The substrates to biogas production in anaerobic digestion, except plant materials, can also be animal feces and manure. It should be highlighted that Poland is one of leaders in the European Union in animal breeding. However, there is no precise data in the literature on the potential of biogas production from animal feces in this country. The aim of the paper was to analyze the biogas production potential from manure in Poland. The aim of work included anaerobic digestion research following materials: cow manure, pig manure, poultry manure and sheep manure. In the next step, based on the obtained results of the biogas yield, energy potential calculations were made. The methane yield for the investigated feedstock materials in the batch culture technology was performed following the internal procedures developed based on the adapted standards, i.e. DIN 38 414-S8 and VDI 4630. Animal wastes were obtained from the Agricultural Experimental Stations of Poznan University of Life Sciences (Poznan, Poland). On a base of achieved results it was concluded that tested substrates have a high energy potential (approx. 28.52 GWh of electricity). The largest potential for electricity production was found in chicken manure (about 13.86 GWh) and cow manure (about 12.35 GWh). It was also shown which regions of Poland have the best chance for development of agriculture biogas plants (Wielkopolskie and Mazowieckie voivodships) and where the potential is the least (Lubuskie and Opolskie voivodeships).

In this work, experiments were carried out to quantify the behaviour of friction stir welded (FSW) AA5082-AA7075 butt joints under tensile loading and completely reversed fatigue loading. Different samples were prepared to identify optimum tool rotational and travel speeds to produce FSW AA5082-AA7075 butt joints with the maximum fatigue life. ANOVA was performed, which confirmed that both tool speed and tool rotational speed affect the tensile strength of the weld. The samples exhibit a considerable difference in their fatigue life and tensile strength. This difference can be accounted to the presence of welding defects such as surface defects and porosity. S-N curve plotted for the sample shows a significantly high fatigue life at the lower stress ranges. Fracture surfaces were also analysed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Study of the fracture surface of the sample that failed under fatigue loading showed that the surface was mainly divided in two zones. The first zone was the area of fatigue crack growth where each stress cycle, slowly and gradually, helped in the growth of the crack. The second zone was the region of fast fracture where the crack growth resulted in the failure of the joint instantaneously. The fracture surface study of the sample that failed under tensile loading showed that the mode of failure was ductile in nature.

A comparison between the levels of infection with Acanthocephala of the fish Notothenia coriiceps in Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) in 1978/79 and 2007/08 is presented. The same eight acanthocephalan species, three echinorhynchids maturing in fish, Aspersentis megarhynchus (dominant species), Metacanthocephalus johnstoni (subdominant species) and M. dalmori (common species), and five polymorphids maturing in mammals and birds, Corynosoma hamanni , C. pseudohamanni (both co−dominant species), C. arctocephali and C. bullosum (both common species), and C. shackletoni (rare species), were found. Echinorhynchids were more numerous in 2007/08 (mean abundance 46.54 versus 35.35 in 1978/79), whereas polymorphids more numerous in 1978/79 (mean abundance 74.35 versus 36.40 in 2007/08). The overall results therefore demonstrated that echinorhynchids were more numerous than polymorphids in 2007/08 and the reverse was true in 1978/79. This situation is dependent mainly upon the decreased infections with C. hamanni , C. pseudohamanni and C. bullosum , and to a lesser degree upon the increasing of infections with M. johnstoni . The decrease of the three Corynosoma spp. is possibly associated with the decreasing of populations of final hosts, seals, on the shore of Admiralty Bay in the vicinity of Arctowski Station.

The work describes the methodology and results of analysis for the consequences assessment of eruption from Cumbre Vieja volcano in Canary Islands. The preliminary analysis of dispersion of emitted pollutants was performed using Lagrangian trajectories model. To estimate long-term outcomes of eruption in terms of deposition and concentration of eruption products the Eulerian model of air dispersion was used. The model uses data from Global Forecasting System meteorological model launched at the NCEP-NOAA centre. The average concentration and deposition of sulfur compounds as well as the probability and time of the pollution cloud reaching all European capitals were examined. In 90 days a cloud of pollutants (SO2, volcanic ashes) spread over the northern hemisphere. Pollution reached Africa, North Sea and Europe. With an average emission of 15,000 tons of SO2/day, the maximum calculated deposition to the Earth’s surface reached 0.8g/m2, while overall deposition – 35 kilotons in the domain area.

The article presents the investigations of fluidized combustion of oily wastes derived from cold rollingmill process on a zeolite bed. Oily wastes generated in the rolling-mill process arc one of the most hazardous residues from metallurgical works because the toxic additives content. The experiments were carried out using a small laboratory combustor with full measurement equipment. The measurement apparatus associated with the combustion chamber made it possible to measure the basic parameters of the process including the composition of exhaust gasses. It has been shown that the combustion of oily wastes from cold rolling-mill process can be conducted efficiently and friendly for the environment.

The purpose of this study was to measure circulating TSH, T ₄ and fT ₄ concentrations in dogs submitted to a clinical visit for general symptoms (weight gain, polyuria and polydipsia, changes in hair coat). Twenty-eight dogs, 14 cross-breed and 14 purebreds (Golden Retriever, Labrador, Doberman), of both sexes (14 males and 14 females), aged 8 to 14 years, were assessed. No significant differences of circulating TSH, T ₄, fT ₄ concentrations between the baseline and after therapeutic treatment nor between intact and neutered females were observed. Compared to baseline values, intact males showed higher TSH concentrations (p0.01), and castrated males lower TSH concentrations (p0.01) after therapeutic treatment. Compared to intact males, castrated males showed baseline TSH concentrations higher (p0.01), but lower (p0.01) after therapeutic treatment. No significant differences of T ₄ and fT ₄ concentrations between baseline conditions and after therapeutic treatment, nor between intact and castrated males, were observed. The experimental sample considered in this study falls within that casuistry involving elevated TSH concentrations but low serum T ₄ and fT ₄ concentrations or close to the minimum physiological cut-off, in which the common clinical signs suggestive of hypothyroidism was, essentially, overweight and neglected appearance of the hair.

There are mixed findings on the association of hypertension or gastrointestinal bleed (GIB) with mortality in COVID-19 patients but no research on the combination of both hypertension and GIB with mortality in COVID-19 patients. We study in COVID-19 patients the association of hypertension and GIB with mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI), vasopressor use, and/or mechanical ventilation. This is a retro-spective study of COVID-19 patients who were categorized into groups of no GIB/no hypertension (n = 653), yes hypertension/no GIB (n = 1,620), yes GIB/no hypertension (n = 104), or yes GIB/yes hypertension (n = 334). Covariates included demographics and medical history variables. In the multi-variate logistic regression analysis for the composite outcome of mortality, AKI, vasopressor use, and/or mechanical ventilation use, yes hypertension/no GIB (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.89, p <0.001) and yes GIB/ no hypertension (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.78, p <0.001) were each significantly positively associated with the composite outcome. The yes GIB/yes hypertension group was not significantly associated with the composite outcome. In conclusion, we found that hypertension or GIB alone were each significantly associated with increased odds for the composite outcome while having both hypertension and GIB was protective and not significantly associated with the composite outcome. We recommend that clin-icians be aware of such findings when treating patients with COVID-19, as those with both hypertension and GIB may not need as aggressive treatment as compared to those with either hypertension or GIB.