Osmotic Properties of Polysaccharides Solutions

Osmotic properties of polysaccharides’ solutions and associated biopolymer-solvent and biopolymer-biopolymer type interaction are very important from a technological point of view. The knowledge of osmotic properties of these systems provides the basis to appropriate use of polysaccharides having comply with the relevant technology functions, impart the appropriate texture and forming the sensory properties of the final product. Furthermore, an important issue is the effect of time on the osmotic properties of polysaccharides’, because with time, the aforementioned effects may change. Membrane osmometry is one of the methods used in the studies of synthetic polymers to determine their average molecular mass and the degree of interaction between a polymer and a solvent. This method is successfully applied in the case of biopolymers that include polysaccharides. The existence of the osmotic pressure, formed by diffusion of solvent molecules through a semi-permeable membrane, is the basis of this method. Analysis and interpretation of osmometric research results is based on the van’t Hoff equation dependency of the concentration. The second virial coefficient obtained based on this relation allows characterisation of biopolymer-solvent interactions, and thus biopolymer tendency to solvation. The third virial coefficient provides information on mutual interactions between the biopolymer molecules, as well as its tendency to aggregate

Surveillance capitalism and privacy. Knowledge and attitudes on surveillance capitalism and online institutional privacy protection practices among adolescents in Poland

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes towards surveillance capitalism and online institutional privacy protection practices among adolescents in Poland (aged 18–19), as well as to determine the relationships between these variables. Surveillance capitalism has emerged as a result of internet users’ activities and involves the collection of all data about these users by different entities for specific benefits without letting them know about it. The dominant role in surveillance capitalism is played by hi-tech corporations. The aim of the study was to verify whether knowledge, and what kind of knowledge, on surveillance capitalism translates into practices related to the protection of online institutional privacy. The study was conducted on a sample of 177 adolescents in Poland. The main part of the questionnaire consisted of two scales: the scale of knowledge and attitudes on surveillance capitalism, and the scale of online institutional privacy protection practices. The results of the study, calculated by statistical methods, showed that although the majority of respondents had average knowledge and attitudes about surveillance capitalism, which may result from insufficient knowledge of the subject matter, this participation in specialized activities/workshops influences the level of intensification of online institutional privacy protection practices

Versatile, open-access opto-mechanics platform for optical microscopes prototyping

Prototype optical microscopes, built to pursue developments in advanced imaging techniques, need specific optomechanical constructions: preferably with high flexibility in the elements arrangement, easy access to the optical paths, straightforward integration with external optical subsystems - light sources and detectors - as well as good mechanical stability. Typically they are either built around an adapted commercial microscope body or as a home-built setup, based on standard optomechanical elements, and neither solution delivers the desired characteristics. We developed a series of versatile platforms for prototyping optical microscopes in various configurations that use folding mirror(s) to maintain the optical paths horizontal throughout most of the setup, thus enabling the use of standard optical components in the excitation and detection paths and, last but not least, increasing the laser safety of the optical system.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Nowa nadzieja czy kolejne zagrożenie? Alternatywne ruchy religijne z punktu widzenia socjologii.

The author in this article citing the sociology classics statements regarded, that sociologists forming the nature of the alternative religion movements often go beyond the frames their domains. In this way they have forgotten about the very essential fact. In the social science some generalizations can be shown only if we accept the assumptions with the philosophical character. This silently accepted by sociologists assumption is a belief that the analysis of the social, political and economic circumstances is enough to understand the phenomenon of the alternative religion movement. But even the most accurate description of the social factors do not allow on the explanation entirely this phenomenon. First there are shaped some ideas, later there is created a group of people, who wants realized them in practice. Meanwhile according to the sociological view this process should proceed in the opposite direction. The analysis of the sociological research methods of the religion movement shows that researches carried out by the sociologists cannot give the full picture of this phenomenon unless we appeal to the philosophical religion analysis

The Need and Opportunities for Philosophical Studies on Religions and Religious Movements

Today, academic studies on religions are dominated by sociology, the science of religion, and the history of religion. Not many researchers are philosophers. One can therefore say that philosophy is on the periphery of those studies. However, to understand religions, even the most precise descriptions of particular communities, their functioning, and their impact on individuals and society, are not enough. In order to learn why people join them, it is also necessary to examine their doctrines. Although theologians have long studied them, their research has met with serious accusations: theology was deemed unscientific, and theologians – not impartial. On the other hand, a philosopher can study religious doctrines without fear of such charges, as philosophy limits itself to rational considerations, does not refer to revealed truths, and does not proclaim any concept of salvation. In this text, I show what results the philosophical research of religious doctrines leads to, taking as an example doctrines of religious movements, which – in the opinion of their creators – constitute an alternative to Christianity. With the help of philosophy, the criteria for distinguishing religion/Christianity from a religious movement can be narrowed down to the inconsistencies in the doctrines of these movements and their general, irrational nature. This can be verified by pointing out serious errors, which are mostly the result of the founders’ own interpretation of biblical texts

Comparative Study on Multiway Enhanced Bio- and Phytoremediation of Aged Petroleum-Contaminated Soil

