The role of city’s greens in the city of future - the example of the city of Łódź Blue-Green Network

In 2005 eight cities all over the world, including the City of Łódź, agreed on cooperation within the framework of FP6 project SWITCH - Managing Water for the City of the Future (www.switchurbanwater.eu). In each of them the platform of stakeholders - Learning Alliance - has been asked to define the goal and strategies for efficient environmental management to be reached in next years. The goal was to correspond with the general project SWITCH target - change of paradigm for the water management in the cities, towards: adjustability to global change pressures, considering interventions over the entire urban water cycle/chain, greening of the city for better support of ecosystem services, improvement of health of nature and inhabitants and generating of new mechanisms for cities economic development. The issue identified as a major challenge by the Łódź Learning Alliance was efficient use of rain water as a key for improvement of the quality of life and revitalization of the city. At the level of spatial planning, the city target 2038 has been translated into the concept of the Blue-Green Network - setting a self-sustaining system of connected green areas inside and around the city using the river system as a backbone.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Nuo raketų, šaunamųjų ginklų ir su jais susijusių objektų paimti biologiniai pėdsakai DNR šaltinis asmens identifikacijai

This article is based on the data obtained through the implementation of the research task entitled “Selection of forensic methods for individual identification of thermally degraded traces remaining in a minimal amount on a weapon or a projectile” financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland. The research conducted as part of the experiments was aimed at proving what are the practical possibilities of genetic identification of a human on the basis of biological traces secured from a shot projectile and from the assignment of various examples of firearms from which the shot was fired. These studies allowed for the selection of methods related to the acquisition and analysis of DNA as a source for establishing the identity of unknown people, whose material was thermally changed and was subject to other degradation factors. They constitute a preliminary report, but allow us to assume that the further continuation of the analyzes will significantly expand the knowledge in this field. The assumption of the research task was to introduce a greater number of weapons and many various obstacles on the flight path of the fired missile, but due to some difficulties, the research experiments were not extended, which significantly limited the possibility of obtaining a greater amount of information that could be used in practice during forensic examination. Nevertheless, the findings made optimistic about the prospect of continuing the analyzes, and with them, expanding knowledge in the area in question. After all, more and more perfect methods of securing biological traces occurring in subanalytical quantities (LCN), degraded in various ways, exposed to many unfavorable environmental and weather factors, coming from hard-to-reach and polluted surfaces, provide a great chance to learn and solve the hitherto unexplained issues. This, the use of highly developed trace concentration techniques and the introduction of more and more modern research genetically identifying material of human origin and facilitating other, not less important, determinations

Polymorphisms in transcription factor binding sites and enhancer regions and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma risk

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are a powerful tool for detecting variants associated with complex traits and can help risk stratification and prevention strategies against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the strict significance threshold commonly used makes it likely that many true risk loci are missed. Functional annotation of GWAS polymorphisms is a proven strategy to identify additional risk loci. We aimed to investigate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in regulatory regions [transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) and enhancers] that could change the expression profile of multiple genes they act upon and thereby modify PDAC risk. We analyzed a total of 12,636 PDAC cases and 43,443 controls from PanScan/PanC4 and the East Asian GWAS (discovery populations), and the PANDoRA consortium (replication population). We identified four associations that reached study-wide statistical significance in the overall meta-analysis: rs2472632(A) (enhancer variant, OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.06,1.13, p = 5.5 × 10−8), rs17358295(G) (enhancer variant, OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.10,1.22, p = 6.1 × 10−7), rs2232079(T) (TFBS variant, OR 0.88, 95%CI 0.83,0.93, p = 6.4 × 10−6) and rs10025845(A) (TFBS variant, OR 1.88, 95%CI 1.50,1.12, p = 1.32 × 10−5). The SNP with the most significant association, rs2472632, is located in an enhancer predicted to target the coiled-coil domain containing 34 oncogene. Our results provide new insights into genetic risk factors for PDAC by a focused analysis of polymorphisms in regulatory regions and demonstrating the usefulness of functional prioritization to identify loci associated with PDAC risk.</p

Polymorphisms in transcription factor binding sites and enhancer regions and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma risk

