The quantity of deposited metals was determined in the tissues of Cepaea nemoralis, Lumbricus terrestris and Geotrupes stercorarius, as well as in plant and soil samples from two locations characterized by different levels of human impact. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of metals in the bodies of these invertebrate taxa occupying the same habitats was compared, in relation to their content in Taraxacum officinale leaves and in the soil. Analysis of the content of metals in the bodies of selected species belonging to different taxonomic groups demonstrates the usefulness of these invertebrates in biomonitoring.

New model of the simulation of the airbag inflation process, taking into account the influence of the airbag environment on the folding process, have been proposed. Equations describing a new model and the used numerical schemes were presented. The differences of the airbag fabric skin motion during the folding process, obtained by the use of different process models (existing and proposed), have been presented on the simple geometry examples. From the analysis of obtained results one acknowledged that the proposed model should be used in all calculations of the airbag operation in non-typical situations, out-of position occupants, side airbags, particularly in the case of small distances between the closed airbag and the elements of the body of the protected person.

The present article provides information on the method of distinguishing between spatial natural units within a valley microregion in the Arctic zone. Geocomplexes fall into 20 types and are grouped under four categories of high order units, i.e. glacial, fluvial, slope and polygenetic geocomplexes. The lithomorphogenetic criterion is useful in differentiating other natural characteristics.

Soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merrill.) yielding potential depends on environmental conditions (precipitation, temperature, soil). The aim of the work was to evaluate stability of yielding (and other traits) of three soybean cultivars (Abelina, SG Anser, Merlin) grown under the climatic conditions of central-eastern Poland. The studied material was obtain in a field experiment conducted at Łączka (52°15' N, 21°95' E) during the growing seasons of 2017–2019. Trait stability was determined based on Shukla’s genotype stability variance and Wricke’s ecovalence describing the genotype-by-environment interaction. For all the examined parameters, there were found significant differences between successive growing seasons, cultivars, and cultivars within study years. The greatest influence of environmental conditions (years) was determined for plant height (64%) and first pod height (54.2%). Stability parameters indicated that cv. Abelina was the most stable in terms of yielding, 1000 seed weight, seed number per pod and average seed number per pod, cv. SG Anser being the least stable in this respect

The paper addresses the issue of the Electromagnetic Environment Situational Awareness techniques. The main focus is put on sensing and the Radio Environment Map. These two dynamic techniques are described in detail. The Radio Environment Map is considered the essential part of the spectrum management system. It is described how the density and deployment of sensors affect the quality of maps and it is analyzed which methods are the most suitable for map construction. Additionally, the paper characterizes several sensing methods.

The author attempted to characterise qualities of complexes of buildings built on various scales in Polish cities, in search of the lost qualities of urbanity and the possibility of reclaiming the housing environment for the city and its residents, a housing environment that is conducive to social integration thanks to the urban climate of the spatial and functional structure of new development complexes in which open public space links urban tissue that is equipped with the necessary programme of social service infrastructure.

The most important criteria for evaluation of building engineering is the state of indoor climate and energy consumption. Increase of the rate of energy saving resulted not only in the use of better barriers, but also building elements, such as windows, having low air leakage values. Simultaneously, in the design of new buildings and the retrofit of existing buildings, traditional structures of natural ventilation are used. In these cases, the ventilation is an important tool for a dcsiderable realization of all environmental and energy requirements. The paper presents selected results of a long-term research work. These results were obtained by questionnaires, measurements and simulations of ventilation processes in typical detached houses, blocks of flats and office buildings. The main objective of the presented paper is to demonstrate investigations and summarize a large number of results which describe the airtightness and natural ventilation on indoor environment.

The above-presented methodology for spatial classification of roads in relation to their acoustic annoyance can be used in preparing acoustic maps of towns. The classification of roads with the view of the level of acoustic hazard enables, just in the initial phase of acoustic map preparation, to identify the areas potentially endangered with excessive noise. These areas need taking immediate corrective actions, aimed at reducing the noise level. An important problem, when analyzing the propagation of noise in a highly urbanized area, is the selection of locations in which the measurements of emission of the noise source are performed with the aim to determine its acoustic parameters for calibration of the assumed methodology. Solving this problem makes it possible to use uniform methods of computation. The development of the proposed method and supplementing the layers with next ones, containing information about the range of influence of vibration generated by roadway transport routes, or information on the effects of mining on the roads and building structures, using the proposed methodology, will enable to make an unambiguous categorization of transport routes in the aspect of their vibro-acoustic impact on the environment.

