The paper presents the effectiveness of waste heat recovery regenerators equipped with innovative ceramic matrix forming an integral part of a real glass furnace. The paper full description of the regenerators’ matrix structure with its dimensions, thermo-physical properties and operating parameters is included experimentally determined was the effectiveness of the regenerators has been descrbed using the obtained experimental data such as the operating temperature, gas flows as well as the gases generated during the liquid glass manufacturing process. The effectiveness values refer not only to the heating cycle when the regenerator matrix is heated by combustion gases but also to the cooling cycle in which the matrix is cooled as a result of changes in the direction of the flowing gas. On the basis of the determined effectiveness values for both cycles and measurement uncertainties it was possible, to calculate the weighted average efficiency for each of the regenerators.

On the basis of the presented studies, it was established that seed dressing by coating protects effectively onion crops against onion fly (Hylemyia antiqua Meig.). In all seed dressing treatments, a significant decrease of number of dam- aged plants was found in comparison to the control. The highest efficacy in protection of onion against onion fly was shown in the case of insecticide Super Homai 70 DS. The effectiveness of this seed dressing reached 80.40% in the year 2001 and 85.44% in the year 2002.

Maximum score estimation is a class of semiparametric methods for the coefficients of regression models. Estimates are obtained by the maximization of the special function, called the score. In case of binary regression models it is the fraction of correctly classified observations. The aim of this article is to propose a modification to the score function. The modification allows to obtain smaller variances of estimators than the standard maximum score method without impacting other properties like consistency. The study consists of extensive Monte Carlo experiments.

The main goal of this paper is to analyze the matching function in the Polish labour market in 1994‒2008. Matching function is the relationship between outflows from unemployment to employment and the number of unemployed persons and vacancies as well as other variables which affect the efficiency of the matching process directly or indirectly. Such matching function in its augmented form is estimated here for Poland with the use of data from register of unemployed persons.

The results indicate that there is a statistically stronger impact of the unemployed than vacancies on new hires. Furthermore, the institutional conditions of the labour market, the structure of the unemployed and the participants of active labour market programs (ALMP) play a role in the matching process.

This paper reports the results of an analysis of indicators describing the effectiveness of actions taken and repairs made by the maintenance services in a food industry company which had implemented a new manufacturing execution system (MES) 10 months prior to the study. The application of the above effectiveness indicators plays a significant role in the rationalization of functioning of maintenance services. Therefore, it is vital that they are calculated correctly and interpreted in a way that has a positive effect on the organization of maintenance works. The paper investigates four effectiveness indicators employed by the maintenance services of the company in question, i.e., mean time to failure (MTTF), mean time between failures (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR) and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The objective of the analysis was to verify the correctness of determination of the above indicators in the analysed company. In addition, the study was to determine whether the use of correctly determined indicators and results interpretation could lead to a higher effectiveness of the actions taken by the maintenance services department. Moreover, the paper presents a diagnosis of problems connected with incorrect determination and visualization of the above-mentioned indicators in the analysed company.

In the presented work, the author describes a new diagnostic method of ballistic resistance of multi– layered shields. The proper ballistic energy absorbed by the shield is introduced in the form V²_BL[R] according to Recht’s and Ipson’s method, and V²_BL[Z] according to author’s method. The kinetic energy of the bullet m_p · V²_p/2 and the momentum of force I are transferred to the shield and the dynamometer of ballistic pendulum. They are used to determine the proper energy V²_BL[Z] and ballistic thickness h_BL of the shield. The procedure can be widened onto the absorption of the energy by individual layers of the shield, where: A^Hn_an,bn – the effect of n – interlayer on proper energy absorbed by the shield. The effectiveness of the used methods is expressed by average effectiveness coefficient β_s of proper energy absorbed by the shield V²_BL as well as by average mass coefficients α²_s . The ballistic shields can be composed of different grades of metal layers and interlayer areas with well-chosen ballistic proprieties.

The maximization of interlayer effectiveness N_n[R] and N_n[Z] as well as relative mass effectiveness M_s[R] and M_s[Z] leads to optimum conditions of selection of multi–layered shields structures.