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are a powerful tool for detecting variants associated with complex traits and can help risk stratification and prevention strategies against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the strict significance threshold commonly used makes it likely that many true risk loci are missed. Functional annotation of GWAS polymorphisms is a proven strategy to identify additional risk loci. We aimed to investigate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in regulatory regions [transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) and enhancers] that could change the expression profile of multiple genes they act upon and thereby modify PDAC risk. We analyzed a total of 12,636 PDAC cases and 43,443 controls from PanScan/PanC4 and the East Asian GWAS (discovery populations), and the PANDoRA consortium (replication population). We identified four associations that reached study-wide statistical significance in the overall meta-analysis: rs2472632(A) (enhancer variant, OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.06,1.13, p = 5.5 × 10−8), rs17358295(G) (enhancer variant, OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.10,1.22, p = 6.1 × 10−7), rs2232079(T) (TFBS variant, OR 0.88, 95%CI 0.83,0.93, p = 6.4 × 10−6) and rs10025845(A) (TFBS variant, OR 1.88, 95%CI 1.50,1.12, p = 1.32 × 10−5). The SNP with the most significant association, rs2472632, is located in an enhancer predicted to target the coiled-coil domain containing 34 oncogene. Our results provide new insights into genetic risk factors for PDAC by a focused analysis of polymorphisms in regulatory regions and demonstrating the usefulness of functional prioritization to identify loci associated with PDAC risk.</p

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures

Suicide Death and the Action of Psychoactive Substances on the Body

This report deals with the possible causes of suicidal death, which is often caused by psychoactive substances. It is not about the impact that damages individual human organs, but about the action that causes changes in an individual’s psyche. Drugs that are taken for various reasons for a long time can cause dependence on them, and sometimes they also lead to the appearance of suicidal thoughts. The author, concerned about the situation of the increasing number of suicides in our country within the last two years, decided to write an article. Mainly, it is targeted at people who often do not realize the possibility of addiction to drugs, the so-called afterburners, alcohol or other psychological means of self-destruction. The case described in the article is aimed at making people aware that addictions take place in different environments, and that individuals with well-being can take their own lives for reasons only known to them. In order to prevent, or at least significantly reduce the number of cases associated with the intake of psychoactive substances, which may also contribute to taking one’s own life, preventive measures are necessary. One should make adults (mainly parents) aware of their unconscious impact on the emergence of addictions to toxic agents on both the physical and mental health of emotionally immature juveniles. The young generation may not see alternatives to a distant future, and it is the duty of those who are responsible for them to show them the sense in continuing their existence

Analysis of the Photovoltaic Waste-Recycling Process in Polish Conditions&mdash;A Short Review

The rapid development of the photovoltaic (PV) industry is determined by subsequent legal documents and directives, which indicate the need to use renewable energy sources in order to counteract climate pollution and strive to increase energy efficiency. The development of the photovoltaic industry in the near future will result in an increase in the amount of electrical and electronic waste from used photovoltaic panels. The total installed capacity of photovoltaic sources in Poland at the end of 2019 was almost 1500 MW, and in May 2020, it exceeded 1950 MW, and the weight of the installation was approximately 120,000 tons. The aim of the present work is to present the types of materials used in the construction of photovoltaic panels, with particular emphasis on the possibility of recycling or utilization of individual elements. Additionally, the aim of the work is to describe the most important requirements addressed to the members of the European Union, which were formulated in the provisions of Directive 2012/19/EU. Taking into account the number of photovoltaic panels produced in Poland, the possibility of recycling individual materials from PV assembly was analyzed. The author presents the problem of recycling in the combination of legal and material aspects, which will soon become the share of Poland as a member of the European Union

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ‘in service’ of Internal Security of the State

The study was created thanks to the author’s preferences to learn increasingly more about new technologies that are able to increase the potential of internal security of the state. Recently, interest in recording areas (difficult to access, dangerous, monitored in adverse weather conditions, monitored due to the implementation of tasks by relevant services), the development of methods enabling the transmission of various materials at a distance, and performing other complicated activities have increased. For this purpose, unmanned aerial vehicles (so-called drones, UAVs) that are versatile in many respects are used. The author noticed the need to disseminate such innovative devices on native soil, especially for using them in multidirectional strengthening of the security sphere. Polish companies producing UAVs for many foreign customers have already marked their presence in this matter. The achievements of the designers are so impressive that it makes us appreciate the development of our technical thought, and above all, the use of drones to ensure security and public order in Poland. A series of training courses is already conducted by the Police Academy in Szczytno, which is a good solution both for teachers and, above all, for the trainees themselves. Such an initiative will undoubtedly translate into increased interest in drones, and especially the incredible usefulness of these devices for uniformed services and other entities