Showing papers by "Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz published in 2022"

Laser additive manufacturing of Si/ZrO<sub>2</sub> tunable crystalline phase 3D nanostructures

Abstract: The current study is directed to the rapidly developing field of inorganic material 3D object production at nano-/micro scale. The fabrication method includes laser lithography of hybrid organic-inorganic materials with subsequent heat treatment leading to a variety of crystalline phases in 3D structures. In this work, it was examined a series of organometallic polymer precursors with different silicon (Si) and zirconium (Zr) molar ratios, ranging from 9:1 to 5:5, prepared via sol-gel method. All mixtures were examined for perspective to be used in 3D laser manufacturing by fabricating nano- and micro-feature sized structures. Their spatial downscaling and surface morphology were evaluated depending on chemical composition and crystallographic phase. The appearance of a crystalline phase was proven using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which revealed a lower crystallization temperature for microstructures compared to bulk materials. Fabricated 3D objects retained a complex geometry without any distortion after heat treatment up to 1400 °C. Under the proper conditions, a wide variety of crystalline phases as well as zircon (ZrSiO₄ - a highly stable material) can be observed. In addition, the highest new record of achieved resolution below 60 nm has been reached. The proposed preparation protocol can be used to manufacture micro/nano-devices with high precision and resistance to high temperature and aggressive environment.

Assessment of suspended sediment dynamics in a small ungauged badland catchment in the Northern Apennines (Italy) using an in-situ laser diffraction method

Abstract: The volumes and dynamics of suspended sediments drained from a watershed are often unknown, especially in small creeks and tributaries where continuous discharge measurements are seldom available. The objective of this study was to assess in a qualitative and quantitative way the sediment dynamics of a small ungauged watershed in the Northern Apennines, Italy. We analysed and correlated the sediment volume concentration and grain-size distribution of the suspended sediments with the precipitation pattern. The study area is a small ungauged watershed (0.15 km2) that is dominated by intensive soil erosion processes and related landforms. The basin is oriented East-West with the south-facing slopes characterized by badland erosion processes. The north-facing slopes are cultivated and dominated by rill-interrill erosion phenomena. An morphometrical characterization of the basin was performed using a high-resolution DTM with a 1 × 1 m resolution. Subsequently, the physical characteristics of the topsoil were investigated based on grain size laboratory analysis. A detailed NDVI analysis of the vegetation was performed using Sentinel-2A images. Finally, we assessed the suspended sediments at the outlet of the basin using a laser diffraction technique. The Suspended Sediment Volume Concentration (SSC) and the Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) of the eroded sediments, provide insights into the morphogenetic processes and the sediment transport dynamics of the basin. The measurements were conducted in autumn 2018 after an intense precipitation period and in spring 2019 after a dry phase. The results show a direct relationship between precipitation and SSC with a delay of about 2 h after the most intense precipitation events. Moreover, we reveal that the SMD values are inversely related to the precipitation due to turbidity effects. The SSC and SMD measurements allow for a detailed assessment of the dynamics between precipitation and suspended sediment load even though discharge volumes were not measured directly.

Infrared Stimulated Luminescence of Ce3+ Doped YAG Crystals

Abstract: In this study, the infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IRSL) of single crystals of Ce3+ doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) was investigated for the first time. It was found that infrared stimulation of these crystals, following previous exposure to beta radiation, produces a strong luminescence signal. The highest luminescence efficiency was exhibited by the YAG crystal with 0.1% of Ce. With this crystal, it was possible to measure as low doses as 0.1 mGy. Moreover, IRSL is mainly related to the TL peak at a relatively high temperature of c.a. 175 °C, which leads to quite good stability of the signal in time. These properties create good prospects for potential applications of YAG:Ce in dosimetric radiation measurements

