Polish Production Research Articles

Distribution and properties of gunshot residue originating from a Luger 9 mm ammunition in the vicinity of the shooting gun

Examinations of various features of gunshot residue (GSR) collected from targets in a function of the shooting distance as well as from hands and the forearm, front and back parts of the upper clothing of the shooting person were performed with SEM-EDX. GSR samples were obtained using Walther P-99 pistol and Luger 9 mm ammunition of Polish production. The experiments were designed in such a manner that the substrates for collecting GSR reminded the ones usually obtained for examinations within criminal cases. Results of the performed examinations in the form of parameters describing GSR particles: the number of GSR, proportions of their chemical classes as well as their sizes revealed a dependence on the shooting distance both, in the direction of shooting and backwards, i.e. on the shooting person. The analysis of the distribution of particles in the vicinity of the shooting gun may be utilised in description of the general rules of the dispersion of GSR as well as in the reconstruction of a real shooting case.

Mediated Memories in the Digital Age (review)

Reviewed by: Mediated Memories in the Digital Age Alison Landsberg (bio) José van Dijck. Mediated Memories in the Digital Age. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2007. 256 pp. ISBN 0-804-75624-4, $21.95. In her thought-provoking new book, José van Dijck has undertaken a formidable task. Unlike most theorists of memory, who work either with cognitive or with cultural models, she argues that to understand memory in the digital age requires an approach with draws from both neuroscientific and cultural research. In the first chapter she lays out her approach, which she distinguishes from Marita Sturken’s and my own; instead of considering the ways in which cultural memories affect the individual, Dijck’s analysis moves in the other direction “privileging private memory objects.” And while she admits, following Maurice Halbwachs, that “personal memory can only exist in relation to collective memory,” she insists on the primacy of the personal: “The sum of individual memories never equals collectivity” (25). For Dijck, memories might be technologically mediated, but are still profoundly personal. And yet, rather than assuming that something like “pure” or “authentic” memory exists and is then mediated by technologies of memory, she imagines a dialectical relationship where “media and memory transform each other” (21). And to get at this dynamic relationship she has coined the phrase “mediated memories,” which she defines as “the activities and objects we produce and appropriate by means of media technology for creating and re-creating a sense of past, present, and future of ourselves in relation to others” (21). While these memories are personal, they are nevertheless instrumental in translating [End Page 765] ourselves to others. Dijck, in other words, is interested in the way in which autobiographical memory both shapes and is shaped by technology. In this book she attempts to reject a simple technological determinism, advocating instead a model which recognizes the interpenetration of cognitive structures and technological developments. The second chapter explores the ways in which memories and media shape one another by examining the interconnections between new digital technologies and human cognitive processes, arguing that “mediated memories . . . can be located neither strictly in the brain nor wholly outside in (material) culture but exist in both concurrently, for they are manifestations of a complex interaction between brain, material objects, and the cultural matrix from which they arise” (28). She wants to explore how memory objects interact with the mind. Implicit in her argument is Walter Benjamin’s notion of the historical specificity of perception; that, for example, we learn to see differently with the advent of new visual technologies. Dijck claims that at different historical moments different cultural frameworks are available and accepted as ways of preserving the past. In the spirit of Benjamin, she writes, “Cultural frameworks are never stable moulds into which we pour our raw experiences to come out as polished products; they are frames through which we structure our thinking and against which we invent new forms of expression” (40). And it is this point that enables her to illustrate a point of convergence between scientists and philosophers, both of whom recognize that “objects and technology inform memory instead of transmitting it” (41): the process of recall and transmission shape and reshape the memories. Chapters three and four explore the relationship of writing and recorded music, respectively, to the formation of the self. In “Writing the Self,” Dijck explores some of the differences between the traditional paper diary and the weblog; while both are intended to “scaffold individual memory,” she argues that weblogs are relational, “instruments of self-formation as well as vehicles of connection” (55). While she acknowledges that even paper diaries were never written solely for the self, she points out the ways in which weblogs are more consciously written for others to read, and with the intent of producing a sense of community. Dijck claims that “their prime function is to synchronize one’s subjective experience with those of others, to test one’s evaluations against the outside world” (72). In this chapter she touches on some of the larger epistemological questions that her study raises, such as what counts as materiality (are the blogs material entities?), and what counts as experience (for...

