Integracja wyników projektu na platformie GIS i jej wpływ na strategię konserwatorską

The geographic information system (GIS) has become a very popular and useful tool to aggregate and process spatial data. In this paper, the implementation of data obtained during survey seasons at the El Fuerte de Samaipata (Bolivia) archaeological site and results of data analysis on the GIS platform are presented. In addition to the thematic layers, a description of the sectors and archaeological relics was added to the whole system. The implemented layers are related to orthoimages created from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and from close range photogrammetry (in visual, spectral, and infrared light), raw photos of petroglyphs, a highly detailed vector plan of the site, conservation risk maps, new spatial divisions, description layers, and a digital terrain model (DTM) based on the results of TLS. Such a system, with an implemented DTM, allows rainwater runoff and its impact on the archaeological site to be analysed. Thus, the paper presents a study on some hydrological conditions of the Samaipata rock. It is part of the larger research project “Architectural examination and complex documentation of Samaipata (El Fuerte de Samaipata/Bolivia) site from the World Heritage List”. The results of this study are considered mainly from the point of view of conservation recommendations and strategies. Same aspects, however, may influence future studies on the chronology and cultural affiliation of the Samaipata rock carvings.System informacji geograficznej (GIS) stał się bardzo popularnym i użytecznym narzędziem do agregowania i przetwarzania danych przestrzennych. W niniejszym artykule przedstawiono implementację danych uzyskanych podczas sezonów badań na stanowisku archeologicznym El Fuerte de Samaipata (Boliwia) oraz wyniki analizy danych na platformie GIS. Oprócz warstw tematycznych do całego systemu dodano opis sektorów i zabytków archeologicznych. Zaimplementowane warstwy są powiązane z ortoobrazami utworzonymi z naziemnego skanowania laserowego (TLS), fotogrametrii bliskiego zasięgu (w świetle wizualnym, spektralnym i podczerwonym), surowych zdjęć petroglifów, bardzo szczegółowego planu wektorowego, map ryzyka, nowego podziału przestrzennego stanowiska, warstw opisowych oraz cyfrowego model terenu (DTM) opartego na wynikach TLS. Taki system przetwarzania danych z wdrożonym DTM pozwala na analizę spływu wody deszczowej i jej oddziaływania na stanowisko archeologiczne. W związku z tym w artykule przedstawiono badania niektórych warunków hydrologicznych skały Samaipata. Badania są częścią większego projektu „Badania architektoniczne i kompleksowa dokumentacja stanowiska Samaipata (Fuerte de Samaipata/Boliwia) z Listy Światowego Dziedzictwa”. Wyniki tych prac rozpatrywane są głównie z punktu widzenia zaleceń i strategii ochrony skały. Te same aspekty mogą jednak wpłynąć na przyszłe badania dotyczące chronologii i przynależności kulturowej rzeźb skalnych Samaipata

Efektywna metoda wytwarzania powłok przeciwmgielnych (przeciwroszeniowych) na bazie dwufunkcyjnych polisiloksanów

Anti-fog (dew-resistant) coatings were produced employing as active components bifunctional polysiloxanes containing polyether (hydrophilic and polar) groups and trialkoxysilyl groups (permitting durable adhesion to glass surface). These bifunctional polysiloxanes were obtained as a result of consequent hydrosilylation of allyl polyethers and vinyltrialkoxysilane with the use of poly(dimethyl-co-hydromethyl)siloxane. The effect of structure of the polysiloxane used (length of siloxane chain, length of polyether chain, content of functional groups) and its concentration of the coating performance were analyzed. The designed preparation permits easy production of a durable anti-fog and dew-resistant coating from widely accessible raw materials and with no need of special pretreatment of glass surface.Powłoki przeciwmgielne (przeciwroszeniowe) wytworzono z zastosowaniem – jako składników aktywnych – dwufunkcyjnych polisiloksanów zawierających grupy polieterowe (hydrofilowe i polarne) oraz grup trialkoksysililowych (umożliwiających trwałe przyłączenie do powierzchni szkła). Zbadano wpływ struktury zastosowanego polisiloksanu (długość łańcucha siloksanowego, długość łańcucha polieterowego, zawartość grup funkcyjnych) i jego stężenia na efektywność tworzenia powłok. Opracowany preparat umożliwia łatwą produkcję trwałej powłoki przeciwmgielnej i przeciwroszeniowej z powszechnie dostępnych surowców i bez potrzeby specjalnego przygotowania powierzchni szklanej

