The article presents an analysis of renderings of the Swedish –s passive voice construction in a sample of multiple non-professional Polish translations of the same non-literary Swedish text, with a view to verify the validity of the thesis that translators resort to the minimax strategy while translating, as well as it discusses the possible correlation of this strategy with the development of characteristic features of the language of translation, the so-called “third code”. The article is structured as follows: Firstly, it presents the origin of the notion of the minimax strategy in translation studies and discusses it in reference to the psychology of translation. What follows is a brief description of the “third code” and its characteristic features. The subsequent part offers a discussion of the passive voice structures in Swedish and Polish as well as the semantically akin Polish constructions that may potentially be used to render the Swedish –s passive conceptualisations. Subsequently, the collected data are examined to answer the research questions. The article concludes with suggestions for further research on the “third code” and translation universals with reference to the minimax strategy.

This article first surveys the current, somewhat unproductive state of research into potential universals of translation. Then it considers in specific the “first translational response universal” (Malmkjær 2011), suggesting that it may be rooted in the cognitive mechanism of priming. Empirical evidence for this is next sought in the analysis of a set of 34 novice translations of the same short passage from Swedish into Polish, which are shown to exhibit the effects of priming to a considerable extent. Overall, the objective is to illustrate a possible way of investigating postulated translation universals: first identifying a cluster of cognitive mechanisms to motivate the universal, then determining the linguistic structures that are concrete manifestations of such mechanisms in languages meeting in translation. The proposed research procedure thus proceeds from a cognitive process to a detailed language structure, allowing for the examination of phenomena observed in the “third code” on the supra-cultural level.

The general objective of this research has been to identify the factors and conditions of migration of CaCO3 within glaciers and their marginal zones in Svalbard . Special attention has been paid to the cryochemical processes responsible for precipitation of calcium carbonate in icing (naled ice) formed near fronts of polythermal glaciers during winter. Estimates of the importance of those processes in respect of the general mineral mass transfer in the glacier system are attempted here. Field studies concerning the carbonate contents in proglacial sediments and icing fields were carried out in the Werenskioldbreen and the Elisebreen basins (S and NW Spitsbergen respectively). A functional model of CaCO3 migration in a glacier system is proposed which indicates the various paths of the mineral mass flow. Considerations on intensity of glacial processes permitted quantitative estimation of the particular components in respect to the Werenskioldbreen basin. Cryochemical processes do not appear to be of overriding importance in such migration but, clearly, they play a specific role in retaining CaCO3 in the proglacial zone on land. The crystalline forms present in the icings, which have many lattice defects, are very easily re-dissolved or removed by wind.

I have a great pleasure to inform the "AA" Readers that the 39th Winter School on Wave and Quantum Acoustics, organized by Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society and Institute of Physics at Silesian University of Technology, is planned at the top of March 2010 in beautiful scenery of Silesian Beskidy Mountains. Many times it was organized in Wisła, Skoczów, Szczyrk, and Korbielów, and this year it will be organized again in Szczyrk.

As always, the School has been a place where achievements of various sections of physical acoustics (especially molecular acoustics, quantum acoustics, acousto-optics, magnetoacoustics, acoustoelectronics, photoacoustics, acoustics of solids etc.) are being exchanged. Moreover, some similar and related topics, for example optoelectronics and thermal wave methods, will be presented too.

As at previous years the School will be divided on three different, but complementary, parts - Winter Workshops (WW). Chronologically it will be: 6th WW on Acoustoelectronics (chairman Prof. Marian Urbanczyk, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice), 6th WW on Molecular Acoustics, Relaxation and Calorimetric Methods (chairwoman Dr. Marzena Dzida, Silesian University of Technology, Katowice) and 15th WW on Photoacoustics and Thermal Waves Methods (chairman Prof. Jerzy Bodzenta, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice). Moreover, this year we propose take participation in associated conference - the 4th conference on Integrated Optics - Sensors, Sensing Structures and Methods (chairman Prof. Tadeusz Pustelny, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice).

