16 research outputs found
Obituary — Peter J. Golas (1937-2019)
No full textPeter Golas, historian of Chinese technology best known as the author of the volume on mining in Joseph Needham’s monumental Science and Civilisation in China series, passed away on 21 December 2019
Prawne gwarancje funkcjonowania związków zawodowych rolników indywidualnych w Polsce
No full textThe main purpose of the article is to present legal basis and guarantees of the farmers’ trade unions’ functioning in Poland. The presented research was based on a thorough examination of national legal acts, which constitute both legal background and foundation of farmer’s unions’ activities and internal structure. The author tries to introduce both the individual legal and system guarantees which are dedicated to farmers’ organization and which exact acts shall be considered as the direct legal basis of the guarantees. Having regard to the fact that even the Polish Constitution introduces transparent and direct legal frameworks for functioning of farmers’ trade unions, the author intends to prove that individual farmers’ unions’ operations should be considered as a fundamental and basic feature of the national agricultural system. The presented work should be also considered as thorough examination of legal provisions presented in the Act on individual farmers’ trade unions of 7th April 1989 (Ustawa…, 2015b), which is direct legal basis for functioning guarantees of the agricultural unions. The author shows how the Act is governing such fundamental issues as creation, registration, liquidation or legal operational guarantees of each individual farmers’ trade unions operating under the Act
Landmarks in Planning: Using landmarks as Intermediary Golas or as a Pseudo-Heuristic
No full textAlgorithmic planners occasionally waste effort and thus computing time trying to solve certain tasks, as they often lack the human ability to recognize essential paths. These essential paths, termed landmarks, are vital for optimizing planning processes. This study revisits landmark-based planning methods introduced by Richter, Helmert, and Westphal in their 2008 paper, adapting and implementing them within a different framework, SymbolicPlanners, using the Julia programming language. The primary research question explores the performance of using landmarks as intermediary goals and pseudo-heuristics in the SymbolicPlanner framework. Sub-questions delve into the effectiveness of specific planning strategies, such as A∗ Planner with GoalCount and HAdd heuristics, as well as planners utilizing landmarks. Evaluation over diverse domains reveals that LMLocal and LMLocalSmart outperform the basic GoalCountheuristic and are on par with the HAdd heuristic. LMCount, despite solving fewer instances, exhibits speed improvements over GoalCount in the instances that they both solve. Discussion highlights limitations, such as the non-exhaustive interference check in LMLocalSmart and limiting factors in the SymbolicPlanner framework.CSE3000 Research ProjectComputer Science and Engineerin
Fructose Intake Impairs the Synergistic Vasomotor Manifestation of Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen Sulfide in Rat Aorta
No full textIn this study, we evaluated the effect of eight weeks of administration of 10% fructose solution to adult Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats on systolic blood pressure (SBP), plasma and biometric parameters, vasoactive properties of the thoracic aorta (TA), NO synthase (NOS) activity, and the expression of enzymes producing NO and H2S. Eight weeks of fructose administration did not affect SBP, glycaemia, or the plasma levels of total cholesterol or low-density and high-density lipoprotein; however, it significantly increased the plasma levels of γ-glutamyl transferase and alanine transaminase. Chronic fructose intake deteriorated endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation (EDVR) and increased the sensitivity of adrenergic receptors to noradrenaline. Acute NOS inhibition evoked a reduction in EDVR that was similar between groups; however, it increased adrenergic contraction more in fructose-fed rats. CSE inhibition decreased EDVR in WKY but not in fructose-fed rats. The application of a H2S scavenger evoked a reduction in the EDVR in WKY rats and normalized the sensitivity of adrenergic receptors in rats treated with fructose. Fructose intake did not change NOS activity but reduced the expression of eNOS and CBS in the TA and CSE and CBS in the left ventricle. Based on our results, we could assume that the impaired vascular function induced by increased fructose intake was probably not directly associated with a decreased production of NO, but rather with impairment of the NO–H2S interaction and its manifestation in vasoactive responses
