Environmental Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Water Reservoir Restoration Using Microbiological Biotechnology

Aquatic ecosystems are often subject to degradation due to various environmental stressors. The accumulation of an organic sediment layer causes shallowing, algal blooms, and hypertrophy in water reservoirs. The processes of overgrowth and shallowing lead to a reduction in the ecosystem services provided by the reservoir as well as potentially causing the disappearance of the water body. To address these challenges and restore the ecological balance of water reservoirs, effective and sustainable revitalisation methods are essential. In recent years, biotechnological approaches, particularly utilizing microbiological interventions, have emerged as promising strategies for water reservoir revitalization. Microorganisms, with their remarkable ability to degrade pollutants and enhance nutrient cycling, offer great potential in remediating environmental issues in a natural and eco-friendly manner. This article presents the results of a study of 33 Polish reservoirs subjected to reclamation with microbial biopreparations from 2014 to 2023. The results of changes in bottom sediment reduction, water transparency, dissolved oxygen concentration, and water turbidity are presented. Reduction in morphological changes in the fraction of soft organic sediments, an improvement in the oxygen profile of the bottom and surface water layers, and an increase in water transparency were observed after reclamation with the use of biopreparations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eurocentric view on the world's history in Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, and Victoria video games series as an exaple of persuasive games

Tematem prezentowanej pracy jest analiza gier komputerowych z serii „Crusader Kings”, „Europa Universalis” oraz „Victoria” w oparciu o proceduralistyczny paradygmat badawczy. Ma ona na celu wykazanie, że w grach tych dominuje europocentryczna wizja świata i historii, która może wpływać na gracza perswazyjnie. Praca ta podzielona jest na dwie części. W części pierwszej przedstawione są źródła metodologiczne służące do analizy. Znajduje się wśród nich teoria retoryki proceduralnej Iana Bogosta, amerykańskiego krytyka, akademika i projektanta gier. Została ona wzbogacona o krytykę autorstwa Miguela Sicarta, który teorię Bogosta uzupełnia o elementy związane z graczem i procesem grania. Przedstawiona została też koncepcja alegorii kontroli Alexandra Gallowaya, który z kolei reprezentuje kulturoznawcze podejście wzbogacone o teorię nowych mediów i kulturę algorytmów. Ze względu na bardzo ważną rolę historii w omawianych grach przybliżona została koncepcja konstruktywizmu historycznego Haydena White’a. Szczególna uwaga poświęcona została także teorii postkolonialnej.Treścią drugiej części pracy jest analiza zasad poszczególnych mechanik zaimplementowanych w badanych grach. Poruszone są w niej takie kwestie, jak gospodarka, wojna, kolonizacja czy rozwój technologiczny. Szczegółowa analiza wybranych mechanik zaimplementowanych w omawianych grach pokazuje, w jaki sposób stworzona w nich została wizja świata oparta o europejski punkt widzenia. W końcowej części pracy przedstawione zostały wnioski interpretacyjne.This paper presents the analysis of “Crusader Kings”, “Europa Universalis”, and “Victoria” video games series using procedural rhetorics paradigm. It aims to demonstrate how these games implement Eurocentric point of view on world’s history and how persuasive such implementation can be. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part shows the methodology used to conduct the analysis - most notably, the concept of procedural rhetorics by Ian Bogost, American video games researcher, critic and designer. This concept is confronted with its critique by Miguel Sicart who suggests more player-centered approach to video games research. Allegories of control theory by Allexander Galloway is another concept useful in game analysis. His point of view lies closer to new media and cultural studies research. The role of history in aforementioned games will be analyzed separately For this purpose Hayden White’s metahistory theory will be useful. Particular attention will also be given to postcolonial theory.The second part of the paper contains the analysis of rules implemented in the games. It will be shown how particular mechanics, such as trade, colonization, war or diplomacy, work in these games and what kind of world perception they create in the player. It will be concluded that it is based on European point of view. The last portion of this paper will include interpretive conclusions

Impact of land use on soils microbial activity

The article considered the influence the various types of land use on microbial activity of soils and thus using this parameter as a universal test of soil quality. Samples for soil respiration studies were taken from agricultural areas, meadows, forests and urban areas (estate cottages). All samples were subjected to the same analytical procedure and the method of measurement was followed by a Substrate-Induced Respiration (SIR) method. Since all the samples were from neighbouring regions and were characterized by similar soil parameters, the obtained results allowed to assess the quality of the soil environment of the surveyed area and to evaluate the total rating of whole area. The obtained results allowed to observe slight divergences between soil samples taken from areas of different use. And although statistically, in this case, these differences were not significant, the characteristics of the respiration curves clearly indicate that there is a dependency between the form of use and the size and rate of soil respiration. In addition, the results have shown that single family housing does not exhibit as much anthropopression to the soil environment as it might seem

Impact of point source pollutants on the distribution of selected water parameters in the Vistula River in Puławy, Poland

Human activities have a complex and multidimensional impact on water quality. The concentration of inhabitants, production and services intensifies influence of urban agglomerations on water in rivers. Among many sources of surface water pollution, the most important are sewage discharges. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of point discharge of treated industrial and municipal wastewater on the distribution of selected water chemical parameters in the Vistula River in Puławy. The studies were carried out in 2018–2019. Samplings were collected in five sampling points and tested in the hydrochemical laboratory. The obtained data were statistically analysed to investigate differences between the sampling points. The negative impact of wastewater discharge on the water quality in the Vistula was found. However, the pollution level decreased with the flow of the river. The parameters tested at measurement point located 1200 m below the discharge approached the values recorded above the sewage outfall. The presented observations of changes in the concentration of pollutants indicate the self-purification capacity of a river. However, for each watercourse flowing through urbanized areas, it is an individual feature. It depends on a number of factors and requires regular monitoring studies taking into account hydrochemical analysis of watercourses