Traditionally I invite you to acquaint with preliminary program and some abstracts of lectures submitted to presentation in 38th Winter School on Vibroacoustical Hazards Suppressions. This national School, organized by Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society and Institute of Physics at Silesian University of Technology, at this year is planned at the first week of March 2010. This conference is organized in different places of Silesian Beskidy Mountains, but this year it is organized in Szczyrk.

The conference is the forum for all environmental vibroacoustics fields. Particularly it concern to traffic noise, industry noise, vibroacoustics of machines, room acoustics, noise protection and similar problems. During the School the theoretical works, experimental, measuring, technical, applied and normative ones are presented.

The School lectures, and other conference materials, will be published in the "Materials of the XXXVIII Winter School on Vibroacoustical Hazards Suppressions" (in Polish) edited by Dr. Roman Bukowski and Dr. Mieczys?aw Roczniak (chairman of the conference). This publication is intend to participants of the School and for many libraries in Poland.

This national Seminar, with some foreign guests, in this year is organized by Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society, with cooperation of Institute of Physics - Science-Didactics Center at Silesian University of Technology and Acoustics Committee of Polish Academy of Sciences. In this year OSA'10 will take place in Gliwice at the Congress-Educational Center of the Silesian University of Technology. The conference has two famous honorary patrons - the Magnificence Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Andrzej Karbownik, and Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Prof. Barbara Kudrycka. The Seminar is a forum for all fields of acoustics. Particularly in this year, in the Seminar Program you can find the following topics: general acoustics, environmental acoustic, biomedical acoustics, acoustics in blind person's life, active noise control, acoustical emission, vibroacoustics, ultrasound, interior acoustics and others. During the Seminar, the theoretical works, experimental, measuring, technical, applied and normative ones are presented.

Traditionally, the 42nd Winter School on Vibroacoustical Hazards Suppressions national conference is organized by Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society. The conference again is organized in Szczyrk. As at previous year, the conference has two co-organizers, i.e. Institute of Physics – Science-Didactic Center at the Silesian University of Technology and the Committee of Acoustics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The conference is a forum for all environmental vibroacoustic fields. Particularly it concerns traffic noise, industry noise, vibroacoustics of machines, room acoustics, building acoustics, noise protection and similar problems. Works which are presented during the School are theoretical, experimental, measuring, technical, applied and normative. The School lectures and other conference materials will be published in the “Materials of the XLII Winter School on Vibroacoustical Hazards Suppressions” (in Polish) edited by dr. Roman Bukowski. This publication will be intended for participants of the School and for many libraries in Poland. Other information about the 42nd WS on VHS you can find on our website http://ogpta.pols.pl/szzzw

I have a great pleasure to inform the "AA" Readers that the 40th Winter School on Wave and Quantum Acoustics, organized by Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society and Institute of Physics - Scientific-Didactics Center at Silesian University of Technology, is planned at the turn of February and March 2011 in beautiful scenery of Silesian Beskidy Mountains. Many times it was organized in Wisła, Skoczów, Szczyrk and Korbielów, and this year it will be organized again in Szczyrk.

Traditionally I invite you to acquaint with the preliminary list of lectures and some abstracts of lectures submitted for presentation in the 39th Winter School on Vibroacoustical Hazards Suppressions. This national School, organized by Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society and Institute of Physics at the Silesian University of Technology, is planned this year at the turn of February and March 2011. This conference is organized in different places of Silesian Beskidy Mountains, but this year will be again organized in Szczyrk.

Traditionally you are invited to acquaint yourselves with some abstracts of lectures submitted to the 40th Winter School on Vibroacoustical Hazards Suppressions. This national School is traditionally held at the turn of February and March and is organized in different places of Silesian Beskidy Mountains. This year it is again held in Szczyrk.

