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Faced with increasing challenges related to energy efficiency and sustainable development, green buildings play a pivotal role in reducing energy consumption and lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This article reviews modern energy sources, including renewable systems such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy, and their applications in green construction. This literature review synthesizes the latest research and trends, focusing on the efficiency and reliability of these technologies. Furthermore, this study examines innovative energy management methods, such as smart grids (SGs) and energy storage solutions (ESSs), that support the development of sustainable buildings. The findings highlight the significant potential of modern energy sources to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. Additionally, this study addresses the challenges associated with implementing these technologies and the necessity of integrating renewable solutions into large-scale energy management systems. The final conclusions emphasize future directions in green construction, underscoring the importance of innovation and cross-sector collaboration to achieve a sustainable future.

This article aims to implement new building standards for residential and industrial construction in Poland to protect against earthquakes. For more than 20 years, Europe has experienced an increasing number of earthquakes. Failure to prepare residential and industrial buildings for such an event can result in extensive damage, death, and injury. It is therefore reasonable to ask what losses Poland could suffer after even a single strong earthquake. An estimate of the losses after such an event is presented. It is crucial for many buildings and mines in Poland. It is also important to prepare the population for such an event. In addition, it is also crucial for many Central European countries, as governments have not received training on how to behave during an earthquake. The lack of such training could cause panic during such an event. Poland is rich in natural resources, with many coal and lignite mines. A strong earthquake can threaten these as well as residential, public, industrial, and other buildings. This article provides an overview of earthquake events in Europe in relation to events worldwide and proposes solutions based on the experience of other countries. Here is a proposal to prepare new standards for buildings in Poland for protection against earthquakes in the next 50 years, based on the experience of other countries.

The aim of the European Union’s cohesion policy is to reduce development inequalities between the regions of the Member States and to increase economic, social, and territorial cohesion. Expenditures on it account for one‑third of the European Union (EU) budget. Therefore, the appropriate and effective use of the structural funds plays a very important role.The purpose of the paper is to show the effectiveness of using the EU’s structural funds in two of the largest beneficiary countries in the programming period 2014–2020. The first part of the paper presents the efficiency and effectiveness of using EU structural funds and the barriers related to their implementation, as well as the main characteristics of the 2014–2020 programming period. The second part contains a statistical analysis of the effectiveness of implementing the cohesion policy in Poland and Italy, comparing the amounts of planned and spent funds in the analyzed period. The main method is the statistical analysis, which includes asummary of the amount of allocated funds and their use, as well as a calculation of the percentage of structural funds used. The theoretical part shows potential problems related to the implementation, while the statistical part shows the scale of the problem and the areas with the greatest problems with implementation in both countries. The analysis takes into account thematic objectives, as well as national and regional operational programs.

To date, there has been limited information in the literature on the application of carbon fibre-carbon nanotube systems for the modification of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrixes by micro- and nanometric fillers and an evaluation of the properties of the unique materials produced. This paper presents the results of newly designed unique multiscale composites. The advantages of the simultaneous use of carbon fibres (CFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in PVC modification are discussed. To increase the dispersibility of the nanofiller, CFs together with nanotubes were subjected to a sonication process. The resulting material was introduced into PVC blends, which were processed by extrusion. The ratio of components in the hybrid filler with CF_CNT was 20:1, and its proportion in the PVC matrix was 1, 5, and 10 wt.%, respectively. Comparatively, PVC composites modified only with carbon fibres were obtained. The structure, thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties and swelling resistance of the composites were studied. The study showed a favourable homogeneous dispersion of nanotubes in the PVC matrix. This enabled effective modification of the structure at the nanometric level and the formation of an interpenetrating network of well-dispersed hybrid filler, as evidenced by a decrease in volume resistivity and improvement in swelling resistance, as well as an increase in glass transition temperature in the case of PVC/CF_CNT composites.

The aim of this review is to show the possibilities of food production during space travel and to demonstrate the potential of technological solutions that can play a significant role in achieving the goal of colonizing other planets. The paper briefly outlines the conditions of space flight and the associated possible threats that may occur. It is assumed that the basic problem is cosmic radiation, which not only can significantly affect the health of astronauts, but also prevent potential cultivation of plants or animal breeding on board a spacecraft. The solution to this problem proposed here is a shield which provides protection against collisions with high kinetic energy particles, while reducing the speed of corpuscular radiation. Particular attention is given to various biotechnological and bioengineering methods that could be used for food production on board a spacecraft. Technological development in the field of bioprinting or genetic modification of organisms may play a key role in the success of long-distance technological missions. Moreover, organisms such as algae, fungi and insects are indicated as a potential source of energy for future colonizers. In sum, the review covers both the field of engineering and biotechnology, as well as the possibility of checking these technological methods in the test flights.