Preliminary report on the 2016 season in Metsamor (Armenia)

Excavation in Metsamor in 2016 was focused on the settlement area as well as necropolis. Extended trenches uncovered a substantial part of the settlement and contributed new stratigraphic and chronological data on the three phases of occupation, especially the heavy fire that appears to have destroyed the buildings in the early 8th century BC. A unique find from this level of destruction was a necklace made of sardonyx, agate and gold beads. In the post-Urartian period, the northeastern part of the settlement was clearly rearranged. Exploration of a kurgan tomb in the cemetery showed that the tomb had been reused for the most recent burial, looted, which may have included a symbolic horse burial. The construction of the tomb, based on finds from a layer at the bottom of the burial chamber, which included several golden adornments and beads of different materials, can be dated to the Middle Bronze Age, the latest burials to the Iron I period

METSAMOR (ARMENIA):PRELIMINARY REPORT ON TEH EXCAVATIONS IN 2013, 2014 AND 2015

Krzysztof Jakubia

Metsamor (Armenia) after five seasons of excavations

The Metsamor site in the 2017 season was excavated in two areas. The main area was the so-called town area where several dwellings from the Early Iron Age were cleared. Evidence of violent site destruction included two human skeletons belonging most probably to victims of a sudden attack, left unburied after the town had been destroyed. The cemetery was the second investigated area. Exploration of kurgan XIX demonstrated that it had been looted. Nevertheless, some human remains and several artifacts in the form of bronze snake head bracelets were recorded inside the burial chamber

Metsamor (Armenia): preliminary report on the excavations in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Appendix: Anthropological examination of burials from Metsamor in seasons 2013–2015

The Metsamor excavation project is a Polish–Armenian effort to investigate a Bronze Age citadel site located about 35 km west of Yerevan, on a hill dominating the Ararat plain. Fieldwork started in 2013 and was aimed during the first three seasons at clarifying site chronology in the citadel as well as the northern lower town. An unbroken sequence from the Kura Araxes culture (Early Bronze Age) to medieval times was confirmed. Settlement remains of Early Iron Age buildings included an almost square structure NSB 2 and a dwelling NSB 1, furnished with a relatively large storage room. Four human skeletons, two of young men, were also recorded, suggesting they were victims of a raid on the settlement. The results of recent field observations coupled with pottery analysis postulate occurrence of two destructive events, first during the Urartian invasion led by Argishti I and the second one at the beginning of the 6th century BC

“Obesity and Insulin Resistance” Is the Component of the Metabolic Syndrome Most Strongly Associated with Oxidative Stress

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is not a homogeneous entity, but this term refers to the coexistence of factors that increase the risk for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There are different versions of the criteria for the diagnosis of MS, which makes the population of patients diagnosed with MS heterogeneous. Research to date shows that MS is associated with oxidative stress (OS), but it is unclear which MS component is most strongly associated with OS. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the parameters of OS and the presence of individual elements of MS in young adults, as well as to identify the components of MS by means of principal components analysis (PCA) and to investigate how the parameters of OS correlate with the presence of individual components. The study included 724 young adults with or without a family history of coronary heart disease (population of the MAGNETIC study). Blood samples were taken from the participants of the study to determine peripheral blood counts, biochemical parameters, and selected parameters of OS. In addition, blood pressure and anthropometric parameters were measured. In subjects with MS, significantly lower activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), copper- and zinc-containing SOD (CuZnSOD), and manganese-containing SOD (MnSOD) were found, along with significantly higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and significantly lower concentration of thiol groups per gram of protein (PSH). We identified three components of MS by means of PCA: “Obesity and insulin resistance”, “Dyslipidemia”, and “Blood pressure”, and showed the component “Obesity and insulin resistance” to have the strongest relationship with OS. In conclusion, we documented significant differences in some parameters of OS between young adults with and without MS. We showed that “Obesity and insulin resistance” is the most important component of MS in terms of relationship with OS

The pollution of surface water in the agricultural catchment against the background of agrarian structure and production intensity

The intensification of agricultural production is one of the factors determining economic development. Increasing mechanisation and use of fertilisers in agriculture lead to higher yields, but at the same time they can pose a threat to the environment. The overuse of chemical fertilisers contributes to increased concentration of nutrients in agricultural runoff. One of such areas is the Szreniawa River catchment, the study area located in the southern part of Poland. In this catchment, intensive mostly mechanical ploughing is applied in, for instance, vegetable production. The area has loess soils, which with intensive ploughing are susceptible to erosion. The study aims to determine changes in the quality of flowing waters against the background of agricultural production and land-use characteristics. Surface waters were classified as class II and occurred at all analysed points. The highest concentrations of N-NO3 , N-NH 4 and P-PO 4 were found at a point in the middle of the catchment (lower part of research area). There, the lowest concentrations were recorded in 2018, which was related to the amount of precipitation during the growing season. On the other hand, the volume of plant and animal production closely correlated with the quality of surface water in the area. This was also confirmed by the land use structure. In conclusion, intensive agricultural production, mainly in terms of plough tillage causes significant hazards associated with soil erosion especially on agriculturally sensitive soils, although it provides good yields