Arkose sandstone – a forgotten treasure of Kwaczała

In the surroundings of Krakow, there are few places where coarse carbonless rocks called the Kwaczała Arkose crop out. One of them is located near the Kwaczała countryside next to Alwernia. These deposits are unique in the scale of our country and Europe. They include silicifi ed fragments of tree-trunks Dadoxylon. The current condition of gorges is presented in this paper. Many of them are uncared for, despite their signifi cant scientifi c and educational value. An evaluation of the current outcrops´ state was made. The authors also proposed how to develop the Kwaczała countryside

The influence of root system on slope stability in the view of numerical analysis

The problem of slope stability is one of the most difficult issues, which constitutes the object of interest of engineering geology and geotechnics. The impact of vegetation, well developed bush root system in particular, on the improvement of slope and escarpment stability, is one of the often-omitted aspects in engineering practice. Vegetation may perform a double function within a geological medium: - strengthening – by means of soil reinforcement and anchoring, binding of grains, which improves strength parameters, reduction of pore pressure and groundwater table by means of water interception; - weakening – by means of the impact of specific gravity of vegetation on the subsoil, the impact of wind on a tree, which may lead to its inclination and creation of voids in the soil, moisture changes leading to shrinkage and loosening of the ground (Najder 2003, Greenwood et. al. 2004). Plant roots demonstrate much tensile strength. They increase the ground’s cohesion owing to their friction and adhesive properties. Changes of these parameters depend on the spatial reach and the type of root system. The following types may be distinguished: intensive (concentrated) and extensive (diffused) (Reubens et al. 2007). A given root type impact zone depends on the location of the potential slip surface and the kind of mass movement (Koda et al. 2010). A landslide in Pietrzejowice, located on the Proszowice Plateau, at a distance of approximately 25 km from Cracow, is the object of the research (Kondracki 2010). Landslide movement was initiated on 14 May 2010. At night on 3–4 June further development of the landslide occurred, leading to the damage of two residential buildings. Surface deformations occurred in the area of approximately 3 ha. A geological medium was subdivided into five geotechnical layers: silty clay with different consistency and Miocene clay (Jaskólski et al. 2012). Numerical analyses of the slope stability were carried out in the FLAC 7.0 programme, whose computational algorithm is based on the finite difference method. Two options of the root system development – concentrated and diffused – were adopted in the model. Numerical simulations were carried out as per the scheme (Pilecki et al. 2014): 1) Static analysis of the data set for variable soil and water conditions with Duncan and Wright method (Kaczmarek & Popielski 2015). 2) Elaboration of the set of input data. 3) Elaboration of the physical model. 4) Elaboration of design model along with adopted initial and design conditions. The following options were considered: - variant I – natural slope condition, - variant II – condition after water accumulation, variant III – development of concentrated root system, - variant IV – development of diffused root system, - variant V – water accumulation of option III, - variant VI – water accumulation of option IV. 5) Calculation of the results and their verification. 6) Analysis of the probability of occurrence of mass movements for the adopted design options. Statistical analysis of the set of input data and results of numerical simulations allowed determining the impact of the root system on changes of the safety factor with the soil variable and water conditions. The route of the slide surface and determination of the probability of the loss of stability, with local or global nature, are also important pieces of information. The results of numerical simulations indicate an increased value of safety factor for the slope with extensive root system. The results are of a reconnaissance nature and they describe the impact of the root system on stability in a general manner

An in vivo model of anti-inflammatory activity of subdural dexamethasone following the spinal cord injury

Current therapies to limit the neural tissue destruction following the spinal cord injury are not effective. Our recent studies indicate that the injury to the white matter of the spinal cord results in a severe inflammatory response where macrophages phagocytize damaged myelin and the fluid-filled cavity of injury extends in size with concurrent and irreversible destruction of the surrounding neural tissue over several months. We previously established that a high dose of 4mg/rat of dexamethasone administered for 1 week via subdural infusion remarkably lowers the numbers of infiltrating macrophages leaving large amounts of un-phagocytized myelin debris and therefore inhibits the severity of inflammation and related tissue destruction. But this dose was potently toxic to the rats. In the present study the lower doses of dexamethasone, 0.125–2.0mg, were administered via the subdural infusion for 2 weeks after an epidural balloon crush of the mid-thoracic spinal cord. The spinal cord cross-sections were analyzed histologically. Levels of dexamethasone used in the current study had no systemic toxic effect and limited phagocytosis of myelin debris by macrophages in the lesion cavity. The subdural infusion with 0.125–2.0mg dexamethasone over 2 week period did not eliminate the inflammatory process indicating the need for a longer period of infusion to do so. However, this treatment has probably lead to inhibition of the tissue destruction by the severe, prolonged inflammatory process

Control In Competitive Sport As Exemplified By A Women Basketball Team In The Polish First League

