Agriculture is a signifi cant source of gaseous pollutants such as ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and volatile organic compounds. Ammonia is particularly important due to the high emission and local, as well as global impact on the environment. The release of NH₃ is one of the main ways of nitrogen emission to the atmosphere and it contributes to its subsequent deposition. The aim of the study was to analyze ammonia emissions from animal production in Poland in 2005–2017, its regional diversity and possibilities of its reduction in agriculture. The ammonia emission was calculated for the animal production groups according to the NFR classifi cation. The values of ammonia emission were calculated based on ammonia emission factors used by KOBIZE, in accordance with the EMEP/EEA methods. In 2017, the NH₃ emission from Polish agriculture amounted 288 Gg and it accounted for 96% of the emission in 2005. Ammonia emission from livestock production, in 2005–2017, on average accounted for 79.8% of agricultural emissions. The largest share had the cattle (51%) and swine (30%) production. The NH₃ emissions differed strongly between provinces. The emission density (kg NH₃·km^-2·year^-1) in provinces with intensive livestock production was about 5.5 times higher than in regions, where livestock production was the lowest. The mitigation strategies should be implemented primarily in provinces where reduction potential is the largest. The assessment of the reduction potential should take into account the NH₃ emission per 1 km² and the low

NH₃ emission technologies, which are already applied in the regions.

Attitudes, or a person’s internal/mental beliefs about a specific situation, object or concept can greatly influence behaviors. This truth also applies to linguistic choices made by second language students. Their low level of knowledge of cross-cultural differences as well as pragmatic competence intertwined with inner norms and attitude towards politeness can result in producing the discourse which could not be considered appropriate. The fact of using and learning a second language (being bilingual or multilingual) may influence the level of politeness. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the differences existing in the scope of politeness revealed in the written, contrastive (Polish-English) discourse. The corpus under investigation encompasses seventy six emails written in the two languages by English philology students of teachers faculty. The analysis focuses on the level of politeness as exhibited through various forms of hedges and mitigations used both in the Polish and English language.

Reducing the effect of unwanted vibrations is an important topic in many engineering applications. In this paper we describe some recent developments in the area of passive vibration mitigation. This is based on a new device called the inerter which can be exploited in a range of different contexts. In this paper we consider two recent examples; (i) where a flywheel inerter is combined with a hysteretic damper, and (ii) in which a pivoted bar inerter is developed for a machining application. In both cases, experimental test results show that the devices can outperform existing methods.

The paper concerns the optimization of a tuned mass damper with inerter (TMDI) based on two strategies, i.e., the minimum amplitude in the resonance peak and minimum area under the frequency response curve. The optimization is based on real, accessible parameters. Both optimization procedures are presented in two steps. In the first one, two parameters of the TMDI are tuned (inertance and damping coefficient), while in the second one, three parameters (mass, inertance, and damping coefficient). We show that both strategies give the optimum sets of parameters and allow the reduction of the amplitude of the damped system.

The Non Line of Sight (NLOS) broadband wireless access provided by Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) operating in 2-11 GHz frequency is susceptible to the effects of multipath propagation, diffraction fading, vegetation attenuation, shadowing loss etc. In order to overcome these effects effective fade mitigation techniques, have to be implemented. The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing- Multiple Input Multiple Output (OFDM-MIMO) is an efficient method that helps in combatting the fading and providing higher SNR to the WiMAX system. According to the IEEE 802.16 specification, for QPSK modulation, a threshold SNR of 6 dB is required for the link to operate. In the present work the use of OFDM-MIMO achieves a SNR above this operating threshold.

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced virtually all aspects of our lives. Across the world, countries have applied various mitigation strategies, based on social, political, and technological instruments. We postulate that multi-agent systems can provide a common platform to study (and balance) their essential properties. We also show how to obtain a comprehensive list of the properties by “distilling” them from media snippets. Finally, we present a preliminary take on their formal specification, using ideas from multi-agent logics.

The paper introduces Extended Identification-Based Predictive Control (EIPC), which is a novel control method developed for the problem of adaptive impact mitigation. The model-based approach utilizing the paradigm of Model Predictive Control is combined with sequential identification of selected system parameters and process disturbances. The elaborated method is implemented in the shock-absorber control system and tested under impact loading conditions. The presented numerical study proves the successful and efficient adaptation of the absorber to unknown excitation conditions as well as to unknown force and leakage disturbances appearing during the process. The EIPC is used for both semi-active and active control of the impact mitigation process, which are compared in detail. In addition, the influence of selected control parameters and disturbance identification on the efficiency of the impact absorption process is assessed. As a result, it can be concluded that an efficient and robust control method was developed and successfully applied to the problem of adaptive impact mitigation.