Catalysis of hydrosilylation processes with the participation of ionic liquids

Hydrosilylation is a fundamental and elegant method for the laboratory and industrial synthesis of organosilicon compounds. The hydrosilylation reaction is usually performed in a single-phase homogeneous system. A major problem, particularly in homogeneous catalysis, is the separation of catalyst from the reaction mixture. The presence of metals in the reaction products, even in trace quantities, is unacceptable for many applications, therefore efforts have been made at applying heterogeneous catalysts or immobilised metal complexes in order to obtain high catalytic activity and easy product isolation at the same time. One of the methods for producing such catalysts is the employment of ionic liquids as agents for the immobilization of metal complexes. Biphasic catalysis in a liquid-liquid system is an ideal approach through which to combine the advantages of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The ionic liquids (ILs) generally form the phase in which the catalyst is dissolved and immobilized. In our research we have obtained a number of catalytic systems of such a type which were based on rhodium and platinum complexes dissolved in phosphonium, imidazolium, pyridinium and ammonium liquids. Currently, there has a common trend to obtain heterogenized systems that combine advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, which makes the hydrosilylation process more cost- effective. Such integration of homo- and heterogeneous catalysts is realized in several variants, as supported IL phase catalysts (SILPC) and solid catalysts with ILs layer (SCILL). Although all the above systems show high catalytic activities, their structure is unknown. This is why we have made attempts to modify selected ionic liquids (corresponding to our most effective systems) and we have applied them as ligands in the synthesis of platinum and rhodium complexes. Another group of catalysts comprises anionic complexes of rhodium and platinum which were obtained by reactions between halide complexes of metals and a respective ionic liquid. Most of the obtained complexes are solids insoluble in hydrosilylation reagents and are characterized by a high catalytic activity. A considerable development of heterogeneous catalysts of this type and their application in many hydrosilylation processes can be expected in the future. This mini-review briefly describes the recent progress in the design and development of catalysts based on the presence of ionic liquids and their applications for hydrosilylation processes

Cymatosirella Dąbek, Witkowski & Sabbe gen. nov., a new marine benthic diatom genus (Bacillariophyta) belonging to the family Cymatosiraceae

We present a new marine benthic diatom genus Cymatosirella gen. nov. The genus belongs to the family Cymatosiraceae and has been assigned to the subfamily Extubocelluloideae on the basis of ultrastructural cell wall features. It has isovalvate cells with undulate valves and is characterized by the absence of tubular processes and the occurrence of hollow spines which are observed for the first time in the Cymatosiraceae. The new genus contains four species, two of which are transferred from the genus Cymatosira, viz. Cymatosirella capensis comb. nov. and Cymatosirella minutissima comb. nov., and two which are new to science, viz. Cymatosirella benguelensis sp. nov. and Cymatosirella taylorii sp. nov. Cymatosirella capensis is chosen as the generitype. The new genus includes a group of very small taxa inhabiting the intertidal zone of the Atlantic Ocean with three species in South Africa and one in Europe. C. capensis was originally described by Giffen from Langebaan Lagoon (a shallow marine inlet in the southern part of Saldanha Bay, Western Cape Province), on the basis of light microscopy only, and has to date only been illustrated by line drawings. C. minutissima, so far only known from the Westerschelde estuary (The Netherlands), has previously been documented in more detail using both light and electron microscopy. Here, we present the results of detailed light and electron microscopical investigations of C. capensis, both from its original type material and from recently collected samples from the type locality and neighboring littoral areas in the Western Cape Province, and of the new species C. benguelensis and C. taylorii, also from Western Cape localities. All species are compared with similar small taxa belonging to the Cymatosiraceae, subfamily Extubocelluloideae

Lipid Constituents of Diatoms (<i>Halamphora</i>) as Components for Production of Lipid Nanoparticles

Lipid nanocarriers smaller than 200 nm may be used as pharmaceutical/cosmetic raw materials as they are able to penetrate the skin. The nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) based on microalgae oil (Schizochytrium) and lipids extracted from diatoms (Halamphora cf. salinicola (strain SZCZM1454A)) were produced by the HSH (high shear homogenization) method. Fatty acid profile of crude oil from diatoms indicated the presence of palmitoleic, palmitic, stearic acid, oleic and myristic acids as the most common fatty acids in the strain investigated. The quantitative composition and the synthesis condition of NLC dispersions were optimized by using the full factorial designs. The physicochemical parameters of the obtained lipid nanocarriers were characterized by SEM, DSC and XRD measurements and the fraction with the optimum parameters (size below 200 nm, polydispersity index not exceeding 0.2 and zeta potential higher than +45 mV) was selected for further study. The positive charge of the obtained lipid nanoparticles is beneficial as permits electrostatic bonding with the negatively charged skin surface. As follows from stability tests, the NLCs obtained could be stored at room temperature

