Introduction: Graves’ Disease (GD) is an autoimmune hyperthyroidism occurring mostly in young women. The main pathogenic role of the disease is attributed to TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb), which stimulate the thyroid gland to increase production of the most active thyroid hormone- triiodothyronine (T3). High level of TRAb and a large goiter size are commonly known as poor prognostic factors for the disease and are used to predict relapse.

The aim: The purpose of our study was to check the correlation between fT3:fT4 ratio with TRAb concentration, total volume of thyroid and age of GD onset.

Materials and Methods: 114 patients with onset or relapse of GD were analyzed. Those after thyroidectomy or radioiodine therapy were not taken into analysis. The data was retrospectively retrieved from the hospital’s records consisting of patients’ sex, age, level of TRAb, fT3, fT4 and thyroid volume on ultrasonography. The association between fT3:fT4 and TRAb concentration, thyroid volume and age was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results: The group was predominated by women (19.3% men, 80.7% women). The average age was 47.0. The analysis revealed positive correlation between: 1) fT3:fT4 ratio and total volume of thyroid (correla-tion ratio: 0.37; p <0.05) 2) fT3:fT4 ratio and level of TRAb (correlation ratio: 0.26; p <0.05) 3) negative correlation between fT3:fT4 ratio and patient’s age (correlation ratio: –0.14; p = 0.144.

Conclusions: Positive correlations between fT3:fT4 ratio and TRAb level and total volume of thyroid (poor predictors of GD) may confirm that high level of fT3 can also be a prognostic factor for GD severity.

Micro-channel heat sinks are used in a wide variety of applications, including microelectronic devices, computers and high-energy-laser mirrors. Due to the high power density that is encountered in these devices (the density of delivered electrical power up to a few kW/cm2) they require efficient cooling as their temperatures must generally not exceed 100 ◦C. In the paper a new design for micro-channel heat sink (MCHS) to be used for cooling laser diode arrays (LDA) is considered. It is made from copper and consisting of 37 micro-channels with length of 9.78 mm, width of 190 μm and depth of 180 μm with the deionized water as a cooling medium. Mathematical and numerical models of the proposed design of the heat sink were developed. A series of thermofluid numerical simulations were performed for various volumetric flow rates of the cooling medium, its inlet temperature and different thermal power released in the laser diode. The results show that the LDA temperature could be decreased from 14 to 17% in comparison with earlier proposed design of the heat sink with the further drop in temperature obtained by applying indium instead of gallium arsenide as the soldering material between the LDA and MCHS interface. Moreover, it was found that the maximum temperature, and therefore the thermal resistance of the considered heat sink, could be decreased by increasing the coolant flow rate.

A low-dimensional physical model of small-amplitude oscillations of the vocal folds is proposed here. The model is a simplified version of the body-cover one in which mucosal surface wave propagation has been approximated by the seesaw-like oscillation of the vocal fold about its fulcrum point whose position is adjustable in both the horizontal and vertical directions. This approach works for 180 degree phase difference between the glottal entry and exit displacements. The fulcrum point position has a significant role in determining the shape of the glottal flow. The vertical position of the fulcrum point determines the amplitude of the glottal exit displacement, while its horizontal position governs the shape and amplitude of the glottal flow. An increment in its horizontal position leads to an increase in the amplitude of the glottal flow and the time period of the opening and closing phases, as well as a decrease in the time period of the closed phase. The proposed model is validated by comparing its results with the low-dimensional mucosal surface wave propagation model.

The enzymatic synthesis of a highly hydrophobic product (dipeptide precursor) in which the reaction is accompanied by the mass transfer of the reaction product to the organic phase and the substrates to the water phase is considered. Equations describing both continuous and batch processes are formulated. The range of variability in the operating parameters of such a bioreactor is specified, and the correlations reported in the literature to describe mass transfer in the membrane contactor are validated. The proposed process was verified experimentally, and good agreement between the determined and calculated concentrations was obtained in both phases.

In these considerations, I undertake a polemic with thinking based on the assumption that the value of scientific achievements can be measured with almost mathematical accuracy and give fully reliable point indicators for them. It is not only part of those who introduce the current reform of higher education and science in Poland, but also experts who support them, as well as some representatives of science and natural sciences. This thinking was called point syndrome and expert syndrome. Although it was diagnosed as a manifestation of academic disease a few years ago, it still not only finds its supporters, but also translates into activities, which in some scholars cause astonishment, in others indignation, and still strong opposition in others.