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Lipid disorders, primarily hypercholesterolemia, are the most common cardiovascular (CV) risk factor in Poland (this applies even 3/4 of people). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) serum level is the basic lipid parameter that should be measured to determine CV risk and determines the aim and target of lipid-lowering treatment (LLT). Lipid-lowering treatment improves cardiovascular prognosis and prolongs life in both primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. Despite the availability of effective lipid-lowering drugs and solid data on their beneficial effects, the level of LDL-C control is highly insufficient. This is related, among other things, to physician inertia and patients' fear of side effects. The development of lipidology has made drugs available with a good safety profile and enabling personalisation of therapy. Pitavastatin, the third most potent lipid-lowering statin, is characterised by a lower risk of muscle complications and new cases of diabetes due to its being metabolised differently. Thus, pitavastatin is a very good therapeutic option in patients at high risk of diabetes or with existing diabetes, and in patients at cardiovascular risk. This expert opinion paper attempts at recommendation on the place and possibility of using pitavastatin in the treatment of lipid disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the intertwinement of politics, international affairs and culture during the Cold War through a case study of Polish-Dutch cultural relations and the heterogeneous factors that shaped them. The study centres around the turbulent events of 1968 in Poland, and their impact on the international cultural policies of the Polish People's Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It demonstrates that the cultural field suffered the most immediate consequences of the political decisions taken by both parties – consequences which lasted for a considerable time – thus making it a metaphorical litmus test for the Cold War international relationships. This article reconstructs and analyses Polish and Dutch reactions to the 1968 events and their use of culture for the sake of their own policies – both as a form of protest and as an anti-crisis tool meant to influence the authorities and citizens of the target country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Library of Poland holds three historical collections with a unified visual form. The arrangement of the Wilanów collection was carried out in the first half of the nineteenth century, whereas the Krasiński collection was arranged in the early twentieth century respectively the 1950's or 1960's in the case of drawings by Norwid. This contribution describes the structure of mountings found in these collections, as well as the historical context in which they were created. It serves as a starting point to provide an outline of the history of conservation methods and preservation of prints' and drawings' collections in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Library of Poland holds three historical collections with a unified visual form. The arrangement of the Wilanów collection was carried out in the first half of the nineteenth century, whereas the Krasiński collection was arranged in the early twentieth century respectively the 1950's or 1960's in the case of drawings by Norwid. This contribution describes the structure of mountings found in these collections, as well as the historical context in which they were created. It serves as a starting point to provide an outline of the history of conservation methods and preservation of prints' and drawings' collections in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large proportions of spoilt ballots may lead to a distortion of election results. While invalid votes are sometimes meaningful political acts, reflecting political protest, spoilt ballot papers may also be a consequence of voter error, which can be attributed to the poor design of a ballot paper. In this study, we focus on the widely publicized case of the Polish local elections of 2014. These elections saw unprecedentedly large proportions of spoilt votes, and ballot paper format was often mentioned as a potential culprit. Yet it remains largely unclear whether or not there indeed does exist a cause-and-effect relationship between ballot card format and the tendency of voters to cast invalid votes. We argue that what we deliver here is the first methodologically refined test of the aforementioned hypothesis. We apply the generalized synthetic control comparative method, proposed by Yiquing Xu (in 2017), and show that the implementation of a complex or ambiguous ballot design can result in a substantial increase in the rate of spoilt votes. We thus demonstrate that ballot paper design matters. Specifically, the results of this study corroborate the existence of a cause-and-effect relationship between ballot paper format and the fraction of invalid votes in the 2014 municipal elections in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphea (localized scleroderma) is an inflammatory connective tissue disease. Borrelia burgdorferi, as a causative factor, has been discussed controversially. The aim of this original study was to evaluate the frequency of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies in groups of morphea and psoriasis patients using the traditional ELISA method. Blood samples of 82 patients with morphea and 112 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were examined for the presence of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies (ELISA). IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies were detected in 4% of blood samples taken from morphea patients, while 4.5% of blood samples from patients with psoriasis vulgaris. There is one major limitation in this study that could be addressed in future research. First, the study focused on the determination of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies as a risk factor for morphea, but other infectious agents also require further testing, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and other viral or bacterial infections. The results of this study showed no significant relationship between Borrelia infection and morphea. Detection of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies is not recommended for routine diagnostics of patients with morphea at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to establish the provenance of materials used in the manufacturing process of the Kościuszko banknotes. The applied methodology is mostly based on Raman investigations carried out using portable and benchtop instruments. Raman analysis allowed to identify smalt, an optical brightener typically used in paper production in the Netherlands. This result was also confirmed by X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry. The Raman investigation of ink and dyes was supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and high‐performance liquid chromatography. The detection of typical local dyes such as reseda (Reseda luteola L.) and madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) suggested that the paper was dyed in Poland. The results also indicate the use of charcoal with an admixture of traces of bone black. Finally, a two‐step manufacturing process was identified. The paper was imported and then dyed and printed in Poland, instead of the original assumption, which was that the paper was manufactured and mass dyed abroad and the banknotes were later printed in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the transformation of the Polish medieval army into a modern one based on the war with the Teutonic Order from 1519-1521. The Kingdom of Poland was ill-prepared for this conflict, and achieved no spectacular victories in battle. Comparing data from treasury materials with documents calling the units to service, we argue that the Teutonic Order was defeated thanks to Poland's much more efficient system of rebuilding military potential; the Order did not have such a system. The Polish could also recruit men from the monarchies ruled by the Jagiellons at the time--Poland, Lithuania, Czechia, and Hungary. The waterway on and along the Vistula River enabled efficient replenishment of military manpower and supplies. We call this internal transportation route of the Jagiellonian states the "Jagiellonian Trail.". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small repository in a cathedral in Poland, storing severely damaged books, was investigated with regard to insects and fungi. Entomological and microbiological surveys were performed to estimate the extent of the infestation and the microbial deterioration of the books. Most of the books were attacked by insects although to varying degrees. They were damaged by tunnels bored by the larvae and filled with larval faeces. Some living larvae and many dead adult beetles were found in the books or in the frass. The larvae and most of the beetles were identified as the common deathwatch beetle Xestobium rufovillosum (DeGeer, 1774). The development of Xestobium rufovillosum in books is an unusual case and has rarely been mentioned in the literature. Several books in the repository were also covered by microfungi, especially by Chaetomium murorum, Ch. elatum, Myxotrichum chartarum, Stachybotrys atra and Epicoccum nigrum. The temperature in the repository varied, depending on the season of the year (2.6 °C – 26.2 °C), while the relative humidity was high (constantly above 65 %). The concentration of the fungal bioaerosol was very high (4,120 cfu/m3). The article includes a list of recommendations pertaining to the elimination of the microorganisms and insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has set the ambitious target of raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 32% by 2030, with a target of climate neutrality by 2050. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of biomass usage in the context of these targets. The paper identifies the progress made between 2013 and 2022 by focusing on a selection of EU countries. The largest bioenergy increments of 130, 77, and 60 PJ were reported for Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. This study evaluates the crucial role of co-generation and heat in EU regions, with biomass usage between 55 and 80% of the combined heat and power (CHP) energy in Nordic countries. The future perspectives for bioenergy based on EU policies, biomass resources, and technical issues were addressed. The EU possesses around 9% of the global biomass supply, ensuring a certain level of biomass resource dependence. Thus, the biomass usage demand in energy production, non-energy sectors, and transport is expected to rise, leading to increments of 13–76% on biomass imports. It appears that bioenergy development is mostly limited by economic issues and uneven support for bioenergy in different EU countries as well as environmental issues. The study shows a promising and sustainable potential of bioenergy in the EU as a renewable energy source while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and the economy. By 2050, liquid biofuels are likely to be increasingly used in the transport sector. Non-energy sector usage of biomass is still in an early stage of development, except for the pulp and paper industry, and significant use of biomass in non-energy sectors seems unlikely in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient and reliable online assessments has become increasingly important in the digital era. We developed a 10-min online word reading assessment of global English based on the existing paper-and-pencil version of our English silent word reading test. The test includes two parts, namely, random word recognition and contextual word reading. A total of 889 participants (437 children and 392 adults; 62.7% female) took part in the study. They were from various regions including mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Poland, the United States, and the Philippines. Reliability and validity analyses on various demographics samples (by age and country/region of origin) demonstrated that the WordSword Test is highly reliable and valid (e.g., the correlation of this test with other English reading measures were above.80). Education level was positively correlated with test performance, while the correlations between age and test performance were not consistent. Ninety-seven children participants also took the paper-and-pencil version of the WordSword Test. The correlation between performances on the online and paper-and-pencil versions of the test was.879, one year apart. With more children and adults taking the WordSword Test, we ultimately hope to establish norms by area, grade level, and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a case study of the dynamic of securitisation of asylum seekers and migrants in Poland since 2015. It uses a unique case of the external actor – the Belarussian government – not merely threatening to escalate the pre-existing situation but actively constructing it by creating new migration flows and forcibly pushing asylum-seekers and migrants into the EU. By reconstructing the discourse and practice of the securitising actor and the intervention of the external actor, the paper shows that the pre-existing securitisation of asylum seekers and migrants in Poland was instrumentalised by the external actor, which led to the further development and intensification of the securitising policies and practices and their justifications. The analysis contributes to our understanding of the securitisation process in the moment of the context change as triggered by an exogenous factor – an intervention by the external actor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As donors channel more of their development assistance through private companies, a discussion is growing on what this shift means for international development. This paper focuses on four Central European donors, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, who have recently implemented new incentives to promote the greater engagement of the private sector in their international development programmes. The paper uses new survey data of project managers at organisations implementing aid projects funded by these four donors to explore how private actors differ in their approaches to aid implementation. The analysis reveals that the type of implementing organisation does not affect their focus on internal project goals (budget, schedule, and scope), but project managers at private firms consider long-term impact and economic sustainability of the project less important. These findings support claims that for-profit organisations exercise a short-term approach to satisfy funders, but lack a deeper focus on long-term development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thorough examination of methane capture from Polish coal mines, contextualized within the framework of the European Union's (EU) climate policy objectives. Through a strategic analysis encompassing the interior of coal mines, the surrounding environment, and the macro environment, this study elucidates the complex dynamics involved in methane emissions and capture initiatives. The key findings include a declining trend in absolute methane emissions since 2008, despite fluctuations in coal extraction volumes, and a relatively stable level of methane capture exceeding 300 million m3/year since 2014. The analysis underscores the critical role of government support, both in terms of financial incentives and streamlined regulatory processes, to facilitate the integration of methane capture technologies into coal mining operations. Collaboration through partnerships and stakeholder engagement emerges as essential for overcoming resource competition and ensuring the long-term success of methane capture projects. This paper also highlights the economic and environmental opportunities presented by methane reserves, emphasizing the importance of investment in efficient extraction technologies. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, particularly regarding the low efficiency of current de-methanation technologies. Recommendations for modernization and technological innovation are proposed to enhance methane capture efficiency and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political landscape of the radical right has long been a major discussion point in the political and social sciences. By considering the variety of radical right organizations (movement parties and non-parliamentary organizations) and the particular national and transnational political and discursive opportunity structures, the paper aims at a comparative analysis of the main discursive frames present in political programs and manifestoes of radical right social movement organizations and movement parties in Poland (Konfederacja Wolność i Niepodległość and Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny) and Germany (Alternative für Deutschland and Identitäre Bewegung Deutschland). Moreover, based on approaches developed by Cas Mudde and Jens Rydgren, this article analyses how the features presumed essential to the radical right (nativism, authoritarianism and populism) are reflected and interconnected in the official discourses of the selected radical right organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy security is among the top security concerns of the 21st century requiring technological answers. However, the technological innovations adopted often not only serve to ensure adequate energy access and stable flow of energy, but also foster specific visions of socio-economic and techno-political orders and security. This paper tweaks the analytical lens of sociotechnical imaginaries, in which desired futures are connected to social and technical elements in concrete cases by adding a focus on identity formation and ontological security to the analytical model. Zooming in on the Baltic Sea Region, the paper traces sociotechnical imaginaries tied to the desired future of energy sovereignty through coal and nuclear energy in Poland and the bright future of energy independence through a liquified natural gas terminal in Lithuania. Nationally embedded understandings of how (in)security can be managed through technological innovation and how the desired national energy visions can be attained in the process highlight the importance of ontological security concerns. In tracing those themes, the paper combines a historical view with developments since the mid-2010s in Polish and Lithuanian energy discourse and analyzes the mainstream energy security imaginaries as envisioned by political elites. The study draws on speeches of key political figures, official documents concerning energy planning as well as semi-structured interviews. The analysis highlights how the study of energy innovation in the Baltic Sea Region can contribute to the conversation between critical security studies and science and technology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an attempt to use data obtained from sodar (sound detection and ranging) for short-term forecasting of PM 10 concentration levels in Krakow. Krakow is one of the most polluted cities in central Europe (CE) in terms of PM 10 concentration. This is due to the high municipal emissions. Thanks to intensive corrective actions taken by the city authorities, these are being effectively eliminated, but the unfavourable topographic location of the city limits natural ventilation. The article describes all these conditions, focusing on presenting the method of short-term correction of air quality for the time needed to take quick corrective actions by the city authorities in the event of anticipated exceedances of the permissible values. Based on several years of measurements of the physical properties of the atmosphere with sodar, the authors of the paper suggest that sodar data could be considered for operational use to generate short-term predictions. The proposed method is based on the use of the spectrum, i.e. the set of amplitudes of signals returning to the sodar receiver from the reflection of a single-frequency sound transmission and its characteristic properties depending on the physical state of the atmosphere. Similar spectra were parameterised with a single numerical value using statistical methods. It was found that, in some cases preceding high concentrations of PM 10 , the spectral parameters had similar values. This made it possible to develop a forecasting method for such concentrations by using data mining to search for conditions in historical data closest to the state of the atmosphere at the time of forecasting. In this part of the study, data from 2017–2018 were used. In the next step, three methods of using the sodar data developed for PM 10 prediction were proposed, comparing them with the method without sodar use. The study results were tested on independent material using data concerning the episodes of high concentrations of pollutants from October 2021 to March 2022 in Krakow. The findings were considered to be encouraging, also taking into account the speed and low cost of preparing the forecast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the activity of HeChalutz HaLochem's members, Szimszon Dränger and his wife, Gusta Dawidsohn-Dränger, in the area of Nowy Wiśnicz in the second half of 1943. Using critical readings of primary sources, new documents, and geographical research, this paper offers a more accurate picture and visualizes the activities of these Jewish resisters. The study found sites that served Szimszon Dränger's group, emphasizing its limited resources and poor infrastructure and operational readiness. This paper addresses the conflict between Szimszon Dränger and local Jews who rejected his effort to renew the armed resistance against the Germans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper briefly discusses the relations between logic and metalogic in history. Metalogic is understood as a reflection on logic in its various senses, particularly sensu stricto (formal, mathematical) and sensu largo (formal logic plus semantic plus methodology of science). It is shown that metalogic in its contemporary understanding arose after mathematical logic had become a mature discipline. Special passage is devoted to metalogic in Poland. The last part of the paper discussed so-called logocentric predicament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pulp and paper industry both uses and produces large amounts of energy and rising fuel prices bring along significant challenges to the sector. Several strategies can be applied in order to remain competitive e.g. an increase in energy efficiency, a switch in fuel and/or a novel energy conversion technology. In this study, we investigate if improved energy conversion