A simple one-dimensional model of heat conduction which obeys Fourier's law

We present the computer simulation results of a chain of hard point particles with alternating masses interacting on its extremes with two thermal baths at different temperatures. We found that the system obeys Fourier's law at the thermodynamic limit. This result is against the actual belief that one dimensional systems with momentum conservative dynamics and nonzero pressure have infinite thermal conductivity. It seems that thermal resistivity occurs in our system due to a cooperative behavior in which light particles tend to absorb much more energy than the heavier ones.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in PR

Tree species traits but not diversity mitigate stem breakage in a subtropical forest following a rare and extreme ice storm

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Teologia, Biblia i liturgia jako źródła sztuki chrześcijańskiej

It is important, and even essential, to realize that both in the creative and in the perceptive process associated with Christianity one must have the minimum knowledge of theology, the Bible, liturgy, tradition, custom and a general idea of culture and art. Religious art as well as art made for a gallery or museum has a very open character and can even assume the form of an experiment. However, sacred art, which is associated with the space of the church, is an entirely different phenomenon. The latter must have an ancillary and adaptive character: it must serve the community and the individual discovering of the closeness of God, especially during the liturgy. Time, space and man form a kind of triad, which clarifies sacred art. It is a mistake to build churches without a clear indication of that hic et nunc. Space-time, i.e. realization and concretization, allows not only for considering the time of a given epoch but also for creation and evaluation according to its criteria. The subject matter itself does not prejudge the sacred nature and purpose of a given work of art. What is necessary is deliberate and purposeful creative activity, and an object of worship should be carefully designed. However, it must not carry a message that is accidental, incoherent, chaotic. It is necessary to restore the idea of the iconographic programme of a sacred object, which will be anchored to the three foundations listed in the title. These, in turn, will guard the dogmatic correctness of a work of art and clearly explain its sense that results from a consistent iconological message. It is an important task to properly prepare developers, investors, and the faithful-recipients both for the understanding of historical church monuments and for new solutions concerning content and form. However, it is not enough that this space should be correct and functional in its technical or artistic aspect. There is no place for the reification of art. What is important is that the works of sacred art should be imbued with a certain metaphysical depth, a meditative climate or a mystical nature. They should even stimulate a person to meet God. This interpersonal character is crucial: the man-artist establishes a relationship with God in the creative process while and the man-recipient ought to feel this personal relationship with God, which indirectly is also a meeting with the artist. The latter has the role of a priest and prophet, or evangelizer, who is an intermediary leading to the supernatural reality. Moreover, a work of art becomes a meeting place for other people, sometimes even for generations. This is because the spirit of faith and devotion accumulates in it, and the work thus receives a 'new life' that transcends not only its time but also the creative idea of the artist. An artist always expresses himself in some way. At the same time, the author of a work of sacred art does not speak in isolation from his specific environment and circumstances. He does not create art for himself but for the faithful. The very concept of a work and its artistic effect is to invite, even encourage the faithful to visit a given church space, which is to be a foretaste of the heavenly Jerusalem, new earth and new heaven. This eschatological aspect is somehow inscribed in the space of the church. Art and works of art need their right place, not only in the space of the church, in the catechesis, in homiletics, in pastoral work, but also in theological thought, in the interpretation of the Christian Creed and the Decalogue. Sacred art is even defined as a 'theological space.' It is necessary to deepen the theology of aesthetics and art. An important task is the co-operation of all those jointly responsible both for the appearance and the dignity of the heritage of the past as well as for new solutions in church architecture.Ważną, a raczej zasadniczą kwestią jest świadomość, że zarówno w procesie twórczym, jak i percepcyjnym związanym z chrześcijaństwem, niezbędne jest minimum wiedzy z zakresu teologii, Biblii, liturgii, tradycji, obyczaju i szeroko pojętej kultury i sztuki. Sztuka religijna i ta, która skierowana jest do galerii czy muzeum, ma charakter bardzo otwarty i może przybierać nawet znamię eksperymentu. Natomiast, czym innym jest twórczość sakralna, czyli związana z przestrzenią kościelną. Ta musi mieć charakter służebny i przystosowawczy: musi służyć wspólnotowemu i indywidualnemu odkrywaniu bliskości Boga, przede wszystkim podczas liturgii. Czas, przestrzeń i człowiek to swoista triada, która dookreśla sztukę sakralną. Błędem jest budowanie kościołów bez wyraźnego określenia owego hic et nunc. Czasoprzestrzeń, czyli aktualizacja i konkretyzacja, pozwala nie tylko liczyć się z czasem danej epoki, ale tworzyć i oceniać według jego kryteriów. Sama tematyka nie przesądza o sakralnym charakterze i przeznaczeniu dzieła. Niezbędne jest świadome i celowe twórcze działanie, a obiekt kultu powinien być dokładnie zaprojektowany. Nie może to być jednak przekaz przypadkowy, niespójny, chaotyczny. Należy przywrócić ideę programu ikonograficznego obiektu sakralnego, który zakotwiczony będzie na podanych w tytule trzech fundamentach. Te z kolei bronić będą poprawności dogmatycznej i wyraziście objaśniać sens dzieła, który wynika z konsekwentnego przesłania ikonologicznego. Problemem jest należyte przygotowanie twórców, inwestorów, ale i wiernych-odbiorców zarówno do rozumienia zabytków kościelnych, jak i do nowych rozwiązań treściowo-formalnych. Nie wystarczy jednak, by była to przestrzeń poprawna i funkcjonalna pod względem technicznym czy artystycznym. Nie ma tu miejsca na reifikację sztuki. Ważne jest natomiast, by dzieła sztuki sakralnej były przeniknięte pewną głębią metafizyczną, swoistym klimatem medytacyjnym czy charakterem mistycznym. By wręcz pobudzały do spotkania z Bogiem. Istotny jest ów charakter interpersonalny: człowiek-artysta nawiązuje więź z Bogiem w procesie twórczym, zaś człowiek-odbiorca ma odczuć tę osobową więź z Bogiem, która pośrednio jest jednocześnie spotkaniem z samym artystą. Ten z kolei pełni rolę kapłana i proroka, czy też ewangelizatora, który jest pośrednikiem ku Rzeczywistości nadprzyrodzonej. Dodajmy, że dzieło staje się też miejscem spotkania innych ludzi i to nieraz przez całe pokolenia. Nawarstwia się w nim bowiem duch wiary i pobożności, a dzieło zyskuje niejako „nowe życie”, które przerasta nie tylko swoją epokę, ale także zamysł twórczy artysty. Artysta zawsze w jakiś sposób wyraża siebie. Zarazem jednak twórca sakralny nie mówi w oderwaniu od określonego środowiska i uwarunkowań. Nie tworzy też dla siebie, ale z myślą o wiernych. Sama koncepcja dzieła, jak i efekt artystyczny, mają zapraszać, wręcz skłaniać wiernych, by nawiedzali daną przestrzeń kościelną, która ma być przedsmakiem Niebieskiego Jeruzalem oraz nowej ziemi i nowego nieba. Ten aspekt eschatologiczny wpisany jest niejako w przestrzeń kościelną. Sztuce i jej wytworom potrzebne jest właściwe miejsce, nie tylko w przestrzeni kościelnej, w katechezie, w homiletyce, w duszpasterstwie, ale także w myśli teologicznej, w interpretacji chrześcijańskiego Credo czy Dekalogu. Określa się wręcz sztukę sakralną jako „miejsce teologiczne”. Niezbędne jest pogłębienie teologii estetyki i sztuki. Istotnym zadaniem jest współpraca wszystkich współodpowiedzialnych zarówno za oblicze i godność dziedzictwa przeszłości, jak i nowe rozwiązania architekturoplastyki kościelnej

