The Research of Toucan Crossing Traffic Light Perception by Road Users

AbstractCities are trying to improve bikers traveling conditions by adapting infrastructure to their needs, for example by expanding bike road network. This phenomenon leads to comfort improvement of bike usage and the growth of road safety level. On the other hand, it causes the increase of usage diversity of transport means, which are existing in transportation systems. Therefore readable, explicit and understandable information broadcasted by the traffic sings and road signals to all road users (drivers, pedestrians and bikers) is necessary to provide efficient functioning of transportation systems.The current size of the pictograms located on the traffic light shield and its localization is determined by provisions of the regulations of the Minister of Infrastructure. According to current regulations it is allowed to connect two signals: for pedestrians and for bikers in one signaling device in special situations, which are dictated by location (shared crossing for pedestrians and bikers). Described solution allows to apply one support element and one two-compartment signal device. In opposite situations it is necessary to place two-compartment signals devices placed on one or two support elements. Size of pictograms used in pedestrian-bike signal devices is very different in comparison to exclusively pedestrian or bike signal devices.Pedestrian symbol in toucan crossing signal device is about forty percent smaller in comparison to pictogram used in pedestrian signal device and bike template is thirty percent smaller than in normal bike signal device. toucan crossing devices displays two small symbols, which in some condition may not be read explicitly by individual road users. It might in fact cause risk situations.The perception by participants of traffic signals is an essential aspect. Displayed signals should: provide unambiguous information (without leaving space for interpretation) and be understood by all users (regardless of age and visual problems. Misinterpretation the symbol or its inaccurate understanding can lead to dangerous situations (the intrusion of pedestrians on the road). That is why it is so important in the context of an aging population in Europe to examine the perception of the quality of the signals transmitted to traffic participants.According to experts and road users, there is a problem of readable and explicit perception of the information provided by this traffic signal. This problem is an essential goal of the research presented in this article.In order to examine the quality of toucan crossing signal perception by road users, an extensive research in Katowice city was conducted. During the research, division by age and condition of health (problem with vision) was considered. Length of measurement time allowed to analyze changes in daylight and their influence on signal perception by road users.This paper is organized as follows: section one presents the legal conditions of toucan crossing signals usage, study of literature and examples of good practice. This is followed by next section, which describes the area on which analyze was conducted and elaborates on the research methodology. Afterwards, obtained results with detailed analysis are provided. Article ends with conclusions and discussion on currently used solution

Short-term changes in thermal conditions and active layer thickness in the tundra of the Kaffiøyra region, NW Spitsbergen

This article describes and discusses the results of observations concerning short-term changes in the thermal conditions and the thickness of the active layer in a test field located in the tundra of the Kaffiøyra (NW Spitsbergen) during the summer season of 2015. One of the objectives was to find a correlation between the dynamic of the changes and the local topography. In recent years, thawing of the active layer in the Kaffiøyra region has been considerably varied in individual summer seasons. The test field area was 100 square meters, comprised 36 measurement points and was situated at approximately 3 m a.s.l. in the tundra. The measurements of the thickness and temperature of the active layer were carried out in July, August and early September of 2015. The greatest thickness of the active layer in the tundra was found near the moraine, in the area with the sharpest slope (156 cm to 212 cm). Ground temperatures were observed to follow the prevailing weather conditions with a delay, which amounted to about 24 h at a depth of 25 cm, and as much as 48 h at a depth of 75 cm. A greater thickness of the active layer was found in the western part of the test field, in the vicinity of a tidal channel, and in the eastern part of the field, bordering on the foot of the Aavatsmarkbreen’s moraine. A considerable sloping of the land, combined with increased surface runoff and infiltration at the time of precipitation, makes the water penetrating into the active layer increase its temperature. This demonstrates that the local land forms (tidal channels and terminal moraines) have a substantial influence on the extent and rate of changes which occur in the active layer.

