BFKL Pomeron loop contribution in diffractive photoproduction and inclusive hadroproduction of J/ψJ/\psi and Υ\Upsilon

We analyze contributions to the heavy vector meson production with large transverse momentum in proton--proton and diffractive photon--proton scattering driven by an exchange of two Balitsky--Fadin--Kuraev--Lipatov Pomerons in the squared amplitudes. The Pomerons couple to a single parton and form a Pomeron loop closed by the vector meson impact factors. For the photon--proton case the diffractive cut of the Pomeron loop contributes, and for the inclusive hadroproduction one finds the loop with two cut Pomerons. We compute both of these Pomeron loop contributions and study in detail their properties. The results are then used to calculate the cross sections for diffractive $J/\psi$ photoproduction with large transverse momentum at HERA and the correlated two Pomeron contribution for inclusive $J/\psi$ and $\Upsilon$ production cross sections at the LHC. Within a unified approach a good description of the photoproduction data is found, but correlated two Pomeron mechanism gives only a small contribution to hadroproduction of the vector mesons at the LHC.Comment: 34 pages, 16 figure

Color Reconnection Effects in J/ψJ/\psi Hadroproduction

We investigate production of $J/\psi$ mesons in hadron-hadron collisions, defined as low invariant mass $c\bar{c}$ singlets produced in a mixture of perturbative and nonperturbative mechanisms provided by the PYTHIA Monte Carlo. We find that in this model the color reconnection mechanism, which breaks the factorization, is essential to reasonably describe the experimental data.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, references added, typos correcte

Reactive-infiltration instabilities in rocks. Fracture dissolution

A reactive fluid dissolving the surface of a uniform fracture will trigger an instability in the dissolution front, leading to spontaneous formation of pronounced well-spaced channels in the surrounding rock matrix. Although the underlying mechanism is similar to the wormhole instability in porous rocks there are significant differences in the physics, due to the absence of a steadily propagating reaction front. In previous work we have described the geophysical implications of this instability in regard to the formation of long conduits in soluble rocks. Here we describe a more general linear stability analysis, including axial diffusion, transport limited dissolution, non-linear kinetics, and a finite length system.Comment: to be published in J. Fluid. Mec

Digital standardization of lean manufacturing tools according to Industry 4.0 concept

Standardization is a key element in the effective use of lean manufacturing methodologies and tools for achieving process sustainability. Their combination is conducive to eliminating waste and improving the efficiency of production processes and guarantees the company that employees use the most efficient tools and do not waste time on unnecessary activities. These activities can be further improved by using digital solutions, in accordance with the concept of Industry 4.0. Therefore, the authors have developed the e-Lean system, whose task is to digitize selected lean manufacturing tools. The subject of this work is analysis of the functionality and effectiveness of the essential part of the e-Lean system in the form of specialized TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) software as an application. During implementation in a construction production company, the TPM application was tested by lean manufacturing and maintenance specialists. The research consisted of assessing the functionality and efficiency of processes in relation to conventional TPM solutions. Additional functionalities of the e-Lean system have been confirmed, such as systemic approval of machinery inspection, which requires passing all necessary steps at individual inspection points, direct access for supervisors to the results of inspection activities and their status, direct and easy access to photographic documentation of machines added during inspection both in optimization of working time and its course (e.g., the optimal number of steps taken by the employee during the inspection), as well as an efficient system of motivating employees (collecting points). The improvement in the effectiveness of processes was determined by measuring the control times for three control points (polymerization furnace, packing area, and defibering machines). The average control time was reduced from 16,200 to 13,923 s. Thus, thanks to the use of the application, it was found that the efficiency of using the TPM tool was increased by approx. 15% compared to previously used non-digital solutions.The authors are grateful to FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal) who partially financially supported this work through the RD Units Project Scope UIDP/04077/2020 and UIDB/04077/2020

