Sign and amplitude representation of the forex networks

We decompose the exchange rates returns of 41 currencies (incl. gold) into their sign and amplitude components. Then we group together all exchange rates with a common base currency, construct Minimal Spanning Trees for each group independently, and analyze properties of these trees. We show that both the sign and the amplitude time series have similar correlation properties as far as the core network structure is concerned. There exist however interesting peripheral differences that may open a new perspective to view the Forex dynamics.Comment: Article based on talk by S. Gworek given at FENS'08 Conference, Rzeszow, Polan

Biblioteka Rozdolska Lanckorońskich w świetle jej inwentarzy

Przez ponad 200 lat swego istnienia biblioteka rodu Lanckorońskich przeszła kolejne etapy ewolucji: od niewielkiego domowego zbioru książek do wielkiego księgozbioru prywatnego, by pod koniec swych dziejów, określana jako Biblioteka Rozdolska, spocząć w pomieszczeniach krakowskiego Archiwum Nauki PAN i PAU. Podstawą źródłową do odtworzenia składających się nań zbiorów jest siedem znajdujących się w bibliotece Archiwum ksiąg inwentarzowych. Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu przybliżenie postaci twórców książnicy Lanckorońskich oraz prezentację owych zachowanych inwentarzy będących materiałem źródłowym do zrekonstruowania jej zasobu

Locus of Control and Mindfulness as Moderators of the Job Demand-Control Model: Effects on Burnout

AbstractBurnout is considered a health hazard of contemporary workplaces and additional research is needed to identify protective factors against this phenomenon. The job demand-control model specifies job control as the key buffer against strains, but empirical support for its buffer hypothesis is limited. The present study accounted for both structural and person factors and tested a revised hindrance job demand-control model in prediction of burnout. By incorporating the challenge-hindrance stress framework with tenets of the transactional stress framework and the differential reactivity of personality theory, it was proposed that inclusion of hindrance stressors (i.e., interpersonal conflict, role conflict and organizational politics) and two person variables of locus of control (LOC) and mindfulness as secondary moderators would enhance chances of validating the buffer hypothesis. A survey study of 300 U.S. adult workers from diverse occupational fields was conducted. The results from hierarchical multiple regression revealed no support for the hypothesized buffering effects. However, the buffer hypothesis was partially supported with findings showing high job control attenuating the effects of moderate levels of interpersonal conflict and concurrent high job control and high mindfulness attenuating the effects of moderate interpersonal conflict and organizational politics job demands. Also, all hindrance job demands were consistently associated with greater burnout. A qualitative match between hindrance demands, mindfulness, and burnout enhanced the buffering effects. The results promote social change in that employers could help alleviate burnout by considering workers’ mindfulness and reducing hindrance job demands

Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool to Implement Sustainable Development in the Bioeconomy and Circular Economy

In this chapter, the life cycle assessment was presented as a tool to implement sustainable development in the bioeconomy and circular economy. Bulky waste includes large items such as furniture, doors, flooring and mattresses. The management of bulky waste is a serious problem for European countries. The URBANREC project proposed a solution to this problem through the use of new technologies for the bulky waste processing. The aim of the URBANREC project is to implement an eco-innovative, integrated system of bulky waste management and demonstrate its effectiveness in various regions of Europe. The project has received funding from the European Union. In this chapter, the LCA environmental analysis was performed for the technology of grinding bulky waste using a water jet by the Ecofrag company. The calculations were carried out using SimaPro 8.5.2.0. The LCA analysis shows that the reuse of foams and mattresses contributes to the avoidance of their targeted production, which is related with the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and consumption of fossil raw materials

Chapter Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool to Implement Sustainable Development in the Bioeconomy and Circular Economy

In this chapter, the life cycle assessment was presented as a tool to implement sustainable development in the bioeconomy and circular economy. Bulky waste includes large items such as furniture, doors, flooring and mattresses. The management of bulky waste is a serious problem for European countries. The URBANREC project proposed a solution to this problem through the use of new technologies for the bulky waste processing. The aim of the URBANREC project is to implement an eco-innovative, integrated system of bulky waste management and demonstrate its effectiveness in various regions of Europe. The project has received funding from the European Union. In this chapter, the LCA environmental analysis was performed for the technology of grinding bulky waste using a water jet by the Ecofrag company. The calculations were carried out using SimaPro 8.5.2.0. The LCA analysis shows that the reuse of foams and mattresses contributes to the avoidance of their targeted production, which is related with the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and consumption of fossil raw materials

Pollution of soils (Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, Cu, Ni) along the ring road of Wrocław (Poland)