Blast mitigation continues to be a popular field of research when military vehicles are concerned. The main problem is coping with the vehicle global motion consequences following an explosion. The paper presents a potential application of the linear vacuum packed particle (VPP) damper as a supplementation for a viscous shock absorber in a traditional blast mitigation seat design. The paper also presents field test results for the underbelly blast explosion, comparing them to the laboratory tests carried out on the impact bench. To collect accelerations, the anthropomorphic test device, i.e. the Hybrid III dummy, was used. A set of numerical simulations of the modified blast mitigation seat with the additional VPP linear damper were revealed. The VPP damper was modeled according to the Johnson–Cook model of viscoplasticity. The Hertzian contact theory was adopted to model the contact between the vehicle and the ground. The reduction of the dynamic response index (DRI) in the case of the VPP damper application was also proved.

The purpose of this study is to investigate a structure’s response to blast loading when composite columns are used instead of conventional reinforced concrete (RC) cross sections and when a conventional structure is retrofitted with braces. The study includes conducting dynamic analyses on three different structures: a conventional reference RC structure, a modified structure utilizing composite columns, and a modified structure retrofitted with steel braces. The two modified structures were designed in order to investigate their performance when subjected to blast loading compared to the conventional design. During the dynamic analyses, the structures were exposed to simulated blast loads of multiple intensities using the finite-element modelling software, SeismoStruct. To evaluate their performance, the responses of the modified structures were analyzed and compared with the response of the conventional structure. It was concluded that both the structure with composite columns and the steel brace structure experienced less damage than the conventional model. The best performance was obtained through the steel brace structure.

Ocean law has developed greatly in the recent years as an area within maritime law and environmental law. The increased attention has been received mainly due to the sea- level rise, ocean acidification and changing ocean currents caused by climate change. The negative impacts of climate change affect a wide spectrum of law and policy and have direct and indirect implications on various aspects such as: international security, food security, shipping, fisheries, marine and coastal governance etc. According to the IPCC 2018 Report, ocean ecosystems are already experiencing large-scale changes and critical thresholds are expected to be reached at higher levels of global warming. The main aim of this article is to present how the ocean law and climate law respond to the regulatory challenges caused by climate change.

The article presents the main elements of the European transport policy and the issues prevailing in the public debate in the last decade, i.e. 2010-2020. In particular, it analyses the challenges for European transport resulting from the need to combat climate change and to ensure a high level of environmental protection and safety, while taking into account the progressing technological revolution. The main assumptions of the European Green Deal, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by the European Union by 2050, are presented. The example of maritime transport serves to describe how various transport sectors are being brought into line with EU climate targets.

The Semarang-Demak plain has experienced intense human intervention over the last 40 years, thereby causing land subsidence. This study aims to assess long-term conditions in the study area using the drivers-pressuresstate- impacts-response (DPSIR) framework to mitigate land subsidence. Methods include analysis of land subsidence, socioeconomic, surface, and subsurface data, as well as spatial analysis. Results show that rapid population growth and economic activities are major driving forces, manifesting as pressures exerted from overexploitation of groundwater, increasing building and infrastructure loads, and decreasing non-built areas. Groundwater overexploitation reduced the artesian pressure in the 1980s, forming depression cones of the groundwater level from 5 to 30 m below mean sea level. From 1984 to the present, the constructed areas have increased more than tenfold, with Semarang City possessing the most densely built area. Based on our findings, we propose responses consisting of surface water utilization, spatial building regulation, and rigorous groundwater and land subsidence monitoring. Moreover, we encourage the strengthening of law enforcement and inter-sectoral management to ensure the successful land subsidence mitigation.