Fermented juices as reducing and capping agents for the biosynthesis of size-defined spherical gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are of scientific and industrial significance; however, the traditional synthesis methods employ toxic compounds. Hence, non-toxic and environmentally friendly AuNPs synthesis methods are of special interest. Here, AuNPs were produced using four solutions of fermented grape juices. UV/Vis absorption spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy indicated that AuNPs synthesized with a solution based on semi-sweet red grapes were mostly spherical with narrow size distribution (average diameter of 82.1 ± 36.2 nm). AuNPs of similar spherical morphology but smaller size were obtained using a solution based on semi-dry red grapes (57.1 ± 16.4 nm). A large variety of AuNPs shapes and broader size distribution were produced when solutions based on semi-sweet or dry white grapes were applied. In this case, the average sizes of the AuNPs were 271.6 ± 130.2 nm and 76.0 ± 47.2 nm, respectively. Using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Au, C, and O were detected, confirming formation of biogenic AuNPs in all cases. Mie theory calculations for AuNPs synthesized with the aid of solutions based on red grapes suggest that their optical properties are different and best suited for distinct downstream applications. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and the Bertrand's method were used to examine bioactive compounds present in the solutions applied for synthesis. Phenolics, and to a lesser extent reducing sugars, were identified as likely playing a significant role in reduction and stabilization of the AuNPs. These results display the great potential of these solutions for green synthesis of size defined AuNPs, and illustrate that different grape varieties may be used to obtain AuNPs with unique properties. Keywords: Nanostructures, Bioreduction process, Phenolics, Reducing sugars, Mie scatterin

Psychospołeczne konsekwencje bezrobocia i strategie zaradcze bezrobotnych – analiza porównawcza pamiętników konkursowych IGS SGH (1931 i 2000 r.)

Praca powstała na gruncie metody autobiograficznej – dzięki analizie pamiętników bezrobotnych. Każdą z dwóch części pracy otwiera zaś rozdział powstały dzięki wykorzystaniu literatury przedmiotu – poprzez metodę analizy i krytyki piśmiennictwa. Autor posłużył się metodą porównawczą, ukazując i wyjaśniając postawy wobec podobnych zjawisk prezentowane przez rożnych ludzi żyjących w dwóch epokach – w czasach II i III Rzeczypospolitej. Głównym celem pracy była weryfikacja tezy, w myśl której bezrobocie jest zjawiskiem uniwersalnym – w podobnym stopniu implikującym postawy bezrobotnych – bez względu na czasy, w których żyją. Autor postawił także 15 hipotez szczegółowych, zakładając m.in., że pamiętnikarze (z II i III RP) w podobnym stopniu będą deklarowali wysoką gotowość do powrotu na rynek pracy oraz podobnie wysoką aktywność w poszukiwaniu pracy; będą także skupieni na opisywaniu konsekwencji bezrobocia częściej w skali mikro niż makro, a także będą wskazywali podobne skutki społeczne i indywidualne bezrobocia. Teza główna, jak też większość hipotez znalazły potwierdzenie. Mimo licznych podobieństw dostrzeżono zróżnicowanie postaw pamiętnikarzy w aspektach: stosowania alternatywnych metod radzenia sobie w sytuacji bezrobocia (częściej u memuarystów z III niż z II RP), uznawania faktu utraty pracy jako niosącego szanse na otwarcie się nowych możliwości i dostrzegania pozytywnych stron bezrobocia oraz podejmowania tzw. „atakujących” strategii zaradczych (częściej u memuarystów z III niż II RP).The method used in this dissertation is autobiographical – based on analysis of diaries of unemployed people. Each of the two parts of the work begins with a chapter created through the method of analysis and criticism of the literature of the subject. The author used also the comparative method, to show and explain attitudes towards similar social phenomena experienced by people living in two different historical periods – the second and the third Republic of Poland. The main purpose of this dissertation was to verify a thesis according to which unemployment is a universal phenomenon – implying to a similar extent the attitude of the unemployed people, regardless of the time in which they live. The author also put forward fifteen particular hypotheses, assuming, for example, that diarists (from the second and third Polish Republic) will declare, to a similar extent, high willingness to return to the labour market and same high activity in the search for a job; they will also focus on describing the consequences of unemployment more often on a micro scale than on a macro scale, and indicate similar social and individual effects of unemployment. The main thesis, as well as most hypotheses, was confirmed. In spite of numerous similarities in diarist's attitudes, the diversities were recognised in the following aspects: the use of alternative methods of coping with unemployment (they were described more often in diaries from the third Republic of Poland); recognizing the fact of losing a job as an opportunity, chance for something new, seeing positive side of it and taking the so-called "offensive" remedial strategies (more of that approach occurred in diaries from the third Republic of Poland)

