DYNAMICS OF THE REAL ESTATE PRICES IN THE LIGHT OF THE CATASTROPHE THEORY

The paper describes application of catastrophe theory for analysis of trends of real estate prices inPoznan. It turns out that the evolution of the real estate market is comprised of two main processes: long-term evolution in the area of a non-degenerate stability and discontinuous, rapid changes in the area of a degenerate stability. In the macro scale, the construction and developing branch contributes largely to the Gross Domestic Product affecting overall economic environment. In the micro scale, however, the knowledge about future price trends may help to decide whether or not to buy or sell the house property

Surface investigations of ZnBeMnSe mixed crystals by means of the piezoelectric spectroscopy and the AFM technique

Piezoelectric photoacoustic spectroscopy with a piezoelectric detection has been used for measurements of the amplitude and phase spectra of Zn1-x-yBexMnySe mixed semiconductors. The investigated crystals were grown from the melt by the modified high pressure Bridgman method under the argon overpressure. The preliminary study of the sample’s surface of the investigated crystals was carried out using the AFM technique. The influence of a different surface treatment on the amplitude and phase piezoelectric spectra as well as on AFM images is presented and analyzed. The correlations between these two techniques have been found and are discussed. Piezoelectric (PZE) spectra were analyzed using an extended and modified Jackson-Amer theory

Similarities in Time-Series of Housing Prices on Local Markets in Poland

This study examined similarities between local real estate markets in Poland from 2006 - 2013 by analyzing changes in housing prices. The analyses covered five cities - all of which are major centers of their regions: Warsaw (Mazovia - the center of Poland), Bialystok (Podlasie - the east of Poland), Cracow (Malopolska - the south of Poland), Poznan (Wielkopolska - the west of Poland) and Gdansk (Pomerania - the north of Poland)

CXC ELR-Positive Chemokines as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Breast Cancer Patients

As the most common type of malignant lesison, breast cancer is a leading challenge for clinicians. Currently, diagnosis is based on self-examination and imaging studies that require confirmation by tissue biopsy. However, there are no easily accessible diagnostic tools that can serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers for breast cancer patients. One of the possible candidates for such markers is a group of chemokines that are closely implicated in each stage of tumorigenesis. Many researchers have noted the potential of this molecule group to become tumor markers and have tried to establish their clinical utility. In this work, we summarize the results obtained by scientists on the usefulness of the ELR-positive CXC group of chemokines in ancillary diagnosis of breast cancer

Zastosowanie mikroskopii sił atomowych i analizy fraktalnej do badania wpływu temperatury na topografię powierzchni materiałów polimerowych

Changes in the surface topography of polymeric materials can be analyzed to find the correspondence between observed surface features and specific external factors that might also influence physical and functional properties of the investigated material. In this work, atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were carried out to investigate the thermal changes in the surface topography as well as in the inner structure of the low density polyethylene (LDPE) samples subjected to 10 recirculations (rLDPE). For better assessment, fractal analysis and AFM results were additionally compared to DSC tests results.Analiza zmian topografii powierzchni materiałów polimerowych pozwala wyznaczyć zależności między obserwowanymi cechami powierzchni a określonymi czynnikami zewnętrznymi, które mogą wpływać na właściwości fizyczne i funkcjonalne badanego materiału. W niniejszej pracy metodą mikroskopii sił atomowych (AFM) oceniano zmiany termiczne topografii powierzchni, a także wewnętrznej struktury próbek polietylenu małej gęstości (LDPE) poddanych 10-krotnej recyrkulacji (rLDPE). Wyniki AFM i analizy fraktalnej porównywano z wynikami badań metodą różnicowej kalorymetrii skaningowej (DSC)

Analysis of the Surface Microtexture of Sputtered Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films

The present research work involves the study of the 3-D surface microtexture of sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) prepared on glass substrates by DC magnetron at room temperature. The samples were annealed at 450°C in air and were distributed into five groups, dependent on ambient combinations applied, as follows: I group, using argon (Ar); II group, using argon with oxygen (Ar+O2); III group, using argon with oxygen and nitrogen (Ar+O2+N2); IV group, using argon with oxygen and hydrogen (Ar+O2+H2); and V group, using argon with oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen (Ar+O2+N2+H2). The characterization of the ITO thin film surface microtexture was carried out by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images were stereometrically quantitatively analyzed to obtain statistical parameters, by ISO 25178-2: 2012 and ASME B46.1-2009. The results have shown that the 3-D surface microtexture parameters change in accordance with different fabrication ambient combinations

AFM Measurements and Testing Properties of HDPE and PBT Composites with Fillers in the Form of Montmorillonite and Aluminum Hydroxide

This paper presents the effect of the addition of fillers such as aluminum hydroxide or montmorillonite on the structure and properties of polymers such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Both types of specimens were obtained by injection molding. X-ray diffraction examinations were performed on the materials obtained to determine the effect of the addition of the fillers used on the degree of crystallinity of the composites. The density and hardness of the composites were evaluated, and the static tensile test and the analysis of the structure parameters using atomic force microscopy (AFM) were also carried out. It was shown that the addition of powder fillers to polymers such as high-density polyethylene and polybutylene terephthalate affects the structure parameters such as surface roughness, mean grain size, anisotropy ratio, fractal dimension, the corner frequency of the composites, and mechanical properties such as Young’s pseudo-modulus, average adhesion force, hardness, and tensile strength

Assessment of Masticatory Muscle Function in Patients with Bilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate and Posterior Crossbite by means of Electromyography

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the electrical activity of the masticatory muscles in children with a bilateral complete cleft lip and palate (BCCLP) and posterior crossbite as well as in noncleft subjects with no malocclusion. Another purpose of the study was to examine the possible factors associated with this muscle activity. Methods. The study included 52 children with mixed dentition and Class I occlusions (20 patients with nonsyndromic BCCLP and 32 subjects with no clefts). All the cleft patients had posterior crossbite. The surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to identify the electrical potentials of the temporalis and masseter muscles. The electromyographical (EMG) recordings were taken with a DAB-Bluetooth Instrument (zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) at rest and during maximum voluntary clenching (MVC). The relationships between muscle EMG activity and independent variables were identified through multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results. The EMG activity of the temporalis muscles at rest was significantly higher in BCCLP patients with malocclusion in comparison with the noncleft subjects with normal occlusion. During MVC, significantly lower electrical potentials of the temporalis and masseter muscles were observed in cleft patients compared to the noncleft group. The presence of BCCLP, unilateral posterior crossbites, increased vertical overlap, and increased overjet are factors strongly associated with higher temporalis muscle EMG activity at rest. Conclusion. The use of surface electromyography in imaging muscle function showed that children with BCCLP and posterior crossbite exhibited altered masticatory muscle potentials at rest and during clenching. The presence of unilateral posterior crossbites, increased vertical overlap, and increased overjet had a significant impact on temporalis muscle activity in cleft patients. This knowledge is important in the aspect of early and proper diagnosis and orthodontic treatment of malocclusions, thereby achieving correct occlusion and improvement in muscle function