The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between ideology and fantastic literature using the example of Jean-Pierre Andrevon's fantastic novel L’Oeil derrière l’épaule. While fantastic literature as a genre is most often the carrier of right-wing, reactionary and conservative values (Lovecraft, Ray), Andrevon remains the specific case of a writer who openly defines himself as a leftist. The analysis of the “ideology-effect” (the unconscious ideological mask of the text according to Hamon) and of the “value-effect” (ideas that the text consciously promotes according to Jouve), as well as Hamon's points of textual ideological value and carriers of ideological distortions, permits a conclusion that the author did not adopt any ideological stance a priori and that the global value (right-wing and left-wing) emanating from the text is freedom.

This article explores the role of recognition in State creation. Basing on an analysis of relations between effectiveness and legality in the process of State creation, it claims that recognition is constitutive of statehood as a subject of international law. The research revolves around the following themes: the role of effectiveness criteria and the conditions of recognition set by international law, the existence of “statehood without effectiveness” in cases of limited effectiveness but general recognition, the study of acquisition of statehood as a process and the notion of collective recognition based on the cases of Kosovo and Palestine. The argumentation is also supported by the analysis of de facto entities and aspiring States in international practice. It draws on the distinction between legal non-recognition and political non-recognition as able to shed some light on the complexity of international practice in this area. The article concludes that recognition is a pre-requisite of statehood, an essential criterion that may overcome weak effectiveness in certain legal contexts, though not a lack of independence. Conversely, effectiveness of government authority over population and territory does not lead to statehood in the meaning of international law in the absence of international recognition.

The work presents the results of studies on dependence of effectiveness of chosen robust estimation methods from the internal reliability level of a geodetic network. The studies use computer-simulated observation systems, so it was possible to analyse many variants differing from each other in a planned way. Four methods of robust estimation have been chosen for the studies, differing substantially in the approach to weight modifications. For comparative reasons, the effectiveness studies have also been conducted for the very popular method in surveying practice, of gross error detection basing on LS estimation results, the so called iterative data snooping. The studies show that there is a relation between the level of network internal reliability and the effectiveness of robust estimation methods. In most cases, in which the observation contaminated by a gross error was characterized by a low index of internal reliability, the robust estimation led to results being essentially far from expectations.

The shell and coil heat exchangers are commonly used in heating, ventilation, nuclear industry, process plant, heat recovery and air conditioning systems. This type of recuperators benefits from simple construction, the low value of pressure drops and high heat transfer. In helical coil, centrifugal force is acting on the moving fluid due to the curvature of the tube results in the development. It has been long recognized that the heat transfer in the helical tube is much better than in the straight ones because of the occurrence of secondary flow in planes normal to the main flow nside the helical structure. Helical tubes show good performance in heat transfer enhancement, while the uniform curvature of spiral structure is inconvenient in pipe installation in heat exchangers. Authors have presented their own construction of shell and tube heat exchanger with intensified heat transfer. The purpose of this article is to assess the influence of the surface modification over the performance coefficient and effectiveness. The experiments have been performed for the steady-state heat transfer. Experimental data points were gathered for both laminar and turbulent flow, both for co current- and countercurrent flow arrangement. To find optimal heat transfer intensification on the shell-side authors applied the number of transfer units analysis.

The results of shielding effectiveness (SE) measurements of textile materials containing metal by the free-space transmission technique (FSTT) in the 1-26.5 GHz frequency range are presented in the paper. It is shown that experimental data processing using time-domain gating (TDG) makes it possible to effectively remove diffracted and reflected components from the desired signal. The comparison with the results obtained by other techniques, namely modified FSTT with TDG and coaxial line probe technique (ASTM D4935-99) is given. The comparison shows that the proposed technique gives more reasonable results while the measurement set-up is simpler in realization.

In the presented work, the author introduces the ballistic energy absorbed by the shield m_pV²_BL/2 to elaborate the results of firing on homogeneous plates and multi – layered constructional shields. The introduced criterion V²_BL is used to determine ballistic thickness h_BL and ballistic velocity V_BL under normal firing 7.62 mm ŁPS bullets.

The experimental tests were performed on an unified test stand to investigate ballistic resistance of materials in field conditions. The stand was developed at the Naval University of Gdynia and then patented. The design of this test stand was based on the construction of ballistic pendulum arranged for measuring: the impact forces, the turn angle of ballistic pendulum φ, initial and residual velocities of the bullet. All the measurement data were transmitted to a digital oscilloscope and personal computer. The energy absorbed by the shield was subject to further analysis of V²_BL[R] according to Recht’s and Ipson’s method and of V²_BL[Z] according to author’s method. The verification of the above-mentioned dependences was based on the results of the tests. The ballistic velocities V_BL[R] and V_BL[R] of the steel and steel – aluminium alloy shields with air interlayer thicknesses of 0, 6, 12 mm were approximately equal, however, they were quite different for aluminium alloy multi – layered shields, according to the results of firing 7.62 mm ŁPS bullets. These properties were confirmed by the average mass coefficients α²_s and average effectiveness coefficients β_s of the V²_BL for the tested methods.

