choice of the extraction method and the separation technique was guided by the formulation type (capsule, tablet, tincture) with expected low amounts of ginkgolic acids in the analyzed herbal samples. Separation of ginkgolic acids C15:1 and C17:1 on HPTLC RP18 WF254s was preceded by its separation from the sample matrix on TLC Si60 F254s. Mobile phases consisted of acetonitrile/water/formic acid (80:20:1, V/V/V) and n-heptane/ethyl acetate/formic acid (20:30:1, V/V/V), resp. Identification of separated compounds was based on 2D-TLC co-chromatography with reference substances and off-line 2D-TLC x HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS analysis. Quantification of ginkgolic acids C15:1 and C17:1 was conducted densitometrically. Among the analyzed products, the presence of ginkgolic acids was confirmed only in herbal drugs containing 60 % ethanolic tinctures of Ginkgo biloba leaves. The use of TLC in the quantification of ginkgolic acids C15:1 and C17:1 in ginkgo extracts was described for the first time

HPTLC determination of diosgenin in fenugreek seeds

A new HPTLC-densitometric method for diosgenin determination in fenugreek seeds was established after optimization of the conditions for efficient saponin extraction and acid hydrolysis. Several procedures were tested, the best of which was a three-step Soxhlet extraction, followed by hydrolysis of the obtained methanolic extract with 2 mol L–1 H2SO4. Best diosgenin separation from other hydrolysis products was obtained on HPTLC Si60F254 plates using a mixture of n-heptane/ethyl acetate (7:3, V/V) and modified anisaldehyde as a spraying reagent. The method was preliminarily validated and the determined amounts of diosgenin in fenugreek seeds of Polish and African origin were found to be similar and ranged from 0.12–0.18 %

TLC determination of some flavanones in the buds of different genus Populus species and hybrids

Flavonoids in the buds of eight Populus species and hybrids were detected and compared with the aid of an optimized TLC method. Separation of 17 flavonoid aglycones belonging to different groups, namely, flavones, flavonols, flavanones and flavanonols, previously described as constituents of poplar buds, was performed on silica gel plates using a hexane/ethyl acetate/formic acid (60:40:1.3, V/V/V) mixture as the mobile phase. Pinocembrin and pinostrobin were found in the majority of analyzed poplar buds. For quantitative analysis of both compounds, two TLC evaluation modes, densitometric and videodensitometric, were compared and the established methods were validated. Concentrations of flavanones in some extracts differed slightly or significantly due to the analyzed plant matrix complexity and the TLC evaluation mode applied. Poplar buds rich in flavanones originated from P. canadensis ‘Robusta’ (1.82 and 2.23 g per 100 g, resp.) and P. balsamifera (1.17 and 2.24 g per 100 g, resp.)

Badania kontrolne po leczeniu najczęstszych nowotworów litych u dorosłych: zalecenia panelu ekspertów

Post-treatment follow-up is an essential component of comprehensive cancer care. Determining optimal follow-up schedules is crucial on clinical, organisational and economic grounds. Owing to the scarcity of prospective clinical follow-up trials, most recommendations are based on retrospective studies and expert opinions. In 2014, the first post­-treatment follow-up recommendations in the most common solid malignancies was published by Polish oncology and family medicine experts. In this article, we present an update of this document that takes into account the current literature and the quality of the available scientific evidence.Badania kontrolne po leczeniu onkologicznym stanowią niezbędny element całościowej opieki nad chorymi na nowotwory. Określenie ich optymalnego schematu ma istotne znaczenie kliniczne, organizacyjne i ekonomiczne. Istnieje niewiele prospektywnych badań klinicznych dotyczących badań kontrolnych, zatem zalecenia na ten temat opierają się najczęściej na retrospektywnych obserwacjach lub opiniach ekspertów. W 2014 roku ukazała się pierwsza w Polsce propozycja schematów badań kontrolnych po leczeniu najczęstszych nowotworów litych, przygotowana przez specjalistów w dziedzinie onkologii i medycyny rodzinnej. W niniejszej pracy przedstawiamy aktualizację tego opracowania z uwzględnieniem aktualnego piśmiennictwa oraz jakości dowodów naukowych.

The strategies to support the COVID-19 vaccination with evidence-based communication and tackling misinformation

COVID-19 vaccinations are about to begin in various countries or are already ongoing. This is an unprecedented operation that is also met with a loud response from anti-vaccine communities—currently using all available channels to manipulate public opinion. At the same time, the strategy to educate on vaccinations, explain their mechanism of action, and build trust in science is subdued in different world parts. Such actions should go much beyond campaigns promoting the COVID-19 vaccines solely on the information provided by the health institutions and national authorities. In this paper, actions provided by independent expert groups needed to counteract the anti-vaccine propaganda and provide scientific-based information to the general public are offered. These actions encompass organizing groups continuously communicating science on COVID-19 vaccines to the general public; tracking and tackling emerging and circulating fake news; and equipping celebrities and politicians with scientific information to ensure the quality of messages they communicate, as well as public letters, and statements of support for vaccination by healthcare workers, recognized scientists, VIPs, and scientific societies; and no tolerance to false and manipulated claims on vaccination spread via traditional and social media as well as by health professionals, scientists, and academics. These activities should be promptly implemented worldwide, regardless of the current status and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in a particular region. If we are about to control the pandemic for the sake of public benefit, it is high time to collectively speak out as academic and medical societies with support from decision-makers. Otherwise, the battle will be lost to those who stand against scientific evidence while offering no feasible solution to the problem

