Application of Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves to S-Phase Wave Anisotropy Estimation

The Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) is an increasingly used technique for recognition of a shallow geological structure and estimation of geotechnical parameters, e.g., S-wave velocity, layer density, layer thickness, shear modulus, estimated P-wave velocity, and estimated Poisson ratio. MASW surveys were carried out in two limestone quarries in the southern part of Poland. The experimental areas are characterised by a simple geological structure: consolidated Triassic limestone. Measurement profiles were arranged as a shapely six-pointed star. For each survey line, 12 geophones with 2-meter (Deposit 1) and 3-meter (Deposit 2) spacing were applied. The research allowed to compare P- and S-wave velocity changes with the main crack systems in the studied rock masses.     

Airborne Fungal Spores of Subalpine Zone of the Karkonosze and Izerskie Mountains （Poland）

The incidence of the airborne fungal spores was determined in the air of subalpine zone of the Karkonosze Mountains and of the Izerskie Mountains in the borderland between Poland and the Czech Republic. The experiment was conducted in 2011 and 2012 at three to four week intervals from May to October. Air samples were taken from three locations in the Karkonosze Mts. and one from the Izerskie Mts. To examine the air, the Air Ideal 3P sampler and acidified PDA medium were used. The results show that Cladosporium cladosporioides was the most abundant spore type in all the sampling locations （up to 30%）, followed by Alternaria alternata （16%-20%）, Fusarium （up to 10%） and Sclerotinia sclerotiorium （up to 6%）. The lower spore counts were recorded in May samples, compared to the other months. In this case the snow cover, that was still present in the area at the beginning of May, may be the reason for the lower, compared to June, July and August samplings, CFU （Colony Forming Unit） counts in that month.. The influx of air masses from SE, S and SW sectors in the area under study may affect dissemination of the plant-pathogenic fungi from the Czech Republic and from the South of Europe in general.     

Decolourisation of Sugar Beet Molasses Vinasse by Ion Exchange

Sugar beet molasses vinasse is a by‐product of ethanol fermentation from sugar beet molasses. Its dark brown colour, which is attributable to the presence of caramels, melanoidins and invert alkaline degradation products, cannot be removed by biological methods. The novelty of this work lies in the use of conventional strongly alkaline ion‐exchange resins for the decolourisation of sugar beet molasses vinasse. The aim of the study was to determine the efficiency of two strong‐base ion‐exchange resins, Dowex 2 and Wofatit ES, when used for the decolourisation of sugar beet molasses vinasse. Optimal conditions and extent of decolourisation were related to the concentration and pH of the vinasse, the time of reaction with the resin, and also to the dose and type of the resin used. The greatest extent of decolourisation (92%) was achieved with Wofatit ES dosed in the amount of 5 g/100 mL of 25% vinasse with an initial pH of 10. The optimal time of reaction with the resin indispensable for attaining the maximal effect of decolourisation was 1.5 h for both resins. The highest extent of reduction in chemical oxygen demand (43%) during decolourisation of 25% vinasse (pH 10) was obtained with Dowex 2.     

Mycobiota of the disused ore mine of Marcinków in?nie?nik Masiff(western Poland)

Marcinków(Lower Silesia, ?nie?nik Masiff,south-western Poland) has been a well-known mining centre since the mid-15 th century. Mineral extraction ended in 1949 with the ores of Pb, Ag, Cu and occasionally Au, U or graphite mined there. The mine is surrounded by metamorphic graphite and mica schist. It is not open to the public and no bats have been recorded living in. The aim of this study was the mycological analysis of the air, the rock surface and the water of the disused ore mine of Marcinków.Additionally, the chemical composition of rocks and water, and microclimate conditions of the adit were determined. Fungi were identified using a combination of phenotypic and molecular methods.Six taxa of fungi were cultured from the indoor air samples of the adit, whereas the outdoor air samples contained only five taxa. On the other hand, nine taxa were isolated from both the rocky walls and the water.The Aspergillus group was present only on the rocks and in the water, whereas Cladosporium herbarum,Dumontinia tuberosa, Epicoccum nigrum, Hirsutella sp., were found exclusively in the air. The mycobiota found in the ore mine were mostly similar to those recorded in other mines and natural caves. However,it should be noted that the internal microclimate and chemical compounds of the rocks.     

Resik: A Bent Crystal X-ray Spectrometer for Studies of Solar Coronal Plasma Composition

We describe the RESIK (REntgenovsky Spektrometr s Izognutymi Kristalami) instrument, consisting of two double-channel X-ray spectrometers, designed to observe solar active region and flare plasmas. RESIK is one of the instruments making up the scientific payload of the Russian CORONAS-F solar mission. The uncollimated spectrometer uses two silicon and two quartz bent crystals observing flare, active region and coronal spectra in four wavelength bands with a resolving power (/ ) of 1000. The wavelength coverage, 3.3–6.1 Å, includes emission lines of Si, S, Cl, Ar, and K and in the third diffraction order, the wavelength range includes He-like Fe lines (1.85 Å) and Ni lines (1.55 Å) with dielectronic satellites, emitted during intense, hot flares. The instrument is believed to be the best calibrated space-borne crystal spectrometer flown to date. The spectrometer dynamically adjusts the data gathering intervals from 1 s to 5 minutes, depending on the level of solar X-ray emission at the time of observation. The principal aims of RESIK are the measurements of relative and absolute element abundances in the emitting plasma and the temperature distribution of plasma (differential emission measure) over the temperature interval 3 and 50 MK. This paper summarizes the scientific objectives of RESIK and describes the design, characteristics, and performance of the instrument.     

On the cosmological red shift

The paper is an extension of this author's hypothesis, presented inAstrophys. Space Sci. 3 (1969), 268, which explains the red shift in terms of a geometry of static space and stationary observers. The author introduces here the notions of metric with an observer, observed distance and space of observations; he considers the problem of the equivalence of stationary observers and discusses the relation between the hypothesis, the special theory of relativity and Maxwell equations. Attention is drawn to the agreement between the hypothesis and the experimental results discussed by Shamir and Fox, and those discussed by Kennedy and Thorndike.     

Lunisolar Resonances Revisited

Lunisolar resonances arise in the artificial satellite problem without short-periodic terms. The basic model including the Earth's J ₂and a Hill-type model for the Sun or the Moon admits 20 different periodic terms which may lead to a resonance involving the satellite's perigee, node and the longitude of the perturbing body. Some of the resonances have been studied separately since 1960s. The present paper reviews all single resonances, attaching an appropriate fundamental model to each case. Only a part of resonances match known fundamental models. An extended fundamental model is proposed to account for some complicated phenomena. Most of the double resonance cases still remain unexplored.     

Contamination of tsunami sediments in a coastal zone inundated by the 26 December 2004 tsunami in Thailand

Tsunami sediments deposited in a coastal zone of Thailand by the 26 December 2004 tsunami wave were sampled within 50 days after the event. All surface and ground waters in tsunami- inundated zone revealed significant salinity at that time. The tsunami sediments, composed mainly of fine to medium sand, contain significantly elevated contents of salts (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺², Mg⁺², Cl and SO ₄ ⁻² ) in water-soluble fraction, and of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb in the bioavailable fraction and As in the exchangeable fraction in relation to the reference sample. The origin of contaminants is marine, as well as litho- and anthropogenic. The salts and Pb, Zn and Cu reveal high correlation to each other and to the mean grain size (pore size and porosity). Serious environmental hazard exists in that region because, due to gentle morphology, there is a risk of migration of the contaminants into ground waters and food chain.