Hyperstability of the Fréchet Equation and a Characterization of Inner Product Spaces

We prove some stability and hyperstability results for the well-known Fr´echet equation stemming fromone of the characterizations of the inner product spaces. As the main tool, we use a fixed point theorem for the function spaces.We finish the paper with some new inequalities characterizing the inner product spaces

Feasibility of myocardial perfusion imaging studies in morbidly obese patients with a cadmium-zinc-telluride cardiac camera

BACKGROUND: A novel cardiac SPECT camera with cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) based technology has a fixed array of semiconductor detectors paired with pinhole collimators focused on the heart. Image acquisition in obese patients can be challenging because of much smaller detector field of view compared to conventional gamma cameras. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on high body mass on the feasibility of CZT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The additional aim was to investigate the mechanism of the banana-shaped/obesity artifact, as referred to in literature, and to attempt at simulating it on a phantom study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study group consisted of 43 patients with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). All these patients underwent myocardial perfusion imaging on both CZT cardiac camera and general purpose SPECT/CT gamma camera. Control group consisted of all patients who underwent myocardial perfusion imaging on CZT camera throughout one calendar year and whose BMI was lower than 40 kg/m2. In this group, all repeated studies were re-analyzed for estimating the frequency of heart mispositioning in the camera field of view. The number of studies performed was 1180. A static cardiac phantom was used to simulate a banana-shaped artifact. A series of phantom acquisitions during which the phantom position was altered in the camera field of view was performed. RESULTS: In control group, 3.7% of all cardiac scintigrams required repetition, 18.9% of which were repeated due to wrong heart positioning; median BMI in this group of patients was 36.0. A banana-shaped artifact was observed in one female patient with BMI 36.0. In morbid obesity group, 32.6% of the studies were non-diagnostic with “truncation effect” on Scan Quality Control (QC). Median BMI in patients with diagnostic scans was 42.0, while in patients with not acceptable quality control test it was 45.0 (p < 0.05). Banana-shaped artifacts were observed in 5 non-diagnostic studies. In a phantom study an artifact of banana shape was obtained when gantry was distant from the phantom and target was on the edge of the camera field of view and was slightly truncated. CONCLUSIONS: Problem with heart mispositioning during imaging on the CZT camera affects less than 1% of all performed studies. Morbid obesity is not a contraindication to perform myocardi

ECA - Wspólny antygen powierzchniowy pałeczek rodziny Enterobacteriaceae

Almost all the strains of bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family share at least one common antigenic component, ECA, which is not present in other Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. From the observations made with immunofluorescence and immunoferritin techniques, it has been concluded that ECA is localized in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram-negative enteric bacteria. ECA is a glycolipid consisting of linear trisaccharide repeating units composed of [→3)-α-D-Fucp4NAc-(1→4)-β-D-ManpNAcA-(1→4)-α-D-GlcpNAc-(1→]. It occurs in three structural forms: ECAPG linked to phosphatidylglycerol, ECALPS anchored to LPS core region and ECACYC not expressed on the surface. ECA is believed to be connected to the LPS outer core. However, it should be emphasized that Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 mutants defective in outer core synthesis were also ECA-immunogenic. The genes involved in ECA biosynthesis are located in the chromosomal wec gene cluster, from wecA to wecG and the ECA expressions is downregulated at host temperature. So far, ECA has been thoroughly analyzed at the structural and genetic level, however, its significance in vivo has been investigated in relatively few studies. ECA has been linked to pathogenesis in several species of bacteria, although this function seems to differ between the species. ECA has been shown to be involved in the flagellar assembly and motility in Serratia marcescens Also, the ECA-negative mutants of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium proved to be significantly less virulent than the parental strain. ECA as a marker of Enterobacteriaceae family is a valuable indicator of water and food contaminations with enteric bacteria

Analysis of ibrutinib efficacy in a subgroup of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with 17p deletion: observational study of the Polish Adult Leukemia Group (PALG)