EDUCATION POLICIES AND THE EFFECT ON THE SKILLED TRADES WORK FORCE

The United Stated of America has pushed for all to gain a higher level of education. For many years schools steered underperforming students into vocational studies. This placed a stigma on those who learn or perform vocational careers to be less than those whom have completed a college degree. Now (2019) America is facing a shortage of skilled trades persons. Those who entered a vocation soon learn that many of the skilled trades are demanding positions which require not only skill, but knowledge and dedication to learn. With the growth of technology, many of the trades require higher levels of math and science skills. Less people are learning what is needed to build, repair, or maintain that which is used daily or that will last a life time. Has education policy and reform affected the skill trades labor force? The perception of young people needing furtherance of education through means of college to become successful in life may have driven people away from working with their hands. A series of quantitative research was used to determine if education policy and reform has affected the skilled trades industry in a negative way. There is an increasing shortage of those who are entering the field on a yearly basis coupled with those who are leaving the many trades, has started a bidding war for talent. Most students find they are receiving job offers before they finish school. With the rising cost of college tuition compared to the lower cost of vocational trade school and the un-known employment market for certain degrees versus the almost guarantee of employment, one would think a shortage would not be upon us. The research shows a correlation of those who have sought higher education and the shrinkage that occurred in the skilled trades