strategies can reduce energy costs, primary energy use and CO2 emissions of paper mills within different European countries (The Netherlands, Poland and Sweden). Our results show that differences in history and availability of resources has led to different conversion strategies in the three countries. We found that a natural gas combined cycle, which is largely implemented in The Netherlands due to long term domestic availability of natural gas, has the lowest primary energy demand. Due to a long history of low electricity prices, CHP has not been common in Sweden. Many Swedish mills use biomass as an energy source and due to low CO2 emissions of the national grid the CO2 emission profile of the Swedish paper industry is very low. Our results imply that future conversion routes for the Swedish paper and board industry are again wood based; in case of increasing electricity prices these would be biomass gasification based CHP solutions. With a reduction of 800kg CO2/ton paper on average, a switch from coal to biomass would reduce CO2 emissions in the Polish pulp and paper industry with approximately 0.6Mton/year. A carbon price of 20–25€/ton would, according to our results, be enough to provoke this switch. Due to the high share of natural gas, the CO2 emission reduction potential of the Dutch paper industry (1.5Mton/year) is even larger than in Poland. Due to high biomass prices and relative low CO2 emission profile of natural gas, a carbon prices of more than 60€/ton CO2 would be needed to provoke a switch in The Netherlands. Provided with few alternatives, the most effective strategy in The Netherlands would be an increase in energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Describes how some Jews survived on "Aryan papers" in Poland during World War II and how the experience of passing as non-Jewish influenced survivors. Discusses the role of attachment theory, "true self" and "false self," and posttraumatic stress disorder. Unless otherwise referenced, personal testimonies in this article are drawn from the book Holocaust and Identity: Polish Jews Who Survived on "Aryan Papers": Analyzing Biographic Experience, by Polish sociologist Małgorzata Melchior, and from an original tape-recorded interview with Sima Gleichgevicht-Wasser and Apolonia ("Pola") Gorzkowska-Nikodemska. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the European Union, increasing attention is already being paid not only to the development of renewable energy sources, but also to the establishment of solutions to achieve local energy self-sufficiency while increasing the role of citizens in managing the energy they generate. This approach is expected both to have a positive impact on the environment and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and to enhance energy security—both in economic and civic terms by, i.a., combating energy poverty. The development of local energy communities promoted in the EU is supported i.a. by energy cooperatives. These contribute to the efficient harnessing of renewable energy potential in rural and urban-rural areas, and have been developing in Poland for several years now. In their previous studies, the authors of this research paper attempted to verify the generation (number, type and capacity of installed sources) and consumption (energy demand) configurations in which an energy cooperative would be a viable solution for prosumers who might establish it. However, over the past few years, the conditions for prosumers and the method of their accounting with the electricity seller have changed radically in Poland (shift from net metering to net billing). This situation has opened up space for further research and encouraged the authors to revisit the problem of analyzing the viability of establishing energy cooperatives in relation to the rules of operation of individual prosumers. This research was carried out for three scenarios, and the horizon of the analyses conducted and described extends to 2045. The comparative analysis included energy consumers without their own generation sources, prosumers with a photovoltaic generation installation covered by the net billing model, as well as a scenario involving prosumers' cooperation within an energy cooperative, which by law is settled in the net metering model. Conclusions from the research and simulations made it possible to confirm the claim that, despite changes in the rules of prosumer billing, developing energy independence in the energy community formula results in a significant reduction in the cost of purchasing electricity (even several times lower purchase costs in the timeframe analyzed) and can lead to a reduction in the payback time of investments in generation sources even by a factor of two. The results presented in this research paper open up space for further research. The outcomes allow us to assume that energy cooperatives—in the organizational and institutional model in Poland—are a good tool for reducing the phenomenon of energy poverty on a local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant dearth of knowledge regarding changes in intra-metropolitan local labor markets in former socialist countries, which encompass extensive parts of Eurasia and where industrialization and urbanization were centrally controlled by the state. This paper aims to contribute to the existing body of research by (a) illuminating and explaining changes in the spatial structure of urban regions in Poland during the transition from 'extensive' to 'intensive' socialist urban development (1973-1983), and (b) investigating changes in commuting patterns and their socio-demographic composition during the transition to 'mature' socialism. We selected four major city-regions for analysis: gdański, katowicki, łódzki, and warszawski. These regions were carefully chosen to represent different types of polycentric development and diverse economic profiles. The main findings of our paper are as follows: (a) despite the substantial population growth and the unprecedented rate of new housing development in the four city-regions, the overall impact of the socialist transition to intensive urbanization on their spatial structure was relatively minor, (b) the intensification of urbanization process in Poland contributed to the reduction in commute distance for all socioeconomic and demographic groups of workers. • The impact of the socialist transition to intensive urbanization on the spatial structure of urban regions was relatively minor. • Intensification of the urbanization process in Poland in the 1970s had a significant impact on commuting patterns. • Irrespective of the impact of central planning on urbanization, there were significant differences between the study regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to extend discussion on teachers' leadership within International Baccalaureate schools in Poland. Background for the discussions on leadership in Polish context of education is the term Homo Sovieticus [in English: Soviet Man], a notion associated with sarcastic and critical reference to an average conformist person living in the Soviet Union or in other countries of the Eastern Bloc in Europe, a spineless person who lacks any 'bottom up' initiative. In the paper, it is claimed that teachers' limited leadership in a centrally steered system of teacher training in Poland, demonstrates features of leadership developed according to the Homo Sovieticus model of the citizen. Strong emphasis onto leadership within international culture do not let Homo Sovieticus features and behaviors to develop. In this understanding, international schools with strong emphasis on leadership