A debate: Can we recommend electronic cigarettes to our patients? Opinion 2

Electronic cigarettes are more and more frequently used to deliver nicotine. They are used both by the users of regular cigarettes and those who to date have not smoked. The literature about potential impact of electronic nicotine delivery systems on health is constantly growing. Particular concern is expressed about toxicity of chemical compounds and elements delivered with the vapour of electronic cigarettes. It turns out that products that have positive image in media, actually are not so beneficial. Furthermore, they not only may cause damage to health but also death.Electronic cigarettes are more and more frequently used to deliver nicotine. They are used both by the users of regular cigarettes and those who to date have not smoked. The literature about potential impact of electronic nicotine delivery systems on health is constantly growing. Particular concern is expressed about toxicity of chemical compounds and elements delivered with the vapour of electronic cigarettes. It turns out that products that have positive image in media, actually are not so beneficial. Furthermore, they not only may cause damage to health but also death

George Santayana i problem wolności

This article is a commentary and an introduction to the Polish translation of George Santayana’s work, Freedom, which is a chapter in the fourth volume of his series, The Realms of Being, titled The Realm of Spirit (1940). It provides an overview of hisprevious works, particularly his series The Life of Reason (1905–1906) and Scepticism and Animal Faith (1926). Additionally, it briefly examines the evolution of Santayana’s standpoint and the meaning of the fundamental categories and concepts of his ontology. The analysis of Freedom, along with a comparison to the standpoints of Nicolai Hartmann and Hannah Arendt, enables us to classify it as a form of compatibilism. Within this perspective, natural determinism harmonizes with the teleological self-determination of human will. Human freedom, directed towards an open horizon of the future, unveils an essential tragic aspect of human condition, as the choice of a value is perpetually linked to unfulfillment. Ultimately, any value resides in the realm of ideals, and by making a choice, we neglect other values and select only one of the potential paths in our lives.This article is a commentary and an introduction to the Polish translation of George Santayana’s work, Freedom, which is a chapter in the fourth volume of his series, The Realms of Being, titled The Realm of Spirit (1940). It provides an overview of hisprevious works, particularly his series The Life of Reason (1905–1906) and Scepticism and Animal Faith (1926). Additionally, it briefly examines the evolution of Santayana’s standpoint and the meaning of the fundamental categories and concepts of his ontology. The analysis of Freedom, along with a comparison to the standpoints of Nicolai Hartmann and Hannah Arendt, enables us to classify it as a form of compatibilism. Within this perspective, natural determinism harmonizes with the teleological self-determination of human will. Human freedom, directed towards an open horizon of the future, unveils an essential tragic aspect of human condition, as the choice of a value is perpetually linked to unfulfillment. Ultimately, any value resides in the realm of ideals, and by making a choice, we neglect other values and select only one of the potential paths in our lives.This article is a commentary and an introduction to the Polish translation of George Santayana’s work, Freedom, which is a chapter in the fourth volume of his series, The Realms of Being, titled The Realm of Spirit (1940). It provides an overview of hisprevious works, particularly his series The Life of Reason (1905–1906) and Scepticism and Animal Faith (1926). Additionally, it briefly examines the evolution of Santayana’s standpoint and the meaning of the fundamental categories and concepts of his ontology. The analysis of Freedom, along with a comparison to the standpoints of Nicolai Hartmann and Hannah Arendt, enables us to classify it as a form of compatibilism. Within this perspective, natural determinism harmonizes with the teleological self-determination of human will. Human freedom, directed towards an open horizon of the future, unveils an essential tragic aspect of human condition, as the choice of a value is perpetually linked to unfulfillment. Ultimately, any value resides in the realm of ideals, and by making a choice, we neglect other values and select only one of the potential paths in our lives

FEATURES OF 2017A AND AlSi9Mg ALUMINUM ALLOYS FRICTION STIR WELDED WITH ROOT-SIDE HEATING

Aluminum alloys 2017A and AlSi9Mg (hypo-eutectic silumin) were friction stir welded with a relatively high linear velocity (over 1 m/min) and use of an additional heat source from the root side of the weld. Macrostructure investigation (with high-resolution images) showed no effect of heating on weld quality. The welding process caused significant fragmentation of the secondary phases in the AlSi9Mg alloy. Furthermore, it was proven that the material above the weld nugget was not mixed and contained micro-defects that were not caused by welding. Also, it contained cavities on the boundaries between Si-particles and the matrix. Based on hardness distribution, a slight strengthening of the cast alloy was observed at the bottom and middle parts of the weld. However, the hardness of the 2017A alloy initially decreased and then increased due to natural aging. This means that the FSW process produced a metastable state in the alloy