Jung und Alt im Hörsaal:Erfahrungen jüngerer Studierender mit dem „Studium im Alter“ an der Universität Münster

Das „Studium im Alter“ ist ein Weiterbildungsangebot der Universität Münster für Personen im mittleren und höheren Lebensalter, die als Gasthörer gemeinsam mit jüngeren, regulären Studierenden Vorlesungen und Seminare an der Hochschule besuchen. In der Presse erschienen von Zeit zu Zeit Berichte über Konflikte, die das Gaststudium der Älteren in den Hörsälen verursacht. Das nahm eine Gruppe von Teilnehmern am „Studium im Alter“ zum Anlass, in einem zweisemestrigen Forschungsprojekt zu untersuchen, inwiefern solche Berichte die Regel oder Einzelfälle beschreiben. Das Ergebnis der schriftlichen Befragung regulärer Studierender zu Ihren Erfahrungen mit Studierenden im Alter liegt mit dieser Studie vor. Abgesehen von wenigen Ausnahmen belegt sie ein grundsätzlich harmonisches Miteinander von jüngeren und älteren Studierenden in den Hörsälen der Universität Münster

Designing forest biodiversity experiments : general considerations illustrated by a new large experiment in subtropical China

Funded by German Research Foundation. Grant Number: DFG FOR 891/1 and 2 National Natural Science Foundation of China. Grant Numbers: NSFC 30710103907, 30930005, 31170457 , 31210103910 Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Sino-German Centre for Research Promotion in BeijingPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Surviving a Drought: Population Dynamics of \u3ci\u3eOchotona pallasi pricei\u3c/i\u3e in a Dry Steppe, Gobi Altai, Mongolia

Two distinct life history traits are described from the genus Ochotona, the group of “burrowing” species exhibiting high but fluctuating population densities and the “non-burrowing” species exhibiting relatively stable low population densities. The life history traits are linked to ecosystem dynamics with climatically variable steppe environments hosting “burrowing” species and relatively stable mountainous and rocky habitats hosting “non-burrowing” species. There are few intermediate species, living in both steppe and rocky environments. This study presents survival rates, reproductive rates and a tentative model of population dynamics for Ochotona pallasi pricei, an intermediate species with respect to habitat preference. We used Cormack-Jolly-Seber models on 153 trapped as well as observed individuals during 10 encounter occasions to estimate survival rates. The study period lasted from November 2000 to July 2002, including a severe drought summer in 2001. Reproductive rates are estimated based on observation of the 100 x 100 m2 study site. Population dynamics are simulated using a Leslie-Matrix with monthly time steps. Neither the drought conditions nor the harsh winter conditions showed an influence on the survival rates of the observed individuals. Instead, population density, sex, and age were explaining factors in the most parsimonious model. Independence of climatic conditions suggests that O. pallasi pricei exhibits traits of a “non-burrowing” species although living in a variable steppe environment. This sheds new light on the evolution of the behavioral traits of pikas, since the variability of the climate cannot predict the life history traits of the species. The behavioral traits may be more conservative than has been assumed previously. Survival during the drought summer is probably enabled by the storage of enough dry herbs and grasses in the burrows of the animals, while the territorial behavior of the species is the prerequisite of harvesting enough biomass to persist through the adverse climatic conditions of a potentially coming drought

Witraż świecki i kościelny: sens i walor

In the modern world, so strongly surrounded by sound, light and colour, it is worth to notice their impact on various fields of our everyday life and celebrating. The multicoloured play in the sun is a phenomenon of stained glass windows. They enliven our life, stimulate imagination, encourage reflection, meditation and even contemplation. Secular stained glass windows usually show the beauty of nature, for example: flowers, but also heraldic themes, or portraits. In an object of worship it should be decided whether or not a stained glass window should be placed. The stained glass cannot be treated only as a decoration or an extra under any circumstances. It should refer to the title or dedication of the particular church. It is advisable to reach for Christian symbolism or iconography, the message of Bible and the spirit of liturgy celebrated. It is the stained glass itself that has to contribute to the atmosphere of prayer, to increase integrity, sense and dignity of a sacred object. Naturally, the proper quality of the stained glass windows should also be helpful