SUBMARINE EVIDENCE OF THE LATE WEICHSELIAN MAXIMUM EXTENT AND THE LITTLE ICE AGE (LIA) GLACIER LIMITS IN THE ST. JONSFJORDEN REGION (SVALBARD)

The paper presents the results of bathymetric mapping of selected tidewater glaciers in the St. Jonsfjorden (Svalbard) between 2004 and 2007. We also used the bathymetric data collected by the Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS) as well as the shaded relief images based on them. The most clearly visible traces in submarine marginal zones of the glaciers come from the Little Ice Age (LIA), i.e. the cooling period which in the area of St. Jonsfjorden might have ended no later than about 1900. At the beginning of the 20th century, i.e. during a warm period, the glaciers of St. Jonsfjorden reached their maximums. The youngest traces in the seafloor of the fjord and the bays date from this period, similar to the case of the land marginal zones. In front of the cliff of the Dahl Glacier there is a clearly visible zone of submarine moraines. It finishes exactly along the line of the LIA maximum. The sea-floor relief of the fjord and bays shows traces which we interpret as having been formed during the Late Weichselian (13–10 ka B.P.). At that time, the Dahl Glacier advanced onto the northern part of Hermansenøya; its main stream passed to the north of the island. Simultaneously, the Konow-Osborne Glacier terminated 2 to 4 km from the fjord mouth, leaving about 15 km2 of the fjord ice-free.

Skutecznośći bezpieczeństwo trombolizy dożylnej za pomocą alteplazy w leczeniu udaru niedokrwiennego mózgu w szpitalu w regionie rolniczym

Background and purpose Ongoing evaluation of the results of thrombolytic therapy in patients with ischaemic stroke (IS) in regions with different health care organization is absolutely crucial for making this method of treatment safer and efficient. The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy and safety of treatment with intravenous alteplase in patients with acute IS in a rural hospital. Material and methods Between 2006 and 2011, 1392 patients with IS were treated (including 200 patients treated with alteplase; 14.37%). In patients treated with alteplase, we analysed the influence of several variables on the functional status after 3 months according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), case-fatality rate during 3 months after onset and symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (SICH). Results In the studied population, good outcome (mRS 0–2) at 3 months was related to younger age (p = 0.001), male sex (p = 0.02) and low scores (< 15 points) on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (p < 0.0001). Deaths within 3 months were related to older age (p = 0.027), female sex (p = 0.004), severity of stroke measured by NIHSS score (p < 0.0001) and presence of radiological signs of previous stroke in baseline computed tomography (CT) (p = 0.002). Patients with SICH had higher mean age (p = 0.014) and higher severity of neurological deficit measured on the NIHSS scale (p = 0.03). Conclusions The indications for intravenous thrombolysis in patients with IS should be strictly analysed so that the treatment is effective and safe especially in older patients, patients with greater severity of neurological symptoms and patients with old post-stroke lesions in baseline CT.Wstęp i cel pracy Prowadzenie ciągłej oceny wyników leczenia trombolitycznego chorych na udar niedokrwienny mózgu (UNM) w regionach różniących się organizacją ochrony zdrowia ma duże znaczenie dla skuteczniejszego oraz bezpieczniejszego stosowania tej metody. Celem pracy była analiza skuteczności i bezpieczeństwa leczenia podawaną dożylnie alteplazą u chorych na UNM w szpitalu w regionie rolniczym. Materiał i metody W latach 2006–2011 autorzy leczyli 1392 chorych na UNM – alteplazę otrzymało 200 pacjentów (14,37%). W grupie chorych leczonych alteplazą przeanalizowano wpływ wielu czynników na stan funkcjonalny po 3 miesiącach, uwzględniając punktację w zmodyfikowanej skali Rankina (mRS), częstość zgonów w ciągu 3 miesięcy od zachorowania oraz częstość objawowych krwotoków śródmózgowych (SICH). Wyniki W badanej populacji dobry wynik leczenia (mRS 0–2) po 3 miesiącach wiązał się z młodszym wiekiem chorych (p = 0,001), płcią męską (p = 0,02) i małą (< 15 pkt) punktacją w Skali Udarowej Narodowych Instytutów Zdrowia (NIHSS) (p < 0,0001). Zgony w ciągu 3 miesięcy były istotnie częstsze wśród osób starszych (p = 0,027), kobiet (p = 0,004), osób z dużym nasileniem ubytkowych objawów neurologicznych w skali NIHSS (p < 0,0001) i u osób z objawami przebytego udaru w wyjściowej tomografii komputerowej (TK) (p = 0,002). Grupa chorych z SICH cechowała się większą średnią wieku (p = 0,014) i większym nasileniem objawów neurologicznych mierzonych skalą NIHSS (p = 0,03). Wnioski Należy ściśle analizować wskazania do dożylnej trombolizy u chorych na UNM, aby leczenie było skuteczne i bezpieczne, w szczególności u chorych starszych, chorych ze znacznym nasileniem objawów neurologicznych i chorych z obecnością starych ognisk poudarowych w wyjściowej TK