This year we celebrate the jubilee edition of the School. Because of this anniversary the conference apart from standard organizers, i.e. Upper Silesian Division of the Polish Acoustical Society and Institute of Physics - Science-Didactic Center at the Silesian University of Technology, has also a co-organizer - the Committee on Acoustics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Moreover there are two splendid honorary patrons - Prof. Zbigniew Engel, president of the Committee on Acoustics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Andrzej Bluszcz, director of the Institute of Physics - Science-Didactic Center at the Silesian University of Technology.

The study was performed on 45 bitches in different cycle phases that were divided into the following groups: anoestrus (I, n=15), heat (pro-oestrus (n=7) or estrous (n=8) (II, n=15) and metestrus (III, n=15). Moreover, all experimental dogs were grouped according to their age: younger than 5 years (Y, n=35) and older than 5 years (O, n=10). The endometrial status was evaluated using cytological, bacteriological and biopsy samples obtained after ovariohyster- ectomy.

The main uterine pathology diagnosed by biopsy was endometritis, since 40%–66% of bitches, independent of the experimental group, developed this condition. No significant differences were found among the cycle phase groups (p>0.05). By contrast, significant differences were found in the age groups; the prevalence of this pathology was higher in older bitches (p=0.0019). The general prevalence of cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) and a normal endometrium (NE) was lower (6.7–26.7% vs 26.7–53.3%) in all groups, and no statistically significant differences were found between certain groups (p>0.05). The percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNs) in endometrial cytology was generally low (< 2%) and did not differ signifi- cantly among the experimental groups (p=0.142). In general, a low degree of correlation was found between the diagnostic results by endometrial cytology and biopsy (Kappa Coeffi- cient=0.046). Positive bacteriological findings were found in approximately 50% of the bitches, independent of the cycle phase and health status of the endometrium. No correlation was found between the bacteriological and histopathological findings (p=0.883).

In conclusion, uterine cytology is not a reliable diagnostic method to detect the subclinical inflammatory and degenerative uterine pathologies in cyclic bitches.

This article presents values of porosity and compression strength of hard coals from the area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The change of the stage of carbonification, which results from conversion of coal substance in the process of coalification, is a source of many changes in the structure of coal. These changes exert influence on values of physical parameters, including the values of porosity and strength. Porosity and compression strength change with the degree of carbonification, a result of the depth of deposition. This study determined the values of effective porosity of coals and their strength considering the age chronology of coal seams and the depth of their occurrence. It examined coals of the Cracow Sandstone Series, the Mudstone Series, the Upper Silesian Sandstone Series, and the Paralic Series from depths ranging from about 350 m to 1200 m. The authors have shown that effective porosity of the Upper Silesian coals changes for particular stratigraphic groups and assumes values from a few to a dozen or so per cent, while compression strength from several to several dozen megapascals. It has been observed, from a chronostratigraphic perspective, that there is a shifting of the upper and lower limits of intervals of porosity variations towards higher values for younger coals. With the increase in compression strength, value of porosity in particular stratigraphic groups generally decreases. However, no regular changes were observed in mean, uniaxial compressive strength with the increase in the age of subsequent stratigraphic groups. On the other hand, for bright coal and semi-bright coal, a visible decrease in compression strength with the depth of deposition of strata was observed.

In the Carboniferous rock mass of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, large changes in the geomechanical conditions often occur over relatively short distances. These conditions relate to rock properties that are primarily responsible for the occurrence of geodynamic phenomena in the rock mass. The main factor influencing the manifestation of these phenomena is tectonic stress developed during Variscan and subsequent Alpine orogenesis. This stress contributed to creating tectonic structures in the Carboniferous formations and influenced the properties of the rocks themselves and the rock mass they form. As a result of the action of the stresses, compaction zones (main stresses were compressive) were formed, along with zones in which one of the main stresses was tensile. For the compaction zones in the Carboniferous rocks, the following geomechanical parameters have been calculated: uniaxial compressive strength, Young’s modulus and post-critical modulus. The local stress field was determined according to the focal mechanism in selected areas (Main and Bytom troughs) to characterize changes in geomechanical properties of the rocks that are responsible for high-energy tremors (E ≥ 106 J, ML ≥ 2.2).