BackgroundThe 17p deletion is regarded as the strongest poor prognostic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Results of recently performed clinical trials have suggested that ibrutinib significantly improves the outcome in this patient group.AimThe study aimed at analyzing the efficacy and adverse events profile of ibrutinib monotherapy in CLL patients with 17p deletion treated in routine clinical practice outside clinical trials.Materials and MethodsClinical response and adverse events profile of ibrutinib monotherapy were assessed in thirty-five CLL patients with 17p deletion treated within the ibrutinib named patients program in Poland.ResultsOverall response rate was 80% (28/35 patients) with median observation time of 24.2 months (range 0,1 – 30,9). Complete remission was observed in 5 patients (14.3%), partial remission in 11 (31.4%), partial remission with lymphocytosis in 13 (37.1%), whereas stable disease and progression was noted in 4 (11.4%) and 1 (2.9%) respectively. Response was not assessed in 1 patient. Median progression-free survival was 29.5 months, whereas median overall survival was not reached. Eleven patients died (7 because of infection, 1 of CLL progression, 1 of sudden cardiac death, 1 of disseminated breast cancer and 1 of unknown causes). In 13 patients (37.1%) at least one 3 or 4 grade adverse event occurred. In 11 patients (31.4%) the treatment was temporary withheld or the dose reduced due to adverse events.ConclusionIbrutinib is characterized by high clinical efficacy and acceptable toxicity in CLL patients with 17p deletion in daily clinical practice

A Multilaboratory Comparison of Calibration Accuracy and the Performance of External References in Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy of the reported scan time after the start of centrifugation, the accuracy of the temperature calibration, and the accuracy of the radial magnification. The range of sedimentation coefficients obtained for BSA monomer in different instruments and using different optical systems was from 3.655 S to 4.949 S, with a mean and standard deviation of (4.304 ± 0.188) S (4.4%). After the combined application of correction factors derived from the external calibration references for elapsed time, scan velocity, temperature, and radial magnification, the range of s-values was reduced 7-fold with a mean of 4.325 S and a 6-fold reduced standard deviation of ± 0.030 S (0.7%). In addition, the large data set provided an opportunity to determine the instrument-to-instrument variation of the absolute radial positions reported in the scan files, the precision of photometric or refractometric signal magnitudes, and the precision of the calculated apparent molar mass of BSA monomer and the fraction of BSA dimers. These results highlight the necessity and effectiveness of independent calibration of basic AUC data dimensions for reliable quantitative studies

A multilaboratory comparison of calibration accuracy and the performance of external references in analytical ultracentrifugation.

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy of the reported scan time after the start of centrifugation, the accuracy of the temperature calibration, and the accuracy of the radial magnification. The range of sedimentation coefficients obtained for BSA monomer in different instruments and using different optical systems was from 3.655 S to 4.949 S, with a mean and standard deviation of (4.304 ± 0.188) S (4.4%). After the combined application of correction factors derived from the external calibration references for elapsed time, scan velocity, temperature, and radial magnification, the range of s-values was reduced 7-fold with a mean of 4.325 S and a 6-fold reduced standard deviation of ± 0.030 S (0.7%). In addition, the large data set provided an opportunity to determine the instrument-to-instrument variation of the absolute radial positions reported in the scan files, the precision of photometric or refractometric signal magnitudes, and the precision of the calculated apparent molar mass of BSA monomer and the fraction of BSA dimers. These results highlight the necessity and effectiveness of independent calibration of basic AUC data dimensions for reliable quantitative studies

"Remote work as an institution of labour protection law" — conference report

21 stycznia 2021 r. odbyła się ogólnopolska konferencja naukowa „Praca zdalna jako instytucja prawa ochrony pracy”, zorganizowana przez Katedrę Prawa Pracy Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego oraz Polską Sieć Naukową Prawa Pracy i Zabezpieczenia Społecznego COOPERANTE za pośrednictwem platformy MS Teams. Konferencja cieszyła się dużym zainteresowaniem zarówno ze strony środowiska akademickiego, jak i praktyków prawa. Wzięło w niej udział 110 uczestników reprezentujących 15 ośrodków naukowych, a także Państwową Inspekcję Pracy, Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych, NSZZ „Solidarność”.On 21th January 2021, a scientific conference "Remote work as an institution of labour protection law" "took place. The event was organized by the Department of Labour Law of the University of Łódź and the Polish Scientific Network of Labour Law and Social Security COOPERANTE via MS TEAMS platform. The conference enjoyed great interest from the academic community and legal practitioners. It was attended by 110 participants representing 15 academic centers as well as the National Labour Inspectorate, the Social Insurance Institution, and the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union Solidarność