Cerebral thrombolysis in patients with ischemic stroke and heart failure

Background Heart failure (HF) is common among patients with ischemic stroke (IS), however its impact on outcome after iv-thrombolysis has not been fully determined. Moreover, definition of HF has been recently modified, but majority of stroke studies classified patients regarding an old HF criteria. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between both, newly and formerly defined HF and the long-term outcome, mortality and the presence of hemorrhagic complications in patients with acute IS treated with iv-thrombolysis. Methods We retrospectively evaluated data from 328 Caucasian patients with IS consecutively treated with iv-thrombolysis. HF was defined according to old and new definition; long-term outcome was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and mortality rate on 90th days after IS. Results The incidence of HF did not differ between patients with favorable (mRS 0–2) and unfavorable (mRS 3–6) functional outcome respectively for the old and for the new definition (10.4% vs. 15.5, p = 0.17; 17.4% vs. 18.1%, p = 0.88) and between those who survived and died within 90 days after IS (11.7% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.27; 17.2% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.38, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed no impact of HF diagnosis on outcome (p = 0.94) or mortality (p = 0.64). Conclusion The presence of systolic HF, defined according to an old and a new definition, does not determine safety and efficacy of cerebral iv-thrombolysis in patients with IS

Vegetation type is an important predictor of the arctic summer land surface energy budget

Despite the importance of high-latitude surface energy budgets (SEBs) for land-climate interactions in the rapidly changing Arctic, uncertainties in their prediction persist. Here, we harmonize SEB observations across a network of vegetated and glaciated sites at circumpolar scale (1994-2021). Our variance-partitioning analysis identifies vegetation type as an important predictor for SEB-components during Arctic summer (June-August), compared to other SEB-drivers including climate, latitude and permafrost characteristics. Differences among vegetation types can be of similar magnitude as between vegetation and glacier surfaces and are especially high for summer sensible and latent heat fluxes. The timing of SEB-flux summer-regimes (when daily mean values exceed 0 Wm(-2)) relative to snow-free and -onset dates varies substantially depending on vegetation type, implying vegetation controls on snow-cover and SEB-flux seasonality. Our results indicate complex shifts in surface energy fluxes with land-cover transitions and a lengthening summer season, and highlight the potential for improving future Earth system models via a refined representation of Arctic vegetation types.An international team of researchers finds high potential for improving climate projections by a more comprehensive treatment of largely ignored Arctic vegetation types, underscoring the importance of Arctic energy exchange measuring stations.Peer reviewe

Vegetation type is an important predictor of the arctic summer land surface energy budget