The concentrations of metallic pollution in soils and plants along the ring road of Wrocław, Poland, have been determined. Environmental samples were collected from the surface layer of the profile within 2–3 m from the edge of the road. The analysis of metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, Cu and Ni) has been carried out through FAAS and GFAAS methods. The mineralizates of soils and plants were prepared in HNO3, 65% supra pure, using the Microwave Digestion System. The pH and conductivity of the soil solutions were measured to evaluate their active and exchangeable acidity and the salinity of the soils. The index of the enrichment of soils in metals (Wn) and the bioaccumulation coefficient (WB) have been determined. Also, histograms of the frequency of the occurrence of metals in the environmental samples and the Pearson's correlation coefficients were presented. The results of metal concentrations in soils were compared to the geochemical background in uncontaminated soils of Poland. The assessment of the results in the soils was also made relative to the standard, according to the Polish Ministry of Environment Regulation from September 1st, 2016. During the assessment of the bioaccumulation coefficients of metals in plants a reference was made to the content of undesirable substances in feed in agreement with the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Regulation from January 23rd, 2007

Comprehensive Analysis of Market Conditions in the Foreign Exchange Market: Fluctuation Scaling and Variance-Covariance Matrix

We investigate quotation and transaction activities in the foreign exchange market for every week during the period of June 2007 to December 2010. A scaling relationship between the mean values of number of quotations (or number of transactions) for various currency pairs and the corresponding standard deviations holds for a majority of the weeks. However, the scaling breaks in some time intervals, which is related to the emergence of market shocks. There is a monotonous relationship between values of scaling indices and global averages of currency pair cross-correlations when both quantities are observed for various window lengths $\Delta t$.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure

In Situ Bioremediation through Mulching of Soil Polluted by a Copper–Nickel Smelter

Received for publication September 8, 2000. Bioremediation of a heavy metal–polluted soil was investigated in a 3-yr field experiment by adding mulch to a polluted forest floor. The mulch consisted of a mixture of compost and woodchips. The remediation treatment decreased the toxicity of the soil solution to bacteria as determined by the [3H]-thymidine incorporation technique, that is, by measuring the growth rate of soil bacteria extracted from unpolluted humus after exposing them to soil solution containing heavy metals from the experimental plots. Canonical correlation analysis was performed in order to identify the chemical and microbiological changes in the soil. The pH of the mulched organic layer increased by one unit. The concentration of complexed Cu increased and that of free Cu2+ decreased in the soil solution from the mulch treatment. According to basal respiration and litter decomposition, microbial activity increased during the 3 yr following the remediation treatment. The [3H]-thymidine incorporation technique was also used to study the growth rate and tolerance of bacteria to Cu. The bacterial growth rate increased and the Cu tolerance decreased on the treated plots. The structure of the microbial community, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, remained unchanged. The results indicate that remediation of the polluted soil had occurred, and that adding a mulch to the forest floor is a suitable method for remediating heavy metal–polluted soil

Effect of salt stress in urban conditions on two Acer species with different sensitivity

Background. The benefits of trees in urban areas include the following: an increase in ecosystem health, an increase in human health, the mitigation of the effects of heat and drought at microclimate level, the storage and sequestration of carbon, and a reduction in air pollution and noise. These ecosystem services can be provided only by trees that are in good health. The main cause of salt stress in urban environments is the use of deicing salts on the streets in winter. Salt stress is a complex process that includes changes in plants on the physiological, histological, cellular and molecular levels, leading to limitations in nutrient uptake, disrupting the ionic balance of trees and resulting in the death of roadside trees. In response to salinity, trees have developed a variety of defence mechanisms that allow them to minimize the effects of stress and maintain homeostasis. Methodology. The reactions of two species Acer species: A. platanoides and A. campestre, which have different sensitivities to the unfavourable conditions of the urban environments (mainly salt stress), were investigated. The research included two experiments: a field experiment with city trees and a controlled pot experiment with young trees treated with increasing doses of salt. In both experiments, the following were performed: an assessment of the health condition of the trees and the content of macroelements as well as the Cl and Na in leaves and a qualitative and quantitative analysis of polyprenols. Results. A. campestre had a more specific strategy than A. platanoides for dealing with Na and Cl, which resulted in undamaged leaves. Under the same conditions, A. platanoides leaves contained more Cl and Na and were severely damaged. The disruption of the ion balance due to salt stress was lower in A. campestre than in A. platanoides. Compared with A. platanoides, A. campestre synthesized more polyprenols in the field experiment. This ability was acquired during the process of acclimation, because it occurred only in the mature trees in the field experiment and not in the young trees in the pot experiment. Conclusions. The use of two experimental methods (i.e., the field and pot experiments) allowed for a more complete assessment of tree strategies to mitigate salt stress. A. campestre displayed a more specific strategy than A. platanoides. This strategy was based on several elements. A. campestre limited Cl and Na transport to the leaves, which resulted in a lack of damage to those organs. Under the same conditions, A. platanoides individuals contained more Cl and Na in their leaves and were seriously damaged. A. campestre synthesized larger amounts of polyprenols, which probably have the ability to mitigate salt stress. This ability was acquired during the process of acclimation, because it occurred only in the mature trees in the field experiment and was not observed in the young trees in the pot experiment