Debata. Czy możemy polecać e-papierosy naszym pacjentom? Opinia 2

Elektroniczne papierosy są coraz częściej używanym sposobem dostarczania nikotyny. Sięgają po nie zarówno użytkownicy papierosów tradycyjnych, jak i osoby do tej pory niepalące. Cały czas pojawiają się nowe artykuły traktujące o potencjalnym wpływie elektronicznych systemów dostarczających nikotynę na zdrowie. Szczególne obawy budzi toksyczność związków chemicznych i pierwiastków dostarczanych wraz z dymem z tych urządzeń. Okazuje się, że produkty, których kreowany medialnie wizerunek jest pozytywny, wcale takimi nie są. Co więcej, ich używanie może skutkować nie tylko uszczerbkiem dla zdrowia, ale i śmiercią.Elektroniczne papierosy są coraz częściej używanym sposobem dostarczania nikotyny. Sięgają po nie zarówno użytkownicy papierosów tradycyjnych, jak i osoby do tej pory niepalące. Cały czas pojawiają się nowe artykuły traktujące o potencjalnym wpływie elektronicznych systemów dostarczających nikotynę na zdrowie. Szczególne obawy budzi toksyczność związków chemicznych i pierwiastków dostarczanych wraz z dymem z tych urządzeń. Okazuje się, że produkty, których kreowany medialnie wizerunek jest pozytywny, wcale takimi nie są. Co więcej, ich używanie może skutkować nie tylko uszczerbkiem dla zdrowia, ale i śmiercią

Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints made from ultrafine grained aluminium 1050

In order to obtain ultrafine grained structure, commercially pure aluminium (Al 1050) plates were subjected up to 8 passes of Incremental Equal Channel Angular Pressing (IECAP) following route C. Plates in different stages of IECAP were joined using Friction Stir Welding (FSW). All welded samples were investigated to determine their mechanical properties and structure evolution in the joint zone. The joining process reduced mechanical strength of material in the nugget zone, which was explained by the grain growth resulting from temperature rise during FSW. Nevertheless, the obtained results are promising in comparison to other methods of joining aluminium

Wolność

Niniejszy esej stanowi piąty rozdział tomu The Realm of Spirit kończącego cykl The Realms of Being. Podstawą przekładu jest pierwsze wydanie dzieła: George Santayana, The Realms of Being (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., Toronto: The Macmillan Company, 1940), 67–89.Niniejszy esej stanowi piąty rozdział tomu The Realm of Spirit kończącego cykl The Realms of Being. Podstawą przekładu jest pierwsze wydanie dzieła: George Santayana, The Realms of Being (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., Toronto: The Macmillan Company, 1940), 67–89.Niniejszy esej stanowi piąty rozdział tomu The Realm of Spirit kończącego cykl The Realms of Being. Podstawą przekładu jest pierwsze wydanie dzieła: George Santayana, The Realms of Being (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., Toronto: The Macmillan Company, 1940), 67–89

Four-dimensional distribution of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic cloud over Europe observed by EARLINET

© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallaj ökull in April-May 2010 represents a "natural experiment" to study the impact of volcanic emissions on a continental scale. For the first time, quantitative data about the presence, altitude, and layering of the volcanic cloud, in conjunction with optical information, are available for most parts of Europe derived from the observations by the European Aerosol Research Lidar NETwork (EARLINET). Based on multi-wavelength Raman lidar systems, EARLINET is the only instrument worldwide that is able to provide dense time series of high-quality optical data to be used for aerosol typing and for the retrieval of particle microphysical properties as a function of altitude. In this work we show the four-dimensional (4-D) distribution of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic cloud in the troposphere over Europe as observed by EARLINET during the entire volcanic event (15 April-26 May 2010). All optical properties directly measured (backscatter, extinction, and particle linear depolarization ratio) are stored in the EARLINET database available at www.earlinet.org. A specific relational database providing the volcanic mask over Europe, realized ad hoc for this specific event, has been developed and is available on request at www.earlinet.org. During the first days after the eruption, volcanic particles were detected over Central Europe within a wide range of altitudes, from the upper troposphere down to the local planetary boundary layer (PBL). After 19 April 2010, volcanic particles were detected over southern and south-eastern Europe. During the first half of May (5-15 May), material emitted by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was detected over Spain and Portugal and then over the Mediterranean and the Balkans. The last observations of the event were recorded until 25 May in Central Europe and in the Eastern Mediterranean area. The 4-D distribution of volcanic aerosol layering and optical properties on European scale reported here provides an unprecedented data set for evaluating satellite data and aerosol dispersion models for this kind of volcanic events.Peer reviewe

The role of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms of the human glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 in Polish patients with bronchial asthma

N363S and ER22/23EK polymorphisms observed within glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) may play an important role in the development of bronchial asthma. NR3C1 gene is associated with an altered sensitivity to GCs. The aim of the research project was to study the correlation between this NR3C1 gene polymorphisms and occurrence of asthma in the population of Polish asthmatics. Peripheral blood was obtained from 207 healthy volunteers and 221 asthma patients. Genotyping was carried out with PCR-RFLP method. In the groups of patients with uncontrolled moderate asthma and uncontrolled severe disease, the genotype distribution for the investigated polymorphisms was as follows: N363S-AA, AG, GG occurring with 0.881/0.073/0.046 frequency and ER22/23EK-GG, GA, AA occurring with 0.963/0.037/0.000 frequency. Chi-square analysis revealed a significantly different (P < 0.05) distribution between cases and controls for the N363S polymorphisms. The N363S polymorphism of NR3C1 gene is significantly associated with bronchial asthma, susceptibility to the development of moderate to severe form of uncontrolled bronchial asthma