Introduction: The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is an instru-ment that assesses the educational environment.
Aim: The aim of this study was to psychometrically evaluate a Polish version of the DREEM instrument.
Material and Methods: 203 medical students who fully completed the DREEM questionnaire were included in the study. Validity was evaluated through the analysis of construct validity and reliability.
Results: After language validation the internal consistency was assessed. Cronbach’s alpha for the overall score was 0.93 and the five subscales were: perceptions of learning 0.86, perceptions of teachers 0.82, perceptions of atmosphere 0.75, academic self-perceptions 0.61, and social-self perceptions 0.61. The exploratory factor analyses, however, yielded dimensions that did not fully correspond to the original DREEM subscales.
Conclusions: Internal consistency of the Polish version of the DREEM scale as a whole was excellent, however for each of five originally developed subscales it was lower and vary a lot; construct validity of Polish version was not compatible with the original structure of the DREEM scale but was reasonable. A new five-factor solution obtained in this study could be a reliable tool for assessing the medical education environment in the Polish circumstances, but it will require confirmation in future study.

The environmental problems caused by the development and utilization of mineral resources have become important factors affecting ecological security. Guizhou is a Chinese province with relatively developed paleoweathered sedimentary bauxite deposits, abundant resource reserves, and a long history of mining. And, the demand for bauxite in Guizhou is expected to continue to grow. However, long-term or unreasonable resource development has produced a series of prominent environmental problems, such as the occupation and destruction of land resources and heavy metal pollution in soil and water bodies. Based on the existing research results in China and abroad, this paper analyzes the current situation, distribution characteristics, and development and utilization of bauxite resources in Guizhou to explain the corresponding environmental impacts. The results show that because of the many types and high concentrations of associated elements in bauxite and the high alkalinity, heavy metal components, and radioactive elements in red mud, the development and utilization of bauxite resources are associated with higher environmental risk. And more impact of bauxite mining on regional biodiversity, soil, air, surface water, and groundwater need to be evaluated. This paper also proposes coping strategies or countermeasures of environmental governance and control to achieve the green, sustainable and high-quality development of bauxite-related industries for meeting future environmental requirements.

The new boreholes drilled between 2009 and 2012 enabled a detailed exploration of the profile of the Kraków sandstone series in the Dąb area between the “Sobieski” and “Janina” mining plants, USCB (Upper Silesian Coal Basin). The core from the No. 111. bituminous coal seam was selected for further analysis. 30 intervals corresponding to the defined lithotypes were separated in the seam with a thickness of 116.8 cm. The thickness of lithotypes ranges from 10 mm to 89 mm. A microprofile of the examined seam was made using the modified method of determining microlithotypes. A quantitative determination of the maceral composition was performed for each interval corresponding to the separated lithotypes. This allowed petrographic and facies characteristics of the seam to be determined. Its lower part is dominated by lithotypes with a large share of bright coal – vitrain coal. This section of the profile was formed under conditions of a strongly flooded wet forest swamp. In the upper section of the seam, a higher macroscopic share of dull coal – durain was observed. The microscopic analysis has shown that the conditions dominant during the formation of this section were typical for swamp forest peats. New technologies also require expanding knowledge about the structure of coal seams. This is only possible with a detailed profiling of the coal seam on a macro scale combined with micro-profiling and a detailed petrographic description of the isolated lithotypes. This methodology is also useful in the facies analysis of bituminous coal seams.

This article examines the changing migration projects of Central and Eastern European migrants in Northern Ireland. It sets out the context for settlement scheme applications, linking it to broader hostile environment pol-icies in the UK. It explores the dynamic nature of people’s migration projects and how these have been chal-lenged in the context of Brexit and the EU Settlement Scheme. The paper discusses the ruptures in migrants’ narratives in relation to how they envision their future in Northern Ireland and their countries of origin, with some moving towards indeterminacy and some searching for fixity/stability in their migration projects. It exam-ines how the Northern Irish context – and the question of the Irish border specifically – adds an additional layer of complexity to the migrants’ shifting future imaginaries. The paper draws on my covert research and in-depth interviews with CEE migrants, where consent was given retrospectively. It discusses the role of the researcher in cutting the covert/overt continuum and ethical dilemmas in the field.

The environment is crucial to socioeconomic development and to human well-being. Properly performed spatial planning efforts allow the natural environment to be shaped in a rational way, by identifying the possibilities and directions for its development.