Vasoactive Effects of Chronic Treatment with Fructose and Slow-Releasing H(2)S Donor GYY-4137 in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: The Role of Nitroso and Sulfide Signalization
No full textIncreased fructose consumption induces metabolic-syndrome-like pathologies and modulates vasoactivity and the participation of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S). We investigated whether a slow-releasing H(2)S donor, GYY-4137, could exert beneficial activity in these conditions. We examined the effect of eight weeks of fructose intake on the blood pressure, biometric parameters, vasoactive responses, and NO and H(2)S pathways in fructose-fed spontaneously hypertensive rats with or without three weeks of GYY-4137 i.p. application. GYY-4137 reduced triacylglycerol levels and blood pressure, but not adiposity, and all were increased by fructose intake. Fructose intake generally enhanced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, decreased adrenergic contraction, and increased protein expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and concentration of conjugated dienes in the left ventricle (LV). Although GYY-4137 administration did not affect vasorelaxant responses, it restored disturbed contractility, LV oxidative damage and decreased protein expression of TNFα in fructose-fed rats. While the participation of endogenous H(2)S in vasoactive responses was not affected by fructose treatment, the expression of H(2)S-producing enzyme cystathionine β-synthase in the LV was increased, and the stimulation of the NO signaling pathway improved endothelial function in the mesenteric artery. On the other hand, chronic treatment with GYY-4137 increased the expression of H(2)S-producing enzyme cystathionine γ-lyase in the LV and stimulated the beneficial pro-relaxant and anti-contractile activity of endogenous H(2)S in thoracic aorta. Our results suggest that sulfide and nitroso signaling pathways could trigger compensatory vasoactive responses in hypertensive rats with metabolic disorder. A slow H(2)S-releasing donor could partially amend metabolic-related changes and trigger beneficial activity of endogenous H(2)S
Soooooo Lazy :In Praise Of Squandering
No full text"It's obviously a question of regarding laziness –or non-productive inactivity– not from an ethical point of view, where it is frowned upon, as in the classical reproach of parents to their children: “Don’t waste your time, make the most of it.” Sooooo Lazy proposes thinking about laziness in the light of economic theory and events we have been through in the last few years, including the recent experience of a pandemic that has forced our system to slow down. By suggesting a storyline that yearns for wasting time instead of using it productively and destroying wealth before accumulating it, the selected pieces propose a criticism of contemporary hyperactivity and introduce hope for a redistribution of resources and time to be able to rethink the norm.To accept squandering as something necessary and propose a different use of our time inherently implies an urgent reduction of work and involves an alternative way of understanding communal life. Our guides in this project have been, on the one hand, Duchamp’s rejection of work; on the other, Russell’s praise of idleness and Lafargue and Malevich’s worship of laziness and, finally, Arendt’s reflections in The Human Condition."Extract from Beatriz Escudero and Francesco Giavery, Soooooo Lazy: In Praise of Squandering, La Caixa Foundation, Palma 2020. ISBN: 978-84-9900-287-3.Works by Ângela Ferreira, Aernout Mik, Ignasi Aballí, Alberto Gil Casedas, Francesc Abad, Sharon Lockhart, Misha Bies Golas, Esther Ferrer, Agustín Parejo School, Constant, Priscila Fernandes, Xavier Ribas, Samuel Labadie, Camila Cañeque, Agnes Martin.Exhibition curated by Beatriz Escudero and Francesco Giaver
The Vasoactive Effect of Perivascular Adipose Tissue and Hydrogen Sulfide in Thoracic Aortas of Normotensive and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
No full textThe objective of this study was to investigate the vasoregulatory role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and its mutual interaction with endogenous and exogenous H2S in the thoracic aorta (TA) of adult normotensive Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). In SHRs, hypertension was associated with cardiac hypertrophy and increased contractility. Regardless of the strain, PVAT revealed an anticontractile effect; however, PVAT worsened endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation. Since H2S produced by both the vascular wall and PVAT had a pro-contractile effect in SHRs, H2S decreased the sensitivity of adrenergic receptors to noradrenaline in Wistar rats. While H2S had no contribution to endothelium-dependent relaxation in Wistar rats, in SHRs, H2S produced by the vascular wall had a pro-relaxant effect. We observed a larger vasorelaxation induced by exogenous H2S donor in SHRs than in Wistar rats. Additionally, in the presence of PVAT, this effect was potentiated. We demonstrated that PVAT of the TA aggravated endothelial function in SHRs. However, H2S produced by the TA vascular wall had a pro-relaxation effect, and PVAT revealed anti-contractile activity mediated by the release of an unknown factor and potentiated the vasorelaxation induced by exogenous H2S. All these actions could represent a form of compensatory mechanism to balance impaired vascular tone regulation
