During 2017, the authors conducted an evaluation of so-called “veteran trees” in Warsaw — selected specimens with outstanding historical, landscape and natural values, but not taken under legal protection, situated within public space (streets, squares, public facilities) — as part of a pilot program for the Green Board of Warsaw. The following were examined: the condition of trees, the surrounding ground’s condition, spatial conditions. The presented results include an example of two locations — prestigious streets, on which legible systems of street tree plantings from the beginning of the 20th century have been preserved (Piękna Street, J. Ch. Szucha Avenue). The protection of old trees — living witnesses of history and the maintenance of the original spatial form — classic avenue arrangement in both cases are essential for preservation of the historical pre-war scenery of this part of Warsaw.

Trees and fungi interact in complex ways. Sometimes, the two groups of organisms would even find it hard to survive without each other.

The structure of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) is depend of many factors at individual stages of casting production. There is a rich literature documenting research on the relationship between heat treatment and the resulting microstructure of cast alloy. A significant amount of research is conducted towards the use of IT tools for indications production parameters for thin-walled castings, allowing for the selection of selected process parameters in order to obtain the expected properties. At the same time, the selection of these parameters should make it possible to obtain as few defects as possible. The input parameters of the solver is chemical composition Determined by the previous system module. Target wall thickness and HB of the product determined by the user. The method used to implement the solver is the method of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The developed IT tool was used to determine the parameters of heat treatment, which will ensure obtaining the expected value for hardness. In the first stage, the ADI cast iron heat treatment parameters proposed by the expert were used, in the next part of the experiment, the settings proposed by the system were used. Used of the proposed IT tool, it was possible to reduce the number of deficiencies by 3%. The use of the solver in the case of castings with a wall thickness of 25 mm and 41 mm allowed to indication of process parameters allowing to obtain minimum mechanical properties in accordance with the PN-EN 1564:2012 standard. The results obtained by the solver for the selected parameters were verified. The indicated parameters were used to conduct experimental research. The tests obtained as a result of the physical experiment are convergent with the data from the solver.

Typically, a plant’s genotype can be replicated through vegetative propagation. Oak trees, however, cannot be reproduced by this method. So how can we preserve the ancient genotypes of monumental oaks, many of which are dying?

Professor Krzysztof Spalik, Chairman of the PAS Committee for Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, tells us why the Białowieża Forest should be allowed to renew itself on its own.

This review deals with a comprehensive publication on the role of trees in the folk tradition of Slavs. The author of the review appreciates the interdisciplinary focus of the book, which is based on deep knowledge in the field of folklore, Slavonic dialectology and etymology. She also highly values the extremely rich material (folklore, ethnographic and linguistic).

The article defines the historical value and presents the results of a detailed dendrological inventory of lime trees alley in Droblin, Leśna Podlaska commune. The alley is a part of the manor and park complex of the nineteenth century and it is a valuable object not only in historical, but also in natural terms. The manor house, around which grow inventoried trees, originally belonged to the Hińcza and Wężyk families and currently it serves as a private catering and hotel facility with a stable. The access alley after the restoration and complementary plantings is to be the main thoroughfare leading to the manor house.

Carbon dioxide sequestration and its long-term immobilisation in biomass is recently an extremely significant problem. Its greatest reserves occur in forests growing all over the globe. A human being, through their conscious action, ought to affect, among other things, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged into the atmosphere and its rational management. Here, quite a good solution seems to be the immobilisation of CO2 in biomass of plants, and in particular, in trees, characterised by their longevity, which are used most frequently for that purpose.

Such carbon dioxide management allows for its several-decade immobilisation within living plants, while a further processing of wood mass allows for halting it for consecutive years in products manufactured. Additionally, in the case when within a selected land planted with trees the effluent irrigation is being carried out, simultaneous sewage treatment is also an advantage. By using plants characterised by intense increment in biomass within facilities, also biogens occurring in effluents may be effectively removed.

In the analysed case, sewage treatment consisted in entry of household sewage into a prepared surface which was previously subject to mechanical purification. All the sections were sown with grass mixture and plantings of poplar were used. Observations were made during the period of 17 years. The effluents entered onto the surface of the sections and the effluents outflowing from the facility were subject to a physicochemical analysis in order to determine the operational efficiency of a plant - soil treatment system. Also, a threefold inventory of a forest stand was made in order to determine the increment in trees.