This article aims to present elements of control within the selected areas of motor preparation in competitive athletes established at rest and after exercise. Identifying the effect of fatigue on the values of the controlled coefficients allows assessing training effectiveness, comparing athletes for performance, as well as determining the kinetics of oxygen deficit, oxygen debt, oxygen uptake or the level of lactate concentration at different stages of continued exercise. This type of research provides both athletes and their coaches with immediate information on how well the former are prepared and enables the control of training results.This article aims to present elements of control within selected areas of motor preparation in competitive athletes established both at rest and after exercise. Identifying the effect of fatigue on the values of the controlled coefficients allows for assessing training effectiveness. Comparing athletes for performance, as well as determining the kinetics of oxygen deficit, oxygen debt, oxygen uptake or the level of lactate concentration at different stages of continued exercise. This type of research provides both athletes and their coaches with direct information on how well the former are prepared and enables the control of training results

Arkose sandstone - a forgotten treasure of Kwaczała Piaskowce arkozowe - zapomniany skarb Kwaczały /

Tyt. z nagłówka.Bibliogr. s. 58.W okolicach Krakowa niewiele jest miejsc, gdzie odsłaniają się na powierzchni gruboziarniste osady karbońskie zwane arkozą kwaczalską. Jedno z nich znajduje się w pobliżu wsi Kwaczała obok Alwerni. Osady te są ewenementem w skali naszego kraju i Europy. Zawierają zsylifikowane fragmenty pni Dadoxylon. Aktualny stan wąwozów został przedstawiony w niniejszym artykule. Wiele z nich jest zaniedbanych mimo znacznej wartości naukowej i edukacyjnej. Ocena stanu zawiera spis aktualnych wychodni. Autorzy przedstawili również propozycje rozwoju wsi Kwaczała.In the surroundings of Krakow, there are few places where coarse carbonless rocks called the Kwaczała Arkose crop out. One of them is located near the Kwaczała countryside next to Alwernia. These deposits are unique in the scale of our country and Europe. They include silicified fragments of tree-trunks Dadoxylon. The current condition of gorges is presented in this paper. Many of them are uncared for, despite their significant scientific and educational value. An evaluation of the current outcrops' state was made. The authors also proposed how to develop the Kwaczała countryside.Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: arkoza, Kwaczała, araukaria. KEYWORDS: arkose, Kwaczała, araucaria

ISMOP Project (IT System of Levee Monitoring) as an example of integrated monitoring of levee [abstract] /