The potential of Beauveria brongniartii and botanical insecticides based on Neem to control Otiorhynchus sulcatus larvae in containerised plants

<I>Otiorhynchus sulcatus</I> is considered as an important pest of strawberry fields and on potted ornamental plants. The efficacy to control this pest by new Polish products containing azadirachtin and the entomopathogenic fungus <I>Beauveria brongniartii</I> were tested. The aim of the laboratory investigation was to assess the influence of different forms of azadirachtin (A and B) and the entomopathogen on mortality and physiological development of the insect. Mortality after treatment ranged between 86–93%. There were significant differences in the mean number of surviving stages of the insect between <I>Beauveria</I> and neem treatments, but the final total mortality was not statistically different. Sensitivity of all developmental stages to the fungus was observed. In the neem treatments the physiological development of larvae was completely stopped. The level of control achieved by <I>Beauveria</I> and neem for use in outdoor containers is acceptable for practical application.

SPECIFICS OF ORNAMENTAL SEEDS PRODUCTION IN POLAND BASED ON CHINA ASTER (CALLISTEPHUS CHINENSIS NEES)AND PANSY (VIOLA WITTROCKIANA HORT.)

Poland has been a serious producer and seller of s eeds of ornamental plants in the European Union. The aim of this work was to describe specifi cs of Polish flower seeds production based on two v ery important and different in seed production species: China aster ( Callistephus chinensis Nees) and pansy ( Viola wittrockiana hort.). The research included their seed productio n technology and profitability. It was based on the detailed analyses of 12 seed growers' farms located in western (near Wschowa) and northern (near Brze śc Kujawski) Poland, the most important ornamental seed production areas in the country. The main differe nces in seed production technology concerned time of seeds sowing, risk of killing plants by winter, healthy s tatus of the received plants, number of off-type selections, fre quency of seed harvesting, seed yields and germinat ion capacity of the received seeds. The profitability o f China aster and pansy was 865 zand 515 z¯ (1 euro=3.2 z¯)/0.1 ha, respectively. Although, the seed yield of China aster was high, and seed harvest easy to c arry out, the received seeds did not germinate well and thereby t he received price for seeds was low. In the case of pansy seeds, it was opposite: the crop was risky due to w inter killing of the plants, seed yield was low, co sts of the seeds harvest were high, but the seeds germinated w ell and the price paid for the seeds was high.

Review: Finishing and polishing procedures of (resin-modified) glass ionomers and compomers in paediatric dentistry

A smooth surface has a beneficial effect on the aesthetic quality and longevity of a dental restoration, as well as on its biocompatibility with oral tissues. In this review studies on glass-ionomer cements (GIC), resin-modified glass-ionomer cements (RM-GIC), and compomers or polyacid-modified resin composites (PAM-C) were assessed as these are currently used in paediatric dentistry. Medline databases (USA National Library of Medicine) was searched using WinSpirs and Pubmed. This search used a keyword filter including dental materials, polishing procedures, and instrumentation including influencing factors. Although the literature shows different commercially available tools it seems that the ideal polishing instrumentation in paediatric dentistry for GIC and compomers is not yet on the market. Furthermore, the constant development of dental materials and polishing products impose a need for continuous scientific research.

