Accordingly to recommendations set out by standards, degradation curves which will serve as a tool facilitating decision-making regarding renovation works ought to be developed. The article presents the proposal of a model for predicting the aging of a residential building. The proposed PRRD (Prediction of Reliability According to Rayleigh Distribution) model determines the performance characteristics of a building over the full period of its use. PRRD accounts for the life spans of individual building components. Additionally introduced in the model were supplements accounting for the intensity of changes in the building and its surroundings. The developed method of the non-linear degradation process of a building accounts for the role and weights of individual building components as well as the intensity of significant factors influencing the aging process. The presented methodology of the description of changes in the performance characteristics over the course of using a building will be a diagnostic process of predicting the technical state of a building. The proposed predictions can serve as the basis for making the right strategic decisions when planning renovation works in residential buildings.

The article presents the results of the research on thermal actions on the materials occurring in the cross section along the depth of the bridge deck and bituminous pavement during its construction. The impulse to curried out the research was the need to explain the causes of the blistering of bituminous waterproofing membranes and asphalt pavements often observed on the bridge decks. The paper presents the examples of such failures and the analyses of possible mechanisms of the phenomenon. Research indicates a significant influence of all technological processes on the temperature of materials in the cross section as well as daily temperature changes. The probability of initiation of reactions between concrete components with gaseous products has been confirmed in such conditions. The susceptibility of bituminous materials to gas emission and blistering is the subject of a separate study. The research was part of a research project carried out under the contract INNOTECHK3/IN3/50/229332/NCBR /14 [13].

The article presents the most frequent surname in Lithuania — Kazlauskas. Referring to the article “Mysterious Lewandowski” by K. Skowronek (2000), an attempt has been made to account for this frequency in three various ways. First, the principles behind the quantitative structure of anthroponomasticons (Zipf’s law) and the loss of surnames (genetic drift) are discussed. Then the Slavic origin of the surname under consideration has been highlighted as a typical trait of the majority of surnames in Lithuania. In connection with this fact, it has been stressed that caution must be exercised in proposing a thesis on its origin as a translation from Lithuanian on a mass scale, since this thesis requires plentiful empirical evidence. Finally, the etymology of the name is analyzed. Morphologically it is a typical surname derived from a toponym. This supposition is additionally supported by the existence in Poland of numerous localities called Kozłów, Kozłowo or similar name; these in turn are most likely to have been derived from appellative-based personal names of their owners or inhabitants, such as Kozieł.

“The influenza virus behaves just as it seems to have done for five hundred or a thousand years, and we are no more capable of stopping epidemics or pandemics than our ancestors were,” wrote Charles Cockburn from the World Health Organization back in 1973. Is his remark still just as apt today?

Recently, Google Earth Engine (GEE) provides a new way to effectively classify land cover utilizing available in-built classifiers. However, there have a few studies on the applications of the GEE so far. Therefore, the goal of this study is to explore the capacity of the GEE platform in terms of land cover classification in Dien Bien Province of Vietnam. Land cover classification in the year of 2003 and 2010 were performed using multiple-temporal Landsat images. Two algorithms – GMO Max Entropy and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) integrated into the Google Earth Engine (GEE) plat-form – were applied for this classification. The results indicated that the CART algorithm performed better in terms of mapping land use. The overall accuracy of this algorithm in the year of 2003 and 2010 were 80.0% and 81.6%, respective-ly. Significant changes between 2003 and 2010 were found as an increase in barren land and a reduction in forest land. This is likely due to the slash-and-burn agricultural practice of ethnic minorities in the province. Barren land seems to occur more at locations near water sources, reflecting the local people’s unsuitable farming practice. This study may provide use-ful information in land cover change in Dien Bien Province, as well as analysis mechanisms of this change, supporting en-vironmental and natural resource management for the local authorities.

