Methane explosions are among the greatest hazards in the Polish coal mining industry and unfortunately continue to cause many catastrophes. The constant growth of the depth of coal exploitation in the conditions of the high concentration of mining causes the increase of absolute methane content and methane seam pressure from the mined seams. This situation directly affects the increase in the level of methane hazard in the underground work environment. It is therefore obvious to undertake intensive research that will allow for the development of appropriate solutions that help to exclude the risk of mining catastrophes resulting from the ignition and/or methane explosion. In addition to the development of methane hazard prevention methods, an indispensable element of this approach is a very accurate identification of the mechanisms of the combustion and explosion of this gas. The article presents the method of investigation and examples of results of methane explosions carried out in the 400 m experimental gallery of the Experimental Mine “Barbara” of the Central Mining Institute – the only large scale underground experimental facility in Europe. A n analysis has been performed of the influence of the methane release into mining workings on the distribution of the gas concentration and on the course of its explosion or combustion. The data collected characterizes thermodynamic phenomena that form the basis for determining the level of the explosion hazard. Large scale studies have also allowed to assess the risk of conditions that are sufficient for the development of a coal dust explosion initiated by methane explosions. The large scale of the experiments and the system of continuous recording of the course of the experiments allowed the specific characteristics of the methane explosion and burning in underground mining workings to be identified and isolated. For the first time, the course of experiments was recorded via a camera system deployed along the gallery.

Paper presents methodology of generation of the uniform, compressive or tensile stresses in ring-shaped amorphous alloys core. In this study we use the set of special nonmagnetic, cylindrical backings. These backings enabled the core to be wound as well as create the possibility of generation of uniform compressive and tensile stresses. Using presented methodology the magnetoelastic characteristics were experimentally determined for Fe40Ni38Mo4B18 Metglas 2826 MB amorphous alloy. Knowledge about these properties is important for users of inductive components with amorphous alloys cores due to the fact, that changes of flux density due to magnetoelastic effect exceed 40%.

Groundwater contamination due to leakage of gasoline is one of the several causes which affect the groundwater environment by polluting it. In the past few years, In-situ bioremediation has attracted researchers because of its ability to remediate the contaminant at its site with low cost of remediation. This paper proposed the use of a new hybrid algorithm to optimize a multi-objective function which includes the cost of remediation as the first objective and residual contaminant at the end of the remediation period as the second objective. The hybrid algorithm was formed by combining the methods of Differential Evolution, Genetic Algorithms and Simulated Annealing. Support Vector Machines (SVM) was used as a virtual simulator for biodegradation of contaminants in the groundwater flow. The results obtained from the hybrid algorithm were compared with Differential Evolution (DE), Non Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA II) and Simulated Annealing (SA). It was found that the proposed hybrid algorithm was capable of providing the best solution. Fuzzy logic was used to find the best compromising solution and finally a pumping rate strategy for groundwater remediation was presented for the best compromising solution. The results show that the cost incurred for the best compromising solution is intermediate between the highest and lowest cost incurred for other non-dominated solutions.

17 November 2022 marks the centenary of the death of Jan Grzegorzewski – Orientalist, Slavist, publicist and social activist. The aim of this article is to highlight this figure and to show his activity in various areas of social and scientific life, especially his contribution to Polish Oriental studies. This somewhat forgotten but extremely interesting and colourful, although somewhat controversial, figure has still not received the comprehensive biographical treatment he fully deserves. Thanks to his extraordinary determination and commitment to his activities, Jan Grzegorzewski initiated the establishing of the first Polish scientific journal of Oriental studies, Rocznik Orientalistyczny, for which he also obtained funds. The first part of the first volume of Rocznik, covering the years 1914–1915, was published in 1915 in Cracow, and the second part (for the years 1916–1918) only in 1918. There is also no doubt that with his activities, both academic and journalistic, Jan Grzegorzewski contributed to the establishment of the first Polish Oriental studies in Poland, which took place in 1919 at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. Analysing some of Grzegorzewski’s achievements from today’s perspective, one can venture to say that with the issues presented in his publications, he undoubtedly inspired many later Orientalists to set new research directions.