Mycotoxins in several Polish food products in 2004–2005

In 2004-2005, samples of several selected Polish foods such as cereal products, nuts, dried fruits, coffee and culinary spices collected from Warsaw market and taken from food producers were analyzed on presence of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 (AF), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON). After extraction and clean-up of extracts on immunoaffinity columns (IAC), mycotoxin analyses were carried out by HPLC using fluorescence and UV detectors. The concentrations of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A depending on the kind of sample ranged from 0.02 to 7.8 (one sample, of peanuts) and 0.02-11.9 μg/kg (one coffee sample), respectively. The levels of ZEA and DON were found to be below 50 °g/kg.

American National Biography Online

American National Biography Online. New York: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2000. Price: annual subscription, details available from your regional network or www.anb.org/orderinginfo.html. Dynamic: of or pertaining to force action or operation; active is a definition taken from the recently issued Oxford English Dictionary that best describes the essential element of two recently issued online reference works: the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the American National Biography (ANB). Both of these works are produced by the dynamic Oxford University Press. One of the many marvels of digital technology is that it allows the text or work to be continually in progress. This quality or state of being is fundamental to many reference works, particularly dictionaries and biographical sources. A dictionary is constantly changing to reflect the dynamism of language and culture, and a biographical source is never static until an entry is closed through the fact and record of a death. Of the two sources, we will first consider the ANB and its significance the catalog of reference works. Important biographical sources have preceded the ANB; the Dictionary of American Biography (DAB) is one. However, recent scholarship recognizes, as stated the preface of ANB, that ... while the value of a national biographical reference work has endured, the character of such an undertaking has changed considerably since the DAB was (foreword). The DAB was published between 1926 and 1937 under the auspices and authority of the American Council of Learned Societies. In 1986, the need for an entirely new biographical work was recognized by John A. Garraty, Gouverneur Morris Professor of History at Columbia University, and the editor of supplements 4-8 of the DAB. Professor Garraty argued that because the supplements covered more recent periods of American history they could not serve to update the roughly fifteen thousand articles the original, nor could they conveniently include the many important figures such as Sojourner Truth, Scott Joplin, Charles Guiteau, and Martha Washington who had been left out of the (foreword). Thus, Garraty and fellow general editor Mark C. Carnes, professor of history at Barnard College, and the ACLS gathered grants from the Rockfeller Foundation and the NEH and began the work at hand. The Oxford University Press gave its support and this venture of public and private resources is a now a national humanities treasure. The ANB was first issued 1999 as a twenty four volume print work. Subjects were selected from numerous reference works as well as dissertations, books, and biographical essays written recent decades. Advisors included scholars, directors of state historical societies, and presidents of all national scholarly societies. The work was awarded the ALA best reference work of 1999. The online work, issued spring 2000, is a pleasure to search. The screen has lovely design: good use of space, color, lines, and links, making a very polished product. The search engine design allows full-text words/phrase searching and searches by subject name, birth/death date, occupation or realm of renown, and gender. Hyperlinks connect with subjects within the ANB and select Web sites outside the ANB. Content includes 17,435 (at last count) original biographies; 125 or more new biographies added every three months (including articles on recently deceased notables as well as figures from the past who were not subjects the print); nearly 2,000 illustrations from the Library of Congress; regular updates to bibliographies and regular updates to the biographies that incorporate new facts and new interpretations. …