Forward optic flow is prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction

Abstract: When two different images are presented separately to each eye, one experiences smooth transitions between them. Previous studies have shown that exposure to signals from other senses can enhance perceptual awareness of stimulation-congruent images. Surprisingly, despite our ability to infer perceptual consequences from bodily movements, evidence that action can have an analogous influence on visual experience is scarce and mainly limited to local (hand) movements. Here, we investigated whether one’s direction of locomotion affects perceptual awareness of optic flow patterns. Participants walked forwards and backwards on a treadmill while viewing highly-realistic visualisations of self-motion in a virtual environment. We hypothesised that visualisations congruent with walking direction would predominate in visual awareness over incongruent ones, and that this effect would increase with the precision of one’s active proprioception. These predictions were not confirmed: optic flow consistent with forward locomotion was prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction and proprioceptive abilities. Our results suggest that kinaesthetic-proprioceptive processing plays a limited role in shaping visual experience. This seems at odds with Bayesian accounts of perception but is in-line with Cancellation theories, which imply that crossmodal influences of self-generated signals are suppressed as a redundant source of information about the outside world. (Data and scripts are available at: https://github.com/Pawel-Motyka/SMPVR

Tactile information counteracts the attenuation of rubber hand illusion attributable to increased visuo-proprioceptive divergence.

Sense of body ownership is an immediate and distinct experience of one's body as belonging to oneself. While it is well-recognized that ownership feelings emerge from the integration of visual and somatosensory signals, the principles upon which they are integrated are still intensely debated. Here, we used the rubber hand illusion (RHI) to examine how the interplay of visual, tactile, and proprioceptive signals is governed depending on their spatiotemporal properties. For this purpose, the RHI was elicited in different conditions varying with respect to the extent of visuo-proprioceptive divergence (i.e., the distance between the real and fake hands) and differing in terms of the availability and spatiotemporal complexity of tactile stimulation (none, simple, or complex). We expected that the attenuating effect of distance on illusion strength will be more pronounced in the absence of touch (when proprioception gains relatively higher importance) and absent in the presence of complex tactile signals. Additionally, we hypothesized that participants with greater proprioceptive acuity-assessed using an elbow joint position discrimination task-will be less susceptible to the illusion, but only under the conditions of limited tactile stimulation. In line with our prediction, RHI was attenuated at the farthest distance only when tactile information was absent or simplified, but the attenuation was effectively prevented by the use of complex tactile stimulation-in this case, RHI was comparably vivid at both distances. However, passive proprioceptive acuity was not related to RHI strength in either of the conditions. The results indicate that complex-structured tactile signals can override the influence of proprioceptive signals in body attribution processes. These findings extend our understanding of body ownership by showing that it is primarily determined by informative cues from the most relevant sensory domains, rather than mere accumulation of multisensory evidence

Forward optic flow is prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction

When two different images are presented separately to each eye, one experiences smooth transitions between them – a phenomenon called binocular rivalry. Previous studies have shown that exposure to signals from other senses can enhance the access of stimulation-congruent images to conscious perception. However, despite our ability to infer perceptual consequences from bodily movements, evidence that action can have an analogous influence on visual awareness is scarce and mainly limited to hand movements. Here, we investigated whether one’s direction of locomotion affects perceptual access to optic flow patterns during binocular rivalry. Participants walked forwards and backwards on a treadmill while viewing highly-realistic visualisations of self-motion in a virtual environment. We hypothesised that visualisations congruent with walking direction would predominate in visual awareness over incongruent ones, and that this effect would increase with the precision of one’s active proprioception. These predictions were not confirmed: optic flow consistent with forward locomotion was prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction and proprioceptive abilities. Our findings suggest the limited role of kinaesthetic-proprioceptive information in disambiguating visually perceived direction of self-motion and indicate that vision might be tuned to the (expanding) optic flow patterns prevalent in everyday life