Riboflavin as a Biodegradable Functional Additive for Thermoplastic Polymers

Abstract: With continuous development of biodegradable polymers, new areas of applications are intensively researched. Modifications of these polymers are commonly conducted by an extrusion compounding process. While additives are changing desired properties, biodegradability of such composites can be deteriorated. The aim of the work is to investigate a novel, functional, organic additive, riboflavin (vitamin B-2), in terms of thermal stability, extrusion processability, wettability, surface energy, especially biodegradability, and when compounded with PLA. Additionally, a comparison of unmodified PLA resin, as well as PLA-modified with inorganic talc—which is known for its nucleation promotion in a variety of polymers—to PLA with riboflavin, was presented. Research reveals the outstanding thermal stability of riboflavin and the sufficient extrusion process properties with no significant changes of wettability and, surprisingly, a significant degradation rate as compared to pure PLA or and PLA with talc. The obtained results do not exclude further modifications of PLA depending on the target application, e.g., antimicrobial agents, flame retardants, etc.

Wybrane problemy badań w medycynie psychosomatycznej i sposoby na ich rozwiązania: przestrzeń dla nowych osiągnięć

Abstract: Obecnie, pomimo dosyć długiej historii medycyny psychosomatycznej (MP) i dużej liczby publikacji naukowych, nauka ta przestała szukać odpowiedzi na kluczowe dla niej pytania i nagromadziła określone problemy wymagające omówienia. W tym artykule zostanie rozpatrzony krótki zarys wybranych problemów badań w MP oraz sposobów na ich rozwiązania. Zaprezentowanezostanie również perspektywiczne i niewymagające dużego nakładu pracy podejście badawcze, które może znaleźć zastosowanie w MP.

Sports gamers practices as a form of subversiveness – the example of the FIFA ultimate team

Abstract: The video game FIFA (Electronic Arts) is an annually released title with a very profitable FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode backed by a large community of gamers. This article demonstrates that they are subversive consumers based on a fan studies approach. The netnographic study was conducted over two years on the official FUT forum and supplemented with analysis of online news services and different web archives. It revealed that players do not want to give up “control” over the game and “clash” with producers on several fronts. They criticize the game, mainly the micropayments and other EA practices, considering them manipulations. This has given rise to subversive practices, including illegal ones from the company’s point of view. The author distinguishes three levels of activities, showing the intricate relationships between players and producers. Until now, little attention has been paid to meanings that gamers attribute to sports games and their consequences for producers.

Natives and tourists of prosumer capitalism: On the varied pro-prosumer activities of producers exemplified in the Polish pop culture industry

Abstract: This article pertains to the concept of prosumer capitalism, a term which refers to practices among companies of using consumers’ unpaid work (prosumption refers to the mixing of consumption and production). In the literature, this type of capitalism has been treated generally; how pro-prosumer activities differ among producers has been overlooked. This article illustrates these differences by showing the ways in which Polish pop culture producers approach prosumption. The research was conducted through in-depth interviews with representatives from different Polish popular culture companies and the results show that prosumption orientation is determined by what is being produced – films, games, comics, books, television programmes, or music. Producers of video games and comics are most prosumption-oriented – in other words, they may be called ‘natives’ of prosumption – in contrast to ‘tourists’, such as producers of films, television programmes, and books. This article shows that developing the concept of prosumer capitalism requires that consideration as to the prosumer orientations of producers should be specified on a case-by-case basis.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: On some properties of polynomial composites

Abstract: Abstract Polynomial composites were introduced by Anderson, Anderson, and Zafrullah. Over time, composites have appeared in many different papers, but they have not been sorted out in the algebra world. This paper is another part of the study of composites as an algebraic structure. In this paper we complete possible properties for polynomial composites as ACCP, atomic, BFD, HFD, idf, FFD domains.

Organochlorine pesticide and polychlorinated biphenyl loads in the snow cover of Hans glacier, Svalbard

