Foehn wind as a factor affecting the air quality in the town of Zakopane

Zakopane, the largest town in the Tatra County, located at the foot of the northern slope of the Tatra Mountains, i.e. the highest mountains in Poland, is characterised by the frequent occurrence of high atmospheric air pollutant concentrations, and the resulting poor aerosanitary conditions, particularly in winter months. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the relationship between the occurrence of a foehn-type wind, which is called halny in the area of the Tatra Mountains and the Podhale region, and changes in concentrations of pollutants found in the atmospheric air in Zakopane, based on the example of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter. The concentrations of the analysed substances in the town of Zakopane were compared on the days when foehn wind occurred on the Kasprowy Wierch peak and on the days when the foehn wind did not occur on the above-mentioned peak. The study initially showed the existence of a relationship between halny velocity on the Kasprowy Wierch peak (1987 m a.s.l) and its effects on the air quality in the town of Zakopane. Decreases in concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter were noted on the days when foehn wind velocity on the Kasprowy Wierch peak was equal to or exceeded 20 m·s−1

Structure and importance of soil-protecting forests in the areas administered by the RDSF Toruń

The paper presents the state and importance of soil-protecting forests in the areas managed by the RDSF in Toruń, as well as changes in their structure over 29 years. The management of the RDSF in Toruń is characterized by a systematic increase in the area, thickness and rich abundance of soil-protecting forests, particularly intense since the mid-nineteen-nineties. They cover mainly rusty soils and podzols on outwash areas, sandy terraces in sloped areas of postglacial valleys and gullies as well. Soil-protecting forests, which are managed by the RDSF in Toruń, vary a great deal considering their habitat, both in terms of dampness and trophic richness as well as spatially. The dominance of coniferous forests is due to the fact that they grow in the poorest habitats, which have not been previously used for agricultural purposes, and to the common practice in recent years of pine reforestation in open stromal areas. The assessment of the state of habitats indicates that 66.2% of the soil-protecting forest area is characterized as natural and close-to-natural. Distorted or transformed habitats occupy 26.2% of the soil-protecting forest area, while the degraded habitats 7.6%. Taking the study area into consideration we can observe the relationship between the incompatibility of habitat in its natural form and the post-arable feature. Changes in habitat characteristics are shown by 75.5% of the area of the soil-protecting forest located on former farmland, mainly in the areas with rusty podzolic soils (Albic Brunic Arenosols). Incompatibility of the habitats is, among others, the result of the creation in recent years, during the afforestation of agricultural lands, of solid pine stands, also in fertile habitats. Secondary planted pine monocultures in the forest areas resulted in podzolization of rusty soils and transformed them into rusty podzolic soils

Use of agricultural soils as a source of nitrous oxide emission in selected communes of Poland

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the main greenhouse gases with a potential to produce greenhouse effect nearly 300 times greater than the potential of carbon dioxide (CO2). Almost 80% of the annual emissions of this gas in Poland come from agriculture, and its main source is the use of agricultural soils. The study attempted to estimate the N2O emission from agricultural soils and to indicate its share in the total greenhouse gas emissions in 48 Polish communes. A simplified solution has been proposed for this purpose, which can be successfully applied by local government areas in order to assess the nitrous oxide emissions as well as monitor the impact of the undertaken actions on its limitation. The estimated emission was compared with the results of the baseline greenhouse gas inventory prepared for the needs of the low-carbon economy plans adopted by the studied self-governments. This allowed us to determine the share of N2O emissions from agricultural soils in the total greenhouse gas emissions of the studied communes.The annual N2O emissions from agricultural soils in the studied communes range from 1.21 Mg N2O-N to 93.28 Mg N2O-N, and the cultivation of organic soils is its main source. The use of mineral and natural fertilizers as well as indirect emissions from nitrogen leaching into groundwater and surface waters are also significant. The obtained results confirm the need to include greenhouse gas emissions from the use of agricultural soils and other agricultural sources in low-carbon economy plans