Substance Abuse: Resurgence of Teen Inhalant Use

The 2004 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey showed that inhalant use (“huffing”) is rising among American teenage students, particularly 8th graders. The results, released in December 2004, showed that 9.6% of 8th graders used inhalants in 2004, up from 7.7% in 2002 and 8.7% in 2003. Inhalant use was also up slightly among 10th and 12th graders in 2004. Findings from the latest MTF will be released in late December 2005, and researchers are anxious to see if the trend holds. “These increases are disturbing because they come after a long period of decline in inhalant use by students in all three grades,” says Lloyd D. Johnston, a professor at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and principal investigator of the MTF since it began in 1975. “We are concerned that the use of this class of drugs may be about to rebound.” Each year, the MTF, which is funded under grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), asks approximately 50,000 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students in some 400 schools nationwide about their use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. The data gathered are used to help government officials and policy makers identify potential drug problem areas so they can target resources to deal with them. “We know that inhalant use starts early and that long-term abusers are among the most difficult drug abuse patients to treat,” says NIDA director Nora Volkow. “It is critical that research efforts to characterize the behavioral effects of inhalants intensify, so that more effective preventions, interventions, and treatments can be developed.” This year, NIDA announced the continuation of a broad-based research initiative begun in 2002 to address the epidemiologic, social, behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological consequences of inhalant abuse, as well as treatment and prevention. More than 1,000 readily available products are used as inhalants, and they can potentially kill, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Such products include glue, shoe polish, gasoline, lighter fluid, and the propellants in spray deodorant, hair sprays, and canned whipped cream. The ONDCP further reports that glue, shoe polish, and toluene-containing products were the most commonly abused inhalants among users aged 12 to 17. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, gasoline accounted for the greatest percentage (44%) of reported inhalant deaths between 1996 and 2001, followed by air fresheners (26%) and propane/butane (11%). Other health effects of inhalant use include headache, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, loss of motor coordination, and wheezing. The physical and social environment both play a key role in inhalant use, says Harvey Weiss, executive director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition. Treatment sometimes requires removing the abuser from the environment in which he or she is abusing inhalants. “We should not view inhalant abuse [simply] as a substance abuse problem,” Weiss says. “It’s a public health problem, so we need to do more public health outreach to young people.” Sources believe that education is the key to preventing inhalant use from becoming a dangerous fad. When MTF data from the mid-1990s began showing a long-term gradual increase in inhalant use, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and NIDA mounted an aggressive media campaign about the dangers of inhalants. The next round of MTF data showed a decline in inhalant use and a concurrent increase in young people viewing inhalants’ use as risky, but use began climbing again after the media campaign ended. “Of course, the evidence is circumstantial, but we’ve seen the same thing happen for so many other drugs,” Johnston says. “A drug can have a resurgence in use among young people because of what I call ‘generation forgetting’—that is, a new generation of young people comes along that hasn’t heard too much about a drug, so it is naive about the consequences of its use. That begins to change when a public education campaign is launched.” Despite the MTF findings, the U.S. government hasn’t yet documented a trend indicating a rise in inhalant use among teenagers, says Terry Zobeck, deputy associate director for policy and budget at the ONDCP. But he adds, “The MTF is respected and well documented. We will be quite concerned if its next survey shows that inhalant use is up for the third year in a row.”

Preparing a Grant Proposal—Part 5

Translating a research idea into a well-written grant proposal takes planning and commitment. This Spotlight is the fifth in a series by the members of the Center for Clinical Investigation (CCI) of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society. The aim of this series is to facilitate high-quality grant writing and encourage submissions to WOCN's grants program. This article provides guidance on the development of a grant proposal and the revisions necessary to result in a polished final product.

The reliability of polished porcelain stoneware tiles

The flexural strength and the Young’s modulus of as fired and polished porcelain stoneware tiles were investigated. Bending tests were carried out on suitable specimens, cut from five commercial products before and after polishing. The differences found in the flexural strength data were evaluated by the analysis of variance and the determination of the Weibull parameters. The results showed that: (i) the as fired tiles and the corresponding polished tiles cannot be always considered the same material and (ii) the data scattering is usually greater for the polished products, i.e., the reliability of the polished products, in terms of the Weibull modulus m, decreases. The results, supported by microstructural observations, surface roughness and Vickers hardness measurements, were directly attributed to the severe damage induced by the first step of machining, i.e., calibrating or grinding. Young’s modulus data showed a clear dependence on the pre-existing porosity, i.e., the production process, rather than on the machining induced damage. It was also shown that the conditions and the characteristics of the polished working surfaces strongly depend on the microstructure of the as fired material.