According to the Nitrate Directive it is necessary to established a protective belt (ecotones) around lakes. Inside these belts, it is forbidden to use fertilize for agricultural purposes. It is believed that it is the most imported measure to protect water quality in the lake. The analysis were conducted to estimate the sources of nitrogen entering the waters of the lake. Some analysis were conducted to estimate the sources of nitrogen entering waters of the lake. It was proved that the biggest load (more than 80%) of contamination is entering the lake with water flowing in streams and ditches. Only 10% of the chemicals are entering the lake with the groundwater filtrating to the lake. It is very important to use a proper methods of agriculture with proper methods of fertilization in the whole area of river basin flowing to the lakes.

Views on the objectives and role of water management have remarkably changed in the last years. The need of a complex water management that would consider all water users including agriculture and natural environment is often underlined. It is pointed out that agriculture and natural environment (including commercial forests) are basic consumers of precipitation water which is not considered in water and economic balances. More and more importance is attributed to the utilisation of waters from catchment basin and to application of non-technical measures of controlling water cycles. A large impact of agro-ecosystems and natural or semi-natural (forests, wetlands) ecosystems on water balance is underlined. This different approach to the problems of water management is expressed e.g. in Water Framework Directive of European Union devoted to surface and ground water protection. The directive attributes a great role to the protection of aquatic and water related ecosystems. More and more often it is realised that the total water resources are equal to the volume of atmospheric precipitation. Water management should involve not only the water in geological aquifers or river channels but also that which is retained in soil profile. Such elements of water balance as spatial distribution, interception, infiltration and recharge of ground water reservoirs, soil retention capacity, surface runoff and evapotranspiration depend largely on land use in a catchment. Through appropriate land use and catchment management, application of rational agro-technical methods, development of small retention, wetland restoration, and hampering water outflow from draining systems one may significantly affect water cycling in a catchment.

Small water resources of Poland, increasing water consumption, climate changes and requirements of environmental protection enforce the implementation of complex methods of water management and search for environmental-friendly methods of limiting economic losses caused by water deficit or excess. Saving water used for economic purposes and agriculture would permit better fulfilment of the needs of natural environment.

In the projects of protection of soil-water environment there is a need to combine and process large amount of information from various disciplines to estimate parameters of phenomena and to determine the range and time table of necessary undertakings.

Due to complex assessment of processes taking place in aquifers, mathematical modeling is the best tool supporting evaluation off pollution in the ground water environment. It is also an effective method of forecasting the risk associated with the harmful impact of objects polluting grounds and grounds waters.

Significant application of mathematical modeling is the use for the enlargement of information gathered in the process of recognition and assessment of condition that prevail in soil-water environment. Results of modeling, if appropriately presented, could be an important element of decision support system in environmental management.

This paper describes procedures for developing an environmental remediation decision support system by linking CADD and GIS software with the hydro geological flow and transport models.

The article presents technological and measurement systems and methods for substrate preparation, production and purification of raw biogas, biogas storage, cogeneration, and processing of post-fermentation mass. Based on the existing infrastructure for biogas production from pig slurry, a model system for integrating objects in the AVEVA environment using integration mechanisms was demonstrated. The simulation used an imaging method, and the 3D model was used for technological simulations. The work presents simulation results that allow us to understand the availability of graphic imaging techniques at each stage, define and expand the library of typical errors and requirements for pipeline installations, structures and devices, facilitating the identification of design errors and accelerated introduction of corrections to the installation design.
The article features the use of integration of elements of a pilot biogas production installation in the AVEVA environment – innovative systems for heating the substrate and managing agricultural biogas production were implemented. A node for the production of raw biogas was indicated for the transport system of biogas produced in the fermentation tank, along with devices enabling the conduct, control and regulation of the fermentation process. The visualisation concerned integration of the biogas production technology diagram with the model environment for the created pipelines using integrator mechanisms.

In the present work, different Cu-alloyed model ductile irons with ferritic (0%Cu-0.09%Mn), mixed ferritic-pearlitic (0.38%Cu-0.40%Mn) and pearlitic (0.69%Cu-0.63%Mn) microstructure were produced and analyzed in terms of their electrochemical corrosion behavior in a 3.5wt.%NaCl aqueous solution containing naturally dissolved oxygen at room temperature (25°C). The remaining elements such as Si and Mg were kept at balanced levels in an attempt to minimize variations in graphite size and distribution among different samples. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization. Microstructure analysis of the cast alloys confirmed similarity in the graphite morphology among the different cast samples and the expected variations in the metallic matrix. In the absence of passivation, it was found that the addition of copper led to an increase in corrosion resistance, which could be attested by higher values polarization resistance and corrosion potential.

