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The ASY-EOS experiment at GSI laboratory measured the direct and elliptic flow of neutrons and light charged particles in the reaction 197Au+197 Au at 400 A MeV incident energy. The ratio of elliptic flow of neutrons with respect to that of the light charged particles was used as main experimental observable to probe the density dependence of the symmetry energy term of the nuclear equation of state. Results, obtained by comparison of the experimental data with the UrQMD model predictions, strongly support a moderately soft to linear density dependence of the symmetry energy at suprasaturation densities below 2ρ0.

It is expected that the cross section for super-heavy nuclei production of Z > 118 is dropping into the region of tens of femto barns. This creates a serious limitation for the complete fusion technique that is used so far. Moreover, the available combinations of the neutron to proton ratio of stable projectiles and targets are quite limited and it can be difficult to reach the island of stability of super heavy elements using complete fusion reactions with stable projectiles. In this context, a new experimental investigation of mechanisms other than complete fusion of heavy nuclei and a novel experimental technique are invented for our search of super- and hyper-nuclei. This contribution is focused on that technique.

The elliptic-flow ratio of neutrons with respect to protons or light complex particles in reactions of heavy ions at pre-relativistic energies has been proposed as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry term of the nuclear equation of state at supra-saturation densities. In the ASY-EOS experiment at the GSI laboratory, flows of neutrons and light charged particles were measured for 197Au+197Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon. Flow results obtained for the Au+Au system, in comparison with predictions of the UrQMD transport model, confirm the moderately soft to linear density dependence of the symmetry energy deduced from the earlier FOPI-LAND data.

The paper aims to improve a simple additive weighting method (SAW) and the max-min rule designed for M-DMC (multi-13 criteria decision making under certainty) based on already developed extensions for the Laplace and Wald rules (applied to one-criterion decision making under uncertainty, i.e., 1-DMU). Some evident analogies between scenario-based 1-DMU and M-DMC have been recently revealed in the literature, which gives the possibility to implement necessary amendments in M-DMC procedures, particularly in the multiple solutions case. The suggested modifications consist of applying additional decision tools (for SAW) and using the lexicographic approach (for the max-min rule). Thanks to them, options, treated as equivalent according to original M-DMC procedures, may obtain different ranks in the ranking. Such an improvement facilitates the decision making process. Both modified methods are illustrated by employing an example concerning the ranking creation for UE countries. (original abstract)

The elliptic-flow ratio of neutrons with respect to protons or light complex particles in reactions of heavy ions at pre-relativistic energies has been proposed as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry term of the nuclear equation of state at supra-saturation densities. In the ASY-EOS experiment at the GSI laboratory, flows of neutrons and light charged particles were measured for 197Au+197Au, 96Zr+96Zr and 96Ru+96Ru collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon with the Large Area Neutron Detector LAND as part of a setup with several additional detection systems used for the event characterization. Flow results obtained for the Au+Au system, in comparison with predictions of the UrQMD transport model, confirm the moderately soft to linear density dependence of the symmetry energy deduced from the earlier FOPI-LAND data.

A simple method to reduce the background from secondary reactions in telescopes composed of long CsI(Tl) crystals is presented. The method has been developed for the KRATTA [1] modules.

The elliptic-flow ratio of neutrons with respect to protons or light complex particles in reactions of heavy-ions at pre-relativistic energies has been proposed as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry term of the nuclear equation of state at supra-saturation densities. The results obtained from the existing FOPI/LAND data for 197Au+197Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon in comparison with the UrQMD model simulations favoured a moderately soft symmetry term, but suffer from a considerable statistical uncertainty. These results have been confirmed by an independent analysis based on the Tübingen QMD simulations. In order to obtain an improved data set for Au+Au collisions and to extend the study to other systems, a new experiment was carried out at the GSI laboratory by the ASY-EOS collaboration. The present status of the data analysis is reported

The elliptic-flow ratio of neutrons with respect to protons in reactions of neutron rich Heavy-Ion at intermediate energies has been recently proposed as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry term in the nuclear equation of state (EOS) at supra-saturation densities. The recent results obtained from the existing FOPI/LAND data for 197Au+197Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon in comparison with the UrQMD model allowed a first estimate of the symmetry term of the EOS but suffer from a considerable statistical uncertainty. In order to obtain an improved data set for Au+Au collisions and to extend the study to other systems, a new experiment was carried out at the GSI laboratory by the ASY-EOS collaboration in May 2011.

KRATTA, a new, low threshold, broad energy range triple telescope array has been built to measure the energy, emission angles and isotopic composition of light charged reaction products. It has been equipped with fully digital chains of electronics. The array performed very well during the ASY-EOS experiment, conducted in May 2011 at GSI. The structure and performance of the array are presented using the first experimental results.

