Selected problems of protecting and managing historical ruins in Poland

Historical ruins have long been the object of interest for the research –workers of various disciplines as well as the conservators of historical monuments. The main problem is the form of protection. The standard of protecting ruins in the so-called permanent ruin form was elaborated two centuries ago, however, it is still the subject of numerous discussions, conferences, scientific-research works. The main source of doubts as to the permanent ruin is its incompleteness,(deficiency) illegibility and the highly restricted possibilities of making any use of it, whereas the contemporary protection of monuments assumes their accessibility and the widest possible use for contemporary functions. That is why the main issue in contemporary maintenance of historical ruins is to ensure them a proper management system. The problem of protecting historical ruins has universal character. In Poland it concerns the resources of about 200 historical ruins, first and foremost of the mediaeval castles. That is why the Polish conservator circles have intensified the works aiming at the solution of the problem through the organization of programs, projects and conferences. A highly estimated result of those efforts is a programmatic document entitled “The Protection Charter of Historical Ruins”. It comprises a set of rules that determine the form of maintenance of historical ruins. However, the issues of management, development and use of the historical ruins still await a solution.Historical ruins have long been the object of interest for the research –workers of various disciplines as well as the conservators of historical monuments. The main problem is the form of protection. The standard of protecting ruins in the so-called permanent ruin form was elaborated two centuries ago, however, it is still the subject of numerous discussions, conferences, scientific-research works. The main source of doubts as to the permanent ruin is its incompleteness,(deficiency) illegibility and the highly restricted possibilities of making any use of it, whereas the contemporary protection of monuments assumes their accessibility and the widest possible use for contemporary functions. That is why the main issue in contemporary maintenance of historical ruins is to ensure them a proper management system. The problem of protecting historical ruins has universal character. In Poland it concerns the resources of about 200 historical ruins, first and foremost of the mediaeval castles. That is why the Polish conservator circles have intensified the works aiming at the solution of the problem through the organization of programs, projects and conferences. A highly estimated result of those efforts is a programmatic document entitled “The Protection Charter of Historical Ruins”. It comprises a set of rules that determine the form of maintenance of historical ruins. However, the issues of management, development and use of the historical ruins still await a solution

Ion Microbeam Analyses of Dust Particles and Codeposits from JET with the ITER-Like Wall

Generation of metal dust in the JET tokamak with the ITER-like wall (ILW) is a topic of vital interest to next-step fusion devices because of safety issues with plasma operation. Simultaneous Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) and Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) with a focused four MeV 3He microbeam was used to determine the composition of dust particles related to the JET operation with the ILW. The focus was on “Be-rich particles” collected from the deposition zone on the inner divertor tile. The particles found are composed of a mix of codeposited species up to 120 μm in size with a thickness of 30–40 μm. The main constituents are D from the fusion fuel, Be and W from the main plasma-facing components, and Ni and Cr from the Inconel grills of the antennas for auxiliary plasma heating. Elemental concentrations were estimated by iterative NRA-PIXE analysis. Two types of dust particles were found: (i) larger Be-rich particles with Be concentrations above 90 at% with a deuterium presence of up to 3.4 at% and containing Ni (1–3 at%), Cr (0.4–0.8 at%), W (0.2–0.9 at%), Fe (0.3–0.6 at%), and Cu and Ti in lower concentrations and (ii) small particles rich in Al and/or Si that were in some cases accompanied by other elements, such as Fe, Cu, or Ti or W and Mo

Data on erosion and hydrogen fuel retention in Beryllium plasma-facing materials

ITER will use beryllium as a plasma-facing material in the main chamber, covering a total surface area of about 620 m(2). Given the importance of beryllium erosion and co-deposition for tritium retention in ITER, significant efforts have been made to understand the behaviour of beryllium under fusion-relevant conditions with high particle and heat loads. This paper provides a comprehensive report on the state of knowledge of beryllium behaviour under fusion-relevant conditions: the erosion mechanisms and their consequences, beryllium migration in JET, fuel retention and dust generation. The paper reviews basic laboratory studies, advanced computer simulations and experience from laboratory plasma experiments in linear simulators of plasma-wall interactions and in controlled fusion devices using beryllium plasma-facing components. A critical assessment of analytical methods and simulation codes used in beryllium studies is given. The overall objective is to review the existing set of data with a broad literature survey and to identify gaps and research needs to broaden the database for ITER.Peer reviewe

Comparative Laser Spectroscopy Diagnostics for Ancient Metallic Artefacts Exposed to Environmental Pollution