W 2008 r. w miejscowości Kvie na Gotlandii odkryto dalszych 20 monet ze skarbu ujawnionego już w 1929 roku (tpq 1027). Wśród nowych okazów rozpoznano denar Bolesława Chrobrego (992–1025) (Ryc. 1). Awers został wybity już znanym stemplem awersu typu Dux inclitus, rewers natomiast nowym stemplem naśladującym rewers pensa Etelreda II (978–1016) typu Crux (991–997). Monetę służącą wzorem wybił w Yorku mincerz o imieniu Thurstan (Ryc. 3). Dwie dalsze monety Bolesława Chrobrego wybite tym samym stemplem rewersu udało się odszukać przy pomocy Williama Leana w zbiorach brytyjskich: w British Museum (kolekcja Elmore Jonesa; ryc. 5) i w Merseyside County Museums w Liverpool (ryc. 4). Awersy tych monet, również identyczne, noszą znane już naśladownictwo stempla Etelreda II typu Last Small Cross (1009–1017). Odkrycia te wzbogacają uzupełniany już blisko od stulecia (E. Majkowski, Z. Zakrzewski, S. Suchodolski; ryc. 6) łańcuch połączeń stempli monet Chrobrego trzech typów: I polskiego z napisem BOLIZAS DVX — INCLITVS (ryc. 7), II anglosaskiego z imieniem króla Etelreda (ryc. 4 i 5) i III bawarskiego ze zniekształconym imieniem króla Henryka II (1002–1014) (ryc. 10). Typ anglosaski dotychczas był znany tylko z awersu, obecnie poznaliśmy również stronę odwrotną. Interesujące jest jednak, że wzorce tych stempli mają różną chronologię. Awers naśladuje monetę z Lincoln z lat ok. 1013–1017 (ryc. 2), rewers natomiast monetę z Yorku około 20 lat starszą (ryc. 3). Wykonawcą stempli był człowiek o dużych umiejętnościach, który nie został jednak wykorzystany do dalszej produkcji menniczej w Polsce. W obrębie wspomnianej grupy stemple wielokrotnie łączą się ze sobą (Ryc. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11). Świadczy to o tym, że były używane w tym samym miejscu, w zbliżonym czasie i zapewne też w zbliżonym czasie zostały wytworzone (ok. 1015–1020). Na początku tego okresu — lub może nawet parę lat wcześniej — powstał typ bawarski. Przyczyny połączeń były różnorodne: zarówno techniczne (chęć maksymalnego wykorzystania stempli), jak też ekonomiczne (chęć zarekomendowania własnych monet), a pewną rolę mógł odegrać również przypadek. Wagi monet tej grupy są mocno zróżnicowane (1,05–1,97 g), a ich wagi średnie stosunkowo wysokie (1,485, 1,64, 1,36 g) i zbliżają się do wagi innych monet Bolesława Chrobrego z drugiej połowy panowania. Znaleziska zawierające te monety mają stosunkowo duży rozrzut (Wielkopolska, Mazowsze, Małopolska, Pomorze, Gotlandia, Norwegia, Rosja). Bite były zapewne, tak jak i inne monety Bolesława Chrobrego, w Wielkopolsce lub na północnym Mazowszu, w jednym z głównych centrów jego państwa.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory dermatosis. The most characteristic symptoms of the disease include itch, eczematous eruptions and excessive dryness of the skin. Elderly patients with AD represent a poorly characterized population because the physiological ageing, possible comorbidity and polypharmacy modify the clinical presentation typically observed in the younger age groups. The aim of the study is to comprehensively assess the clinical characteristics of elderly patients (>60 years old) with AD. Data were collected from 26 AD patients treated in the Department of Derma-tology of the University Hospital in Krakow. Late-onset AD with generalized/prurigo lesions was the most predominant phenotype. Skin biopsy was required in 15 (58%) patients in the differential diagnosis process. Allergic rhinitis, a positive family history of atopy and xerosis were associated with a higher number of hospitalizations during the year prior to the last admission (p = 0.034, p = 0.046 and p = 0.036, respectively). Xerosis was more prevalent among subjects with polypharmacy (p = 0.046) and higher serum total IgE concentration (p = 0.048). AD in elderly patients is a new phenotype of the disease that requires careful differential diagnosis. Aged patients with an individual or family history of atopy, due to the increased incidence of severe exacerbations of AD, may benefit from the introduction of proactive therapy.