University of Silesia

Shagamite, KFe11O17 (IMA 2020-091) was discovered in the ferrite zone of gehlenite hornfels from the Hatrurim Complex exposed near Mt. Ye’elim, Hatrurim Basin, Israel. The mineral occurs in outer zones of gehlenite rock blocks that were heterogeneously altered by high-temperature (>1200 °C) ferritization. Ferritization was induced by K-bearing fluids or melts, generated as a by-product of late combustion processes. Shagamite crystallized from a thin melt that formed on the rock surface during cooling to approximately 800–900 °C. It is mainly associated with minerals of the magnetoplumbite group like barioferrite, Sr-analog of barioferrite, and gorerite but also with magnetite, maghemite, harmunite, devilliersite and K(Sr,Ca)Fe23O36 hexaferrite. Shagamite is a modular compound with a β-alumina-type structure (P63/mmc, a = 5.9327 (5), c = 23.782 (3) Å, γ = 120°, V = 724.91 (13) Å3, Z = 2), and it is isostructural with diaoyudaoite, NaAl11O17, and kahlenbergite, KAl11O17. Its structure is also closely related, though non-isotypic, to those of the magnetoplumbite-group minerals. Shagamite is dark brown with a semi-metallic luster and forms platy crystals flattened on (001). Its mean empirical formula is: (K1.00Ca0.15Mn2+0.05Na0.04Rb0.01)Σ1.25(Fe10.36Mn2+0.15Al0.14Mg0.12Zn0.10Ni0.07Cu0.03Cr3+0.02Ti4+0.01)Σ11.00O17. The Vickers microhardness VHN25 = 507 kg/mm2 corresponds to a Mohs hardness of ~5. The calculated density, based on the empirical formula and unit-cell parameters, is 4.12 g·cm−3. The main bands in the Raman spectrum of shagamite occur at 685 and 715 cm−1 and are assigned to ν1(FeO4)5− tetrahedral vibrations.

Understanding of the behavior of liquids in nanochannels remains a challenging task and unsolved puzzle. Many different approaches/theories are developed to explain physical phenomena such as alteration of dynamics and shift of the glass transition temperature (Tg) reported for nanoconfined systems. Recent studies have linked these effects to the interfacial energy and wettability, typically measured on flat, polished surfaces. However, this approach overlooks a critical factor: under nanoconfinement, liquids interact with highly curved and rough pore surfaces, which can fundamentally alter their behavior. This study explores the thermal, dynamic, and interfacial properties of cyclic dimethylsila-17-crown-6(DMS17C6) confined in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) mesopores with either constant (const-AAO) or modulated diameters (modul-AAO). We found a series of unexpected differences between both systems, i.e., different dynamics of confined liquid and Tg, reversible vs permanent confinement effects, and various time-dependent behavior. Notably, wettability change, inferred from the measurements of adhesion force within the pores by Atomic Force Microscopy, was found to be highly sensitive to the pore roughness, leading to unexpected behavior of cyclic liquid. These observations correlate with the permanent acceleration of structural relaxation dynamics, suggesting nanoscale dewetting despite apparent wetting at macroscopic scales. This discrepancy highlights the limitations of conventional contact angle measurements and underscores the necessity of nanoscale probes to accurately characterize interfacial interactions. The results also reveal the unique role of DMS17C6's cyclic molecular topology in the behavior of this molecule in nanospatial confinement. These findings provide new insights into nanoconfined liquid behavior, emphasizing the need to account for nanoscale pore roughness in theoretical models.

Background The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the physical activity and medical knowledge of adult residents of the Silesian Voivodeship. Methods 1,638 (100%) adult residents of the Silesian Voivodeship were analyzed. The group was divided as follows: Group A - people not related to medical professions, Group B - people practicing medical professions: doctors, midwives, nurses/nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, laboratory diagnosticians, Group C - the entire study group. The research method used was an original survey questionnaire containing questions about physical activity and socio-demographic data, supplemented with a standardized International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). For the purposes of the study, the respondents’ general medical knowledge was checked. Conclusions The physical activity of the surveyed inhabitants of the Silesian Voivodeship was slightly better in the group of people performing medical professions compared to people not related to them, however, in both groups it was insufficient and required improvement. A higher level of general medical knowledge among the surveyed residents of the Silesian Voivodeship was not associated with the level of physical activity in the respondents, neither in terms of regularity nor intensity.