A novel effective bio-originated methylene blue adsorbent: the porous biosilica from three marine diatom strains of Nanofrustulum spp. (Bacillariophyta)

Abstract In the present paper, for the first time the ability of the porous biosilica originated from three marine diatom strains of ‘Nanofrustulum spp.’ viz. N. wachnickianum (SZCZCH193), N. shiloi (SZCZM1342), N. cf. shiloi (SZCZP1809), to eliminate MB from aqueous solutions was investigated. The highest biomass was achieved under silicate enrichment for N. wachnickianum and N. shiloi (0.98 g L−1 DW and 0.93 g L−1 DW respectively), and under 15 °C for N. cf. shiloi (2.2 g L−1 DW). The siliceous skeletons of the strains were purified with hydrogen peroxide and characterized by SEM, EDS, the N2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, TGA, and ATR-FTIR. The porous biosilica (20 mg DW) obtained from the strains i.e. SZCZCH193, SZCZM1342, SZCZP1809, showed efficiency in 77.6%, 96.8%, and 98.1% of 14 mg L−1 MB removal under pH 7 for 180 min, and the maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 8.39, 19.02, and 15.17 mg g−1, respectively. Additionally, it was possible to increase the MB removal efficiency in alkaline (pH = 11) conditions up to 99.08% for SZCZP1809 after 120 min. Modelling revealed that the adsorption of MB follows Pseudo-first order, Bangham’s pore diffusion and Sips isotherm models

New Insights into Plagiogrammaceae (Bacillariophyta) Based on Multigene Phylogenies and Morphological Characteristics with the Description of a New Genus and Three New Species

<div><p>Plagiogrammaceae, a poorly described family of diatoms, are common inhabitants of the shallow marine littoral zone, occurring either in the sediments or as epiphytes. Previous molecular phylogenies of the Plagiogrammaceae were inferred but included only up to six genera: <i>Plagiogramma</i>, <i>Dimeregramma</i>, <i>Neofragilaria</i>, <i>Talaroneis</i>, <i>Psammogramma</i> and <i>Psammoneis</i>. In this paper, we describe a new plagiogrammoid genus, <i>Orizaformis</i>, obtained from Bohai Sea (China) and present molecular phylogenies of the family based on three and four genes (nuclear-encoded large and small subunit ribosomal RNAs and chloroplast-encoded <i>rbc</i>L and <i>psb</i>C). Also included in the new phylogenies is <i>Glyphodesmis</i>. The phylogenies suggest that the Plagiogrammaceae is composed of two major clades: one consisting of <i>Talaroneis</i>, <i>Orizaformis</i> and <i>Psammoneis</i>, and the second of <i>Glyphodesmis</i>, <i>Psammogramma</i>, <i>Neofragilaria</i>, <i>Dimeregramma</i> and <i>Plagiogramma</i>. In addition, we describe three new species within established genera: <i>Psammoneis obaidii</i>, which was collected from the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia; and <i>Neofragilaria stilus</i> and <i>Talaroneis biacutifrons</i> from the Mozambique Channel, Indian Ocean, and illustrate two new combination taxa: <i>Neofragilaria anomala</i> and <i>Neofragilaria lineata</i>. Our observations suggest that the biodiversity of the family is strongly needed to be researched, and the phylogenetic analyses provide a useful framework for future studies of Plagiogrammaceae.</p></div

<i>Neofragilaria stilus</i>, TEM.

<p>Cultured material SZCZM116. (a) Entire valve in valve view. (b) Detail of the apex. (c) Enlarged view of Fig 9a. (d) A closed girdle band.</p

<i>Neofragilaria anomala</i>, drawings (Fig a), LM (b-f) and SEM (g-k).

<p>(a) Valve view, drawings of Malcolm Giffen, without scale. (b) Scan of illustrations from Desikachary et al (1987), showing robust striae and a distinct sternum. (c-f) Valve view, showing robust striae and a distinct sternum. These images were taken from Slide Br 426/52 of Malcolm Giffen depsoited in Hustedt Diatom Collection at Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven. (g-i) External view, based on clean material SZCZ16502 of natural samples from Juan de Nova in Mozambique Channel deposited in Palaeoceanology Unit, Faculty of Geosciences, University of Szczecin. (j) Internal view, the material is the same as Fig 6g–6i. (k) Incomplete girdle band (see arrow), the material is the same as Fig 6g–6i.</p