Bioremediation and phytoremediation of soil polluted with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) are an e ective and eco-friendly alternative to physicochemical methods of soil decontamination. These techniques can be supported by the addition of e ective strains and/or surface-active compounds. However, to obtain maximum e cacy of bioremediation, the interactions that occur between the microorganisms, enhancement factors and plants need to be studied. Our study aimed to investigate the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons from an aged and highly polluted soil (hydrocarbon content about 2.5%) using multiway enhanced bio- and phytoremediation. For this purpose, 10 enhanced experimental groups were compared to two untreated controls. Among the enhanced experimental groups, the bio- and phytoremediation processes were supported by the endophytic strain Rhodococcus erythropolis CDEL254. This bacterial strain has several plant growth-promoting traits and can degrade petroleum hydrocarbons and produce biosurfactants. Additionally, a rhamnolipid solution produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was used to support the total petroleum hydrocarbon loss from soil. After 112 days of incubation, the highest PH removal (31.1%) was observed in soil planted with ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Pearlgreen) treated with living cells of the CDEL254 strain and rhamnolipid solution. For non-planted experimental groups, the highest PH loss (26.1%) was detected for soil treated with heat-inactivated CDEL254 cells and a rhamnolipid solution. In general, the di erences in the e cacy of the 10 experimental groups supported by plants, live/dead cells of the strain tested and rhamnolipid were not statistically significant. However, each of these groups was significantly more e ective than the appropriate control groups. The PH loss in untreated (natural attenuation) and soils that underwent phytoremediation reached a value of 14.2% and 17.4%, respectively. Even though the CDEL254 strain colonized plant tissues and showed high survival in soil, its introduction did not significantly increase PH loss compared to systems treated with dead biomass. These results indicate that the development of e ective biological techniques requires a customized approach to the polluted site and e ective optimization of the methods used

Dlaczego nowa duchowość nie może być realną alternatywą dla tradycyjnej religii?

The article is written from the point of view of realistic (classical) philosophy as proposed and developed in the Lublin Philosophical School. First, I distinguish three forms of spirituality we can see in contemporary culture of Europe. Next I present the crucial differences between the new spirituality and traditional religion (that is – in our culture – Christianity). The most important source of the differences between Christianity and new spirituality is the fact that Christianity is a complex of internal and external actions by which a man worships God, whereas new spirituality does not refer to any transcendent reality, and is not a way of expressing a man’s faith, but only provides experiences brightening up the human life. This is the reason why no form of new spirituality can replace the Christian religion.Artykuł pisany jest z punktu widzenia filozofii religii rozwijanej przez Lubelską Szkołę Filozoficzną. W tekście wyróżniam i charakteryzuję trzy dominujące we współczesnej kulturze formy duchowości. Prezentuję też argumenty za tezą o zasadniczej odmienności nowej duchowości i tradycyjnej religii (czyli – w naszej kulturze – chrześcijaństwa). Najważniejszą przyczyną różnic między nimi jest fakt, że podstawę religii stanowi otwarcie człowieka na Boga, a jej praktykowanie jest sposobem wyrażania wiary. Natomiast nowa duchowość proponuje współczesnemu człowiekowi indywidualne poszukiwania, których celem ma być odkrywanie technik pozwalających na doświadczanie przeżyć uprzyjemniających i wzbogacających jego duchowe życie. Tak zasadnicza odmienność powoduje, że żadna z form rozwijanej współcześnie nowej duchowości nie jest w stanie stać się realną alternatywą dla chrześcijaństwa

Investigation and development of transient thermography for detection of disbonds in thermal barrier coating systems

This thesis has explored the use of transient thermography for the detection of disbonds of minimum diameter 2mm located in a thermal barrier coating (TBC) system whose surface may be unpainted. The technique, the type/size of the defect and also the condition of the TBC system for the inspection has been specified by Alstom Power Switzerland, the sponsor of the EngD project. As for other Non Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques, reference test specimens are required for calibration, but unfortunately, real disbonds are very difficult to use because it is difficult to control their size, and larger ones tend to spall. Flat bottomed holes are commonly used, but these over-estimate the thermal contrast obtained for a defect of a given diameter. The thesis quantifies the differences in thermal response using finite element analysis validated by experiments, and proposes a form of artificial disbond that gives a better representation of the thermal responses seen with real defects. Real disbonds tend to have a non-uniform gap between the disbonded surfaces across the defect, and the effect of this on the thermal response is evaluated using finite element simulations. It is shown that the effect can be compensated for by adjusting the diameter of the calibration defect compared to the real defect. Surfaces of inspected specimens are usually covered by a black, energy absorbing paint before the transient thermography test is carried out. Unfortunately, this practice is not acceptable to some turbine blade manufacturers (including the project sponsor) since thermal barrier coatings are porous so the paint is difficult to remove. Unpainted TBC surfaces have very low emissivity, and after period of service their colour changes unevenly and with which also absorptivity and emissivity changes. The low emissivity gives low signal levels and also problems with reflections of the incident heat pulse, while the variation in emissivity over the surface gives strong variation in the contrast obtained even in the absence of defects. The thesis has investigated the effects of uneven discolouration of the surface and of Infra Red (IR) translucency on the thermal responses observed by using mid and long wavelength IR cameras. It has been shown that unpainted blades can be tested satisfactorily by using a more powerful flash heating system assembled with an IR glass filter and a long wavelength IR camera. The problem of uneven surface emissivity can be overcome by applying of the 2nd time derivative processing of the log-log surface cooling curves