The last inventory was made in 2014. Based on dendrological characteristics, the average volume of wood mass obtained from the land irrigated with effluents was assessed.

A rational management of effluents on the grounds without any central drainage allows for a parallel solution to some problems. First of all, purification of effluents in a natural environment by closing the matter cycle, and additionally contributing to the limitation of carbon dioxide emission by its halting in plant biomass.

The present report describes the new occurrence of Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) in cabbage, bean and Malva neglecta plants in Iran. In this study, sequence analyses of a partial RNA dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) and complete movement protein (MP) and the coat protein (CP) nucleotide sequences of three new ToMV isolates collected from major crop fields in Iran revealed low genetic variation of RdRp gene compared to the CP and MP genes. The different topologies of the phylogenetic trees constructed, using available open reading frame (ORF1), ORF2 and ORF3 sequences from ToMV isolates, indicated different evolutionary constraints in these genomic regions. Statistical analysis also revealed that with the exception of CP other tested ToMV genes were under negative selection and the RdRp gene was under the strongest constraints. According to the phylogenetic tree it can be inferred from the nucleotide sequences of the complete CP and MP genes, that isolates from Iran and Egypt formed separate groups, irrespective of host origin. However, isolates clustered into groups with correlation to geographic origin but not the host. Analysis of the Ks *, Z* and Snn values also indicated genetic differentiation between ToMV populations. The Tajima’s D, Fu and Li’s statistical values were significantly negative for the RdRp gene of the Asian population which suggests the sudden expansion of ToMV in Asia. Taken together, the results indicate that negative selection and genetic drift were important evolutionary factors driving the genetic diversification of ToMV.

The chemical composition of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) essential oils as well as their phytotoxic effects against two invasive species – Cortaderia selloana and Nicotiana glauca – were studied. Fifty-eight compounds accounting for 98.89–99.94% of the total commercial tea tree and wintergreen essential oils were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Tea tree essential oil with terpinen- 4-ol (28.37 ± 0.05%) followed by 1,8-cineole (15.81 ± 0.06%), γ-terpinene (15.60 ± 0.03%), α-pinene (10.92 ± 0.08%) and α-terpinene (8.52 ± 0.01%) as the main compounds did not produce significant effects against seed germination and hypocotyl growth of N. glauca, but showed significant effects in seed germination inhibition of C. selloana (34.69%) as well as in hypocotyl (60.96%) and radicle (62.55%) growth, at the highest dose (1 μl ⋅ ml–1) assayed. High amounts of methyl salicylate (99.63 ± 0.02%) were found in G. procumbens essential oil with remarkable phytotoxic effects in C. seollana. Methyl salicylate inhibited seed germination (77.38%) and hypocotyl and radicle growth (96.38% and 96.65%, respectively) at the highest dose (1 μl ⋅ ml–1) assayed. Wintergreen essential oil constitutes an eco-friendly alternative to control the high capacity of invasiveness of C. selloana.

The current study is the first phylogenetic and secondary RNA structure analysis of Dactylogyrus species parasitising gill filaments of Iraqi cyprinid fishes. Most previous phylogenetic studies have targeted on primary DNA sequence data. Nevertheless, RNA secondary configuration is principally helpful in systematics since they comprise features that do not appear in the primary sequence and provide morphological information. The primary objective was molecular-based identification of Dactylogyrids species using evolutionary tree and secondary RNA structure prediction. A total of 681 fish were collected from the Lesser Zab River in the northeast of Iraq in the sub-district of Altun-Kopru from August 2016 to September 2017 and brought to the Zoology Research Laboratory, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Iraq. All fish were classified as 18 cyprinid species. The species of Dactylogyrus were identified by the 28S rDNA subunit using PCR and sequencing methods, and the obtained nucleotide sequences were then compared with the available GenBank sequences. Phylogenetic relationships were concluded using Neighbour-Joining (NJ), Maximum Likelihood (ML), and Minimum Evolution (ME) methods. The results justify the validation of 11 Dactylogyrus species (three of them were newly recorded in Iraq). Additionally, out of nine infected fish species, seven of them were regarded as a new host for Dactylogyrus species. Secondary RNA configuration prediction using minimum free energy was considered as a hopeful tool for species identification. This was considered the first comprehensive phylogenetic study in the area. It was concluded that PCR sequencing, phylogenetic and secondary RNA analysis were proper molecular methods for identifying Dactylogyrids species on the gills of fishes.

