Fjords of West Spitsbergen are very dynamic in terms of hydrology. Here we tested whether the qualitative analysis of the taxonomic composition of phytoplankton may be useful as a fast method to assess the origin of the waters and whether it can give any additional information to hydrological data. Phytoplankton samples were collected along transects in Hornsund and Kongsfjord. Among total of 109 taxa identified, only 49 were common in both fjords. The assemblages in Hornsund implied that inflow of the cold waters of the Sřrkapp Current had occurred some time before samples collection, while in Kongsfjord the taxonomic composition was typical for the summer and did not show any recent, unusual hydrological phenomenon. Concluding, the method can be useful in the surveys in which hydrological data are collected infrequently.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolite, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) can disturb the secretory function of the ovary and both contractions and secretory function of the uterus during the estrus cycle and pregnancy. Additionally, PCBs can pass through the placental barrier into allantoic and amniotic fluid. The presence of PCBs in these fluids is associated with higher frequency of spontaneous abortions and premature births in humans and animals. Therefore, the effect of PCBs, DDT and DDE on the connexins (Cx26, Cx32 and Cx43) and keratin 8 (KRT8) expression in bovine placentomes was investigated. The placentome slices from the second trimester of pregnancy were incubated with PCB153, 126, 77, DDT and DDE (each at doses of 1, 10 or 100 ng/ml) for 48 h. Then, the slices were stained using immunohistochemistry. The density of Cxs staining was measured with Axio- Vision Rel. 4.8 software in fetal-maternal connections and binuclear cells (BNC). None of the tested xenobiotics (XBs) affected the localization of Cxs and KRT8 in the fetal-maternal connection area, but the XBs affected the density of Cxs in fetal-maternal connections and binuclear cells (BNCs). Depend on the doses, in fetal-maternal connections all used PCBs changed the protein expression of different Cxs, while in BNCs, all tested XBs except DDT increased the expression of Cxs. None of investigated XBs affected on KRT8 expression. In summary, used XBs affect the expression of Cxs and change the quantitative relationships between them. Therefore, XBs can unfavorably influence function of the utero-placental barrier in cows.

Although currently pole dancing is growing in popularity due to its sport dimension, it seems that such a form of expression is still commonly associated with strip clubs and connotes above all the erotic performance of a woman in front of a male audience. And yet, as one can find by frequenting dance studios that teach pole dancing, it is practiced not only by women, but also by men and children. Thus keeping in mind the ambiguity that arises at the intersection of competing optics in decoding the pole dance—with regard to “perpetuate interpretation logic” and the everyday experience of people undertaking the activity—the aim of this paper is to reflect on the issue of constructing and interpreting the meanings of actions and processes within the context of pole dancing. These processes can be seen as a reflection of the everyday life in which they occur.

The work presented here, concentrates on experimental surface roughness analysis in the milling of hardened steel using a monolithic torus mill. Machined surface roughness with respect to milling process dynamics has been investigated. The surface roughness model including cutter displacements has been developed. Cutting forces and cutter displacements (vibrations) were measured in order to estimate their quantitative influence on Ra and Rz parameters. The cutter displacements were measured online using a scanning 3D laser vibrometer. The influence of cutting speed vc on surface roughness parameters (Ra, Rz) was also studied. The research revealed that real surface roughness parameters are significantly higher than those calculated on the basis of a kinematic-geometric basic model, and their values are strongly dependent on dynamic cutter displacements.

Pluralism and multiculturalism are new terms in biblical studies . Pluralism used in social sciences means a conditio of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious or social groups maintain their unique cultural identities. Multicultu-ralism focuses on interactions between different groups and communities within the confines of a common society. This paper aims at analysing the practice and models of pluralism in the Bible and the evaluation of pluralism in the biblical context (from separatism in the Abraham days until the multicultural Christian community in the first century). Christianity existed as a pluralistic community from the beginning. Paul the Apostle presents the Church as the body of Christ and interactions within the Chri-stian community consisting of Jews and Gentiles are illustrated by relations between members of the body. The mission of the Church is based on various models of incul-turation (contextualisation). All of these models intersect with one another in different ways. Pluralism in the biblical studies manifests itself also in the use of different Bible translation strategies and various methods of biblical exegesis and interpretation.