Copeptin is a stable part of a vasopressin precursor that closely mirrors arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion. It is known that AVP/copeptin is also released in response to nonosmotic stimuli, such as stress evoked during anterior pituitary dynamic testing. In order to examine the role of AVP in challenging the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, we assessed adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, copeptin and growth hormone (GH) during a glucagon stimulation test (GST) in 10 patients with satisfactory initial cortisol concentrations (mean ± SD: 20.34 ± 5.10 µg/dL) and failure to show any further cortisol increment on stimulation. For comparison, we measured copeptin in two subjects during an insulin tolerance test (ITT). During GST, there was an increase in copeptin (p = 0.02, average individual increase of 98%, range 10% to 321%). There was a robust increase in GH (p = 0.002, average increase 3300%), a decline in cortisol (p = 0.02, average decline 21.8%) and a fall in ACTH (p = 0.06). The relative increase in copeptin during ITT (176% and 52.2%) overlapped with increments observed during GST; however, here there was an increase in cortisol (20.45→24.26 µg/dL and 4.23→29.29 µg/dL, respectively). There was a moderate correlation between copeptin and GH concentrations (r = 0.4235, p = 0.0007). These results confirm that AVP is not crucial for ACTH–cortisol stimulation, though it might be an important factor in GH secretion.

This study investigates the development of sustainable PVC-based composites filled with surface-modified wood flour for potential use in modern, energy-efficient building systems. The aim was to enhance the mechanical performance, thermal stability, and interfacial compatibility of PVC plastisols by incorporating fine- and coarse-grained coniferous wood flour modified with silane and surfactants. Composites were formulated using emulsion PVC (Vinnolit E-2059), bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate as a plasticizer, and MARK-17 MOK as a thermal stabilizer, and were gelled under pressure at 150 °C. Their physical, mechanical, structural, and thermal characteristics were evaluated using density and hardness measurements, SEM, thermomechanical analysis, DMA, and TGA. The results demonstrated that composites containing fine-grained, silane-treated wood flour (Lignocel C-120) exhibited the most advantageous balance of stiffness, elasticity, and thermal resistance, attributable to improved polymer–wood interfacial adhesion. The findings confirm the potential of modified wood flour as an effective bio-based filler enabling the design of durable, thermally stable coating and insulating materials with reduced environmental impact. The proposed composites may serve as protective, bonding, or insulating layers in sustainable construction, supporting the development of innovative, wood-based materials for low-carbon building applications.

If you want to live in city. You want to have, a house, garden and no less than two cars. Of course, you want to life in city centre. However, if price of ground is high you has decide to buy a house outside the city centre. You are not alone, because many other people think the same. Then around Your new house are placing other new houses. This process is called an urban sprawl. That is source to increasing the price of food in the shops. New territories of houses around city has extend a way of food. That is important to show how is possible to reduce these costs.

Insulin and Metformin Regulate Circulating and Adipose Tissue Chemerin Bee K. Tan 1 , Jing Chen 1 , Syed Farhatullah 1 , Raghu Adya 1 , Jaspreet Kaur 1 , Dennis Heutling 2 , Krzysztof C. Lewandowski 1 , 3 , J. Paul O'Hare 1 , Hendrik Lehnert 1 , 4 and Harpal S. Randeva 1 1 Endocrinology and Metabolism Group, Clinical Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, U.K.; 2 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Magdeburg University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany; 3 Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, The Medical University of Lodz and Polish Mother's Memorial Research Institute, Lodz, Poland; 4 1 st Medical Department, University of Lübeck Medical School, Lübeck, Germany. Corresponding author: Harpal S. Randeva, harpal.randeva{at}warwick.ac.uk . Abstract OBJECTIVE To assess chemerin levels and regulation in sera and adipose tissue from women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and matched control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to assess mRNA and protein expression of chemerin. Serum chemerin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We investigated the in vivo effects of insulin on serum chemerin levels via a prolonged insulin-glucose infusion. Ex vivo effects of insulin, metformin, and steroid hormones on adipose tissue chemerin protein production and secretion into conditioned media were assessed by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. RESULTS Serum chemerin, subcutaneous, and omental adipose tissue chemerin were significantly higher in women with PCOS ( n = 14; P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Hyperinsulinemic induction in human subjects significantly increased serum chemerin levels ( n = 6; P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In adipose tissue explants, insulin significantly increased ( n = 6; P < 0.05, P < 0.01) whereas metformin significantly decreased ( n = 6; P < 0.05, P < 0.01) chemerin protein production and secretion into conditioned media, respectively. After 6 months of metformin treatment, there was a significant decrease in serum chemerin ( n = 21; P < 0.01). Importantly, changes in homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance were predictive of changes in serum chemerin ( P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS Serum and adipose tissue chemerin levels are increased in women with PCOS and are upregulated by insulin. Metformin treatment decreases serum chemerin in these women. Footnotes The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. Received November 3, 2008. Accepted May 19, 2009. © 2009 by the American Diabetes Association.

During the last 20 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the biology of cancer cells. Assessment of the molecular profile of neoplastic cells collected by tissue biopsy using next-generation sequencing techniques makes it possible to diagnose the specific diffuse large B-cell lymphoma subtype and to personalize the therapy applied through the rational use of molecularly targeted drugs. Similar to the other methods of biopsy material evaluation, this method has some limitations. It may fail in cases when tissue biopsies do not fully capture intratumor genetic heterogeneity. For this reason, research has been undertaken to find new laboratory methods to study the genetic heterogeneity of cancer cells and to characterize all lymphoma cells at once, regardless of the origin of the tumor cells and the stage of its transformation. One promising diagnostic approach is the evaluation of total free circulating DNA, including circulating tumor DNA, using molecular biology techniques.