The ongoing period of the pandemic makes everybody focused on the matters related to fighting this immense problem posed to the societies worldwide. The governments deal with the threat by publishing regulations which should allow to mitigate the pandemic, walking on thin ice as the decision makers do not always know how to properly respond to the threat in order to save people. Computer-based simulations of e.g. parts of the city or rural area should provide significant help, however, there are some requirements to fulfill. The simulation should be verifiable, supported by the urban research and it should be possible to run it in appropriate scale. Thus in this paper we present an interdisciplinary work of urban researchers and computer scientists, proposing a scalable, HPC-grade model of simulation, which was tested in a real scenario and may be further used to extend our knowledge about epidemic spread and the results of its counteracting methods. The paper shows the relevant state of the art, discusses the micro-scale simulation model, sketches out the elements of its implementation and provides tangible results gathered for a part of the city of Krakow, Poland.

Bridges are particularly vulnerable elements of transport infrastructures. In many cases, bridge structures may be subject to higher volumes of traffic and higher loads as well as more severe environmental conditions than it was designed. Sound procedures to ensure monitoring, quality control, and preventive maintenance systems are therefore vital. The paper presents main challenges and arriving possibilities in management of bridge structures, including: relationships between environment and bridge infrastructure, improvement of diagnostic technologies, advanced modelling of bridges in computer-based management systems, development of knowledge-based expert systems with application of artificial intelligence, applications of technology of Bridge Information Modelling (BrIM) with augmented and virtual reality techniques. Presented activities are focused on monitoring the safety of bridges for lowering the risk of an unexpected collapse significantly as well as on efficient maintenance of bridges as components of transport infrastructure – by means of integrated management systems. The proposed classification of Bridge Management Systems shows the history of creating such systems and indicates the expected directions of their development, taking into account changing challenges and integrating new developing technologies, including automation of decision-making processes.

This paper presents the unique value of Kengo Kuma’s idea of rooted architecture that results from an innovative approach to the environment. This idea could be the basis for a new paradigm of an architecture befitting of our times, in which the natural environment is degraded. The study was based on an analysis of texts by and on Kuma, supported by references to a selection of his projects. The features of rooted architecture in Kuma’s idea as well as the organicity of rooted architecture, its presentation in Japanese and Western tradition and its radical nature are discussed. The results of this study are: an indication of the link between rooted and organic architecture in Kuma’s original approach, the unique value of the idea of rooted architecture as a new approach to the environment, and the presentation of this idea as a design method based on an interrelation between a place and the human body.

Studies on Ichneumonidae were carried out in the years 1999-2001 in the fruit-growing environment and in shrubs growing in its closest surroundings. The occurrence of 45 Pimplinae species was recorded (32.8% of the Polish fauna of this subfamily) and one species each ofDiacritinae and Poemeniinae subfamilies. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the Ichneumonidae groups occurring on fruit trees and shrubs were carried out.

History has shown different approaches to improving productivity the way of companies do business. Since the early 1900s, the development of different production systems has played an increasingly remarkable role in global manufacturing countries. It seems, that the growth of understanding has widened the ideology of production systems used up to current ones. This article examines the development path of business development. It evaluates the suitability of the key tools used to support change in a modern business model in a customer-driven project business environment.

The Polish energy sector is, to a large extent, based on fossil fuels used in conventional energy, which is not entirely consistent with the current energy policy of the European Union. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the use of renewable energy sources that guarantee the preservation of the value of the natural environment in rural areas. It should be emphasized that in addition to the economic effect, the environmental effect is very important, understood as the impact of renewable energy on the natural environment and the quality of life of rural residents. The intensive development of RES raises a lot of controversy among politicians, as well as among rural residents, who are also associated with the myths regarding renewable energy as harmful to the natural environment.

Rural development should be connected with the socio-economic situation, and even more so with the socio-cultural situation of its inhabitants, because it assumes that the development of rural areas in Poland is associated not only with agriculture, but also with historical and natural values and their durability.

The aim of this work is to determine the attitudes of the inhabitants of rural areas of the Podkarpackie Province on the impact of renewable energy sources on the natural environment. The work assumes that the durability of rural areas is largely connected with the ability to preserve their natural values, as well as ensuring a satisfactory quality of life for residents. The basic source of data was surveys carried out in 2017 among 282 inhabitants of the Podkarpackie Province .