Article presents results of laser overlaying welding of metal powder Inconel 625. Laser metal deposition by laser engineered net shaping (LENS) is modern manufacturing process for low scale production series. High alloy materials such as Inconel 625 nickel based super alloy have high thermal resistant and good mechanical properties, nevertheless it's hard to machining. Plastic forming of high alloy materials such as Inconel 625 are difficult. Due to high strength characteristic performing components made from Inconel alloy are complex, selective melting of metallic powder using laser beam are alternative method for Inconel tooling. Paper present research of additive deposition of spatial structure made from Inconel 625 metallic powder with CO2 laser and integrated powder feeder. Microstructure analysis as well as strength characteristic in normal condition and at elevated temperature was performed. Possibility of using LENS technology for manufacturing components dedicated for work in high temperature conditions are presented.

This paper describes a fiber-based model proposed for computing the nonlinear longitudinal shear distribution in composite steel-concrete beams. The presented method incorporates the accurate stress-strain relationship with strain softening for concrete and bi-linear constitutive relation for structural steel, both in agreement with Eurocodes, however any one-dimensional constitutive relation can be used. The numerical solution for a simply supported beams loaded with the uniform load, concentrated force and both was presented. The results indicate that the highest value of the shear flow for a beam under an uniform load is at the ends and in the one third of the span length and for the point load, the maximum shear is in the proximity of the concentrated force.

The article presents the results of research, the aim of which was to determine the qualitative and quantitative structure of the causes of accidents that were a result of falling from scaffolding. An original methodology for the classification of accidents with regards to their causes was developed and was based on cluster analysis. An example of using the proposed methodology is provided. 187 post-accident protocols of occupational accidents involving construction scaffolding, which occurred between 2010 and 2017 in selected Polish voivodeships, were analyzed. Afterwards, the matrix of accident causes, for which the calculations were made, was created. Five subsets of accidents were obtained and the accidents were classified to a subset with similar causes.

The paper presents numerical and experimental research on glulam delamination in a double lap connection with predominant shear stresses. Laboratory tests and wide literature survey enabled to determine timber and glue joint parameters. Cohesive zone theory, generally used for epoxy matrix and fiber reinforced composites, was adopted to modelling glue layer delamination in glulam elements. Numerical models were validated with laboratory tests.

Phytoplankton samples were collected at 141 stations in the Norwegian, Greenland, Barents and Baltic seas, in July-August 1992 and July-August 1993. In fifteen of these stations 22 unarmoured dinoflagellate species from the order Gymnodiniales belonging to the genera Amphidinium, Cochlodinium, Gymnodinium, Gyrodinium, Torodinium and Polykrikos have been found. Data on 16 species are given here, including synonyms, size or size variation, localities and environmental factors (temperature and salinity at the surface). 14 species are illustrated.

Eight samples of the ice algae were collected from the annual ice in Tikhaia Bay, Hooker Island, Franz Josef Land. Species composition included 58 diatoms (and some Navicula, Nitzschia and other Pennatophyceae unidentified species), 2 dinoflagellates, 2 chrysophyceans, 1 chlorophycean, 1 cyanophycean and possible dinoflagellate and chrysophycean cysts. The maximum quantity was 132300 cells/l. In 4 samples Aulacoseira granulatu prevailed, in other samples Nitzschia frigida, N. cylindrus, Rhizoclonium sp. and dinoflagellate cysts dominated. Xanthiopyxis polaris found by Gran (1904) in Arctic sea ice and referred to the diatoms is, possibly, the dinoflagellate cyst. On the whole, the ice community consisted of benthic and planktonic-benthic species of mainly marine and brackishwater-marine pennate diatoms, their resting stages, freshwater unicellular algae and marine chlorophycean.

Phytoplankton samples were collected at 62 stations in the European Arctic Seas and the Faroe — Shetland Islands area. Over 30 species of dinoflagellates were found. 22 species are illustrated by original drawings. The data on synonyms, size or size variability on the distribution and environmental factors (temperature and salinity) are given.

Phytoplankton samples were collected at 74 stations in the European Arctic seas, 28 species of the armoured din oft age Hates being found. Thirteen dinoflagellates are illustrated by original drawings. The data on synonyms, size or size variation, localities and environmental factors (temperature and salinity) at the surface are given.