This paper presents the problem of the increasing negative impact of urban heat islands (UHI) on urban residents based on land surface temperature (LST). It is assumed that water bodies in the agglomeration remain cooler than the air and surrounding urban areas. The study aimed to determine the impact of water bodies and surrounding areas covered by trees on the temperature of an urban area and to minimise the impact of UHI on the life quality of people in the temperate climate zone at day temperatures 25°C (W day) and 29°C (H day). In the adopted research methodology, 167 reservoirs, larger than 1 ha, located within 300 m of urban areas, were analysed. Satellite thermal imagery, spatial land use data (Corine Land Cover), and local land characteristics were used. The average temperature of the reservoirs was appropriately at 4.69°C on W day and 1.9°C for H day lower than in residential areas. The average temperature of areas at a distance of 30 m from the reservoirs was 2.69°C higher onWand 0.32°C higher on H than the water of the reservoirs. The area covered by trees was 0.52°C lower on W day and 0.39°C lower on H day than the residential areas located at a distance of 300 m from the reservoir. On terrestrial areas, the lowest temperature was observed in the area covered by trees within 0–30 m from reservoirs both on warm and hot days. Based on the results of this study, UHI mitigation solutions can be suggested.

The paragraphs 300-305 belong to the most controversially discussed quotations of the Pope’s Francis Exhortation Amoris laetitia. A suggestion appears in them, that people living a non-sacramental unions can find themselves subjectively unable to act differently without causing a new harm, though at the same time they are fully aware that their present living conditions are objectively a grave sin. Such people – so the Pope says – are not deprived of the divine grace and could under some circum-stances received the sacraments. These statements are interpreted in different ways. According to the first interpretation the particular circumstances can change the moral character of the person’s act so far that the life in a non-sacramental union can no more be assessed as an adultery i.e. a grave sin. The supporters of the second inter-pretation claim that the particular circumstances could cause a grave moral constraint which – like other forms of constraint too - can diminish one’s moral responsibility, though his/her act remain objectively a grave sin. Eventually according to the third interpretation the statements of Pope Francis are in the present article related to the particular category of people living in non-sacramental unions namely those ones who are subjectively convinced that their first marriage was never valid.

The surface water temperature in the Baltic Sea has been growing as a consequence of broader changes of the Earth’s climate, which contributes to the proliferation of natural bacterioplankton and new types of bacteria, such as Vibrio vulnificus, in the region. This pathogenic bacterium finds optimal conditions for growth primarily in warm brackish waters. Places particularly vulnerable to these bacteria include shallow Baltic coastal waters where the proliferation of Vibrio strains increases in summer. The growing temperature of coastal waters boost this phenomenon, posing a serious threat to human health and the coastal Baltic tourism.
The BaltVib project implemented by marine microbiologists investigates the impact of the so-called “system engineers”, e.g. mussels, macroalgae, and seagrass, on the diversity and abundance of vibriosis. The research should help to develop strategies to mitigate the problem of excessive populations of vibriosis through nature-based solutions.
In addition to environmental and health issues, public awareness of the phenomena and future threats are equally important and these are also addressed in the project. The article presents results of a survey conducted on the Polish coast involving 140 respondents interviewed concerning their awareness of the increasing population of pathogenic vibriosis. The survey helped to diagnose how local residents perceive the threat to human health posed by Vibrio vulnificus now and in the future, as well as possible impacts these bacteria might have on economic use of the coastal waters. The survey also investigated the level of acceptance for various methods used to mitigate negative environmental changes.

The article analyzes soil organic carbon (SOC) content of in Poland from 2015 to 2021. The research aims to determine SOC levels and their dependence on soil agronomic categories and drought intensity. Soil samples from 1011 farms across 8 Polish voivodships were collected for analysis, all from the same agricultural plots. SOC determination was conducted using the Tiurin method. The results indicate a low SOC content nationwide (0.85-2.35%). Heavy soils exhibited higher SOC accumulation compared to light soils. Moreover, significant drought impact led to decreased SOC content in affected regions. Scientific evidence underscores a declining trend in organic carbon stock within agricultural soils, attributed to natural soil changes and unsustainable management practices. This decline is concerning given the crucial role of SOC in soil health, quality, and crop productivity. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor and address areas with low SOC levels to enhance SOC abundance. Furthermore, when used as a whole-cell biocatalyst in a low-cost upflow MFC, the Morganella morganii-rich SF11 consortium demonstrated the highest voltage and power density of 964.93±1.86 mV and 0.56±0.00 W/m3, respectively. These results suggest that the SF11 bacterial consortium has the potential for use in ceramic separator MFCs for the removal of penicillin and electricity generation.