The Possible Role of the Nitroso-Sulfide Signaling Pathway in the Vasomotoric Effect of Garlic Juice
No full textThe beneficial cardiovascular effects of garlic have been reported in numerous studies. The major bioactive properties of garlic are related to organic sulfides. This study aimed to investigate whether garlic juice works exclusively due to its sulfur compounds or rather via the formation of new products of the nitroso-sulfide signaling pathway. Changes in isometric tension were measured on the precontracted aortic rings of adult normotensive Wistar rats. We evaluated NO-donor (S-nitrosoglutathione, GSNO)-induced vasorelaxation and compare it with effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S)/GSNO and garlic/GSNO. Incubation with garlic juice increased the maximal GSNO-induced relaxation and markedly changed the character of the relaxant response. Although incubation with an H2S donor enhanced the maximal vasorelaxant response of GSNO, neither the absolute nor the relative relaxation changed over time. The mixture of GSNO with an H2S donor evoked a response similar to GSNO-induced relaxation after incubation with garlic juice. This relaxation of the H2S and GSNO mixture was soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) dependent, partially reduced by HNO scavenger and it was adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels (KATP) independent. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the suggestion that H2S itself is probably not the crucial bioactive compound of garlic juice but rather potentiates the production of new signaling molecules during the GSNO-H2S interaction
Ecophysiological and behavioral determinants of niche range in hibernating bats affected by white nose syndrome
No full text2022 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.The restrictions of a fundamental niche range, physiological conditions under which an organism can persist, becomes increasingly important as populations are subjected to extreme climatic conditions. Hibernating animals are annually subjected to such extremes. For example, insectivorous bats will survive months without caloric intake in winter by lowering body temperature to near freezing to mitigate loss of energy through heat transfer and water through evaporation. However, there is strong overlap between the fundamental niche of hibernating bats and that of the keratinolytic fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). As a result of Pd growth disrupting wing membranes, hibernating bats are forced to enact frequent energetically costly arousals that can result in starvation and mortality. The resulting disease, white nose syndrome (WNS), has resulted in mass die offs of millions of hibernating bats across North America since Pd introduction. However, there is significant inter- and intraspecific variation in host responses, and the realized niche for bat hibernation may be wider and more variable than previously theorized, making host responses difficult to predict. Ecophysiological models predict torpor arousal and hibernation survival with WNS as a function of microclimates, but they are largely dependent on laboratory-based experiments measuring metabolic parameters like metabolic rate and evaporative water loss that are likely subject to intraspecific local variation. We require a better understanding of the physiological, environmental, and behavioral drivers of successful bat hibernation in natural systems with and without Pd so we can improve risk assessment and guide management strategies for populations affected by WNS. To better understand how torpor arousal is dependent on experienced microclimates, we attached temperature and humidity data loggers to free-ranging Eptesicus fuscus to record microclimates and arousal frequency throughout hibernation. Fitting this data to ecophysiological models describing torpor, we found that while ecophysiological models provide adequate boundaries to biological capabilities for arousal, stochasticity inherent in natural systems can lead to earlier and more frequent arousal than models suggest. To determine how hibernation roosting niche is constrained in