The problem of transmitting vibrations with audible frequencies by steel springs, constituting the vibration isolation system was considered in this paper. The analytical relationships allowing determining the value of the transmissibility for the springs resonance frequencies responsible for the transmissibility of high frequency vibrations have been derived and checked by means of FEM method. Also the occurrence of the increasing stresses in the springs in the areas between the resonances has been shown. The typical system, i.e. the serial system with rubber cushion, has been analyzed, reducing the transmission of high frequency vibrations by the spring. It has been shown that the transmission is reduced not as a result of differences in the wave impedance of the boundary of both media but due to the increased dispersion of energy in the rubber, and the analytical relationships allowing the evaluation of the effectiveness of this method have been derived.

The paper presents an analysis of energy and economic effectiveness of the combined heat and power (cogeneration) technologies fired with natural gas that may be deemed prospective for the Polish electric power system. The current state of the cogeneration technologies fired with natural gas in Poland is presented. Five cogeneration technologies fired with natural gas, prospective from the point of view of the Polish electric power system, were selected for the analysis. Namely, the paper discusses: gas-steam combined heat and power (CHP) unit with 3-pressure heat recovery generator (HRSG) and steam interstage reheat, gas-steam CHP unit with 2-pressure HRSG, gas-steam CHP unit with 1-pressure HRSG, gas CHP unit with small scale gas turbine, operating in a simple cycle and gas CHP unit with gas engine. The following quantities characterizing the energy effectiveness of the cogeneration technologies were selected for the analysis: electricity generation efficiency, heat generation efficiency, primary energy savings (PES) and CO2 unit emission. The economic effectiveness of particular technologies was determined based on unit electricity generation costs, discounted for 2019, including the costs of purchasing CO2 emission allowances. The results of calculations and analyses are presented in a table and on a figures.

This commentary on the Court of Justice’s ruling in the Pawlak case concentrates on questions of the judicial application of EU law, in particular EU Directives. On the basis of the recent jurisprudence of the Court the authors present three issues: 1) the incidental effects of EU law for the procedural provisions of Member States; 2) the inability to rely on an EU directive by a member state’s authority in order to exclude the application of national provisions which are contrary to a directive; 3) the limits of the duty to interpret national law in conformity with EU law from the perspective of the Court of Justice and the referring court. Further, the article presents the judicial practice of the Polish Supreme Court, and in particular the follow-up decision of this Court not only taking into the account the ruling of the ECJ but also showing how the limitation of a conforming interpretation can be overcome in order to give full effect to EU law. In the authors’ view, this case is worth noting as an example of judicial dialogue in the EU.

In cities with large educational institutions, the inflow of educational migrants is important for con-sumption demand, and can trigger multiplier effects. The main aim of this article is to show the mecha-nism of the aggregate demand-income effect created by educational migration in the Polish city of Opole. An estimate of this effect is provided, based on questionnaire research among a sample of 1 075 students from all institutions of higher education located in the city. The estimated effects analysed concern the direct consumption impulse, as well as the indirect job creation and increase in income for providers of accommodation for students, in turn triggering increased consumption demand. While the results must be interpreted with care, an estimated 15 per cent of consumption demand created through expenditure of migrant students (about PLN 175 400 000) and 485 extra job show the significance of such expenditure for the local economy.

Noise reduction inside waveguide systems has gained momentum owing to a great interest in it. To attenuate the sound in a broad frequency range, this study aims to compare the effects of two acoustic liners, a perforated plate backed by an air cavity (PP-Air cavity), or by a porous material (PP-PM), on the acoustic behaviour of lined ducts using a numerical model to compute the multimodal scattering matrix. From this matrix, the reflection and the transmission coefficients are computed and therefore the acoustic power attenuation is deduced. Moreover, the effects of geometry of ducts with and without changes in the section are investigated. The numerical results are obtained for five configurations, including cases of narrowing and widening of a duct portion with sudden or progressive discontinuities. Accordingly, numerical coefficients of reflection and transmission as well as the acoustic power attenuation show the relative influence of acoustic liners in each type of configuration.