Tyt. z nagłówka.Artykuł jest abstr. referatu z konferencji.Bibliogr. s. 138-139.The technical condition of levees is decides on the safety of property and persons residing in the protected areas. Monitoring is an important issue. Levees in Poland have been used, in the majority, for over 20 (22% of embankments) or 40 (59% of embankments) years. They were formed from accidental, heterogeneous material and they are characterized by their uneven compaction (Borys 2007). The European experiences indicate the use of many technical solutions in the scope of levee monitoring. Two approaches can be differentiated: a local approach – concerning the levee condition and a global approach – comprising the issues of water management and flood safety. The global approach was implemented in Imprints, WeSenseIt, and the most advanced – UrbanFlood projects. In Poland, such an approach is implemented by the National Water Management Authority (KZGW) within the framework of the IT System of the Country’s Protection (ISOK) project. The local approach was adopted in the projects of the French Cemagref (today’s Irstea), IJkdijk, Dredg-Dikes or the Polish ISMOP (Zhu et al. 2009, Cunat et al. 2010, Khan et al. 2010, Artières et al. 2011, Courivaud et al. 2011, Pięta et al. 2014, Stanisz et al. 2014). There has been little research concerning the behaviour of levee in Poland. Currently, with the cooperation of AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków and the following companies: SWECO Hydroprojekt Kraków sp. z o.o., Neosentio and ZPPUH Budokop Sp. z o.o, a project titled, IT System of Levee Monitoring (ISMOP), is being conducted. A system approach to the issue of flood earth embankment monitoring is the aim of the Project. The purpose of the research is the creation of a system which monitors the static and dynamic behaviour of levee in real time. ISMOP is aimed at the mass gathering of data concerning selected processes taking place in the levee, optimization of data transfer as well as the interpretation and analysis, with the use of numerical simulations and a system of visualization, of the levee’s condition. The use of a number of sensors monitoring changes within the body and their comparison with the results of numerical simulations is an innovation (linked mechanical, hydrological and thermal models) (Bukowska-Belniak & Krawiec 2014). The proposed approach enables a prediction of the levee condition, with a defined probability of the occurrence of processes having unfavourable impact on the levee structure, to be made (Piórkowski & Leśniak 2014). An experimental levee at a scale of 1:1 (width × length × height = 58 × 208 × 4.5 m) was built within the framework of the project. It consists of two, parallel sections formed of soils with a variable filtration coefficient. The research is taking place in Czernichów, 20 km west of Kraków. Sensors in three measurement profiles were placed in the levee. Monitoring inside the embankment comprises a local measurement of pore pressure (35 pcs), temperature (35 pcs) and soil pressure (6 pcs). In addition, 6 inclinometers (length – 6.5 m each) and 24 piezometres (total length 82 m) were included in the construction. Linear measurement of the temperature with the use of a sensory optoelectronic cable (ca. 1300 m) is also being conducted. In the vicinity of the levee a weather station was located in order to monitor weather conditions. Measurements delivered by the network of sensors during experiments constitute the major element of tightness assessment and, indirectly, the levee stability assessment. In addition, the levee surface monitoring, based on survey methods – classical measurements (tacheometers, GPS) and with the use of above-ground long-range interferometric radar, is being performed (IBIS-L). Within the duration of the experiment, an infrared camera FLIR T620 was used. Geophysical measurements, using the electrical resistance method, are carried out on external parts of the designed levee. The use of optoelectronic technology is an important aspect. The project enables verification of its efficiency within the duration of an artificially evoked freshet wave. The measurement scenarios performed assume repeated high water levels depending on the simulation of the wave flowing through the watershed of mountainous, upland or lowland environments. Physical and mechanical parameters measured by sensors are recorded and analysed on an Automatic Measurement System. On the basis of data coming from the sensors and numerical models t he system performs a risk assessment in real time. Based on the analysis of the group of measured parameters, an alarm signal, indicating a crisis situation, is activated in a hazard situation. This fact will be reported in the following cases:− the increase in the parameter value within a defined time period,− changes of admissible gradients,− exceeding more than one alarm level,− damage of apparatus or communication errors (anomalous readouts or the lack of readouts). The occurrence of risk in a given flood situation will result in the activation of the procedure increasing the frequency of sampling of measured physical values. At the moment of lowering the water table, the sampling step will be decreased. Such a solution will enable less power consumption and will automatically shift into “stand-by” mode allowing for, e.g., system maintenance or sensor calibration. The ISMOP project will also ensure the verification of data obtained from the measurements by the optoelectronic method and other measurement sensors by numerical models. Preliminary results of numerical simulations indicate the places where the levee’s stability is lost, and the course of the filtration curve. Within their duration, the linear relationship between changes in temperature and pore pressure in the levee body, with a low hydraulic gradient, has been demonstrated. In the case of increased flow, the increase in pore pressure value is higher than the increase in temperature value. Tests will determine the measurement methodology and they will also verify the substantiation of the installation of particular sensors in flood embankments. Close cooperation between scientists and designers may contribute to the determination of new, economically substantiated, standards of embankment condition assessment both during and after a flood.Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.KEYWORDS: WeSenseIt, UrbanFlood project, safety

Pore pressure profiling in Siercza landslide colluvium in the Carpathian flysch using a Cone Penetration Test (CPTU)

This study identifies zones with significant changes in pore water pressure influenced by landslide processes. Measurements were taken in the near-surface strata of the Carpathian flysch, in colluvium of the Siercza landslide, near Kraków. Measurement of pore water pressure in flysch deposits is complicated due to the strongly heterogeneous properties of the medium and by variable water conditions, which are strongly influenced by rainfall intensity. Pore pressure profiling was performed in six series using a cone penetration test with a NOVA Acoustic cone. The tests were carried out in the colluvium to a depth of ~6.0 m under varying water conditions. The cone pore pressure results were compared to results of inclinometer measurements in the research area. Five zones with significant differences in pore pressure have been identified. Changes in both cone pore pressure and inclinometer displacement are evident at a depth range from 1.5 to 2.5 m. Two slip surfaces are likely present in this section. Such information can be used in engineering practice for more reliable assessment of slope stability in the Carpathian flysch

Preliminary results of pore pressure profiling on theTęgoborze-Just landslide

In this study, we present the preliminary results of deep profiling of pore pressure in the near surface formations of the Carpathian flysch, on the Tęgoborze-Just landslide near Nowy Sącz in Southern Poland. The aim of the study is to identify zones with significant changes in pore pressure influenced landslide processes. These pore pressure changes correspond to a greater change in the degree of saturation or water flow paths. Profiling was performed in four series using a CPTU static probe with a NOVA Acoustic cone. The measurement of pore pressure in flysch formations is very complicated due to the strong heterogeneity of the medium properties and variable water conditions, which are strongly influenced by the intensity of precipitation. The tests were carried out in a colluvium to a depth of approx. 5.0 m, i.e. to the border of a less weathered bedrock, under varying water conditions. The results obtained indicate the presence of four zones of significant changes in pore pressure. The location of these zone is consistent with the location of the greater displacement measured with the inclinometer. There is a greater probability that these weak zones may form a rupture surface