Abstract: <p>Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorine pesticides or polychlorinated biphenyls, are continuously delivered into the Arctic terrestrial environment, i.a. through snowfall (e.g., Cabrerizo et al., 2019; Hermanson et al., 2020). This happens despite the bans and restrictions on the use of these bioaccumulative substances (Stockholm Convention, 2008) and may lead to a secondary accumulation of contaminants in some glaciers in the Arctic continuing in the future (Pawlak et al., 2021). Upon melt, POPs are released with particulate matter and delivered to downstream ecosystems. However, the current deposition fluxes of POPs on glaciers are only sparsely recognized, which leads to uncertainties in these contaminants' snowmelt fluxes. In this study, we present a combination of spatially distributed sampling of fresh snowfall with total snow cover profiles upon Hans glacier (Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic) and the existing data on the snow cover (courtesy Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences) to estimate such fluxes for a seasonal snow cover of a tidewater glacier. Uncertainties related to the snow cover water equivalent estimations and the spatial variation in POPs concentrations are estimated and presented as obstacles to robustness of such studies. As a result, we provide data for future field measurement design which would decrease uncertainties in such estimations.</p><p><strong>References:</strong></p><p>Cabrerizo, A., Muir, D.C.G., Teixeira, C., Lamoureux, S.F., Lafreniere, M.J., 2019. Snow Deposition and Melting as Drivers of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides in Arctic Rivers, Lakes, and Ocean. Environ. Sci. Technol. 53, 14377–14386. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b05150</p><p>Hermanson, M.H., Isaksson, E., Hann, R., Teixeira, C., Muir, D.C.G., 2020. Atmospheric Deposition of Organochlorine Pesticides and Industrial Compounds to Seasonal Surface Snow at Four Glacier Sites on Svalbard, 2013–2014. Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 9265–9273. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c01537</p><p>Pawlak, F., Koziol, K., Polkowska, Z., 2021. Chemical hazard in glacial melt? The glacial system as a secondary source of POPs (in the Northern Hemisphere). A systematic review. Sci. Total Environ. 778, 145244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145244</p><p>Stockholm Convention, 2008. Status of ratifications of the Stockholm Convention [WWW Document]. Secr. Stock. Conv. Clear. House. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2005.05.025</p><p><strong>Acknowledgement<br></strong>This research was funded by a National Science Centre of Poland grant no. NCN 2017/26/D/ST10/00630 (<em>Sea-snow POPs</em> project).</p>

Sports gamers practices as a form of subversiveness – the example of the FIFA ultimate team

Abstract: The video game FIFA (Electronic Arts) is an annually released title with a very profitable FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode backed by a large community of gamers. This article demonstrates that they are subversive consumers based on a fan studies approach. The netnographic study was conducted over two years on the official FUT forum and supplemented with analysis of online news services and different web archives. It revealed that players do not want to give up “control” over the game and “clash” with producers on several fronts. They criticize the game, mainly the micropayments and other EA practices, considering them manipulations. This has given rise to subversive practices, including illegal ones from the company’s point of view. The author distinguishes three levels of activities, showing the intricate relationships between players and producers. Until now, little attention has been paid to meanings that gamers attribute to sports games and their consequences for producers.

Microtransaction politics in FIFA Ultimate Team: game fans, Twitch streamers, and Electronic Arts

Abstract: The video game FIFA (Electronic Arts) is an annually released title with a very profitable “FIFA Ultimate Team” (FUT) game mode played by a large community of gamers. This has led to the emergence of celebrity FUT content creators on Twitch and on YouTube, yet also tensions between these individuals, the “average” player, and the game’s developers. The chapter explores players’ attitudes to and issues with the more powerful actors within the FUT ecosystem, offering us an incisive case study of ongoing changes and tensions in the relationships between players, developers, and content creators. In study design and analysis, the qualitative directed content analysis approach was used, as the chapter extands the project conducted over three years on the official FUT forum by one of the authors. Key categories of gamers’ criticism of content creators are indicated, keeping in mind biases that could result from this deductive approach. The players see content creators on Twitch and YouTube as a source of numerous frustrations related to gameplay, as reinforcing the game’s micropayment, and even as solely self-interested profit-makers with little “true” interest in the game. This even extends to what can only be termed conspiracy theories about the relationships between EA and FUT’s most visible content creators, with players proposing numerous surreptious connectinos between the two. The chapter hence shows what happens when successful game content creators, and the “average” player, clash, and how FUT is a valuable case study of emerging power dynamics within gaming and game culture more broadly.