Water confined within hydrophobic nanopores exhibits unusual thermodynamic and structural behavior that governs a wide range of nanofluidic and energy-conversion phenomena. Here, we combine high-pressure scanning calorimetry with molecular dynamics simulations in the temperature range of 298–380 K to elucidate the energetics and mechanisms of water intrusion into pure-silica LTA zeolites featuring cage-like pores. A new data-processing approach separates compression and intrusion contributions in pressure–volume curves, enabling direct quantification of temperature-dependent heat effects. Intrusion is exothermic at ambient temperature (≈−5 J g–1) and becomes nearly thermoneutral above 338 K. Simulations reveal slow intrusion kinetics, collective cage filling through hydrogen-bond-mediated chains, and pronounced stabilization at occupancies of 17–22 H2O molecules per supercell, balancing enthalpic and entropic factors. The results demonstrate that intrusion pressures correlate with accessible surface area, free pore volume, pore geometry, and connectivity rather than aperture size, thereby invalidating classical Laplace–Washburn scaling for nanopores. These findings establish microscopic design principles for tailoring wetting thermodynamics in hydrophobic nanoporous frameworks for energy storage, mechanical actuation, nanofluidic systems, and nanodevices.

Efficient spending of public funds is a crucial task for the state, even in times of particular threat and following the introduction of a state of emergency, whether martial law, a state of emergency, or a natural disaster. In such situations, it is essential to restore the state's normal functioning in the face of exceptional threats. Legal instruments and mechanisms specified in public procurement law can and should serve this purpose. Therefore, the aim of this study will be to demonstrate the extent to which public procurement and its legal frameworks align with the normative solutions of states of emergency and how they can be useful and utilized in such situations.

This article presents the heat evolved under the forced intrusion of water into hydrophobic grafted KIT-6 mesoporous silica with either alkyl or perfluorinated alkyl chains by scanning transitiometry. The experiments were conducted with two different calorimetric configurations. The first applied only a single active calorimeter cell experiencing a constant change in the rate of pressurization (dp/dt)T or a constant rate of compression (dv/dt)T. The second application is the dual active cell, where both the measuring and the reference cells experience the same changes in pressure and compression. It was found that the dual cell configuration is the best arrangement for pressure scanning calorimetry experiments, preventing the smearing of the heat effects from intrusion into the baseline heat. The average heat of high-pressure intrusion of water into hydrophobic KIT-6 was determined to be −8.5 ± 1.5 J·g–1 for alkyl grafting and −9.4 ± 0.9 J·g–1 for the perfluoroalkyl one. Perfluoroalkyl grafting was found to be the most resilient to degradation from exposure to repeated high-pressure water intrusion/extrusion cycling. Therefore, to accurately measure the heat released during the intrusion of nonwetting liquids into hydrophobic mesoporous materials, this article recommends using pressure scanning with a dual-cell differential configuration, which subtracts heat smearing effects from the signal, which otherwise remain in a single-cell configuration.

A growing interest in informal institutions in the judiciary – Scarce empirical studies focusing on informal institutions in judicial decision-making – An in-depth case study of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal (2012-2016) through an interview methodology – Constitutional Courts develop informal institutions often determinative of case outcomes – Polarisation negatively impacting compliance with preexisting informal institutions

Serdecznie witamy na eJournals. Portalu Czasopism Naukowych! eJournals to nie tylko platforma do publikowana online, ale również doświadczony zespół Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego oferujący wsparcie dla Redakcji czasopism w zakresie prowadzenia i rozwoju Czasopisma. Misją eJournals jest wspieranie polskich naukowców oraz zapewnienie przedstawicielom redakcji Czasopism profesjonalnej pomocy w ciągłym podnoszeniu ich poziomu i utrzymaniu wysokich standardów światowych. Wdrażanie międzynarodowych standardów i dobrych praktyk wraz z nowoczesnymi narzędziami publikowania może wpływać na bardziej skuteczne aplikowanie do naukowych baz danych, zwiększanie liczby cytowań, sprawniejszą migrację danych w bazach naukowych i budowanie lepszej widoczności w sieci. Wspieramy Redakcje w działaniach z zakresu informacji naukowej w celu stałego podnoszenia prestiżu Czasopism.

This work addresses the challenge of automatically detecting and isolating weak seismic signals generated by mass-gathering events, which are typically obscured by noise and lack a clear physical model. A novel U-Net-based framework that operates directly on time–frequency representations is proposed, enabling precise, fully automated extraction of seismic activity without manual intervention. Advanced sensing techniques play a pivotal role in analyzing seismic signals since such analysis enables real-time monitoring and the early detection of geophysical events. Traditional methods frequently rely on extensive pre-processing and feature engineering, which can impede responsiveness and adaptability to new data. In the presented study, a raw data-driven U-Net architecture was designed to segment seismic spectrograms directly. The proposed approach thus eliminates the need for excessive data transformation while preserving critical signal information. The proposed model enhances the efficiency of seismic sensing systems, offering improved adaptability to dynamic and unpredictable seismic patterns by operating directly on raw input data. The architecture leverages deep learning to extract meaningful representations from unprocessed signals, enabling precise segmentation with reduced computational overhead. This approach aligns with the need for real-time and scalable solutions in seismic monitoring, supporting applications such as earthquake identification. Experimental results demonstrate the model’s effectiveness in processing seismic signals with high accuracy, highlighting its potential for enhancing autonomous sensing systems in geophysical research and hazard mitigation.