in Polish post-soviet educational landscape creates path of evolution from stereotypical perception of teachers as passive 'Homo Sovieticus' to leader within school curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper looks at one of the most dynamically evolving migration processes in contemporary Europe – labour migrants in Poland. Poland, until very recently a typical emigration country started receiving large numbers of migrants only after 2014. This process, however, cannot be explained in supply terms only. In fact, it was also a strong structural demand for foreign workers that played at least an equally important role. This newly established migration system has been tested during the pandemic along with policy adjustments and economic changes. We claim that despite the very fact that the 'essential workers' rhetoric was almost absent in the Polish public discourse, foreign workers played a significant role in securing the continuous operation of many sectors of the economy. The paper shows that the role of migration in Poland has changed along with the transition from a net-sending to a net-receiving country, but still it worked as a safety valve during the pandemic. We argue it was possible because of liberal rules regarding international movement and work abroad. By focusing on the role of exogenous shocks and by considering the very specific migration system in Poland, this paper contributes to the growing literature on the labour market-immigration nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Administrative decisions can be influenced not only by policies formulated by elected representatives but also by various external actors. From classic elitist and pluralist theories of community power to urban regime and network governance concepts, academic studies tell us that several institutional and individual actors with no electoral democratic legitimacy may have a significant impact on local government decision-making. In our paper, we ask the question who they are in contemporary Polish cities. Are there any systematic regularities in this respect concerning e.g. how they differ depending on the size of the local community? In this paper we look at the phenomenon through the lens of citizens' perception of the influence on important administrative decisions made in local governments. In this research, we also check whether the style of local political leadership perceived by citizens is reflected in their expectations toward the propensity of local authorities to consider the opinions. Data is collected through a survey conducted on a representative sample of 2,000 Polish citizens who were asked about their perception of the impact of various business and societal actors. The study uses the survey experiment method in which various formulations of the question are randomly assigned to individual respondents, which allows us to measure the perceived influence of individual types of actors. Referring to the recent debate on the limitation of the applicability of regime theory to large cities only, we place a special attention to the impact of city size on the role of big and small businesses as well as various societal organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before full‐scale war broke out in 2022, over 1 million Ukrainians resided legally in Poland. Within weeks of Russia's aggression, around 1.5 million new Ukrainian forced migrants had arrived, many of whom remain in Poland. As of September 2023, 970,000 Ukrainian refugees were still in Poland, where they enjoyed temporary protection status. This paper analyses data from a 2022 survey of both forcibly displaced and pre‐war Ukrainian migrants with the aim of establishing what measures are needed to facilitate the economic integration of the former group. The two cohorts differ in terms of gender, age, family status, ways of seeking employment, employment situation and aspirations. Although 66 per cent of respondents had completed tertiary education, only 30 per cent of the forcibly displaced group had Polish‐language skills. The paper recommends strategies for the provision of language education along with solutions to enable the labour market participation of this group and otherwise support their integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources (RESs) offer key transformative potential from a societal point of view due to their modularity and ability to generate energy at the local level, allowing for the development of grassroots democratic and participatory initiatives. The paper aims to share insights into the processes of creating RES cooperatives in Poland. One of the first cooperatives to be established in the Upper Silesian region in Poland was the energy cooperative (EC) "Our Energy". This study presents an in-depth empirical analysis of a community-based renewable energy cooperative. The study employed a case study methodology, including a SWOT analysis framework, to describe the research subject and identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Key findings indicate that members benefit from stable energy prices and full recovery of the energy produced, and the cooperative is at the forefront of energy-sharing practices that minimize costs through direct transactions with the local municipality. The strategic goals of the EC focus on expanding membership, increasing the number of photovoltaic installations, implementing energy balancing, combating energy poverty, and reducing emissions. Challenges such as financial constraints and a lack of real-time monitoring of energy distribution are acknowledged, and carbon footprint reduction innovations and stakeholder engagement are highlighted as forward-looking approaches. The study highlights the role of cooperatives as a model for community-led sustainable energy initiatives. However, the study acknowledges the limitations of its small sample size, suggesting the need for broader research to understand the impact of collaborative energy on decarbonization. Future research directions are proposed, focusing on the long-term sustainability and socioeconomic impacts of energy cooperatives. This study contributes to the scholarly discourse on renewable energy cooperatives by offering insight into their potential to bridge the gap between energy producers and consumers and support sustainable community development. The main novelty of this paper lies in its detailed examination of a specific renewable energy cooperative, incorporating SWOT analysis, stakeholder perspectives, quantitative assessments, and a forward-thinking approach. This multifaceted analysis contributes to the existing literature on renewable energy initiatives, providing a valuable reference for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall of communism in Eastern Europe did not bring about a radical and immediate destruction of the material heritage of communist dictatorships in the region. In fact, the process of de-commemoration has been more contested and more protracted than had been anticipated. Thus, what warrants a closer consideration is why this is the case since on the whole public acceptance of the regime change has been very high. This paper considers the case of Poland, the country of the Solidarity movement, which played a major role in the fall of communism in the region. The two-decade-long history of the right-wing nationalists' attempts to legislate street renaming culminating in the so-called de-communization law of 2016 will serve as a lens for investigating the responses that favoured the de-communization of public space. The paper argues that the protracted nature of the remaking of public