The article is a presentation of the subject of a lawyer in the Russian literature of two eras – the second half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. The object of comparative analysis are two literary texts: the first is the story by Leo Tolstoy – “Father Sergius” (1911), the second is a novel by the modern Russian writer – Evgeny Vodolazkin, which entitled “Laurus” (2012). The author of the article concludes that the multifariousness of the life of lawyers in both writers underlines their life experience on the way to holiness. An important element of the characters’ description is their sinfulness, in particular the fi ght against their own pride and human passion. In the case of Leo Tolstoy, the image of his literary right-wing was influenced by the writer’s views on the essence of holiness and the complex human-God relationship. In their portraits of heroes striving for spiritual perfection, both Tolstoy and Vodolazkin show a connection with the genre of hagiography.

This paper analyses the influence of the applied microwave power output on the intensification of drying in the context of process kinetics and product quality. The study involved testing samples of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.). Wood samples were dried in the microwave chamber at: 168 W, 210 W, 273 W, 336 W and 378 W power output level. For comparison, wood was dried convectively at 40 ◦C and 87% air relative humidity. The analysis of drying process kinetics involved nonlinear regression employing the Gompertz model. Dried samples were subjected to static bending tests in order to specify the influence of the applied microwave power on modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rapture (MOR). The obtained correlations of results were verified statistically. Analysis of drying kinetics, strength test results and Tukey’s test showed that the applied microwaves of a relatively low level significantly shortened the drying time, but did not cause a reduction in the final quality of dried wood, compared with conventional drying.

In this work, a mid infrared thermography was used to study thermal behavior of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with a circular shape and a diameter of 90 mm. The emissivity of the anodic surface of the fuel cell was determined to be from 0.95 to 0.46 in the temperature range 550-1200 K and the profile and temperature distribution of the anodic surface of the unloaded cell was given. The surface temperature of the cell was determined during operation and the polarity changes from open circuit voltage (OCV) to 0.0 V. It was found that the cell self-heating effect decreases with increasing temperature of the cell.

Thirty four specimens of bony fishes (5 species) and four specimens of skates (2 species) were examined. Skates were infected with adult representatives of Phyllobothrium sp. (Tetraphyllidea) and Macrobothridium sp. (Diphyllidea). Bony fishes were infected with three morphological forms of tetraphyllidean cercoids (with mono- and bilocular bothridia, and bothridia undivided with hook-like projections), diphyllobothrid plerocercoids and one pseudophyllidean species, Bothriocephalus antarcticus sp.n. This species, as well as two species found in skates, seems to be endemic for the Kerguelen subregion.

Results from anthropometric measurements and examinations of physical fitness of the candidates for the Polish Polar Expeditions from 1976 till 1980 are presented. The authors suggest the necessity of introducing fixed norms of physical fitness in medical qualification of the candidates for polar expeditions.

The aim of performed research was to evaluate weed seedbank in soil under the influence of four different winter wheat tillage systems. Winter wheat was grown in the following cultivation systems: A – monoculture with direct drilling into white clover mulch; B – monoculture with direct drilling into wheat stubble; C – monoculture with conventional tillage; D – crop rotation with conventional tillage. It was shown that pre-sowing wheat tillage had a more considerable effect on weed species and weed seedbank in soil than type of crop rotation. The least seedbank was observed when plough system was replaced by direct drilling. In the soil layer of 0–20 cm, under wheat no-plough tillage, 20.3% less weed diaspores wasfound compared to monoculture with plough tillage and by 40.1% lessthan in crop rotation. The plough tillage increased amount of weed diaspores in the whole plough layer, while direct drilling increased it only in 0–1 cm of soil layer. After direct drilling of wheat into stubble (B) the number of weed diaspores in 1 dcm³ of soil in 0–1 cm layer was over twofold higher than in direct sowing in mulch (A), and threefold higher than in crop rotation (D) and almost six times higher than in wheat monoculture with conventional tillage (C). Dominating weed species in the soil over the types of wheat cultivation systems were: Chenopodium album L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Apera spica-venti L., Lamium purpureum L., and Viola arvensis Murr.

In the paper, methodologies for the magnetic field simulation in an axial flux permanent magnet coreless (AFPMC) motor have been proposed and discussed. Two approaches have been considered and investigated, both based on representing the 3D field distribution by superimposing axisymmetric 2D patterns. The first of studied approaches applies directly to the Biot-Savart law while the second uses a 2D axisymmetric finite element method. The selected results of magnetic field distributions and electromagnetic torque characteristics for the considered AFPMC motor have been presented and compared with results obtained using the commercial FEM package 'Maxwell'. The elaborated algorithms have been incorporated into the design routines allowing multi-parameter optimisation of the considered motor construction.