Odrębności podporządkowania pracownika w nietypowych umownych stosunkach pracy w świetle prawa polskiego

Podporządkowanie pracownika stanowi jedną z cech odróżniających stosunek pracy od zatrudnienia cywilnoprawnego. W doktrynie i orzecznictwie podporządkowanie jest postrzegane niejednokrotnie jako cecha podstawowa, bez której nie można mówić o istnieniu zatrudnienia pracowniczego. Jednocześnie zwraca się uwagę, że cecha ta ewoluuje i coraz bardziej oddala się od tradycyjnie rozumianej podległości pracownika podmiotowi zatrudniającemu. Najdalej idące odmienności podporządkowania pracownika kierownictwu pracodawcy obserwuje się w nietypowych umownych stosunkach pracy, którym poświęcona jest niniejsza dysertacja. Rozprawa składa się z sześciu rozdziałów. Zadaniem pierwszych dwóch jest przybliżenie najistotniejszych zagadnień związanych z podporządkowaniem pracownika oraz nietypowymi umownymi stosunkami pracy. Uwagi na ten temat stanowią punkt odniesienia dla dalszych rozważań. Rozdziały III - VI dotyczą odrębności podporządkowania w poszczególnych nietypowych umownych stosunkach pracy: pracy tymczasowej, telepracy, pracy kierowniczej oraz wolnych zawodach i twórczości pracowniczej. Celem rozprawy jest wykazanie, że podporządkowanie w wyróżnionych nietypowych umownych stosunkach pracy przejawia odrębności w odniesieniu do podporządkowania w zatrudnieniu typowym. Odrębności te są jednakże różnego rodzaju i o różnej doniosłości. W pracy tymczasowej i telepracy atypowość podporządkowania odnosi się do kwestii niedotyczących jego istoty, lecz drugorzędnych i technicznych aspektów. W przypadku pracy kierowniczej oraz wolnych zawodów i twórczości pracowniczej, ma miejsce znaczne ograniczenie prawa wydawania pracownikowi poleceń dotyczących pracy

Zakres elastyczności stron stosunku pracy w kształtowaniu elementów treści umowy o pracę

This study paper analyses the regulations applicable to the text of an employment contract. Consideration is given to the type of contract, contract conclusion date, work commencement date, nature of the work, location of the workplace, compensation for work, working time limits, allowances due for business travel, and specific regulations concerning the working time. The purpose of the research was to find out whether the parties to an employment contract enjoy flexibility in determining the foregoing contractual issues or if their liberty in this respect is largely restricted. The article embraces the amendment to the Labour Law regulations pertinent to fixed-term employment contracts, which took effect on 22 February 2016, as well as the amendment to the National Minimum Wage Act, in place as of 1 January 2017. The legal-dogmatic analysis has demonstrated that an explicit conclusion with regard to the flexibility of the parties involved in an employment relationship in setting out certain elements of the employment contract is impossible to reach. For some components, the leeway is greater (e.g. the nature of the work, the location of the workplace), while for other elements, it is more restricted (e.g. the type of contract, compensation for work). Also, the sources of such restrictions are dissimilar – Labour Law regulations, provisions within other primary and secondary legislation, provisions of collective labour agreements and other collective agreements, or, finally, the very nature of the employment relationship.W opracowaniu dokonano analizy regulacji odnoszących się do treści umowy o pracę. Podjęte rozważania dotyczą rodzaju umowy, daty jej zawarcia, terminu rozpoczęcia pracy, rodzaju pracy i miejsca jej wykonywania, wynagrodzenia za pracę, wymiaru czasu pracy, należności z tytułu podróży służbowych oraz szczegółowych regulacji odnoszących się do czasu pracy. Celem przeprowadzonych badań było rozstrzygnięcie, czy strony umowy o pracę cieszą się elastycznością w kształtowaniu powyższych elementów w umowie o pracę, czy też ich swoboda w tym zakresie jest w dużej mierze ograniczona. Artykuł uwzględnia nowelizację przepisów kodeksu pracy dotyczącą terminowych umów o pracę, która weszła w życie dnia 22 lutego 2016 r., a także znowelizowaną ustawę o minimalnym wynagrodzeniu za pracę w brzmieniu obowiązującym od dnia 1 stycznia 2017 r. Przeprowadzona analiza dogmatyczno-prawna wykazała, że jednoznaczna konkluzja dotycząca elastyczności stron stosunku pracy w kształtowaniu elementów treści umowy o pracę nie jest możliwa. W przypadku niektórych składników jest ona większa (np. rodzaju pracy, miejsca wykonywania pracy), w przypadku innych elementów ograniczenia są dalej idące (np. rodzaju umowy, wynagrodzenia za pracę). Odmienne są również źródła tych ograniczeń – przepisy kodeksu pracy, przepisy innych ustaw i aktów wykonawczych, postanowienia zakładowych źródeł prawa pracy czy wreszcie istota stosunku pracy