River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources

The paper presents the concept of an ecological corridor system developed for spatial planning based on the case of the Pomerania Province. More attention was paid to the corridors along watercourses and river valleys. The study included e.g. spatial relationships between the proposed network of regional eco-corridors and the national network as well as areas of protected nature areas, including Natura 2000 sites. The main threats to the valley corridors in the area were identified. Depending on the level of impact and the geographical range, three different land corridors were distinguished: supraregional, regional and subregional. Due to the landscape and nature diversity, spatial distribution of physico-geographical units, terrain and river valleys, almost all communes and districts of the Pomerania Province have appropriate conditions to perform the functions of ecological corridors of various ranks. In some communes, they account for more than 50% of the total area and 28% of the province’s area, and a significant part of them are valley ecosystems. The aim of the paper is to document the role of river valleys in shaping the conditions of spatial connectivity of ecosystems and to indicate their significance for spatial planning processes

Perspektywy wykorzystania Kanału Bydgoskiego i Noteci dla celów dydaktycznych

The Bydgoszcz Canal and the Noteć River valleys are particularly valuable natural areas. Biodiversity and high nature value of these terrains they should better serve for the ecological education. The canal and the river they should be used as naturals teaching objects particularly during the field classes. This article presents perspectives of the Bydgoszcz Canal and the Noteć River utilization for teaching purposes and importance the natural education in the development of the ecological awareness of schooage children and adolescents.Doliny Kanału Bydgoskiego i Noteci to obszary szczególnie cenne przyrodniczo. Różnorodność biologiczna i walory ekologiczne tych terenów powinny lepiej służyć edukacji ekologicznej. Kanał i rzeka powinny być wykorzystywane jako naturalne obiekty dydaktyczne szczególnie podczas zajęć szkolnych w terenie. Artykuł przedstawia perspektywy wykorzystania Kanału Bydgoskiego i Noteci dla celów dydaktycznych oraz znaczenie edukacji przyrodniczej w rozwoju świadomości ekologicznej dzieci i młodzieży szkolnej

Żony czasu wojny. „Wojenne żony” w wojskach czechosłowackich i polskich na Syberii w latach 1918–1920

„Wartime wives” in Czechoslovakian and Polish troopsin Siberia between 1918 and 1920 (Summary) The civil war in Russia lasting from 1917 to 1922 was characterized by unprecedented cruelty in those days. Both parties involved in the conflict – the Bolsheviks and the “Whites” – have engaged in practices in a manner substantially deviated from the standards of war. The standard of this war were executions and civilian pacification carried out by the Red Army, as well as the “Whites”. Terror policies were heightened by various types of contributions and requisitions. They caused famine and mass migration of civilians. This situation was not only typical of the European part of Russia but also in the Ural and Siberia. Along with the many features both military areas had in common, they differed in military operations and the abundance of foreign troops being involved, especially in the East, that is to say Siberia and the Ural, where there were many more. The concurrence of different reasons – the uncertain financial situation, frequently hunger, the threat of reprisal for earlier actions, no home or sometimes love – led to the fact that among the forces fighting in Russia, Russian women sought refuge from hunger, disease and death. They often accepted being humiliated while deciding to live together with the soldiers. “War wives” – as they called such women – often shared the hardships of their keepers – service soldiers. The Czech-Slovak and Polish soldiers – for different reasons – were the most popular

Witamina D a układ krążenia

Vitamin D is one of the most important for the proper functioning of the cells and tissues. Vitamin D receptor has been found in a variety of target tissues including cells in the cardiovascular system. Vitamin D may be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in many possible ways, which include the modulation of inflammatory processes, oxidation, tissue calcification and regulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Therefore, it may play an important role in the atherosclerotic plaques formation. Recently, vitamin D deficiency was noted in patients with acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. A strong correlation has been detected between vitamin D deficiency and slow coronary flow, endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with normal or nearly normal image of the coronary arteries. Further research on the impact of vitamin D on the cardiovascular system is required to determine precise guidelines regarding indications for prophylactic and therapeutic vitamin D supplementation in patients with cardiovascular system diseases.Witamina D jest jedną z najistotniejszych witamin koniecznych do prawidłowego funkcjonowania organizmu. Receptor dla witaminy D odnaleziono w wielu tkankach docelowych, w tym w komórkach tworzących układ sercowo-naczyniowy. Witamina D może brać udział w patogenezie chorób układu krążenia w różny sposób, na przykład modulując stan zapalny i procesy zwapnienia tkanek, utleniania czy regulując pracę układu renina- angiotensyna-aldosteron (RAA). Może zatem pełnić istotną rolę w procesie powstawania blaszek miażdżycowych. Ostatnio niedobór witaminy D odnotowano między innymi u pacjentów z zawałem serca, nadciśnieniem tętniczym, migotaniem przedsionków czy niewydolnością serca. Opisano zależność między niedoborem witaminy D a zespołem wolnego przepływu wieńcowego, dysfunkcją śródbłonka i subkliniczną miażdżycą u pacjentów z prawidłowym lub prawie prawidłowym obrazem naczyń wieńcowych. Istnieje istotna potrzeba prowadzenia dalszych badań nad wpływem witaminy D na układ krążenia, które pozwoliłyby sformułować wytyczne dotyczące wskazań do profilaktycznej i terapeutycznej suplementacji witaminą D u pacjentów ze schorzeniami układu sercowo-naczyniowego

