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The present article analyses data on ego-centred networks from a nationally representative sample of Polish citizens (egos) and their regular conversation partners (alters). In the study being used, apart from obtaining information from the respondent (the ego) about characteristics of their friends (alters), the respondent was additionally asked to provide contact details for his/her alters and the interviewers traced them. This allows to compare data concerning alters obtained from ego and from alters themselves. In the first part of the article, a comparison for three characteristics – age, education and occupational status – is provided as well as patterned differences are presented. In the second part, the issue whether the assessment of the strength of homophily depends on the source information about the alters is raised. The differences are present, although they are rather slight. The authors observe greater homophily when they rely on the responses of the ego. Based on the results, recommendations for future research on ego-centred networks are formulated.

Radość sprawiedliwych żyjących w przymierzu z JHWH i doświadczających Jego zbawczego działania, wyraża się w Ps 33 jako „nowa pieśń”. W swojej historii Izrael ciągle spotykał się z mocą słowa i „rady” Boga, stając się świadom swej wyjątkowości. Lud Boży doświadczył także, że nieustannie przebywa pod opiekuńczą Opatrznością Boga zapewniającą mu ochronę i pomoc. Dochodzi to do głosu w wyrażeniu myśli o Bogu jako Stwórcy wszystkiego oraz Panu historii, od którego zależny jest cały znany człowiekowi świat. Przed Bogiem Izraela nie ostoi się żadna siła ani potęga, dlatego drżą przed Nim lud i narody, które żyją według swych praw i politycznych planów. Jednak każda siła wojskowa jest niczym przed zasiadającym na tronie w niebie JHWH. Ps 33 nie posiada eschatologicznego charakteru, a jego obrazy słowne wskazują na historię oraz aktualnie przebiegające życie jako tajemnicę i cud zawsze i ciągle urzeczywistniające się w stwórczym dziele oraz historii. Przeanalizowany psalm wskazuje więc na ostateczne panowanie Boga w tym sensie, że ludzkie potęgi, moce i panowania są przemijające, Jego zaś władanie przemienia świat w coraz to nową rzeczywistość.

The commodity market is a key element of the global economy. It is influenced by the political and economic situation of the major participants on the supply and demand side, as exemplified by the geopolitical and economic situation related to the conflict in Ukraine. Another aspect of this influence is the close relationship between commodity markets and financial markets. Both factors contribute to the possibility of the commodity market becoming subject to contagion, resulting in the transfer of supply and demand shocks and volatility. The aim of this article is to identify the commodities that are the source of contagion (volatility) during the transmission of shocks and the increase of systematic risk in selected periods. Combining traditional network theory with vector autoregression (VAR) model, we aim to estimate systemic linkages as a measure of systemic risk and the contagion process underlying it. We used time series of commodity returns from the Refinitiv Eikon database to observe the relationships between commodities during crisis periods, starting from 2006. The results suggest that the commodities with the largest increase in volatility transmission compared to the pre-crisis period acted as a transmission gate for market shocks. First published online 12 December 2024

Abstract The mining bee (Andrena spp.) play a key role in ensuring plant and animal diversity. The present study examines their diversity in a post-agricultural landscape exemplified by the Kampinos National Park (KNP), a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Poland. The following hypotheses were addressed: (H1) the mining bees demonstrate a narrow ecological amplitude, (H2) there are no indicator species for particular habitats, and (H3) the studied mining bees have the same ecological preferences to those presented in the literature. A total of 40 catch per unit effort samples (CPUE) were collected across various habitats with different soil humidity. Forty-six species were recorded, representing 46% of mining bees and approximately 10% of the known Polish bee fauna. Nineteen of the recorded species (41%) were assigned to CR-NT threat categories, indicating that the national park plays a significant role in preserving mining bee species diversity and their conservation. None of the hypotheses (H1, H2, H3) were confirmed. The mining bees were found to demonstrate a wide ecological amplitude. Surprisingly, habitats located in dry and wet soils were both characterised by high abundance and species richness. Seventeen indicators were distinguished among the dominant and rarer species. Our findings suggest that Andrena nigroaenea and A. ventralis (lower humidity), as well as A. alfkenella and A. minutuloides (higher humidity), have different significant relationships with habitat soil humidity to those reported in the literature.

