Understanding children’s constructions of meanings about other children: implications for inclusiveeducation

This paper explores the factors that influence the way children construct meanings about other children, and especially those who seem to experience marginalisation, within school contexts. The research involved an ethnographic study in a primary school in Cyprus over a period of 5 months. Qualitative methods were used, particularly participant observations and interviews with children. Interpretation of the data suggests that children's perceptions about other children, and especially those who come to experience marginalisation, are influenced by the following factors: other children and the interactions between them; adults’ way of behaving in the school; the existing structures within the school; and the cultures of the school and the wider educational context. Even though the most powerful factor was viewed to be the adults’ influence, it was rather the interweaving between different factors that seemed to lead to the creation of particular meanings for other children. In the end, it is argued that children's voices should be seen as an essential element within the process of developing inclusive practices.<br/

Modelling of blood flow in blood vessels

Artykuł poświęcono modelowaniu przepływów krwi w tętnicach zdrowych i zwężonych w wyniku miażdżycy przy różnych wysokościach powstałych przewężeń. Część wstępna obejmuje kwestie dotyczące układu krwionośnego, krwi i chorób układu krążenia (miażdżycy). W części badawczej zaprezentowano zagadnienia dotyczące przygotowania modeli fizycznych tętnic oraz wyniki symulacji przepływu krwi. Przeprowadzone badania pozwoliły określić, jaki wpływ na prędkość przepływu, rozkład ciśnienia ma stopień zaawansowania miażdżycy.This article is about modelling of blood flow in healthy arteries and narrowed as a result of a atherosclerosis at different stages of its development. A preliminary section covers issues concerning cardiovascular system, blood and cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis and hypertension). The research presents issues related to physical models of arteries and blood flow simulations. Conducted examinations allowed to determine the effect of the severity of atherosclerosis on flow velocity and pressure distribution

Wpływ wybranych warunków wtryskiwania na właściwości mechaniczne i strukturę HDPE

This paper is devoted to research of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which belongs to one of three main biomaterial groups, i.e. polymeric materials. Hence, due to its unique properties, it still plays an important role in biomedical applications – especially in the production of medical equipment, implants and parts of prostheses. This publication deals with the effect of selected conditions of processing which involved injection moulding on the mechanical properties and structure of HDPE mouldings. Samples for tests were produced on a Krauss - Maffei injection moulder on the basis of a research plan prepared using the STATISTICA program. According to this schedule, the following variable parameters of the injection process were selected: injection temperature Tw [°C], mould temperature Tf [°C] and injection velocity vw [mm/s]. In addition, a part of the moldings was subjected to a few processings. Then the samples obtained were subjected to different tests: tensile, impact and hardness tests, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and the melt flow rate (MFR) test in order to determine the influence of selected injection conditions and the multiplicity of processing on the mechanical, rheological and structural properties of HDPE.Artykuł jest poświęcony polietylenowi wysokiej gęstości (HDPE), który należy do jednej z trzech głównych grup biomateriałów, tj.: materiałów polimerowych. W związku z tym, ze względu na swoje wyjątkowe właściwości, wciąż odgrywa ważną rolę w zastosowaniach biomedycznych - zwłaszcza w produkcji sprzętu medycznego, implantów i części protez. Publikacja dotyczy wpływu wybranych warunków przetwarzania, jakim było formowanie wtryskowe, na właściwości mechaniczne i strukturę wyprasek z HDPE. Próbki do testów zostały wyprodukowane na wtryskarce Krauss - Maffei (KM65-160 C4) na podstawie planu badawczego przygotowanego w programie STATISTICA. Zgodnie z tym harmonogramem wybrano następujące zmienne parametry procesu wtrysku: temperatura wtrysku Tw, °C, temperatura formy Tf, °C i prędkość wtrysku vw, mm/s. Ponadto część wyprasek poddano kilku obróbkom. Następnie otrzymane próbki poddano różnym testom: rozciągania, udarności, twardości, różnicowej kalorymetrii skaningowej (DSC) i szybkości płynięcia stopu (MFR) w celu określenia wpływu wybranych warunków wtryskiwania i wielokrotności przetwarzania na mechaniczne, reologiczne i strukturalne właściwości materiału badawczego

Amphetamine-induced psychosis - a separate diagnostic entity or primary psychosis triggered in the vulnerable?

Use of amphetamine and methamphetamine is widespread in the general population and common among patients with psychiatric disorders. Amphetamines may induce symptoms of psychosis very similar to those of acute schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. This has been an argument for using amphetamine-induced psychosis as a model for primary psychotic disorders. To distinguish the two types of psychosis on the basis of acute symptoms is difficult. However, acute psychosis induced by amphetamines seems to have a faster recovery and appears to resolve more completely compared to schizophrenic psychosis. The increased vulnerability for acute amphetamine induced psychosis seen among those with schizophrenia, schizotypal personality and, to a certain degree other psychiatric disorders, is also shared by non-psychiatric individuals who previously have experienced amphetamine-induced psychosis. Schizophrenia spectrum disorder and amphetamine-induced psychosis are further linked together by the finding of several susceptibility genes common to both conditions. These genes probably lower the threshold for becoming psychotic and increase the risk for a poorer clinical course of the disease. The complex relationship between amphetamine use and psychosis has received much attention but is still not adequately explored. Our paper reviews the literature in this field and proposes a stress-vulnerability model for understanding the relationship between amphetamine use and psychosis