All Smoke, No Fire: The Post-Mortem of Conflicts in the ‘Walking Simulator’ Genre

Abstract: Games, as a rule, can be lost. It is thus a truism to state that successful game design demands the existence of a central conflict between the player and the game. Whether the player is commanding armies or races against time or other depleting resources, conflict is a given. However, in the past decade, an exception to this rule has emerged in games labeled as “walking simulators”. While these are perceived as lacking conflict, the chapter argues that it remains ever-present in the form of narrative traces – the shadows of a past conflict that chronologically hover beyond the edge of the game yet form the very core of the game experience. This chapter employs textual analysis methodologies to explore the depiction of past conflict in “walking simulators”. Examples are drawn from Dear Esther (2012), Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (2015), Gone Home (2014) and Tacoma (2018). These examples show how the genre allows a slow, contemplative exploration of various types of conflicts: interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup and intragroup. While the game mechanics preclude any genuine player engagement in the conflict, this limitation is argued to be the key value of the walking simulator in fostering a more contemplative examination of conflict.

The semantic structure of adjectives referring to the holiness in Maltese and Arabic languages

Abstract: The present paper is an analysis of the Maltese and Arabic adjectives related to the notion of ‘holiness’. The research was conducted through the componential analysis of meaning used in terms of the contrastive description. The study showed: 1) the extension of meaning of the Maltese adjective mqaddes (in comparison to their etymological counterpart in Arabic muqaddas) what resulted in changes within the lexical field of holiness, which in Maltese reflects rather the opposition of the Italian adjectives santo and sacro. 2) the general lack of the lexico-semantic parallelism between Maltese and Arabic adjectives bearing the notion of ‘holiness’.

The right to an identity: The context of the rights of the migrant child

Abstract: Ein wirksamer Schutz von Minderjährigen ohne geregelten Migrationsstatus, deren Zahl stetig zunimmt, ist in allen Weltregionen ein Thema. Der Schwerpunkt dieses Bandes liegt auf den rechtlichen Verpflichtungen in Bezug auf Kinder, die sich in Ermangelung von ordnungsgemäßen Identifikationsdokumenten, einer Staatsbürgerschaft oder Registrierung in einer „irregulären“ Situation befinden. Dieses Problem wird untersucht aus einer menschenrechtlichen Perspektive, der Kinderrechtskonvention, der regionalen Lösungen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung afrikanischer Best Practices und der Umsetzung internationaler Standards auf nationaler Ebene.

Validation of Theoretical and Measurement Model of the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 in a Polish Sample

Abstract: The Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS2) was developed to operationalize the theoretical cognitive-behavioral model of GPIU. The aims of the study were to examine the theoretical model of GPIU, analyze the psychometric properties of the GPIUS2 among Polish adolescents, study measurement invariance across gender and method of data collection (offline vs. online). The sample comprised of 1,621 participants (52% men, Mage = 20.3). Some participants completed an online version of the GPIUS2 (n = 707, 73% men, M = 17.9), and others filled in a pencil and paper version (n = 914, 35% men, M = 22.1). Reliability was assessed (Cronbach’s α; McDonald’s ω). The factor structure and nomological, convergent, and discriminant validity were tested. The findings of this study supported the reliability and the factor structure of the GPIUS2. The factor similarity in Polish sample and the original US sample was high (Tucker’s congruence coefficients were range: .99–1.00). The structural relationships between the constructs of the model, convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed. The strong measurement invariance of the model across gender and method of data collection was confirmed. The Polish version of the GPIUS2 is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used for Polish adolescent samples. The scale showed measurement invariance across gender and method of data collection. Furthermore, the results support the cognitive-behavioral model of problematic Internet use in adolescents.

Darknet imaginaries in Internet memes: the discursive malleability of the cultural status of digital technologies

Abstract: Dominant discourses on the darknet present it either as a dangerous space with flourishing crime or a place for civic action and political activism. However, these depictions have been challenged in online popular culture, particularly in memes. By utilizing the concepts of double articulation of media and cultural imaginaries, this article reveals how memes shape popular definitions of darknet. Our qualitative, social semiotic content analysis of 505 memes reveals an ambiguous and complex vision of the darknet that both supports and demystifies the mainstream imagery. We introduce the concept of discursive malleability of niche technologies to describe how cultural practices reshape technologies, especially those with small userbases. Additionally, we present a “representational map of the darknet” and indicate how this contributes to social understanding of digital technologies more generally, and, not least why the analyzed memes may be read as lens exposing contradictory notions and policies regarding digital technologies nowadays.

