Filling transition for a wedge

We study the formation and the shape of a liquid meniscus in a wedge with opening angle $2\phi$ which is exposed to a vapor phase. By applying a suitable effective interface model, at liquid-vapor coexistence and at a temperature $T_{\phi}$ we find a filling transition at which the height of the meniscus becomes macroscopically large while the planar walls of the wedge far away from its center remain nonwet up to the wetting transition occurring at $T_w>T_{\phi}$. Depending on the fluid and the substrate potential the filling transition can be either continuous or discontinuous. In the latter case it is accompanied by a prefilling line extending into the vapor phase of the bulk phase diagram and describing a transition from a small to a large, but finite, meniscus height. The filling and the prefilling transitions correspond to nonanalyticities in the surface and line contributions to the free energy of the fluid, respectively.Comment: 48 pages (RevTex), 14 figures (ps), submitted to PR

Adsorption on a periodically corrugated substrate

Mean field analysis of the effective interfacial Hamiltonian shows that with increasing temperature the adsorption on a periodically corrugated substrate can proceed in two steps: first, there is the filling transition in which the depressions of the substrate become partially or completely filled; then there is the wetting transition at which the substrate as a whole becomes covered with a macroscopically thick wetting layer. The actual order and location of both transitions are related to the wetting properties of the corresponding planar substrate and to the form of corrugation. Certain morphological properties of the liquid-vapor interface in the case of a saw-like corrugated substrate are discussed analyticallyComment: 20 pages, 9 Postscript figure

The problem of uniqueness in the reduced description of adsorption on the wedge-shaped substrate

In the reduced one-dimensional description of the adsorption on the wedge-shaped substrate the mid-point interface height serves as the order parameter. We point at the ambiguity which appears in the transfer-matrix approach to this problem. We also propose how to avoid this problem by introducing the appropriate order parameter.Comment: 7 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses psfrag.sty; double reference remove

Impact of meteorological and field conditions on air pollutants spreading from municipal waste landfills

The paper presents the influence of meteorological and local terrain conditions for the possibility of the spread of pollutants in ambient air from the surface sources of pollution e.g. landfills. The spread of pollutants in ambient air, in the form of so-called “cloud of pollution” can reach a few hundred meters from the landfill. Many years of observation and research in the areas covered by the authors waste disposal indicates that the essential elements affect the behavior of a cloud of pollutants over the area of the landfill are: degree of vertical air stability, wind direction and speed and nature of air turbulence, precipitation, and shape and type of land cover. All these factors should be taken into account when assessing the site in terms of its suitability for the prospective location of the landfill as well as adequate security at the design stage anti-migration

Radioactive wastes neutralization and environment protection methods

The problem of radioactive wastes concerns all developed countries in which nuclear energy has become common in practically all spheres of life and economy. Radioactive wastes require special treatment connected with their processing, transport and temporary and permanent storage in surface and underground stockpiles in chosen rock outcroppings. The paper presents types of radioactive wastes formed in Poland, criteria of their division and classification, methods of neutralization and utilization. Systems of barriers for radioactive wastes stockpiles protecting the environment are presented, especially conditions resulting from geological structure and soil properties, which form a natural protective barrier

Complete Wetting of Pits and Grooves

For one-component volatile fluids governed by dispersion forces an effective interface Hamiltonian, derived from a microscopic density functional theory, is used to study complete wetting of geometrically structured substrates. Also the long range of substrate potentials is explicitly taken into account. Four types of geometrical patterns are considered: (i) one-dimensional periodic arrays of rectangular or parabolic grooves and (ii) two-dimensional lattices of cylindrical or parabolic pits. We present numerical evidence that at the centers of the cavity regions the thicknesses of the adsorbed films obey precisely the same geometrical covariance relation, which has been recently reported for complete cone and wedge filling. However, this covariance does not hold for the laterally averaged wetting film thicknesses. For sufficiently deep cavities with vertical walls and close to liquid-gas phase coexistence in the bulk, the film thicknesses exhibit an effective planar scaling regime, which as function of undersaturation is characterized by a power law with the common critical exponent -1/3 as for a flat substrate, but with the amplitude depending on the geometrical features.Comment: 12 page

Interfacial fluctuations near the critical filling transition

We propose a method to describe the short-distance behavior of an interface fluctuating in the presence of the wedge-shaped substrate near the critical filling transition. Two different length scales determined by the average height of the interface at the wedge center can be identified. On one length scale the one-dimensional approximation of Parry et al. \cite{Parry} which allows to find the interfacial critical exponents is extracted from the full description. On the other scale the short-distance fluctuations are analyzed by the mean-field theory.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Exploring the Potential of Lactoferrin in Neonatology and Obstetrics - Promising Advancements for Maternal and Infant Health

Introduction and purpose: Lactoferrin (Lf), a glycoprotein found in body fluids, plays a key role in many of the biological mechanisms that occur in the human body. Over the years, more and more studies have contributed to the expansion of the clinical applications of lactoferrin. In this article, we want to focus on using lactoferrin in Neonatology and Obstetrics. The applications of lactoferrin in obstetrics continue to expand, some of which include the prevention of preterm delivery (PTD) and anaemia in pregnant women. Lf also helps to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in newborns by mobilising the immune system and participating in the defence against pathogens and has been under investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for genital infections. The aim of this review is to summarise the current state of knowledge, regarding lactoferrin's broad spectrum of action and to highlight its potential therapeutic applications in these contexts.   State of knowledge: This article aims to review the current knowledge on the properties of the lactoferrin and its applications in medicine, especially neonatology and obstetrics. Studies available in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases were included in the analysis.   Conclusion: While lactoferrin shows promise in improving neonatal and maternal health, additional research is required to fully understand its precise mechanisms of action and optimise its use as a therapeutic agent. There is also a need for further studies to assess the safety and efficacy of lactoferrin in a variety of patient populations. Despite the challenges, lactoferrin continues to be an intriguing subject of scientific research, with potential therapeutic benefits in various medical fields

Unveiling the power of diet and lifestyle in managing Crohn’s disease

Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the digestive tract. Onset, progression, complications and treatment are influenced by many genetic, environmental and dietary factors. Dietary management is very useful in a variety of gastrointestinal diseases, including CD. Some nutrients have been studied in animal models to exacerbate the disease, while others have strong scientific evidence from large studies in human populations, allowing conclusions to be drawn about their impact on the disease. Dietary management is now a well-established and important part of treatment, in addition to the use of systemic corticosteroids, aminosalicylates, immunomodulators (e.g. azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, cyclosporine, tacrolimus) or biologic therapies. State of knowledge: To test the associations between the intake of specific macronutrients and the course of CD, we searched the PubMed database focusing on articles about the effects of consumed food components and stimulants on the onset and progression of CD. Conclusion: Nutritional treatment plays an important role in the management of CD. An appropriate diet can make a significant contribution to reducing inflammation and attenuating the course and exacerbations of the disease. The intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and certain food additives has been shown in studies to influence the onset and course of CD