landscape in Poland has been the result of the country's transitional legacies and different approaches to transitional justice among the former dissident opposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of seismostratigraphic interpretation of the Upper Cretaceous sedimentary succession preserved within two synclines flanking the Szamotuły diapir in northwestern Poland. This succession is characterized by a complex Santonian--Campanian internal geometry characteristic of contourites -- that is, deposits formed by contour (bottom) currents. The aim of the present paper is to document these contourites using 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated by the Obrzycko 1 well. The contourite drifts in the immediate vicinity of the Szamotuły structure exhibit elongated mounded shapes, with adjacent concave moats. At greater distances from the diapir, gradual aggradational patterns are observed. The formation of these Santonian--Campanian contourites was associated with growth of the Szamotuły diapir during regional compression and Polish Basin inversion. These contour currents and associated contourites formed an integral part of a regional axial depositional system developed within the flanks of the Mid-Polish Anticlinorium. Furthermore, this paper discusses the potential role of contourites as palaeomorphological indicators of palaeoslopes in varied geodynamics settings, such as inverting sedimentary basins, as opposed to the passive margins upon which they have been most commonly documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sulejów reservoir is one of the largest reservoirs in Poland and is exposed to a large flux of nutrients from both point and diffuse sources, which leads to an excessive amount of eutrophication and cyanobacteria bloom. The underlying inspiration for this paper was to use a 1D HEC-RAS hydrodynamic model to improve the knowledge of sedimentation conditions and the chemistry of bottom sediments in the context of reservoir eutrophication and algae bloom. Field sampling was performed, and chemical concentrations of Total Organic Carbon, Total Phosphorus, and Cadmium were measured in samples from bottom sediments. The deepest parts of the reservoir and the presence of sediment traps coincide with the highest concentrations of organic carbon, nutrients, and heavy metals. The paper has shown that reservoir hydrodynamic modelling and precise bathymetry maps provide very valuable information that can be used for the interpretation of bottom sediment chemistry patterns and for understanding the conditions of sedimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the development of public transport (PT) in rural areas in the context of the implementation of the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept. This paper aimed to indicate whether and how rural areas can use the MaaS concept to develop PT and improve transport accessibility. The financing model for the operation of collective PT in the example of Poland was analysed. The case study Pomeranian Voivodeship was selected due to the strong influence of the Tri-City agglomeration, which does not directly include western parts of the region such as Słupsk County. Several research methods were used: desktop research, case study and GIS analysis. The results highlight that the MaaS concept has the potential to be implemented in rural areas; however, this will be a longterm process and will require advanced cooperation between local authorities, private operators and service providers. This process is dependent on measures being taken to support the use of MaaS at a national level. From the inhabitants' perspective, such changes are a positive direction for PT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines digital archiving policies of open access (OA) electronic scholarly journals in Central Europe. The research sample consists of 1589 journals from nine Central European countries registered in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Results show that of the 1589 journals, 69% of them have an archiving policy. In terms of the number of indexed journals, Poland ranks first with 592 journals. Switzerland is at the forefront of digital archiving with 89% of archived journals. It was also found that Portico and national libraries are the most widely used archives, and that 19% of the preserved journals are archived in more than one archive. A preliminary analysis was also conducted to investigate the possible existence of a relationship between journal rank and digital archiving. The results show a higher number of JCR indexed titles, as well as a higher ranking, among archived journals. The paper also compares the status of archiving policies among Asian and Central European countries. The results reveal that archived journals are significantly more represented in Central European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a multidimensional approach to collective violence. Stemming from the literature on collective violence and intergroup relations, a sociostructural model is proposed, functionally connecting the structure of intergroup relations with the variety of collective violence. Three archival databases on anti‐Jewish pogroms in Poland and the Russian Empire at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries are used to demonstrate the variability of types of pogrom violence and its relations with social structure. The results are discussed in light of various intergroup threat theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adult education is still under-researched, with many terminological ambiguities, clichés, and prejudices. Older adult teacher education and older adult English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education is rare. Many factors can influence EFL teachers of older adults' teaching performance and its perception. Pre-service (presumably inexperienced U3A EFL teachers) and in-service teachers (experienced U3A EFL) were teaching EFL to selected older adults (aged from 64 to 75 years) at the Karkonosze University of Applied Sciences in Jelenia Góra, Poland, U3A. Their teaching Older adult education is still under-researched, with many terminological ambiguities, clichés, and prejudices. Older adult teacher education and older adult English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education is rare. Many facting performance factors list. By utilizing a critical foreign language geragogy and a strengths-based approach inspired by positive psychology, the research emphasized the role of general teaching experience and/or age-targeted teaching experience. And it led to validating the desirable teaching performance factors as factors that defined U3A EFL teaching performance as successful and positively evaluated by given older adult learners, i.e. on a small scale. Based on a qualitative comparative exploratory study, the paper analyses how to approach teaching EFL to older adult learners at a University of the Third Age(U3A). It aimed to design a desirable U3A EFL teaching performance and to validate it on a small scale. It focused mainly on what role teaching experience and official educational study path play. A comparison is made between pre-service (presumably non-experienced U3A EFL teachers) and in-service teachers' (experienced U3A EFL teachers) teaching performance at one selected U3A EFL course and its attendees (aged 64 to 75 years). The study revealed that positively perceived (and successful) teaching performance needs to involve, among others, the following factors: establishing a friendly atmosphere, adjusting materials to the target group and the