The International Competitiveness of Polish Agriculture

This article considers the international competitiveness of agricultural production in Poland. Competitiveness was measured in terms of domestic resource cost (DRC) ratios for three farm sizes and eight commodities. The results highlight that for the period 1996 to 1998 Polish crop production was more internationally competitive than livestock farming. The most internationally competitive crops of those analysed were rapeseed and potatoes. During the period, however, international competitiveness worsened as international commodity prices fell. There is an inverse relationship between DRCs and farm size. This is an important result as Polish production is relatively fragmented and the degree of structural change has been slow.

Book Review: p- and hp-finite element methods. Theory and applications in solid and fluid mechanics

The demanding pace of the text would leave many UK graduate students in mathematics trailing in its wake. Exercises are included in the text, ranging from trivial computations to deeper applications of the theory. My only real criticism of the book lies in the number of minor typographical errors and inconsistencies that should have easily been detected by a copy editor. At a cost of $85.00 for 374 pages, I would expect the publisher to produce a far more polished product. Nevertheless, this is a detailed and authoritative account of the theory of hp-version _nite element methods at the end of the 1990s, and provides a much needed reference source for theoreticians in this area.

Determination of total volatile organic compound emissions from furniture polishes

In this study, an environmental test chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity, and airflow rate was developed to evaluate emissions of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) from three different kinds of furniture polish. The time dependence of TVOC concentrations produced from the emissions of furniture polish products in the chamber was tested. TVOC emissions from each furniture polish were compared. The main volatile organic compounds emitted from each polish were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A double-exponential equation was developed to evaluate the characteristics of emissions of TVOCs from these furniture polish products. With this double-exponential model, the physical processes of TVOC emissions can be explained. A variety of emission parameters can be calculated. These emission parameters could be used to estimate real indoor TVOC concentrations.

DATA: Raw Rodent Genomes

When DNA is fed into a sequencing machine, it doesn't come out as one long string of A's, T's, G's, and C's. Instead, the instruments read short snippets of DNA that then have to be put into their proper order along chromosomes. The international consortium that is working to produce a rough draft of the mouse genome by April is now sending the raw data from each sequencing machine—known as trace data—to public Web databases each week. Researchers can use these 500- to 600-base bits to look for matches with the newly completed human genome—without having to wait for the polished product, which won't be available for months. Sequencers are also archiving trace data from the rat genome and may later add more organisms being analyzed by the “whole-genome shotgun” approach.

The Attitudes Underlying Preferences of Young Urban Educated Polish Consumers Towards Products Made in Western Countries

This research deals with the Influence of socio-cultural variables on preferences of Polish consumers towards specific products made in Poland versus the same products made in Western countries. A convenience sample of 265 Polish university students was used to assess the impact of ethnocentrism, susceptibility to interpersonal influence, conspicuous consumption and demographic variables on the preferred country of origin of clothing, cosmetics and electronic products. Results show that patriotism as a dimension of ethnocentrism is related to the preference towards Polish products, while social status demonstration, as a dimension of conspicuous consumption, is related to the preference towards Western products.

Comparison of LiF:Mg,Cu,P. (MCP-N, GR-200A) and Alpha-Al203:C TL Detectors in Short-Term Measurements of Natural Radiation

Results are reported of tests of GR-200A (LiF:Mg,Cu,P Chinese production), MCP-N (LiF:Mg,Cu,P Polish production) and α-Al 2 O 3 highly sensitive TL detectors used in short-term measurements of natural radiation performed within the EU Intercalibration by the Polish (INP) and Spanish (CIEMAT) participants. The experiment was carried out in Roskilde, Denmark, by Riso National Laboratory. To assess only the cosmic component of natural radiation, detectors were exposed on a wooden pier. The actual dose rate was monitored over the total exposure time of three days by a Reuter-Stokes high pressure ionisation chamber. Results obtained with MCP-N and GR-200A were, for both teams, about 32 nGy.h -1 , for α-Al 2 O 3 :C about 49 nGy,h -1 , while the chamber-evaluated mean dose rate was about 40 nGy,h -1 . It was found that all tested detectors (MCP-N, GR-200A and α-Al 2 O 3 :C) are capable of measuring natural gamma dose rates alter an exposure of only a few hours.

