This paper presents a complex study on ciliates from the different species of mosses of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic. Samples of ciliates were collected from Polytrichastrum alpinum , Sanionia georgico−uncinata , Sanionia uncinata and Brachythecium austrosalebrosum . The highest species richness (19 taxa) occurred in habitats from Brachythecium austrosalebrosum . The lowest number of taxa (5) was observed in Polytrichastrum alpinum . The greatest abundance of ciliates was found in samples from Brachythecium austrosalebrosum (25–30 ind. g −1 ), while the lowest was found in samples from Polytrichastrum (4–6 ind. g −1 ). In each species of mosses, vertical differentiation of these protozoa assemblages was found. The number of species and abundance significantly increased in the lower samples. The upper samples of mosses were dominated by mixotrophic taxa, whereas samples from the lower part the proportions of bacterivore species increases. The RDA performed to specify the direct relationships between the abundance of ciliate taxa and environmental variables showed obvious differences between habitats studied. However, variables that significantly explained the variance in ciliate communities were: dissolved oxygen, pH, and nutrients.

This paper evaluates the level of the vertical vibrations in a railway vehicle carbody generated by the track irregularities and examines the position of the critical point from the comfort perspective. The issue is reviewed on the basis of both a „rigid carbody” model and a „flexible carbody” model, which considers the first two carbody bending modes. The model errors are calculated as a function of the speed behaviour, and the results prove that the comfort performance of a railway vehicle evaluated on the „rigid carbody” model basis are overestimated compared to the ones derived from the implementation of the „flexible carbody” model, mainly at the centre of the carbody. Similarly, a correct estimation of the critical point position in the level of vibrations requires the modelling of the structural vibrations of the vehicle carbody.