In pursuit of pop culture: Reception of pop culture in the People’s Republic of Poland as opposition to the political system – Example of the science fiction fandom

Abstract: Researching the fans of pop culture texts, it is worth considering a direction that has been neglected in fan studies: the treatment of fan practices as opposition to the polity of a country. Such considerations are particularly crucial in the context of fan communities functioning in non-democratic countries. The author describes the conditions of reception of pop culture texts in Poland under communism. It was in this era that access to such transmissions was restricted, and since fans sought to get access to those rationed cultural assets, their reception ought to be viewed as a symbolic opposition to the politics of the country. The article illustrates this using the example of science fiction fans functioning in the 1980s. The mechanism that governs their community is discussed as exemplified by issues of the literary magazine Fantastyka between 1982 and 1989. The fans’ opposition to the political system has been presented as an escape from the everyday difficulties connected with functioning in a communist polity. The fans facing the conditions of the time strived to get their favourite texts and overcame some institutional obstacles connected with organising their activities.

Poland's Resilient Atlanticism

Abstract: This chapter is focused on the approach of Poland’s political elite towards European strategic autonomy. The chapter covers the adaptation of the idea of ESA to Poland’s needs. The first part presents the initially sceptical reaction of the Polish political elite to ESA. The second part aims to illustrate how the Polish elite has infused the concept with close cooperation with the US. The third part argues that one of the main reasons for Poland’s scepticism is its distrust of the major European powers – Germany and France. Then, the Polish idea of open strategic autonomy (OSA) is presented. Finally, the chapter concludes with the idea of strengthening the European Union (EU) as a defence union proposed in Poland by the political opposition.

Problematyka wartości w pedagogice społecznej – pola poszukiwań. Refleksje wprowadzające

Abstract: Problematyka wartości jest problematyką kluczową w naukach społecznych, także w pedagogice. Proces wychowania bowiem mocno jest osadzony i odwołuje się m.in.; do takich zagadnień, jak; wzory, wzorce i normy. One zaś są interpretowane aksjologicznie i uzyskują zawsze właśnie taką – aksjologiczną identyfikację. Każda też z subdyscyplin pedagogicznych podejmuje to zagadnienie w sposób specyficzny i aspektywny. Dla pedagogiki społecznej obok już tradycyjnych obszarów poznawczych i interpretacyjnych w tym zakresie, jak przyjmowane koncepcje człowieka oraz życia społecznego ważny jest także obszar i problematyka zasad, w oparciu o które należy/można przekształcać - w procesie wychowania - świat społeczny. Jedną z nich jest zasada dobra wspólnego. Można postawić pytanie; do jakich tradycji nawiązuje w tym zakresie pedagogika społeczna, jak interpretuje tą zasadę oraz jakie są współczesne wyzwania z nią związane?

Ethical dimension of care as a pedagogical category

Abstract: Care is among the categories that are of interest of many sciences. However, a discipline of pedagogical science that approaches it as the main issue is caring pedagogy. This discipline of pedagogy contemplates different dimensions and manifestations of care, and describes caring activity, including its constituent elements and contexts ascribed to it. Moreover, a lot of attention is devoted to the image of a carer as the organiser and executor of the caring process. The great number of various care-related issues also include those that imply the ethical nature of care. Hence, this discussion is aimed at analysing care as a pedagogical category with particular emphasis on its ethical dimension. This was achieved through presenting care in two contexts, i.e., deontological and aretological ones. Approaching care (caregiving) in this way allows its depiction, on the one hand, as a moral duty, and, on the other hand, as a moral virtue. This standpoint makes it possible to view the issue of care both with reference to the ethics of duty and the ethics of virtue. The content presented in the article may constitute the starting point for a wider reflection on the attempt made at creating the outline of the ethics of care and, in particular, caring activity. This is of importance both for pedagogical theory and practice, and, thereby, may promote the quality of services provided as part of this activity.