What happens in the world of fungi when a stranger appears in their midst? What broader impact does such a “fungal invader” exert as it takes up living space and resources?

Co się dzieje w świecie grzybów, gdy wśród nich pojawia się obcy, przybysz z innego świata? Co może przynieść obecność „grzybowego najeźdźcy”, który rości sobie prawo do przestrzeni życiowej i zasobów?

Personality, demographics and art experience proved to play an important role in reactions to visual art. Nevertheless, research attempts that take into account all those factors when determining predictors of aesthetic responses to different artistic styles are quite rare. The study presented here investigates predictors of aesthetic experience across figurative, abstract and contemporary paintings in individuals with varying expertise.

Students enrolled in Sport, Humanities and the Arts programmes (N = 181) declared their art exposure and filled out personality measures (Big Five, alexithymia, need for closure). Next participants evaluated three paintings using a tool constructed by the authors to track various dimensions of aesthetic reactions (i.e. negative/positive affective responses, self-references, explicit knowledge and perceived mastery of the artwork).

Reactions to figurative painting depended mostly on formal knowledge about arts, not personality traits. Aesthetic perception of abstract art rely not only on art exposure, but also on some individual characteristics (openness to experience, tolerance of ambiguity and ability to identify one’s own emotions and track their source). Reception of contemporary art was predicted mostly by art exposure variables and in the case of negative emotionality by ability to identify one’s own emotions and track their source.

Both formal art education and art experience were stronger predictors of aesthetic responses than personality traits, for all art styles and dimensions of aesthetic experience. Personality predictors were significant mostly for abstract art. Personal interest in the arts seems to be as good predictor of aesthetic reactions as formal expertise.

The article contains basic information associated with the impact of the FSW process parameters on the forming of a weld while friction

welding of aluminium casting alloys. Research was conducted using specially made samples containing a rod of casting alloy mounted in

the wrought alloy in the selected area of FSW tool acting. Research has thrown light on the process of joining materials of significantly

dissimilar physical properties, such as casting alloys and wrought alloys. Metallographic testing of a weld area has revealed the big impact

of welding conditions, especially tool rotational speed, on the degree of metal stirring, grain refinement and shape factor of a weld. As the

result of research it has been stated that at the high tool rotational speed, the metals stirring in a weld is significantly greater than in case of

welding at low rotational speeds, however this fails to influence the strength of a weld. Plastic strain occurring while welding causes very

high refinement of particles in the tested area and changing of their shape towards particles being more equiaxial. In the properly selected

welding conditions it is possible to obtain joints of correct and repeatable structure, however in the case of the accumulation of cavities in

the casting alloy the FSW process not always eliminates them.

Heresy is usually defned as an error concerning the content of faith. In this article heresy is shown as a sin requiring conversion and penance and not just a withdrawal of one’s views. A sin of heresy is compared to adultery or idolatry, for which the same penance used to be assigned (e.g. Synod of Elvira in 306, can. 22). In this context the condemnation of Nestorius by the Council of Ephesus in 431 is characteristic because it is focused on the insult to Jesus Christ and not on erroneous conceptions. It is also the case with the formulas of condemnation of heretics where such invectives as contamination, sacrilegium or perfdia were often used, and those terms belong to the feld of morality rather than to intellectual disputes or differences.

We can hardly imagine the Earth without majestic trees and omnipresent shrubs. But not all of us realize that these plants owe their success to ubiquitous yet often unnoticeable fungi. What links these two types of organisms together is life-giving water. It is the reason why trees and fungi have been inseparable for hundreds of millions of years. How do droughts affect trees and their evolutionarily ancient symbiosis with fungi?

Trudno wyobrazić sobie Ziemię bez majestatycznych drzew i wszechobecnych krzewów. Jednak nie wszyscy wiemy, że za ich sukcesem stoją wszechobecne, choć często niezauważalne grzyby. Tym, co ściśle łączy te dwie grupy organizmów, jest życiodajna woda. To właśnie dzięki niej grzyby i drzewa pozostają już od setek milionów lat w nierozerwalnej przyjaźni. Jak susza może wpływać na drzewa i tworzony przez nie najstarszy ewolucyjnie związek symbiotyczny?

Aluminum 6082-T6 panels were joined by friction stir welding utilizing a bobbin tool. A thermal simulation of the process was developed based upon machine torque and the temperature dependent yield stress utilizing a slip factor and an assumed coefficient of friction. The torque-based approach was compared to another simulation established on the shear layer methodology (SLM), which does not require the slip factor or coefficient of friction as model inputs. The SLM simulation, however, only models heat generation from the leading edges of the tool. Ultimately, the two approaches yielded matching temperature predictions as both methodologies predicted the same overall total heat generation from the tool. A modified shear layer approach is proposed that adopts the flexibility and convenience of the shear layer method, yet models heat generation from all tool/workpiece interfaces.

The results of the application and evaluation of the r.sun model for calculation of the total solar radiation for the Wedel Jarlsberg Land (SW Spitsbergen) are presented. Linke Turbidity Factor (LTF), which is the obligatory parameter for direct and diffused radiation calculations with the r.sun model, is derived here with the empirical formula and meteoro− logical measurements. Few different approaches for calculation of LTF are presented and tested. The r.sun model results, calculated with these various LTF, are evaluated through comparison with total solar radiation measurements gathered at Polish Polar Station. The r.sun model is found to be in good agreement with the measurements for clear sky condi− tions, with the explained variance (R2) close to 0.9. Overall, the model slightly underesti− mates the measured total radiation. Reasonable results were calculated for the cloudiness condition up to 2 octas, and for these r.sun model can be considered as a reliable and flexible tool providing spatial data on solar radiation for the study area.

Endoscopy represents a commonly employed technique for canine enteropathies. Different trials in human intestinal endoscopy have suggested that the introduction of water for luminal distension, in place of air, improves the visualization of the mucosal texture and decreases pain.

The aim of the study was to compare water immersion (WI) vs. air insufflation (AI) during duodenoscopy in anesthetized dogs in terms of mucosal visualization and nociception.

Twenty-five dogs undergoing duodenoscopy were included. The same image of the descen- ding duodenum was recorded applying WI and AI. Each pair of images was analyzed using mor- phological skeletonization, an image entropy evaluation, and a subjective blind evaluation by three experienced endoscopists. To evaluate differences in nociception related to the procedure applied, heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured before, during and after WI/AI. To compare the two methods, a t-test for paired data was applied for the image analysis, Fleiss’ Kappa evaluation for the subjective evaluation and a Friedman test for anesthetic parameters.

No differences were found between WI and AI using morphological skeletonization and entropy. The subjective evaluation identified the WI images as qualitatively better than the AI images, indicating substantial agreement between the operators. No differences in nociception were found.

The results of the study pointed out the absence of changes in pain response between WI and AI, likely due to the sufficient control of nociception by the anesthesia. Based on subjective evaluation, but not confirmed by the image analysis, WI provided better image quality than AI.