Recommendations of the Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, Polish Paediatric Society, Polish Society of Family Medicine, Polish Society of Vaccinology, Polish Society of Oncological Gynaecology and Polish Society of Colposcopy and Pathophysiology of the Uterine Cervix on prophylactic vaccinations against infections with human papillomaviruses in Poland

Several hundred million people are infected with genital genotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) annually in the world. The infections transmitted mainly through sexual routes are usually asymptomatic, but can lead to the development of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile cancers, some head and neck cancers and genital warts (condylomas). The fraction HPV-related cancers range from nearly 100% in the case of cervical cancer to several/over a dozen percent in the case of other cancers and diseases. There are no effective drugs against HPV, but prophylactic HPV vaccines are available free of charge in immunization programmes in many countries around the world. In Poland, HPV vaccinations have so far been executed out on the pocket or in free-of-charge, local-governmental prevention programs, but the vaccination coverage of the target population does not exceed 10%. From November 2021, one of the vaccines is available with a 50% reimbursement, work is underway to reimburse the next ones, and the National Oncology Strategy assumes the implementation of the HPV immunization programmes and vaccination of 60% of the teen population by 2028. Three prophylactic HPV vaccines are registered. All of them are safe and their effectiveness in the prevention of diseases caused by vaccine genotypes reaches almost 100%, provided that full post-vaccination immunity is obtained before the contact with the virus. Girls aged 11-13 are the priority target cohort for HPV vaccination in Poland. The implementation of routine, free-of-charge HPV immunization in the Preventive Immunization Program (PIP) for all adolescents should be pursued. Persons over the age of 13 may also benefit from HPV vaccination and should be vaccinated according to product specifications. In addition to free access under the PIP, the key element for the success of the implementation of HPV vaccinations in Poland will be the education of medical personnel and parents of adolescents to be vaccinated

Satisfaction and discontent of Polish patients with biological therapy of rheumatic diseases : results of a multi-center questionnaire study

Objectives: Biologics are medications widely applied in the management of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The drugs were found to be effective but their application is associated with some disadvantages. Medication with biologics is relatively expensive, and in Poland, it is carried out in specialized centers. The study was designed to evaluate various aspects of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of Polish patients treated with biologics. Material and methods: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed in 23 Polish rheumatological centers involved in the treatment; 1212 returned questionnaires were used for analysis. Responses were received from 606 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 427 with ankylosing spondylitis, 117 psoriatic arthritis, and 62 adult patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (in whom administration of the drugs had been introduced before they were 18 years old). The investigated group constituted about one-fifth of all rheumatic patients on biologics in Poland. Results: A beneficial or very beneficial influence of the medication on the state of physical health was found mostly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (51.3 and 30.5%) and ankylosing spondylitis (51.0 and 36.8%). Family life was improved by the treatment especially in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (40.7 and 35.6% beneficial and very beneficial, respectively), sleep quality and sexual life mostly in those with ankylosing spondylitis (beneficial/very beneficial influence 41.5/38.4, and 38.7/23.9, respectively). There was a rather small influence of biological treatment on the financial situation of the patients. In general, satisfaction with the treatment was evaluated as positive or very positive in 88% of all investigated patients. In a significant part of the patients, transportation to the medical center was considered as a disadvantage of the treatment. About one-third of the patients considered laboratory and imaging tests to be done before initiation of the medication as a difficulty, and for about 40% waiting time for qualification for the medication was a significant disadvantage. The route of drug administration was without importance for 4/5 of the patients. Conclusions: Summing up, the results were similar in the patients suffering from various diseases although those with psoriatic arthritis felt the highest satisfaction (possibly due to the positive aesthetic effect), and those with ankylosing spondylitis had significant improvement in sexual life (probably due to younger age). Relatively low satisfaction was found in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. There was a small influence of medication on financial status of the patients. Application of biologics has few disadvantages and most of them are associated with the organization of health services (waiting time for the tests, transportation to the medical centers)

Bezpieczeństwo informacji i biznesu: zagadnienia wybrane

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed paperPrezentowane wydawnictwo stanowi plon obrad międzynarodowej konferencji naukowej zorganizowanej w dniach 12–13 października 2008 roku przez Katedrę Zarządzania Informacją, działającą w ramach Wydziału Ekonomii i Zarządzania, oraz, jak już wspomniano, przez Międzynarodowe Stowarzyszenie „Edukacja dla Obronności i Bezpieczeństwa”. Ambicją organizatorów konferencji było włączenie w tok dyskusji licznych przedstawicieli organów administracji państwa i samorządu, praktyki gospodarczej, nauki, mediów oraz studentów, zarówno z kraju, jak i z zagranicy

Expert opinion of the Heart Failure Association of the Polish Society of Cardiology, the College of Family Physicians in Poland, and the Polish Society of Family Medicine on the peri discharge management of patients with heart failure

Despite advances in the treatment of heart failure (HF), the rate of hospitalisation for exacerbations of the disease remains high. One of the underlying reasons is that recommended guidelines for the management of HF are still too rarely followed in daily practice. Disease exacerbation requiring inpatient treatment is always a factor that worsens the prognosis, and thus signals disease progression. This is also a key moment when therapy should be modified for HF exacerbation, or initiated in the case of newly diagnosed disease. Inpatient treatment and the peri‑discharge period is the time when the aetiology and mechanism of HF decompensation should be established. Therapy should be individualised based on aetiology, HF phenotype, and comorbidities; it should take into account the possibilities of modern treatment. According to the recommendations of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), patients with HF should receive multidisciplinary management. Cooperation between the various members of the multidisciplinary team taking care of patients with HF improves the efficiency and quality of treatment. This document expands and details the information on the peri‑discharge management of HF contained in the 2021 ESC guidelines and the 2022 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) guidelines