Flexibility of the Parties Involved in an Employment Relationship in Setting Out Certain Elements of the Text of the Employment Contract

This study paper analyses the regulations applicable to the text of an employment contract. Consideration is given to the type of contract, contract conclusion date, work commencement date, nature of the work, location of the workplace, compensation for work, working time limits, allowances due for business travel, and specific regulations concerning the working time. The purpose of the research was to find out whether the parties to an employment contract enjoy flexibility in determining the foregoing contractual issues or if their liberty in this respect is largely restricted. The article embraces the amendment to the Labour Law regulations pertinent to fixed-term employment contracts, which took effect on 22 February 2016, as well as the amendment to the National Minimum Wage Act, in place as of 1 January 2017. The legal-dogmatic analysis has demonstrated that an explicit conclusion with regard to the flexibility of the parties involved in an employment relationship in setting out certain elements of the employment contract is impossible to reach. For some components, the leeway is greater (e.g. the nature of the work, the location of the workplace), while for other elements, it is more restricted (e.g. the type of contract, compensation for work). Also, the sources of such restrictions are dissimilar – Labour Law regulations, provisions within other primary and secondary legislation, provisions of collective labour agreements and other collective agreements, or, finally, the very nature of the employment relationship.W opracowaniu dokonano analizy regulacji odnoszących się do treści umowy o pracę. Podjęte rozważania dotyczą rodzaju umowy, daty jej zawarcia, terminu rozpoczęcia pracy, rodzaju pracy i miejsca jej wykonywania, wynagrodzenia za pracę, wymiaru czasu pracy, należności z tytułu podróży służbowych oraz szczegółowych regulacji odnoszących się do czasu pracy. Celem przeprowadzonych badań było rozstrzygnięcie, czy strony umowy o pracę cieszą się elastycznością w kształtowaniu powyższych elementów w umowie o pracę, czy też ich swoboda w tym zakresie jest w dużej mierze ograniczona. Artykuł uwzględnia nowelizację przepisów kodeksu pracy dotyczącą terminowych umów o pracę, która weszła w życie dnia 22 lutego 2016 r., a także znowelizowaną ustawę o minimalnym wynagrodzeniu za pracę w brzmieniu obowiązującym od dnia 1 stycznia 2017 r. Przeprowadzona analiza dogmatyczno-prawna wykazała, że jednoznaczna konkluzja dotycząca elastyczności stron stosunku pracy w kształtowaniu elementów treści umowy o pracę nie jest możliwa. W przypadku niektórych składników jest ona większa (np. rodzaju pracy, miejsca wykonywania pracy), w przypadku innych elementów ograniczenia są dalej idące (np. rodzaju umowy, wynagrodzenia za pracę). Odmienne są również źródła tych ograniczeń – przepisy kodeksu pracy, przepisy innych ustaw i aktów wykonawczych, postanowienia zakładowych źródeł prawa pracy czy wreszcie istota stosunku pracy