The hierarchical structure of InSe<β-CD<FeSO₄>> composition with 4-fold grade expansion was synthesized with the intercalation-deintercalation technique. Electrical properties of the structure obtained were examined using impedance and thermostimulated current spectroscopy methods. Influence of temperature, static magnetic field and illumination on electrical properties of the synthesized compound was investigated. Changes in the impurity spectrum of the expanded hierarchical structure were analyzed and extraordinary magneto- and photoimpedance behavior of InSe<β-CD<FeSO₄>> at room temperature was explained.

The paper presents an analysis of the influence of the energy generated from renewable sources on an improvement in the energy efficiency of public utility building and households. It also presents the current state of the technologies for the production of electricity from renewable sources, as well as their share in the national power supply system. The conducted analysis concerns both micro, as well as large systems generating electricity. Systems generating power from renewable sources are gaining in popularity. With an increasing awareness in the society of the beneficial influence that renewable power generating systems have on the environment, as well as the support in form of various programs offering subsidies for the construction of new systems, power generation from renewable sources is becoming increasingly popular and common. Although the renewable energy systems are still not widely considered to be a profitable solution, systems using renewable sources of energy are positively perceived and treated as a new trend in the construction of multi or single-family residential buildings. The increasing share of the renewable energy in the national power supply system significantly reduces the demand for energy produced from conventional sources. This obviously translates into a reduced consumption of primary energy, for example, fossil fuels, and, in turn, leads to the reduced exploitation of natural resources, thus contributing to the protection of the natural environment. A reduced consumption of fossil fuels also means a significant reduction in environmental pollution during their processing into electricity or heat. Actions aiming at improving energy efficiency and reducing final energy consumption are being undertaken by many countries all over the world, and by the European Union. In 2012, the European Parliament and the Council issued Directive 2012/27/EU obliging the Member States to initiate actions aiming at a reduction in the consumption of final energy by 1.5% a year. The paper presents the current status of generation of energy from renewable sources during the last 13 years. The ways for using energy from the renewable sources to improve the energy efficiency of facilities were also discussed.

Research suggests that placebo can reduce the misinformation effect. We aimed to examine for the first time whether placebo administered in the guise of caffeine can reduce the misinformation effect. One hundred and twenty -three healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups in a 2 Placebo (Present, Not Present) × 2 Narrative (Misleading, Correct) study design. Participants from placebo groups drank 100 ml of placebo solution. They were told that it was water mixed with caffeine which could positively influence their memory. After three minutes, they watched a short movie clip as an original event and read a narrative with misleading details or correct details as a postevent information; they then completed a 22 -item, two -alternative forced -choice questionnaire. The results reveal that the misinformation effect occurred. Although participants in the placebo with misinformation group scored better than participants who did not drink placebo and read the narrative containing misleading details, the difference was not statistically significant. Thus, it is concluded that placebo might not be enough to reduce the misinformation effect when it is administered in the guise of caffeine.

Several human studies have reported that capsaicin has anti-pruritic effects. Moreover, sever- al concentrations of topical capsaicin have been used to alleviate itch. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-pruritic effect of capsaicin against histamine-induced pruritus compared with that of topical steroid or vehicle in 15 healthy beagles. Fifteen dogs were divided into three groups (n = 5 each), and treated topically with one of the following on the left side of the neck: capsaicin, positive control (steroid), or negative control (vehicle). Each treatment was performed twice daily for 8 days. All dogs were injected with histamine intradermally before treatment and on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th days of the treatment to evoke itch. Pruritus, wheal, and erythema intensity were assessed at each evaluation; cutaneous temperature was also recorded. On the final day, skin biopsy was conducted for histopathological evaluation for all dogs. The severity of pruritus was lesser in the capsaicin-treated group compared with the negative control group on day 8 (p<0.05). In the capsaicin and steroid groups, wheal size, erythema index, and cutaneous temperature also decreased compared with pretreatment. Histopathological evaluation showed that the capsaicin-treated group had a higher number of inflammatory cells in the dermis com- pared to the vehicle control group; however, the steroid-treated group showed less severe inflam- matory reactions than the vehicle control group. These results suggest that capsaicin cannot reduce inflammation but may play a helpful role in reducing pruritus in dogs.