Silicon vertex detector for superheavy elements (SHE) identification has been proposed. It will be constructed using very thin silicon detectors about 5 μm thickness. Results of test of 7.3 μm four inch silicon strip detector (SSD) with fission fragments and α particles emitted by 252Cf source are presented

There is still a need to investigate the relationships between glycophytes and halophytes and the many biotic and abiotic factors in their natural environments. Therefore, we study the effects of the type of environment on the ecophysiological responses and condition of the glycophyte Elder Sambucus nigra L., the macrophyte Common Reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., the facultative halophyte Weeping Alkaligrass Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl, and the obligate halophyte Common Glasswort Salicornia europaea L. in a saline-disturbed anthropogenic region of central Poland. We analyzed the effects of salinity, acidity, and soil organic matter on shoot length, lipoperoxidation, and proline in roots and green parts, and evaluated plant responses to environmental disturbance, which allowed for the comparison of adaptation strategies. The studies were carried out in (1) “sodium production” (near sodium factories), (2) “anthropogenic environments” (waste dumps, agroecosystems, calcium deposits, post-production tanks), (3) “wetland environments” (near river channels and riparian areas), and (4) “control” (natural, unpolluted environments). Green parts of plants are better suited to indicate environmental stress than roots. Their higher structural MDA membrane damage is related to the transport of toxic ions to the shoots by a rapid transpiration stream in the xylem. We found high salinity to be the main factor inducing growth and found it to be correlated with the high pH effect on proline increase in glycophytes (Elder, Reed) and Weeping Alkaligrass, in contrast to Common Glasswort. We suggest that proline accumulation allows osmotic adjustment in the green parts of reeds and alkaligrasses, but may have another function (in Elder). Common Glasswort accumulates large amounts of Na+, which is energetically more effective than proline accumulation for osmotic adjustment. Organic matter affects plant growth and proline levels, but soil salinity and pH alter nutrient availability. Plant distribution along the salinity gradient indicates that Elder is the most salt-sensitive species compared to Reed, Alkaligrass, and Glasswort. Salinity and the lack of control of thick reeds, which compete with other plant groups, affect the distribution of halophytes in saline environments.