Abstract Background Mental health service providers are increasingly interested in patient perspectives. We examined rates and predictors of patient-reported satisfaction and perceived helpfulness in a cross-national general population survey of adults with 12-month DSM-IV disorders who saw a provider for help with their mental health. Methods Data were obtained from epidemiological surveys in the World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Respondents were asked about satisfaction with treatments received from up to 11 different types of providers (very satisfied, satisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, very dissatisfied) and helpfulness of the provider (a lot, some, a little, not at all). We modelled predictors of satisfaction and helpfulness using a dataset of patient-provider observations (n = 5,248). Results Most treatment was provided by general medical providers (37.4%), psychiatrists (18.4%) and psychologists (12.7%). Most patients were satisfied or very satisfied (65.9-87.5%, across provider) and helped a lot or some (64.4-90.3%). Spiritual advisors and healers were most often rated satisfactory and helpful. Social workers in human services settings were rated lowest on both dimensions. Patients also reported comparatively low satisfaction with general medical doctors and psychiatrists/psychologists and found general medical doctors less helpful than other providers. Men and students reported lower levels of satisfaction than women and nonstudents. Respondents with high education reported higher satisfaction and helpfulness than those with lower education. Type of mental disorder was unrelated to satisfaction but in some cases (depression, bipolar spectrum disorder, social phobia) was associated with low perceived helpfulness. Insurance was unrelated to either satisfaction or perceived helpfulness but in some cases was associated with elevated perceived helpfulness for a given level of satisfaction. Conclusions Satisfaction with and perceived helpfulness of treatment varied as a function of type of provider, service setting, mental status, and socio-demographic variables. Invariably, caution is needed in combining data from multiple countries where there are cultural and service delivery variations. Even so, our findings underscore the utility of patient perspectives in treatment evaluation and may also be relevant in efforts to match patients to treatments.

On-grid hybrid wind–solar systems are one of the best sustainable solutions for developing distributed generation, as they can provide a stable and reliable electricity supply, effectively using the potential of the two most common renewable energy resources. In Ukraine, promoting the development of on-grid hybrid wind–solar power plants takes on particular importance under conditions of electricity shortages caused by the large-scale destruction of the energy infrastructure due to the ongoing hostilities. This article examines the economic efficiency of installing such power plants in the residential sector of Ukraine under different state support schemes. This study was conducted for on-grid hybrid wind–solar systems of various configurations and installed capacities with different equity and debt capital proportions involved in implementing investment projects. This study’s results highlight the economic efficiency of the feed-in tariff compared to the net billing for households investing in such facilities and emphasize the need to improve policy measures to increase their investment attractiveness.

Background: Enabling, supporting and promoting positive health-related behaviours is critical in addressing the major public health challenges of our time, and the multifaceted nature of behaviours requires an evidence-based approach. This statement seeks to suggest how a much-needed enhanced use of behavioural and cultural science and insights for health could be advanced. Study design and methods: and methods: Public health authorities of Europe and Central Asia and international partner organizations in September 2023 met in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss the way forward. Drawing on 1) country reporting to WHO, 2) interview study with public health authorities and 3) the meeting deliberations, this meeting statement was developed. Results: The meeting statement presents a joint call for step-change accelerated use of evidence-based approaches for health behaviours. Actionable next steps for public health authorities and international and regional development partners in health are presented. Conclusions: The way forward involves increased resource allocation, integration of behavioural insights into health strategies, advocacy through case and cost-effectiveness examples and capacity building.

Objectives The work is devoted to the description of the e-learning environment as an element of the information system for ensuring the activities of the university. The relationship between the processes of building a digital economy and digitalization of the educational system is shown. During 2019-2022 there was a certain evolution from classroom learning, to distance learning synchronous and asynchronous learning. Based on bibliometric analysis, it is possible to formulate the purpose of the article: a description of a student-oriented university information system and an asynchronous e-learning system. Material and methods The information base for this study is based on scientific articles, monographs by Ukrainian and foreign authors and the authors' own empirical research. The main method of the study was bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer software tool to analyze the relationships between different categories and build maps to visualize the interconnectedness between them in publications indexed by the Scopus database. Results The information system for organizing the educational activities of the university includes autonomous blocks, which at the same time are important links in the process of ensuring the quality of e-learning. The e-learning environment, including asynchronous, requires not only content creation, but also organizational and technical support for online, blended, or remote learning. Conclusions An effectively organized e-learning system will create an effective environment in which the goals of sustainable development will be achieved through the provision of quality education and the achievement of economic growth. The use of various types of distance learning can be useful for other countries under certain circumstances regarding movement restrictions.

