Introduction: Infliximab (IFX) is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes TNF-α. IFX (Remicade) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006 for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. In 2013 two infliximab biosimilars: Remsima and Inflectra were also registered. The introduction of biosimilar drugs is associated with a significant reduction in treatment costs. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of treatment with biosimilar IFX with non-medical switch option in patients with plaque psoriasis under the drug program "Treatment of moderate and severe plaque psoriasis" of the Ministry of Health in Poland. Material and methods: The group of 91 adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, unresponsive or with contraindications to the standard treatment were qualified to the drug program (in 2016-2018). Efficacy of treatment with biosimilar IFX was evaluated using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, body surface area and Dermatology Life Quality Index scoring performed at week 0, 14, 46 and 94. Results: The mean change in PASI, DLQI, and BSA scores at week 14 was 89.92%, 93.75% and 90.91%, respectively. By week 14, 83.52% of patients achieved PASI75, 49.45% PASI ≥ 90 and 26.37% PASI100. At week 46, 84.62% of patients achieved PASI75, 54.95% PASI ≥ 90, and 21.98% PASI100. At week 94 of therapy, 80.22% of patients achieved PASI75, 48.35% PASI ≥ 90, and 18.68% PASI100. At week 94 of therapy, PASI100 was maintained by 37.5% of patients who achieved PASI100 at week 14. Conclusions: 94-week therapy with biosimilar infliximab results in high and sustained clinical efficacy in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

This paper is concerned with the 1 st stage of HP rotor blade assembly steam turbine TK 120. The methodology was focused on the selection of mechanical properties and the way of the rotor disc modeling and estimating the degree of damage caused by creep. Then the dynamic interference between the frequencies of excitation and the natural frequencies was assessed. Static calculations were performed for the cyclic sectors consisting of the disc, disc blades, spacers and shrouding, including loads as temperature, mass forces from the angular velocity and the pressure on the blades. Then, the creep analysis using a Norton's model and the modal analysis were performed. Static analysis gave information concerning the distributions of displacements, stress and strain components. In the creep analysis, the creep displacements and stress relaxation versus time were determined and the estimated degree of damage caused by creep was evaluated at each part of the rotor disc. In the modal analysis, the natural frequencies and modes of vibrations corresponding to the nodal diameters were found. The results of modal analysis were shown in the SAFE graph. Numerical calculations have shown that the rotor disc was a well-designed structure and did not reveal any dynamic interference.

No abstract

Biological agents: TNF‐α inhibitors, IL‐12, and IL‐23 blockers, IL‐17 inhibitors are used in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Adalimumab (ADA) is an antibody that binds to TNF‐α. Ustekinumab (UST) blocks IL‐12 and IL‐23. The data obtained from medical records is of exceptional value. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of ADA and UST during a single 40‐week period of biological treatment of patients under the drug program “Treatment of moderate and severe form of plaque psoriasis.” The group of 620 adult patients with moderate to severe form of plaque psoriasis, who were unresponsive or had contraindications to the standard treatment were qualified to the drug program. In the evaluated group, 50.64% patients were treated with UST, 49.36% with ADA. The efficacy of treatment was assessed during weeks 0, 4, 16, 28, and 40. At week 16th, PASI75 reached 80.72% patients in ADA treated group, PASI ≥90 54.88%, PASI100 19.6% of patients. In the UST group (week 16th) PASI75 reached 70.38%, PASI90 44.26%, PASI100 15.6% of patients. At week 28th PASI90 and PASI100 were more pronounced in the ADA group than in UST. In addition, the total percentage of PASI improvement was significantly higher in the ADA group (p = 0.0006). The percentage of PASI improvement in week 40 was statistically higher in ADA group compared to UST (p = 0.015). Compared to UST, ADA was clinically more effective during a 40‐week observation. Patients receiving ADA achieved PASI75, PASI90, and PASI100 more frequently and faster than those treated with UST. Additionally, ADA improved the quality of life of psoriatic patients more substantially compared to UST.

Dynamika społeczna pogranicza jest wyjątkowo ciekawym materiałem badawczym. Pogranicza jest to obszar, "na którym odbywają się kontakty społeczno-kulturowe zachodzące między dwoma lub więcej sąsiednimi narodami (grupami etnicznymi) oraz ich następstwa w postaci kształtującej się tam (lub istniejącej) rzeczywistości społeczno-kulturalnej" [Sadowski 1995: 39]. Na zjawisko zwane "pograniczem" składają się trzy aspekty -przestrzenny, osobowościowo-kulturowy i trzeci, będący szczególnym przedmiotem mojego zainteresowania -społeczno-kulturowy. Pogranicze interesuje mnie jako "usytuowany w przestrzeni kontakt społeczno-kulturowy między dwoma lub więcej narodami" [ibidem].W okolicach Puńska i Sejn, w których prowadzę badania, można obserwować stykanie się społeczności polskiej i litewskiej. Odwieczność sąsiedztwa tych dwóch nacji na tym terenie jest charakterystyczna dla północno-wschodnich terenów Polski. Tutaj "wszystkie mniejszości są »u siebie«, zamieszkują na tych terenach od wieków i niekiedy lokalnie bywają większościami. (…) Są to więc mniejszości stale i trwale osadzone, będąc na tych ziemiach obywatelami z urodzenia" [Nikitorowicz 1995: 106]. W konsekwencji zatem są to grupy, które przez wieki sąsiadowania wypracowały wzory postępowania względem siebie, rozwiązywania konfliktów, negocjowania wspólnych decyzji. Za ich sposobem współżycia stoi wiele lat wspólnych doświadczeń. Analiza nawet najnowszej historii społeczności polsko-litewskiej pokazuje, że problem walki z polską dominacją i ochrony własnej tożsamości był dla Litwinów szczególnie ważny [Tarka 1998;Żołędowski 2003]. Zbigniew Bokszański zwraca uwagę, na jak wiele sposobów społeczność może reagować na dominację: "Możemy sytuo wać je [reakcje -dop. A. N.] na kontinuum, rozciągającym się od postawy biernej akceptacji swojego położenia i trwałego pozostawienia na marginesie życia społecznego do zdecydowanego oporu, polegającego na tworzeniu i propagowaniu alternatywnych kontrkultur lub agresywnym etnocentryzmie,