Despite the importance of high-latitude surface energy budgets (SEBs) for land-climate interactions in the rapidly changing Arctic, uncertainties in their prediction persist. Here, we harmonize SEB observations across a network of vegetated and glaciated sites at circumpolar scale (1994–2021). Our variance-partitioning analysis identifies vegetation type as an important predictor for SEB-components during Arctic summer (June-August), compared to other SEB-drivers including climate, latitude and permafrost characteristics. Differences among vegetation types can be of similar magnitude as between vegetation and glacier surfaces and are especially high for summer sensible and latent heat fluxes. The timing of SEB-flux summer-regimes (when daily mean values exceed 0 Wm−2) relative to snow-free and -onset dates varies substantially depending on vegetation type, implying vegetation controls on snow-cover and SEB-flux seasonality. Our results indicate complex shifts in surface energy fluxes with land-cover transitions and a lengthening summer season, and highlight the potential for improving future Earth system models via a refined representation of Arctic vegetation types

Europejski system opłat za usługi wodne jako instrument kształtowania zasady zwrotu kosztów i zasady „zanieczyszczający płaci”

Wejście w życie Dyrektywy 2000/60/WE Parlamentu Europejskiego i Rady z dnia 23 października 2000 r. ustanawiającej ramy wspólnotowego działania w dziedzinie polityki wodnej wprowadziło nowy system opłat za usługi wodne. Wskazane tam zostały zasady: „zanieczyszczający płaci” oraz zasada zwrotu kosztów jako podstawy działań podejmowanych przez państwa członkowskie w ramach tworzonych systemów opłat za usługi wodne. Wątpliwości interpretacyjne budziły uregulowania zawarte w art. 2 pkt 38 oraz art. 9 dyrektywy. Problemami badawczymi niniejszego opracowania pozostają: określenie, jak szeroki jest margines swobodnych działań państw członkowskich Unii Europejskiej w celu ochrony wód w ramach systemu opłat za usługi wodne, a także dokonanie wykładni użytego w dyrektywie pojęcia „usługi” w kontekście zasady zwrotu kosztów oraz zasady „zanieczyszczający płaci”. Autor, na podstawie przyjętej metody badawczej, czyli wykładni prawa, poglądów doktryny, orzecznictwa Trybunału Sprawiedliwości Unii Europejskiej, formułuje tezę, że dyrektywa przewiduje mechanizm, według którego to każde państwo członkowskie Unii Europejskiej określa indywidualne sposoby korzystania z wód w systemie opłat za usługi wodne na bazie przyjętej w danym państwie definicji „usług wodnych”. System opłat za usługi wodne stanowi jedynie jeden z instrumentów prawnych kształtowania zasady zwrotu kosztów i zasady „zanieczyszczający płaci” w systemie gospodarowania wodami w państwach członkowskich, zaś zakres jego kształtowania odbywa się na podstawie kryteriów geograficznych, ekonomicznych, przyrodniczych.The entry into force of Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policyhas introduced a new pricing system for water services. The Directive identifies the polluterpaysprinciple and the principle of cost recovery as a basis for action to be taken by theMember States when setting up pricing systems for water services. The provisions of Article2(38) and Article 9 of the Directive raised questions of interpretation. The research issue ofthis study is to determine the discretionary scope of the Member States of the European Unionfor the protection of waters under a pricing system for water services, and to interpret theconcept of “services” used in the Directive in the context of the cost recovery principle andthe polluter-pays principle. The author, on the basis of the adopted research method, i.e.,interpretation of law, views of legal academics and commentators, case-law of the Court ofJustice of the European Union, states that the Directive provides for a mechanism wherebyeach EU Member State determines the individual uses of water in a pricing system for waterservices on the basis of a country-specific definition of “water services”. The pricing systemfor water services is only one of the legal instruments for setting the principle of cost recoveryand the polluter-pays principle in the Member States’ water management system, and its scopeis based on geographical, economic and natural criteria

Obligation to pay charges connected with draining off to water – rainwater and meltwater (when we pay for draining meltwater)