spatiotemporally variable hibernacula, we measured microclimates throughout a hibernaculum where Myotis lucifugus populations have thrived despite regional WNS-related mass mortality. Using hierarchical modeling to predict spatiotemporal underground microclimates based on above-ground conditions, we find that hibernation roosts are likely established early in the hibernation season at microsites that are locally stable within a given hibernaculum chamber, but not necessarily the most stable across the hibernaculum. This suggests that M. lucifugus are capable of a more flexible niche space than previously theorized, which may assist in WNS survival. Lastly, we use approximate Bayesian computation to test different hypotheses for how bats survive WNS in this hibernaculum, using ecophysiological models and longitudinal microclimate data to compare local adaptation, microclimate selection, clustering, and grooming strategies. While grooming removal of Pd load appears to be essential to describe observed population survival, we find evidence of all four hypotheses contributing to biologically realistic survival. Ultimately, the indirect fundamental niche range contraction due to Pd disrupting physiological host processes is mitigated by a combination of adaptation and conspecific facilitation expanding realized niche range. Our work represents advancements in novel technological and modeling advancements that allow evaluation of niche range in free-living populations. The results of this study suggest that there are populations with exaptations that facilitate WNS survival, but that alteration of environmental conditions in other hibernacula could lead to a change in niche space outside the range for which residents are locally adapted. Our findings help to inform and guide assessment of at-risk species and inform potential management strategies by considering the significant individual- and population-level variation in local adaptation and microclimate use that can impact WNS survival
Importance of Industrial Engineering Metods for Restructuring Compete abled Companies
No full textPředložená disertační práce s názvem "Význam metod průmyslového inženýrství pro restrukturalizaci konkurenceschopných podniků" se zabývá problematikou využití metod průmyslového inženýrství v praxi, konkrétně v podnicích plastikářského a gumárenského průmyslu. Hlavním cílem práce je ukázat důležitost metod průmyslového inženýrství pro zvyšování konkurenceschopnosti podniků gumárenského a plastikářského průmyslu. Tato práce je rozdělena do několika základních částí. První část se zabývá teoretickými východisky. Autorka stručně definovala pojmy jako restrukturalizace, konkurenceschopnost a průmyslové inženýrství. Zaměřila se také na vymezení několika základních metod průmyslového inženýrství a jejich definic. Druhá část je zaměřena na vymezení hlavních i dílčích cílů společně s hypotézami, které jsou formulovány tak, aby uvedené cíle potvrdily či vyvrátily. Následuje uvedení postupu práce a použitých metod řešení a charakteristika hlavních dosažených výsledků. Cílem práce je na základě teoretického, kvalitativního a kvantitativního terénního výzkumu zhodnotit součastný stav využívání metod PI a prokázat důležitost těchto metod pro zvyšování konkurenceschopnosti podniků. V další části práce jsou syntetizovány získané poznatky s potvrzením/vyvrácením formulovaných hypotéz. Ve shrnutí výsledků disertační práce se autorka věnuje popisu přínosů pro teorii i pro praxi.This disertation work titled "Importance of industrial engineering methods for restructuring compete abled companies" deals with questions of usage of industrial engineering in practice, concretely in companies of rubber and plastic industry. The main goal is to show the importance of industrial engineering methods for the ability to compete and its increasing and also the importace for reaching better results. Whole work is made for companies of rubber and plastic industry. This work is separated into several parts. First part deals with the theory and the author defines words like restructuring, ability to compete and industrial engineering in this part. Reader can also find some basic informations about basic methods of industrial engineering in the first part. Second part is focused on main goals and subgoals together with hypotheses. Hypotheses are enunciated to verify or disprove those golas and subgoals. There is working process and used solution methods mentioned in the next part. The reader can find some information about the benefits for the theory in the first part of the summary and in the second part the author writes about benefits for the practices. The last part is about possibilities of future continuance and constraints those can complicate the next research.Ústav průmyslového inženýrství a informačních systémůobhájen
