How Does the pH of Tree Bark Change with the Presence of the Epiphytic Bryophytes from the Family Orthotrichaceae in the Interaction with Trunk Inclination?

The pH of tree bark is affected by many factors, amongst them epiphytic bryophytes changing in their active state environment. Thus, we hypothesized that bryophytes can change bark acidity, dependently of the inclination of the branches, as inclination affect the water regime and particle deposition. We measured the pH under bryophyte cushions and compared it to nearby naked bark. Additionally, we compared results with experimental bark covering with neutral cover. We found that the pH of naked bark declines with decreasing inclination of trunks. Although bryophyte cover did not generally change the pH of the bark, there was a significant interaction with inclination: with higher inclination, bryophytes decrease the pH reaction of bark, while with lower inclination they increase it. One possible explanation may lie in changes to alkaline particle deposition, or conversely in the acidification of the bark by leaching. In addition, an experiment with a neutral cover showed that naked bark covering would substantially increase pH. As, on average, bryophytes do not change the pH of bark, there can be mutual interference between the alkalizing effect of the bark cover itself and the acidifying biological effect of bryophytes.

I Can Wear a Beard, but you Should Shave…Preferences for Men’s Facial Hair From the Perspective of Both Sexes

Researchers have found that men’s facial hair may have certain signaling functions connected with intrasexual competition and intersexual attractiveness. The interesting issue is whether men’s and women’s preferences for men’s facial hair may be considered a reflection of their intuitive knowledge about these functions. The aim of the presented studies was to analyze women’s and men’s preferences regarding men’s facial hair using questions with a dichotomous answer format (Study 1 and Study 2) and pictorial stimuli (Study 2). In both studies, women were asked to indicate their preferences for men’s facial hair. Men were asked to report preferences for facial hair in themselves and in other men, as well as to report their actual appearance of facial hair. The results showed that women’s preferences for men’s facial hair were ambiguous, while men preferred facial hair for themselves and had a lower inclination to prefer facial hair in other men. It suggests that men may be aware of some aspects of signaling functions of facial hair, especially these connected with intrasexual competition.

Prospects of joint detections of neutron star mergers and short GRBs with Gaussian structured jets

ABSTRACT GW170817 was the first ever joint detection of gravitational waves (GW) from a binary neutron star (BNS) merger with the detections of short γ-ray burst (SGRB) counterparts. Analysis of the multiband afterglow observations of over more than a year revealed that the outflow from the merger end product was consistent with structured relativistic jet models with the core of the jet narrowly collimated to half-opening angles ∼5○. In this work, assuming that all the BNS mergers produce Gaussian structured jets with properties as inferred for GW170817, we explore the prospects of joint detections of BNS mergers and prompt γ-ray emission, expected during the current and upcoming upgrades of LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA detectors. We discuss three specific observational aspects: 1) the distribution of detected binary inclination angles, 2) the distance reach, and 3) the detection rates. Unlike GW-only detections, the joint detections are greatly restricted at large inclination angles, due to the structure of the jets. We find that at lower inclination angles (say below 20○), the distance reach as well as the detection rates of the joint detections are limited by GW detectability while at larger inclinations (say above 20○), they are limited by the γ-ray detectability.

Alternations in contact and non-contact varieties

The Multifactorial Prediction and Deviation Analysis (MuPDAR) method (Gries & Deshors 2014) represents an influential methodological advance in studying variation in contexts where linguistic choices in a “peripheral” variety (learner language, New Englishes) are studied in relation to the “central” variety. In this article we demonstrate how the method may be extended to study how varieties produced in settings of language contact (including translation) differ from non-contact varieties, particularly with respect to the degree of lexicogrammatical explicitness. We use the method to determine how (dis)similar the factors governing that-omission are in two different types of contact varieties, namely South African translated (trans-SAE) and South African non-translated English (SAE), in relation to British (GBE) English. The results show that the choices made in the contact varieties can be predicted to a reasonable extent, although South African translators and South African non-translators have a higher and lower inclination respectively to use explicit that compared to GBE non-translators. Based on the findings, we re-evaluate the explanations proposed for the increased explicitness of translated language through the frame of language contact, outlining the advantages of multifactorial methods over the frequency-based methods favoured in earlier studies.

Bending Effect on Cutting Characteristics of Polycarbonate Thick Sheet Subjected to Indentation of Heightwise-Asymmetric Wedge Blades

This paper describes for verification of bending effect on the performance of the heightwise-asymmetric plunge cutting method, which was composed of an upper-wedge blade and a lower-wedge blade embedded in the lower-counter plate, in order to apply this cutting method for a polycarbonate (PC) thick sheet. By varying the tip angle αU and the tip thickness wU of lower blade embedded in the counter plate, and combining a standard steel cutting rule of 42° center bevel blade, the sheared profile of two kinds of PC worksheet (the thickness of which was chosen as t=0.5, 1.0 mm) was experimentally investigated. Through this experiment, it was found that the sheared profile (the necked height ηn, the upper inclination angle β, the lower inclination angle βU) of PC worksheet was primarily characterized by the normalized lower tip thickness wU/t. The difference of sheared profile was explained using the Prandtls punching solution for two kinds of PC worksheet. Furthermore, by varying the heightwise position of lower blade tip, the bending effect on sheared profile of worked sheet was experimentally verified.

Badania i rozwój jako element przedsiębiorczości w krajach europejskich

The article discusses the issue of innovation in economies of European states against the USA, Japan and China. It is based on the size of investment in the R&D sector in relation to the GDP (GERD/GDP) as well as the structure of these investments. In accordance with the research the EU27 spends much less on the R&D sector than its largest competitors. Besides, the EU is diversified in those terms. In 2006 the GERD/GDP index ranged from 3.74% in Sweden to 0.43% in Cyprus. Moreover, the EU also shows a different structure of the sources of capital invested in this sector that the other studied states. Generally, the lower inclination to investment into the R&D sector is visible within the sector of companies, which lies at the basis of efficiency of the innovation system.