Consumer Financial Knowledge and Cashless Payment Behavior for Sustainable Development in Poland

Financial knowledge is the main element of financial literacy, which is important for the sustainable development of individuals and society. Sustainability is a complex concept that spans many fields, including financial knowledge for all ages. Financial knowledge requires significant scientific research showing its impact on individuals and the economy, including non-cash payments. Consumer payment knowledge and its association with consumer financial behavior have long been a matter of widespread interest by researchers, but no in-depth, empirically based scientific research has been completed for Poland. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with cashless payment behavior with an emphasis on the role of consumer financial knowledge. A total of 1100 interviews were carried out with Polish nationals aged 15 and above. The collected data were analyzed with the use of statistical methods, including analysis of variances (ANOVA), in order to examine consumers’ financial knowledge by basic economic and non-economic factors. Additionally, a data-mining method known as Random Forests was implemented for finding the variable importance in correlations between consumer financial knowledge and preferred methods of payment. The results revealed the diversity of factors influencing consumer behavior. Among the consumers’ personal traits, financial knowledge was one of the most important determinants of their payment choices. The results have implications for the design of payment processes. The results can be used by central banks to determine the directions of financial inclusion, as well as for stakeholders in the payments market

Pain sensitivity, negative affect, and alcohol use disorder status: A moderated mediation study of emotion dysregulation

Previous work suggests that the association between pain and emotional processes among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may differ from healthy controls. This study inves-tigates whether pain sensitivity mediates the association between negative affect and emotional dysregulation and whether this association differs across AUD status using moderated mediation. The sample included 165 individuals diagnosed with AUD and 110 healthy controls. Of interest was pain sensitivity, as assessed with the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire, negative affect, as assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory, and emotional dysregulation, as assessed with the Difficulties in Emotional regulation Scale. Age, biological sex, and current pain severity were included as covariates. The results support a moderated partial mediation model that explained 44% of the variance in emotional dysregulation. The findings indicate that negative affect is related to higher pain sensitivity across groups. Moreover, pain sensitivity partially mediated the association between negative affect and emotional dysregulation, but in opposite directions depending on AUD status. Among healthy controls, greater pain sensitivity was related to better emotional regulation, while greater pain sensitivity led to greater emotional dysregulation among individuals with AUD. The potential parallels in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of emotionality, pain, and AUD suggest that interventions targeting pain may improve adaptive affect regulation skills, which in turn could reduce negative affect and its effect on pain sensitivity among individuals with AUD

Birth body length, birth body weight and birth head circumference in neonates born in a single centre between 2011 and 2016

   Objectives: Access to updated and accurate standards for local populations is important for the interpretation of body measurements in neonates and may have an impact on the doctor’s recommendations for monitoring early childhood development. Study aim: to present individual mean values for the most prevalent body measurements (i.e. birth body length (BBL), birth body weight (BBW) and birth head circumference (BHC)) in neonates and compare them to the duration of pregnancy. Material and methods: The measurements (BBL, BBW and BHC) were collected and analyzed from over 27,000 neonates born in a single center. All women with single pregnancies with gestation ranging from 33 to 42 weeks were included in the study. Results: Mean values and statistically significant standard deviation values from population standards of BBL, BBW, and BHC were evaluated for neonates that were born between the 33rd and 42nd week of gestation. Analysis was conducted for the lower limit (10th percentile), average (50th percentile) and upper limit (90th percentile). Conclusions: This was the first time in Polish literature when population standards were presented for three body meas­urements of neonates. With the size of the cohort, these standards can be successfully implemented into routine clinical practice, especially for screening children with body size deficits.