Religious freedom and the right to practice a religion by persons deprived of their liberty do not cause controversy in democratic states. The challenge, not easily met, is to exercise guaranteed religious rights in penitentiary facilities. This study aimed to compare legal regulations and the level of protection of religious freedom that they impose with the real possibility of the voluntary performance of religious practices. In other words, this study sought to answer the question of whether prisoners in Polish penitentiary facilities are free to practise the religion of their choice and are not forced to participate in religious practices against their will. This article presents the general results of a survey on religious practices carried out in the Polish penitentiary facilities that were examined. The data were supplemented by prisoners' comments about freedom to practice religion. This article includes the comments of both believers (assessing the availability of practices) and non-believers (assessing the compulsion to participate in the practices of the dominant religion). Opinions about practising a religion given by the penitentiary staff will serve as a specific counterpoint. The presented study results allowed the formulation of basic conclusions of a general nature, which can contribute to further discussions on religious freedom in post-criminal isolation units. The survey was carried out from March to October 2022 based on a prepared questionnaire. It was completed by 556 prisoners, including 34 females and 444 males (68 respondents did not indicate their gender). In total, prisoners incarcerated in 35 penitentiary facilities located throughout Poland were surveyed. Simultaneously, a survey was carried out among educators and teachers in all the above penitentiary facilities, who completed, in total, 164 questionnaires. An analysis of the replies to the questions and the free comments of all the respondents and their comparison with the current regulations make it possible to conclude that Poland—on a constitutional and statutory level—adequately safeguards prisoners' religious rights, but their practical application must be assessed as unsatisfactory. Prisoners do not always have the possibility to observe rites or manifest their religion. Problems are encountered by both followers of the strongly dominant religion in Poland (Roman Catholicism) and minority denominations. Despite the reported difficulties, Roman Catholics are indisputably in a much more favourable position. Freedom from religion is also not fully respected—prisoners involuntarily participate in certain practices and take part in the religious observance of church festivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the public needs to be made more aware of the benefits of sustainability for the local environment. It appears that tourism is a particularly effective tool for teaching sustainability and responsibility because it not only provides new experiences but also explains and enhances the visited area. Visitors should become more conscious of the need to preserve the ecosystem as a result of this remarkable experience, which is caused by skillfully planned activities. The authors of this study discuss the effects of tourism in the natural enclave of Poznań (Poland) while presenting the findings of interdisciplinary studies on locally threatened orchid species. The number and condition of individual orchids have not changed significantly as a result of rather strong anthropopressure, according to observations made since 1997. The study area is an ideal place to enhance environmental education and responsible tourism because it is also rich in historical values. Such tourism can be considered responsible urban tourism. According to the questionnaire study, which was based on 1000 surveys, respondents expressed a developing emotional attachment to the area and commended the educational pathways and changes in land use. They also acknowledged that they did not know enough about the location, the environment, or the cultural legacy. The current study demonstrates that, while society has grown to value the Kopanina wilderness, it has also begun to consider nature conservation from a wider perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Retrospective information about plant ecophysiology and the climate system are key inputs in Earth system and vegetation models. Dendrochronology provides such information with large spatiotemporal coverage, and carbon‐isotope analysis across tree‐ring series is among the most advanced dendrochronological tools. For the past 70 years, this analysis was performed on whole molecules and, to this day, 13C discrimination during carbon assimilation is invoked to explain isotope variation and associated climate signals. However, recently it was reported that tree‐ring glucose exhibits multiple isotope signals at the intramolecular level (see Wieloch et al., 2024). Here, I estimated the signals' contribution to whole‐molecule isotope variation and found that downstream processes in leaf and stem metabolism each introduce more variation than carbon assimilation. Moreover, downstream processes introduce most of the climate information. These findings are inconsistent with the classical concepts/practices of carbon‐isotope dendrochronology. More importantly, intramolecular tree‐ring isotope analysis promises novel insights into forest metabolism and the climate of the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Even though they share many thematical overlaps, plant metabolomics and stable isotope ecology have been rather separate fields mainly due to different mass spectrometry demands. New high‐resolution bioanalytical mass spectrometers are now not only offering high‐throughput metabolite identification but are also suitable for compound‐ and intramolecular position‐specific isotope analysis in the natural isotope abundance range. In plant metabolomics, label‐free metabolic pathway and metabolic flux analysis might become possible when applying this new technology. This is because changes in the commitment of substrates to particular metabolic pathways and the activation or deactivation of others alter enzyme‐specific isotope effects. This leads to differences in intramolecular and compound‐specific isotope compositions. In plant isotope ecology, position‐specific isotope analysis in plant archives informed by metabolic pathway analysis could be used to reconstruct and separate environmental impacts on complex metabolic processes. A technology‐driven linkage between the two disciplines could allow us to extract information on environment–metabolism interaction from plant archives such as tree rings but also within ecosystems. This would contribute to a holistic understanding of how plants react to environmental drivers, thus also providing helpful information on the trajectories of the vegetation under the conditions to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Understanding isotope fractionation mechanisms is fundamental for analyses of plant ecophysiology and paleoclimate based on tree‐ring isotope data. To gain new insights into isotope fractionation, we analysed intramolecular 13C discrimination in tree‐ring glucose (Δi′, i = C‐1 to C‐6) and metabolic deuterium fractionation at H1 and H2 (εmet) combinedly. This dual‐isotope approach was used for isotope‐signal deconvolution. We found evidence for metabolic processes affecting Δ1′ and Δ3′, which respond to air vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and processes affecting Δ1′, Δ2′, and εmet, which respond to precipitation but not VPD. These relationships exhibit change points dividing a period of homeostasis (1961–1980) from a period of metabolic adjustment (1983–1995). Homeostasis may result from sufficient groundwater availability. Additionally, we found Δ5′ and Δ6′ relationships with radiation and temperature, which are temporally stable and consistent with previously proposed isotope fractionation mechanisms. Based on the multitude of climate covariables, intramolecular carbon isotope analysis has a remarkable potential for climate reconstruction. While isotope fractionation beyond leaves is currently considered to be constant, we propose significant parts of the carbon and hydrogen isotope variation in tree‐ring glucose originate in stems (precipitation‐dependent signals). As basis for follow‐up studies, we propose mechanisms introducing Δ1′, Δ2′, Δ3′, and εmet variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree-ring cellulose is a commonly used material for radiocarbon analysis. Extracting cellulose is labor-consuming and several devices that enable batchwise extraction have been developed. However, these devices bear the risk of sample contamination. The present study describes a new device which improves upon two aspects of currently available devices. First, to prevent cross-sample-contamination, we redesigned the drainage module to enable independent removal of chemical waste from each individual sample funnel. Second, we added covers to the sample funnels to reduce the risk of external contamination. Cellulose purity (i.e., holocellulose) was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Furthermore, accuracy of the radiocarbon analysis was confirmed by results of 14C-blank samples and samples of known age. In conclusion, while maintaining labor-saving, our modified device significantly reduces the risk of sample contamination during extraction of tree-ring cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]