La compétitivité des exportations polonaises sur les marchés de l'OCDE de 1972 à 1988

The competitiveness of Polish exports in OECD markets, 1972 to 1988 The purpose of this study is to compare exports to OECD markets from Poland and from the New Industrialized Countries (NIC) in the period between 1972 and 1988. What is aimed at is a statistical analysis leading to an evaluation of Poland's chances of recapturing the markets lost as a result of the serious crisis of the 1980's. For the purpose of the present study, the authors have taken a limited sample of the NIC : three Latin America countries (Argentine, Brazil and Mexico) and three countries of S.E. Asia (South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong). Although there may be marked contrasts among the countries of Latin America and those of Asia, all of these countries nevertheless show certain common characteristics in matters relating to economic growth, the development of manufacturing industry, and trade in manufactured goods. The Polish debt continued to grow steadily throughout the 1980's, and at present limits the recently elected Polish leadership in its freedom to manoeuvre, already restricted as it is. What are the real chances of Poland's paying off its debt ? The task is all the more arduous, since the loss by Poland of the markets won during the decade from 1970 to 1980 was accompanied by the strengthening position of the NIC. The rapid industrialization of certain developing countries, followed by their appearance in force on the markets of the OECD, constitutes a new element in international trade. The statistical analysis covering the period 1972-1988 proves the existence of similarities in the choice of categories of products exported by Poland, Latin America and S.E. Asia, and clearly shows how Poland's position has been eroded in the face of her competitors. The results obtained from analysis of the relevant structural coefficients lead to the following overwhelming conclusion : the most competitive Polish products on OECD markets have been foodstuffs, raw materials and fuel, that is to say products with very little value added. The technological gulf between Poland and the NIC continues to widen especially since the changes made in 1979. The trends noted in Polish exports are the reverse of those which typify the NIC, in that the latter are increasingly specializing in exports of equipment and manufactured products with a considerable technological input. Having evaluated Poland's prospects and potential especially in the country's two main categories of exports to OECD markets (electro-mechanical products and chemical products) the authors finally speculate on Poland's chances of facing up to competition from the NIC. The present unresolved socio-political situation in which Poland finds herself, and the recent initiatives of the European community in her favour, leave room for hope that she may find new openings on the European market. On the other hand, it is difficult to predict if certain approaches to the market in the developing countries, which have been in train since 1980, will be followed through.

Production and use of geotextiles in Poland

Characteristics of synthetic fibres used for producing geotextiles have been studied and it was found that polypropylene and polyester fibres had the best properties. The different stages of the production process are described together with the different types of Polish products. Tests performed on these geotextiles to measure their identification, chemical, biological and hydraulic basic properties are described and test data for Polish geotextiles are given. In conclusion brief case histories present uses of geotextiles in road and hydraulic engineering projects.

Contexts for Vatzlav: Mrozek and the Eighteenth Century

During the twenty-five years that Slawomir Mrozek has been writing for the theatre, two distinguishing marks of his work have been a preference for parable forms and an obsession with dialectical polarities of nature and culture, instinct and reason, primitivism and civilization, experience and theory. Now these are characteristics typical of many French writers in the Age of Enlightenment, but Mrozek's affinity for eighteenth-century thought and literature might pass unnoticed if it were not for Vatzlav, a play that is the dramatic equivalent of a conte philosophique, such as Candide, and that was given an eighteenth-century staging in its only Polish production.

Motivation for physicists

Perhaps readers of Physics Bulletin will forgive me for bringing up some of the 'old chestnuts' about the value of physics today and its career status, if I do this under the pretext of providing a film review. The film Illuminations is a Polish production about the problems of a physicist and his career through University in Warsaw.