The computational intelligence tool has major contribution to analyse the properties of materials without much experimentation. The B4C particles are used to improve the quality of the strength of materials. With respect to the percentage of these particles used in the micro and nano, composites may fix the mechanical properties. The different combinations of input parameters determine the characteristics of raw materials. The load, content of B4C particles with 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% will determine the wear behaviour like CoF, wear rate etc. The properties of materials like stress, strain, % of elongation and impact energy are studied. The temperature based CoF and wear rate is analysed. The temperature may vary between 30°C, 100°C and 200°C. In addition, the CoF and wear rate of materials are predicted with respect to load, weight % of B4C and nano hexagonal boron nitride %. The intelligent tools like Neural Networks (BPNN, RBNN, FL and Decision tree) are applied to analyse these characteristics of micro / nano composites with the inclusion of B4C particles and nano hBN % without physically conducting the experiments in the Lab. The material properties will be classified with respect to the range of input parameters using the computational model.

A genetic subgrouping of 16 East Chadic languages is proposed in this paper. Contrary to the popular lexicostatistical approach, and in order to take into account potentially different rates of lexical evolution in the individual languages, it is attempted here to rely on the identification of common innovations. A practical method is presented how to apply the notion of common innovation when working with lexical isoglosses. This new method can also serve as a model for the subgrouping of language families other than East Chadic.

This study presents the results of dendrochronological and dendroclimatological research of Betula pubescens from four sites in northern Norway (Kvaløya Island, Tromsøya Island and Storelva Valley), which provided a 193-year chronology. Our results highlight the importance of the site selection in dendroclimatological studies. We demonstrated that activity of geomorphic processes connected with local topography could led to reduced strength of climatic signal embedded in tree-ring data. Negative pointer years, triggered mainly by unfavourable climatic conditions and insect outbreaks, were common for all site chronologies in 1945, 1955, 1965, 1975, 1986, 2004. However, some site-specific differences were also distinguished. Response function analysis confirmed that June, July and August temperatures were positively correlated with tree-ring widths. This climate-growth relationship was stable throughout the years 1925-2000. From summer temperature reconstruction back to AD 1820, two colder (c. 1835-1850 and 1890-1920) and two warmer (c. 1825-1835 and 1920-1940) periods were identified. The tree-ring record from the Tromsø Region, well correlated between series, sites and climate variables, is an important element of a large-scale reconstruction of pre-instrumental climate variation in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Our dendroclimatic reconstruction corresponds well with other climate proxy data, like fluctuations of mountain glaciers in Scandinavia or sea ice extent.

Genetic-environmental controls of the tolerance of forest trees to industrial pollution arc discussed on the example of the Scots pine. Within the pine population under study, various responses to man-made stress were observed in individual specimens, which gave rise to the hypothesis about a genetic origin of the phenomenon. The research procedure was preceded by an assessment of the environmental conditions which focused especially on the pollution of the atmosphere and pedosphere as a background for estimating the level of variation and examining the genetic structure of specimens sensitive to, or tolerant of, the pollution. The analysis covered a pine population coming from natural forest regeneration growing in the zone of direct impact of pollution from the Miasteczko Śląskie Zinc Works. Two groups of trees were distinguished: S (sensitive) and T (tolerant), characterized by different genetic parameters. The observed tendencies (slower cell division rates, lower values of the mitotic index than in the control group, a high level of chromosomal aberrations) indicate a direct effect of the pollution on the genetic material of the trees.

A machine learning model was developed to support irrigation decisions. The field research was conducted on ‘Gala’ apple trees. For each week during the growing seasons (2009–2013), the following parameters were determined: precipitation, evapotranspiration (Penman–Monteith formula), crop (apple) evapotranspiration, climatic water balance, crop (apple) water balance (AWB), cumulative climatic water balance (determined weekly, ΣCWB), cumulative apple water balance (ΣAWB), week number from full bloom, and nominal classification variable: irrigation, no irrigation. Statistical analyses were performed with the use of the WEKA 3.9 application software. The attribute evaluator was performed using Correlation Attribute Eval with the Ranker Search Method. Due to its highest accuracy, the final analyses were performed using the WEKA classifier package with the J48graft algorithm. For each of the analysed growing seasons, different correlations were found between the water balance determined for apple trees and the actual water balance of the soil layer (10–30 cm). The model made correct decisions in 76.7% of the instances when watering was needed and in 87.7% of the instances when watering was not needed. The root of the classification tree was the AWB determined for individual weeks of the growing season. The high places in the tree hierarchy were occupied by the nodes defining the elapsed time of the growing season, the values of ΣCWB and ΣAWB.

