Occupancy of tourist accommodation establishments in Poland – comparison of 2019, the period of COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent months of 2020

The paper aims to present changes in terms of the use of tourist accommodation establishments in Poland in 2020 as compared to the year preceding the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The authors focus primarily on the desk research method, analysing in detail the news releases presented by Statistics Poland (Central Statistical Office) in relation to the subject of the article. The authors obtained answers to the posed research questions. The main conclusion of the article is that the use of tourist accommodation facilities in Poland decreased drastically after the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was most noticeable in voivodeships featuring high density of accommodation facilities

Assessment of habitat conditions using Self-Organizing Feature Maps for reintroduction/introduction of Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. in Poland

The study objects were Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., an endangered species and fifty five water sites in Poland. The aim of the present work was to test the Self-Organizing Feature Map in order to examine and predict water properties and type of trophicity for restoration of the rare plant. Descriptive statistical parameters have been calculated, analysis of variance and cluster analysis were carried out and SOFM model has been constructed for analysed sites. The results of SOFM model and cluster analysis were compared. The study revealed that the ordination of individuals and groups of neurons in topological map of sites are similar in relation to dendrogram of cluster analysis, but not identical. The constructed SOFM model is related with significantly different contents of chemical water properties and type of trophicity. It appeared that sites with A. vesiculosa are predominantly distrophic and eutrophic waters shifted to distrophicity. The elevated model showed the sites with chemical properties favourable for restoration the species. Determined was the range of ecological tolerance of the species in relation to habitat conditions as stenotopic or relatively stenotopic in respect of the earlier accepted eutrophic status. The SOFM appeared to be a useful technique for ordination of ecological data and provides a novel framework for the discovery and forecasting of ecosystem properties constituting a validation of the SOFM method in this type of studies

Assessment of habitat conditions using Self-Organizing Feature Maps for reintroduction/introduction of Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. in Poland

The study objects were Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., an endangered species and fifty five water sites in Poland. The aim of the present work was to test the Self-Organizing Feature Map in order to examine and predict water properties and type of trophicity for restoration of the rare plant. Descriptive statistical parameters have been calculated, analysis of variance and cluster analysis were carried out and SOFM model has been constructed for analysed sites. The results of SOFM model and cluster analysis were compared. The study revealed that the ordination of individuals and groups of neurons in topological map of sites are similar in relation to dendrogram of cluster analysis, but not identical. The constructed SOFM model is related with significantly different contents of chemical water properties and type of trophicity. It appeared that sites with A. vesiculosa are predominantly distrophic and eutrophic waters shifted to distrophicity. The elevated model showed the sites with chemical properties favourable for restoration the species. Determined was the range of ecological tolerance of the species in relation to habitat conditions as stenotopic or relatively stenotopic in respect of the earlier accepted eutrophic status. The SOFM appeared to be a useful technique for ordination of ecological data and provides a novel framework for the discovery and forecasting of ecosystem properties constituting a validation of the SOFM method in this type of studies

Modelling of habitat conditions by self-organizing feature maps using relations between soil, plant chemical properties and type of basaltoides

The paper shows the use of Kohonen's network for classification of basaltoides on the base of chemical properties of soils and Polypodium vulgare L. The study area was Lower Silesia (Poland). The archival data were: chemical composition of types of basaltoides from 89 sites (Al2O3, CaO, FeO, Fe2O3, K2O, MgO, MnO, Na2O, P2O5, SiO2 and TiO2), elements contents in soils (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, S, Ti and Zn) and leaves of P. vulgare (Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Ni, P, Pb, S, Ti and Zn) from 20 sites. Descriptive statistical parameters of soils and leaves chemical properties have been shown, statistical analyses using ANOVA and relationships between chemical elements were carried out, and SOFM models have been constructed. The study revealed that the ordination of individuals and groups of neurons in topological maps of plant and soil chemical properties are similar. The constructed models are related with significantly different contents of elements in plants and soils. These models represent different chemical types of soils and are connected with ordination of types of basaltoides worked out by SOFM model of TAS division. The SOFM appeared to be a useful technique for ordination of ecological data and provides a novel framework for the discovery and forecasting of ecosystem properties

Differences in body composition measured using the bioelectrical impedance analysis with steel and gel electrodes – on an example of professional fencers

Introduction: Regular assessment of body composition in athletes is a key element of their nutritional status and general condition monitoring. Purpose: Analysis of differences in the impedance (I) and body composition measurements performed by the use of analyzers with a constant current frequency of 50 kHz with steel and gel electrodes. Material and methods: Analysis were performed in experienced fencers by the use of analyzers: Tanita BC418MA (aT) with steel electrodes (eT) and Akern BIA101ASE (aA) with gel electrodes (eA, eL, eT). During the first stage of the study in 48 athletes I, fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) were measured using aA with eB in a supine position and after 3 min using aT with eT in a standing position. Then 10 fencers were randomly selected. For them measurements were performed after 10, 13 and 16 min in a supine position using eA, eL, eB and then after 3 min in a standing one using eT. Intrinsic impedance of the 3 types of gel electrodes (eA, eL, eB) were measured using aA. Results: The first stage. Differences in I, FM and FFM between eT and aA were observed (women: 101.4±52.2Ω, 1.2±2.1kg, -1.2±2.1kg, men: 98.8±27.5Ω, 1.1±1.5kg, -1.1±1.5kg, respectively). The second stage. In the subsequent measurements, differences in I were observed (women: eL-eA 3.8±1.8Ω, eB-eA 26.1±8.0Ω, eT-eA 154.4±40.6Ω;, men: of -0.7±9.4Ω, 11.1±9.2Ω, 107±36.3Ω, respectively). In both subgroups along with the increase in I, FM also increased, while  FFM decreased. Intrinsic impedance of the applied gel electrodes was measured and the differences between the results were reported (eL-eA 41.1±22.0Ω, eB-eL 138.4±20.7Ω, eB-eA 179.5Ω). As the intrinsic impedance of gel electrodes increased, an increase in the whole body I was observed. Conclusion: It seems that the observed differences in the whole body impedance were not only a simple effect of changes in a body position but they might have also been related to the intrinsic impedance of electrodes

Supporting dataset and methods for body sizes and concentrations of chemical elements measured in elytra and abdomens of Stag Beetles Lucanus cervus

The dataset presented in this data paper supports “Breaking down insect stoichiometry into chitin-based and internal elemental traits: Patterns and correlates of continent-wide intraspecific variation in the largest European saproxylic beetle” (Orłowski et al. 2020). Here we present the supplementary data and description of methods on the following: (1) mass of elytra and abdomens across 28 local Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus populations in Europe. (2) Population origin and coverage of six major land-cover types, including transport infrastructure, measured in three radii (500 m, 1000 m and 5000 m) around the sampling sites of these populations. (3) The relationship between the mass and concentrations of elements measured in abdomens and elytra in 28 Stag Beetle populations and major land-cover types around the sampling sites