tempo, becoming partners with learners, and being sensitive to their limitations and barriers and respectful to their wishes and needs. However, within researched countries, pre-service teachers are not being prepared to teach older adults in their formal education path. The teachers' experience plays high role in the ability to adapt and adjust, however the foreign language enjoyment perceived by older adults is universal. It was perceived at both variants, i.e. at pre- as well as in-service teachers' teaching performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland is a case of a state in which the role of legislative bodies in the political system has been gradually reduced at the various levels – national, regional, and local. Recently, this process has been related to executive aggrandisement observed in Poland, but the roots of this phenomenon can be traced back to the political transformation of this country observed after 1989. At the national level, the deteriorating legislative role of parliament manifests itself in four general processes: (1) The executive power treats the Sejm (lower chamber) as a subordinate institution. This involves formally introducing laws forced by the government in the form of proposals written by members of parliament (MPs) (as a way to shorten the legislative process and limit public consultations required by law); (2) Speeding up of parliamentary works – the Sejm is treated as a voting machine and not as a forum where debates and discussion take place; (3) Public consultations are superficial and the regulatory assessment impact is minimal; (4) The influence of the opposition on legislative processes is reduced to almost zero. Similar processes can be observed at the regional and local levels. The subnational legislative bodies are often under the control of executives. Instances of voting with no or limited discussions (favouring the governing majority) can be sometimes observed during the sessions of local and regional councils. This paper analyses the weakening of the legislative function in Poland at different levels, using a qualitative approach and data from desk research, media analysis, in-depth individual interviews and focus group interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on right-wing populists (RWP) in power and their discourses and policy preferences on environmental issues. Through a content and frame analysis of electoral manifestos, party communication and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with party representatives, this paper examines whether ideological or contextual factors (political opportunities) determine RWP positioning on the environment. By focusing on the only three cases in Europe of RWP in government in a prominent position, i.e. alone or as a major coalition partner (also representing key ideological varieties of RWP), Law and Justice – PiS in Poland; Fidesz in Hungary and Lega in Italy, this study shows that ideological positions (and especially differences) are less important in determining RWP environmental discourses than are opportunities and institutionalization. Moreover, we also find that the shared features across these actors reflect a conditional, 'yes-but' environmentalism of these parties, embedded in the discourse of ecological modernization and oppositional, Manichean framing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of research on the influence of risk factors on the implementation of railway investments in Poland (build stage) and deals with a detailed diagnosis of relation between factors. The application of DEcision MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method for the analyses allowed to develop a cause-and-effect model of key factors and analyse the importance of the factors. Eleven factors identified in eariel studies as the most important risk factors were examined. It was found that the factors: errors in the preparation of tender documents (10.38%), errors in project documentation (10.02%), improperly estimated time of completion of the investment by the Employer (9.82%), internal regulations of PKP Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. (Polish State Railways) not coordinated with the provisions of contracts (9.51%) have the highest degree of importance. Factors: too many external institutions involved in the investment process and internal regulations of PKP Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. (Polish State Railways) not coordinated with the provisions of contracts, have the greatest net impact on the other factors. The relations between the factors and factors importance are valuable knowledge for engineers, enabling the project to be implemented according to the planned schedule and investment cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the current state of conservation of historic roof churches located in the Żuławy of Gdańsk (Poland). It also describes the architecture of these temples, the region itself and old carpentry techniques for constructing roof trusses. Interdisciplinary tests were carried out in six churches. The geometry of the load bearing structures, the moisture content and the carpentry technique were specified. The field survey also included visual inspections and non-destructive testing of timber structural elements of the roof constructions. The ground penetrating radar and ultrasonic testing methods were used to assess the structure and extent of the damage to the timber elements. The interdisciplinary research presented in this article is important in the planning of historic buildings conservation works and it might be applied to other timber structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the LCOE for photovoltaics has decreased several times, it is once again gaining popularity. The intensification of the development of PV installations is contributing to the duck curve phenomenon in an increasing number of countries and, consequently, affecting current electricity prices. Decisions on new investments in large-scale PV sources are driven by potential economic and environmental effects, and these, in turn, are subject to locational considerations, both as to the country and its region. In calculating the economic impact of locating a 1 MWp PV farm, it was assumed that the electricity generated by the farm would be fed into the national grid, and that the life of the PV farm would be 20 years. Poland was considered as an example country for the placement of a photovoltaic farm. The authors of this paper proposed that the main verification parameter is the availability of connection capacities to feed the produced electricity into the country's electricity grid. The methodology proposed by the authors for the selection of the location of a PV farm consists of four steps: step (i) identification and selection of the administrative division of a given country; step (ii) verification of available connection capacities; step (iii) (two stages) verification of other factors related to the location of the PV farm (e.g., information on land availability and the distance of the land from the substation), and analysis of productivity at each potential location and electricity prices achieved on the power exchange; step (iv) economic analysis of the investment—analyses of PV farm energy productivity in monetary terms on an annual basis, cost analysis (CAPEX, OPEX) and evaluation of economic efficiency (DPP, NPV, IRR). The greatest impact on the economic efficiency of a PV project is shown by the value of land (as part of CAPEX), which is specific to a given location, and revenues from energy sales, which are pretty similar for all locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bovine mastitis is a widespread disease affecting dairy cattle worldwide and it generates substantial losses for dairy farmers. Mastitis may be caused by bacteria, fungi or algae. The most common species isolated from infected milk are, among others, Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci. The aim of this paper is to determine the frequency of occurrence of bacterial species in milk samples from cows with mastitis from three regions of Poland: the north-east, the south-west and the south. To this end 203 milk samples taken from cows with a clinical form (CM) of mastitis (n = 100) and healthy animals (n = 103) were examined, which included culture on an appropriate medium followed by molecular detection of E. coli, S. aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus uberis, as one of the most common species isolated from mastitis milk. Results: The results obtained indicated that S. uberis was the most commonly cultivated CM species (38%, n = 38), followed by S. aureus (22%, n = 22), E. coli (21%, n = 21) and S. agalactiae (18%, n = 18). Similar frequencies in molecular methods were obtained for S. uberis (35.1%) and S. aureus (28.0%). The variation of sensitivity of both methods may be responsible for the differences in the E. coli (41.0%, p = 0.002) and S. agalactiae (5.0%, p = 0.004) detection rates. Significant differences in composition of species between three regions of Poland were noted for E. coli incidence (p < 0.001), in both the culture and molecular methods, but data obtained by the PCR method indicated that this species was the least common in north-eastern Poland, while the culture method showed that in north-eastern Poland E. coli was the most common species. Significant differences for the molecular method were also observed for S. uberis (p < 0.001) and S. aureus (p < 0.001). Both species were most common in southern and south-western Poland. Conclusions: The results obtained confirm the need to introduce rapid molecular tests for veterinary diagnostics, as well as providing important epidemiological data, to the best of our knowledge data on Polish cows in selected areas of Poland is lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland was the second-to-last country in the Soviet bloc to establish official relations with the PLO – only doing this in March 1976. However, mutual contacts date back to the late 1960s, when Polish military intelligence forged a top-secret relationship with the PLO based around the arms trade. Using a variety of archival sources, this paper seeks to re-assess the relationship between Warsaw and the PLO within the broader framework of Polish policy towards the Middle East from the time of the Six-Day War to the time of opening of the PLO Office in Warsaw in 1976. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates trabecular bone ontogenetic changes in two different Polish populations, one prehistoric and the other historical. The studied populations are from the Brześć Kujawski region in Kujawy (north-central Poland), one from the Neolithic Period (4500–4000 BC) and one from the Middle Ages (twelfth-sixteenth centuries AD), in total 62 vertebral specimens (32 males, 30 females). Eight morphometric parameters acquired from microCT scan images were analysed. Two-way ANOVA after Box-Cox transformation and multifactorial regression model were calculated. A significant decrease in percentage bone volume fraction (BV/TV; [%]) with age at death was observed in the studied sample; Tb.N (trabecular number) was also significantly decreased with age; trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) increased with advancing age; connectivity density (Conn.D) was negatively correlated with biological age and higher in the Neolithic population. These data are found to be compatible with data from the current biomedical literature, while no loss of horizontal trabeculae was recorded as would be expected based on modern osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether religion as an important feature of culture affects the formation of personal and social resilience, thus becoming a developmental factor. A questionnaire surveying a sample of 100 rural residents in the Łowicz Diocese in Poland showed that religion was still 'going strong', being an enduring element of national and local culture. The results from this Polish Catholic region undermine prevailing secularisation theories. The research shows that faith provides a significantly positive strength needed to cope with daily life, as well as during crisis situations. It enables people not only to 'survive' but also to 'live well and creatively'. It supplies needed continuity and enhances community solidarities. By consolidating resilience, religion gives people's lives meaning, and augments subjective senses of wellbeing. As a source of social capital, religion mobilises people into joint activities for the parish and local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic studies preceded by the observation of an unknown mosquito species in Mikołów (Poland) confirmed that it belongs to a new invasive species in Polish fauna, Aedes japonicus (Theobald, 1901), a known vector for numerous infectious diseases. Ae. japonicus is expanding its geographical presence, raising concerns about potential disease transmission given its vector competence for chikungunya virus, dengue virus, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. This first genetically confirmed identification of Ae. japonicus in Poland initiates a comprehensive review of the literature on Ae. japonicus, its biology and ecology, and the viral infections transmitted by this species. This paper also presents the circumstances of the observation of Ae. japonicus in Poland and a methodology for identifying this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear-cutting induces biogeochemical, ecological, and hydrological changes in the soil environment, especially in the conditions of climate change effect. This type of management affects soil carbon sequestration. In this paper, we generalize the effect of clear-cutting in mountainous mixed coniferous forests on the direction of organic matter transformation and the properties of humic substances. Soil samples of dystric Cambisols were taken two and ten years after clear-cutting (CC). Soil profiles located at the same elevation under forest cover without any harvesting were used as references. The contents of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, qualitative and quantitative characteristics of humic substances, as well as the mineralogical composition and the clay-associated C fraction, were analysed. Under mountainous conditions, clear-cutting in the mixed coniferous forest enhanced organic matter decomposition and decreased the low-molecular weight humic fraction. It also caused the accumulation of more stable humic acids, particularly in the upper soil horizons, and resulted in accumulation of humic substances with higher contents of C and O and lower H content in the first years after CC. Clear-cutting in the first two years reduced the aliphacity of humic acids in the topsoil. Ten years after harvesting, a significant increase in aliphacity in the Oa horizon confirmed organic matter recovery. Mixed coniferous forests are more resistant to biotic and abiotic disturbances, which is particularly important in the face of violent weather phenomena related to climate change. Thus, forest management plans should consider the conversion of spruce monocultures to mixed coniferous forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]