Computational Studies of the Impulse Plasma Deposition Method

During the Impulse Plasma Deposition (IPD), plasma is generated in the working gas due to a high-voltage high-current discharge ignited within an inter-electrode region of a coaxial accelerator. The paper presents computational studies of working medium dynamics during the IPD discharge. The plasma has been investigated with a two-dimensional mono-fluidic snow plow model and a two-dimensional two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic code

Reliability of MIS transistors with plasma deposited Al2O3 gate dielectric film, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2001, nr 1

The paper presents the parameters of MIS transistors with plasma deposited thin film aluminum oxide gate insulator. Al2O3 films were synthesized by means of the lowenergy, low-temperature reactive pulse plasma (RPP) method. Investigated transistors, with channel width to length (W/L) ratios of 200/10 [mm/mm] and 200/20 [mm/mm] were manufactured in a standard microelectronic technological laboratory. In order to determine the most important parameters of produced devices there were measured their electrical characteristics. The distribution of the threshold voltage values was studied on a representative set of over two hundred structures

Dietary supplements in the sport

In recent years, the popularity of dietary supplements among athletes has surged, often aimed at enhancing sports performance and improving training outcomes. However, along with this popularity comes an increasing risk of using substances classified as doping in sports. This article examines the current state of knowledge regarding dietary supplements used by athletes, considering the potential risk of violating anti-doping regulations. The article discuss popular ingredients such creatine, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids and others

Use of horse riding in chronic pain therapy

Introduction and purpose: Chronic pain is a struggle itself and also a symptom in many common conditions. Its complexity requires diverse treatment methods including some that might seem unconventional, for example, horse riding. This study gathers information about the use of equine assisted therapy in pain relief. Brief description of the state of knowledge: Hippotherapy is known as an important part of care for patients with cerebral palsy, attention deficit and autism. The rhythmical, multidimensional movements of the horse are transmitted to the rider’s pelvis and help in strengthening and stretching the muscles which result in better posture stabilization and balance. The positive effects of equine assisted therapy are not limited to only physical ones but positive social, cognitive and psychological effects can be observed as well. In order to lower the cost and time of the therapy, horse riding simulators were invented. So far, horse riding has been tested as a pain relief tool in entities like nonspecific low back pain, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Summary: Horse riding sessions had beneficial effects on pain levels among patients with nonspecific back pain and arthritis. There is a need to conduct further research in order to properly compare the use of real horses versus horse simulators. Hippotherapy was well perceived by different patient groups so maybe it has the potential to be an important part of pain management in various conditions

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome - review of pathophysiology, clinical presentation, differentiation and management

Introduction and purpose: The number of invented and produced medications has increased over recent years. Besides their positive impact on health, they invariably provide various kinds of side effects. This review is focused on malignant neuroleptic syndrome, a rare condition with no fully confirmed pathogenesis, which at least partially can be explained as an adverse effect of blocking dopamine receptors. Even though it usually affects psychiatric or neurological patients, doctors of all medical specializations should stay alert, as the condition can often lead to premature death. Brief description of knowledge: The main symptoms associated with NMS are hypertonia, hyperpyrexia, autonomic instability and altered consciousness. They can appear in any configuration, sometimes followed by less characteristic manifestations. It should be primarily differentiated from serotonin syndrome, malignant hyperpyrexia and catatonia, mostly through the interview of those who have taken medications and undergone surgeries, as there are not any specific lab tests available. Fundamental treatment methods consist of neuroleptic withdrawal, intensive supportive care, drug administration and eventually ECT.  Summary: NMS is an uncommon, severe disease that should be carefully considered in patients treated with neuroleptics. Due to its rarity and sudden onset, it appears to be problematic to conduct widespread research and studies, so there are still no concrete, consistent and unquestioned guidelines on recognizing and treating the condition.&nbsp

Deficiency of thiamine and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome – review of pathophysiology, clinical presentation , diagnostics and treatment

Introduction and aim of the study: Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamine, which bioactive form is necessary for energy metabolism in all cells. Deficiency of thiamine may be caused by malnutrition, alcoholism and certain diseases and it leads to an acute neuropsychiatric disorder called Wernicke encephalopathy. Untreated patients can develop a residual syndrome called Korsakoff syndrome. The aim of our study is to present current knowledge of history, pathophysiology, causes, symptoms and treatment of vitamine B1 depletion and Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome. Material and methods: Our review is based on the analysis of materials collected in „Pubmed”, „Google Scholar” and other scientific articles using keywords: „thiamine”, „thiamine deficiency”, „Wernicke encephalopathy”, „Korsakoff syndrome”. Conclusions: Despite numerous studies, Wernicke encephalopathy is still difficult to diagnose. Attention should be paid to the possibility of vitamin B1 deficiency in people who are at risk of it like alcoholics, malnourished or psychiatric patients. Wernicke encephalopathy is an acute neuropsychiatric disorder so the treatment should be started as soon as possible to reduce the risk of developing Korsakoff syndrome.

Optimization of gas injection conditions during deposition of AlN layers by novel reactive GIMS method

In 2011, we proposed a novel magnetron sputtering method. It involved the use of pulsed injection of working gas for the initiation and control of gas discharge during reactive sputtering of an AlN layer (Gas Injection Magnetron Sputtering – GIMS). Unfortunately, the presence of Al–Al bonds was found in XPS spectra of the AlN layers deposited by GIMS onto Si substrate. Our studies reported in this paper proved that the synchronization of time duration of the pulses of both gas injection and applied voltage, resulted in the elimination of Al–Al bonds in the AlN layer material, which was confirmed by the XPS studies. In our opinion the most probable reason of Al–Al bonds in the AlN layers deposited by the GIMS was the self-sputtering of the Al target in the final stage of the pulsed discharge

Multi-component low and high entropy metallic coatings synthesized by pulsed magnetron sputtering

This paper presents the findings of the synthesis of multicomponent (Al, W, Ni, Ti, Nb) alloy coatings from mosaic targets. For the study, a pulsed magnetron sputtering method was employed under different plasma generation conditions: modulation frequency (10 Hz and 1000 Hz), and power (600 W and 1000 W). The processes achieved two types of alloy coatings, high entropy and classical alloys. After the deposition processes, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques were employed to find the morphology, thickness, and chemical and phase compositions of the coatings. Nanohardness and its related parameters, namely H3.Er2, H.E, and 1.Er2H ratios, were measured. An annealing treatment was performed to estimate the stability range for the selected coatings. The results indicated the formation of as-deposited coatings exhibiting an amorphous structure as a single-phase solid solution. The process parameters had an influence on the resulting morphology-a dense and homogenous as well as a columnar morphology, was obtained. The study compared the properties of high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings and classical alloy coatings concerning their structure and chemical and phase composition. It was found that the change of frequency modulation and the post-annealing process contributed to the increase in the hardness of the material in the case of HEA coatings