Metal artworks are subjected to corrosion and oxidation processes due to reactive agents present in the air, water and in the ground that these objects have been in contact with for hundreds of years. This is the case for archaeological metals that are recovered from excavation sites, as well as artefacts exposed to polluted air. Stabilization of the conservation state of these objects needs precise diagnostics of the accrued surface layers and identification of original, historical materials before further protective treatments, including safe laser cleaning of unwanted layers. This paper presents analyses of the chemical composition and stratigraphy of corrosion products with the use of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy. The discussion of the results is supported by material studies (SEM-EDS, XRF, ion-analyses). The tests were performed on several samples taken from original objects, including copper roofing from Wilanów Palace in Warsaw and Karol Poznański Palace in ŁódŸ, bronze decorative figures from the Wilanów Palace gardens, and four archaeological examples of old jewellery (different copper alloys). Work has been performed as a part of the MATLAS project in the frames of EEA and Norway Grants (www.matlas.eu) and the results enable the comparison of the methodology and to elaborate the joint diagnostic procedures of the three project partner independent laboratories

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Ten years of the Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Ten years, which passed since the Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska have been inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List, pose a great opportunity to present the activities and successes in the area of preservation and widely understood protection of these unique sites. The main purpose behind the UNESCO List is ensuring relevant protection to the most valuable cultural goods to preserve them in possibly unchanged form for the future generations. Therefore, the issue, whether current guardianship and protection of the Małopolska churches are sufficient for maintaining their unique and universal value, authenticity and integrity, is worth discussing. The Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska are a serial inscription covering six Gothic churches built using the horizontal log technique and located in the following localities: Blizne, Binarowa, Dębno Podhalańskie, Haczów, Lipnica Murowana and Sękowa. The churches have been subject to numerous important conservation and renovation works throughout the last ten years. Their scope varied depending on the church, its needs and requirements. Apart from the conservation and renovation works necessary to preserve the sites of world heritage in due manner, the actions aiming at delivery of the tasks under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention have been taken. To ensure possibly highest protection standards of the UNESCO List sites in Poland, including wooden churches of Małopolska, the actions targeted on their monitoring and assessment of preservation, scientific research and works aiming at proper site management have been performed. These works were carried out for the most under the statutory tasks of the National Heritage Board of Poland. Two separate Polish and Norwegian projects aiming at improving the system of world heritage protection in Poland and Norway and working-out better and more effective methods for managing the sites inscribed into the UNESCO List were delivered within the scientific works. Research performed under both these projects covered also the wooden churches of southern Małopolska

Management of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Scotland : selected aspects in the light of a development of the management plan model

The future of monument protection depends to a greater extent on methods of managing this resource. This is an ever more difficult problem, since complexity of values and functions of monuments is growing as well as, simultaneously, pressure to convert them. Sites entered to the UNESCO World Heritage List represent a certain test site for management problems concerning objects with the highest value. Management plans, the development and implementation of which became an obligation for administrators of UNESCO sites, are supposed to be the main tool in this regard. Operating guidelines specify a number of elements the management plan should contain, however, there is no universal specimen of such document. It is legitimate to create model management plans for groups of sites with similar characteristics. Above all, a model management plan should take account of the protection of values that justified the designation of a given status. This element has a universal character in management plans. This means that one can use best experiences collected on various sites entered to the List. New Lanark residential and industrial complex and Forth Bridge management systems have been selected as a subject of analysis. The New Lanark factory settlement was entered to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. The Forth Bridge was entered in 2015. In both cases management plans reflecting the specificity of a site and individual needs of technological monuments were developed. Notwithstanding any systemic differences, the Scottish experiences allow us to draw a number of conclusions we should take into account while preparing management plans for Polish UNESCO sites. The site management should provide for close cooperation between the most important stakeholders who can influence the object’s destiny. Particular partners have different competences, capacities and qualifications. However unexchangeable, they complement one another. Only the management system that includes substantial partners can be efficient – it enables us to maintain and convert the site in an assumed direction. Management of a historical resource (particularly a complex) should be multifunctional. Limiting a site to a museum does not create sufficient economic basis. Combination of numerous functions based on using – and respecting – historical values is possible, if organised (or supervised) by a site manager who has formal and substance-related competences in the scope of managing the site as protected heritage. An industrial monument can be attractive as an example of heritage; it can form a basis for plenty of functional solutions using its historic values; it can also form a basis for a intensive tourism. Multifunctional management of an industrial monument can take place at preserving an acceptable conservation maintenance standard. Management of a complex, multifunctional site is a process that should be executed on the basis of a management plan. Such a document – apart from standard information specified in operating guidelines – should contain a long-term vision, a strategy for a couple of years and short (one-year) action plans. A management plan should also take account of risks and possibilities generated by protection to local communities, particularly if it is linked with such status as the entry to the UNESCO List