Active thermography is an efficient tool for defect detection and characterization as it does not change the properties of tested materials. The detection and characterization process involves heating a sample and then analysing the thermal response. In this paper, a long heating pulse was used on samples with a low thermal diffusivity and artificially created holes of various depths. As a result of the experiments, heating and cooling curves were obtained. These curves, which describe local characteristics of the material, are recognized using a classification tree and divided into categories depending on the material thickness (hole depths). Two advantages of the proposed use of classification trees are: an in-built mechanism for feature selection and a strong reduction in the dimensions of the pattern. Based on the experimental study, it can be concluded that classification trees are a useful tool for the thinning detection of homogeneous material.

The article presents research on the use of Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) methods to create an artificial player for the popular card game “The Lord of the Rings”. The game is characterized by complicated rules, multi-stage round construction, and a high level of randomness. The described study found that the best probability of a win is received for a strategy combining expert knowledge-based agents with MCTS agents at different decision stages. It is also beneficial to replace random playouts with playouts using expert knowledge. The results of the final experiments indicate that the relative effectiveness of the developed solution grows as the difficulty of the game increases.

Construction planning always requires labour productivity estimation. Often, in the case of monolithic construction works, the available catalogues of productivity rates do not provide a reliable assessment. The paper deals with the problem of labour estimation for reinforcement works. An appropriate model of labour prediction problem is being introduced. It includes, between others, staff experience and reinforcement buildability. In the paper it is proposed, that labour requirements can be estimated with aggregated classifiers. The work is a continuation of earlier studies, in which the possibility of using classifier ensembles to predict productivity in monolithic works was investigated.

Work safety control and analysis of accidents during the construction performance are some of the most important issues of the construction management. The paper focuses on the post-accident absence as an element of the occupational safety management. The occurrence of the post-accident absence of workers can be then treated as an indicator of building performance safety. The ability to estimate its length can also facilitate works planning and scheduling in case of the accident. The paper attempts to answer the question whether it is possible and how to use decision trees and their ensembles to predict the severity of the post-accident absence and which classification algorithm is the most promising to solve the prediction problem. The paper clarifies the model of the prediction problem, introduces 5 different decision tress and different aggregation algorithms in order to build the model. Thanks to the use of aggregation methods it is possible to build classifiers that predict precisely and do not require any initial data treatment, which simplifies the prediction process significantly. To identify the most promising classifier or classifier ensemble the prediction accuracy measures of selected classification algorithms were analyzed. The data to build the model was gathered on national (Polish) construction sites and was taken from literature. Models obtained within simulations can be used to build advisory or safety management systems allowing to detect threats while construction works are being planned or carried out.

In the heart of Moroccan oases, date palm trees stand as the lifeblood of local communities, serving as both a livelihood cornerstone and a dietary treasure trove. Morocco has long been a leading date fruit producer. Yet, amidst the palm groves, several environmental, technical, and socio-economic challenges have threatened the sustainability of this ancient crop. This study assesses the constraints and limitations of the date palm production system in Tafilalet oases that have kept this crop from reaching its full potential. A total of 56 producers were interviewed using an open- closed survey, illuminating interviews with key informants, dynamic focus group discussions, and direct observations in palm groves. The findings reveal that primary restrictions and barriers impeding the progress of this sector are: producers’ moderate education level and the limited adoption of technological innovation, few opportunities given to young producers, palm groves’ fragmentation, poor management of date fruits, low imports of the necessary inputs (fertilisers, irrigation, etc.), and the poor organisation of the marketing circuit (storage and packaging). Advocate renewed commitment to preserve and modernise palm groves, blending heritage with modern practices for thriving, sustainable date palm production. It is entirely conceivable to produce organic dates in the region since producers use a few quantities of chemical products, notably fertilisers and phytosanitary products.

Sacred spaces in hospitals – chapels or sacred gardens, as places of peace and tranquility, address spiritual needs of the patients and their families. The paper examines the elements creating the phenomenon of sacrum in the composition of the historical Stummer`s hospital in Topoľčany. Today the historical hospital complex is not used for its former functions and the question is how to preserve the sacred phenomena in the context of its future new uses.