Properties of LiMnBO3 glasses and nanostructured glass-ceramics

Polycrystalline LiMnBO3 is a promising cathode material for Li-ion batteries. In this work, we investigated the thermal, structural and electrical properties of glassy and nanocrystallized materials having the same chemical composition. The original glass was obtained via a standard meltquenching method. SEM and 7Li solid-state NMR indicate that it contains a mixture of two distinct glassy phases. The results suggest that the electrical conductivity of the glass is dominated by the ionic one. The dc conductivity of initial glass was estimated to be in the order of 10-18 S.cm-1 at room temperature. The thermal nanocrystallization of the glass produces a nanostructured glass-ceramics containing MnBO3 and LiMnBO3 phases. The electric conductivity of this glass-ceramics is increased by 6 orders of magnitude, compared to the starting material at room temperature. Compared to other manganese and borate containing glasses reported in the literature, the conductivity of the nanostructured glass ceramics is higher than that of the previously reported glassy materials. Such improved conductivity stems from the facilitated electronic transport along the grain boundaries

BVLOS UAV missions for vegetation mapping in maritime Antarctic

Polar areas are among the regions where climate change occurs faster than on most of the other areas on Earth. To study the effects of climate change on vegetation, there is a need for knowledge on its current status and properties. Both classic field observation methods and remote sensing methods based on manned aircraft or satellite image analysis have limitations. These include high logistic operation costs, limited research areas, high safety risks, direct human impact, and insufficient resolution of satellite images. Fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle beyond the visual line of sight (UAV BVLOS) missions can bridge the scale gap between field-based observations and full-scale airborne or satellite surveys. In this study the two operations of the UAV BVLOS, at an altitude of 350m ASL, have been successfully performed in Antarctic conditions. Maps of the vegetation of the western shore of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetlands, Western Antarctic) that included the Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 128 (ASPA 128) were designed. The vegetation in the 7.5 km2 area was mapped in ultra-high-resolution(<5cm and DEM of 0.25m GSD), and from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), four broad vegetation units were extracted: “dense moss carpets” (covering 0.14 km2 ,0.8%ofASPA128), “Sanionia uncinata moss bed” (0.31 km2 , 1.7% of ASPA 128), “Deschampsia antarctica grass meadow” (0.24 km2,1.3% of ASPA 128), and “Deschampsia antarctica–Usnea antarctica heath” (1.66 km2,9.4% of ASPA 128). Our results demonstrate that the presented UAV BVLOS–based surveys are time-effective (single flight lasting 2.5 h on a distance of 300 km) and cost-effective when compared to classical field-based observations and are less invasive for the ecosystem. Moreover, unmanned airborne vehicles significantly improve security, which is of particular interest in polar region research. Therefore, their development is highly recommended for monitoring areas in remote and fragile environments. KEYWORD

Changes in the prices of arable land in Poland after the entry into force of the act on formation of the agricultural system

Przedstawiono zainteresowanie nabywaniem ziemi rolniczej w Polsce przed i po rozpoczęciu obowiązywania nowej ustawy o kształtowaniu ustroju rolnego z dnia 14 kwietnia 2016 roku. Analiza dotyczyła także średnich cen gruntów rolnych w Polsce w latach 2011-2016 oraz zmian w ostatnich kwartałach w poszczególnych województwach. Dane o średnich cenach ziemi uzyskano z ARiMR. Stwierdzono, że w badanym okresie ceny gruntów rolnych systematycznie wzrastały, a informacje o nadchodzących zmianach w przepisach o zakupie ziemi rolnej spowodowały niewielki spadek cen na okres jednego kwartału.The new Act on Formation of the Agricultural System, which entered into force on 1 May 2016, has sparked some interest. Therefore, those who heard about major incoming changes in land trade may have acted quickly and unreasonably. Granted, according to the data on the prices of arable land immediately before and after the entry into force of the said act, there may had been some price decrease prior to May 2016, but it was not a considerable one and prices soon went up to the previous level

Korzystanie z mediów społecznościowych przez mieszkańców terenów wiejskich

The study assesses the use of social media by rural residents. The study was conducted in Lublin county in 2016. Residents of rural areas (especially farmers) are a social group perceived to be the least technologically developed, the latest in adopting innovations and least advanced in using electronic devices. However, in recent years, differences between city dwellers and rural area inhabitants have been decreasing. Until today, in Poland, not all residents of rural areas have telephones or internet access. The explanation could be that their work does not involve using a computer as in the case of, for example, an insurance agent, architect or journalist. It was found that differences in the category of household equipment involving the possession of a computer and access to the Internet are diminishing – the largest increase has been recorded in recent years in the scope of access to broadband Internet. In the study, a visible relationship between the use of social media and the education of respondents was observed.Celem artykułu jest ocena korzystania z mediów społecznościowych przez mieszkańców wsi. Mieszkańcy obszarów wiejskich (zwłaszcza rolnicy) to grupa społeczna postrzegana jako najmniej rozwinięta technologicznie, najpóźniej wprowadzająca innowacje, najmniej zaawansowana w korzystaniu z urządzeń elektronicznych, choć w ostatnich latach w porównaniu z mieszkańcami miast różnice te maleją. Do dziś w Polsce nie wszyscy mieszkańcy wsi mają telefony lub dostęp do Internetu. Można przypuszczać, że tak się dzieje, ponieważ ich praca nie polega na korzystaniu z komputera, tak jak na przykład w przypadku agenta ubezpieczeniowego, architekta lub dziennikarza. Badanie przeprowadzono w powiecie lubelskim w 2016 roku. Stwierdzono, że różnice w kategorii sprzętu gospodarstwa domowego i dostępu do Internetu zmniejszają się w porównaniu do mieszkańców miast – największy wzrost odnotowano w ostatnich latach w zakresie dostępu do Internetu szerokopasmowego. Widoczny był również związek między korzystaniem z mediów społecznościowych a wykształceniem respondentów

Alveolar ridge atrophy related to facial morphology in edentulous patients

Joanna Kuć,1 Teresa Sierpińska,2 Maria Gołębiewska1 1Department of Prosthodontics, 2Department of Dental Technology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland Objectives: The morphology of the alveolar process determines the retention and stability of prosthetic restorations, thereby determining the result of the therapy. Considering that the edentulous jaws may be affected by the atrophy process, it was hypothesized that the morphology of the alveolar process of the maxilla may be dependent on the anterior facial height and anatomy of the mandible. Subjects and methods: Twenty-five healthy edentulous Caucasian individuals were randomly chosen. Each subject underwent a lateral cephalogram before and after prosthetic rehabilitation. During exposition, newly made prostheses were placed in the patient&rsquo;s mouth. Teeth remained in maximal intercuspidation. Morphological parameters were evaluated according to the Ricketts, McNamara, and Tallgren&rsquo;s method. Results: An inversely proportional association was observed between patient age and the distal part of the maxilla. A statistically significant connection was noted between the vertical dimension of alveolar ridge and anterior total and lower facial height conditioned by prosthetic rehabilitation. Conclusion: The height of the lateral part of the alveolar ridge of the maxilla remains in connection with the anterior total and lower facial height obtained in the course of prosthetic rehabilitation. The vertical dimension of the alveolar ridge of the maxilla seems to be in close relationship with the morphology of the lower jaw. Keywords: anterior facial height, cephalometric analysis, complete dentures, vertical occlusal dimensio