W ramach niniejszego opracowania autor przedstawia zagadnienia związane z opłatą za usługę wodną polegającą na odprowadzaniu do wód – wód opadowych lub roztopowych. Przedmiotem analizy pozostają przede wszystkim przepisy prawa powszechnie obowiązującego oraz orzecznictwo sądów administracyjnych. Autor wykazuje, że definicje zawarte w przepisach prawa nie są wystarczające do należytego stosowania prawa i budzą liczne kontrowersje w praktyce, zaś sądy administracyjne, dokonując weryfikacji prawidłowości działania organów administracji, muszą bardzo często posługiwać się także wiedzą z zakresu hydrologii, inżynierii środowiska czy też planistyki, aby móc wydać orzeczenie, które będzie uwzględniać dany stan faktyczny. Podstawowe definicje, które zawarte są przepisach prawa, takie jak kanalizacja zbiorcza, otwarta lub zamknięta kanalizacja deszczowa, rów melioracyjny czy też ścieki, nie mogą stanowić wystarczających i samodzielnych danych stanowiących podstawę rozstrzygnięcia władczego, np. nakładającego na podmiot obowiązek zapłaty za usługę wodną, albowiem w każdym przypadku musi zostać zbadana funkcja, którą realizują w praktyce, a także musi być uwzględniony ich realny sposób wykorzystania. Tym samym autor stawia tezę, że przepisy regulujące kwestie związane z opłatami za usługi wodne w postaci odprowadzania do wód – wód opadowych lub roztopowych, stanowią zagadnienie interdyscyplinarne i dla prawidłowego stosowania prawa w tym zakresie niezbędne jest podjęcie współpracy przez specjalistów m.in. z zakresu prawa, hydrologii i kształtowania środowiska, którzy uwzględnią przede wszystkim aspekt funkcjonalności danych urządzeń wodnych i ich faktycznego wykorzystania w praktyce.Within this article author presents issues connected with charges for water service related to draining off to water: rain water or snow water. Above all, author of the article analyses generally applicable provisions and judicature of administrative courts. He also shows that definitions included in legal provisions are not sufficient enough to apply existing law in a proper way and they raise many doubts within practice related to the application of law. At the same time, administrative courts, while verifying correctness of actions related to administrative authorities, very often have to use terms and knowledge connected with hydrology, environmental engineering or planning, in order to issue judgment related to the actual state. Basic terms included in legal provisions, such as collective sewage system, open or closed rain sewage system, irrigation system or water waste, cannot constitute sufficient and independent data, without reference to the actual, hydrological state as well as their real functions. With a view to the aforementioned matters, such basic terms also cannot be the basis for authoritative decision related to f.ex. imposing the obligation of paying charges for water services. At the same time, author formulates thesis that provisions connected with charges for water service related to draining off to water: rain water or snow water constitute interdisciplinary issue and in order to apply the law in a proper way specialists (among others related to law, hydrology or environment) should join forces on this front, especially while considering the functional aspect of data related to water devices and their actual usage in practice

Tytuły zawodowe architektów krajobrazu w Polsce

Autorzy dokonują przeglądu źródeł prawa w zakresie uregulowań dotyczących nadawania tytułu zawodowego absolwentom studiów wyższych, począwszy od przepisów prawa z okresu bezpośrednio po odzyskaniu niepodległości przez Polskę w 1918 r., przez okres Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej, aż do uregulowań związanych z wejściem w życie tzw. Konstytucji dla Nauki, a więc przede wszystkim ustawy z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce1 . Autorzy wskazują poszczególne rozwiązania prawne przyjęte przez ustawodawcę i ich ewolucję zmierzającą m.in. do uwzględnienia postulatów prezentowanych przez środowiska akademickie związane z kierunkiem studiów – architektura krajobrazu, jak i przez organizacje pozarządowe, które swoimi działaniami zmierzały do uzyskania przez uczelnie możliwości nadawania absolwentom tytu- łu zawodowego inżyniera/magistra inżyniera architekta krajobrazu i tym samym uwzględnienia takiego zapisu na dyplomie absolwenta