The quantity and distribution of summer rainfall in Poland is one of the main elements of weather and makes a strong impact on the economy, mostly agriculture, stockbreeding, and forestry and the associated industries. Droughts or heavy rains, occurring increasingly more frequently in summer, are a threat for human activity. This study presents a nearly 500-year-long reconstruction of precipitation in the June–July period for northwestern Poland based on an analysis of tree-ring widths in the native oak species (Quercus spp.) from 24 study plots located in Western Pomerania. Due to the frequent droughts occurring in the last four decades, and due to strong air pollution in the 1960s–1990s, we chose the period 1901–1941 as the calibration period. The performed reconstruction is characterized by a high annual variability in precipitation sums for June and July of the year of the tree-ring formation from 1565 to 2020, with an average rainfall sum for this period equal to 131.7 mm (standard deviation: 28.4 mm). Periods with rainfall shortages in summer occurred in the following years: 1579–1596, 1629–1637, 1650–1655, 1669–1672, 1703–1706, 1739–1748, 1757–1760, 1765–1768, 1808–1811, 1838–1841, 1856–1859, 1958–1961, 1965–1968, 1981–1983, and 2002–2006. Periods with higher than average rainfall in June and July occurred in the following years: 1573–1578, 1605–1609, 1613–1617, 1638–1642, 1694–1698, 1776–1780, 1791–1794, 1828–1831, 1852–1855, 1863–1866, 1877–1879, and 1944–1946. Our reconstruction was verified based on the historical records, available from the XVI century onward. Not all the reconstructed summer precipitation values, however, were confirmed by historical records. Notably, however, the historical data are often incomplete and imprecise. Further, the tree-ring width in the oak depends not only on the precipitation in June and July but also, e.g., on the pluvial conditions late in the previous growth season.

The sharing economy substitutes owning with accessing, promoting sustainable development by reducing excessive consumption and resource overuse, which harm the environment. Sharing reduces resource and energy use, lowering emissions and waste disposal costs, thus reducing environmental damage. This study identifies key factors that encourage Generation Z to embrace the sharing economy for goods and services, emphasizing its role in sustainable development. Conducted in May 2023, the study surveyed 442 Polish Generation Z individuals to examine their attitudes and behaviours regarding climate change. The research focused on this demographic due to their crucial role in addressing global issues. Data was collected using the CAWI method and analyzed with IBM SPSS and AMOS software through structural equation modelling (SEM). The analysis revealed three factors: Willingness to Share for Savings (WSS), Digital Customer Engagement (DCE), and Environmental Concern (EC). The results show that ecological concerns and digital engagement significantly influence people’s willingness to share, boosting environmental awareness and cost-saving behaviours. Generation Z’s sharing propensity and environmental consciousness are significantly shaped by digital engagement.

This paper presents the sociological research carried out among Polish and Ukrainian students concerning the importance of family within their life. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate the differences and similarities in the perception of this fundamental group unit of society. The research was conducted at a unique time, as it was during the ongoing period where Ukraine has been a country at war, in addition to the epidemic outbreak of COVID-19. It was assumed that these special circumstances as well as the cultural differences would influence the perception of marriage and family. In a threatening situation, a person can change their former value system, priorities, and the most important life goals. In addition, the observed social and cultural changes that are taking place in both countries - albeit not at the same time and to the same extent - affect the way young people see their vision of the world, and in particular in what family model they would like to spend their future, and also whether they think about starting a family at all.

The dominance of plastics in the packaging market is due to their low weight and thickness, which save transportation costs. However, their non-biodegradability poses a significant threat to the environment. Paper, on the other hand, is considered as a safer alternative due to its natural composition and biodegradability. The porous structure of paper limits its application in packaging, and its poor water resistance further restricts its use in humid environments. Therefore, lamination is a method useful tool to improve the barrier properties of paper. Additionally, the researchers are focusing on developing biodegradable and water-based coatings with anti-fat properties as a green alternative to plastic packaging. The impact of a new grease-resistant coating composed of starch, gelatin and sodium alginate on the mechanical properties of paper was investigated through tensile, tearing, and bursting strength tests. The results showed significant improvements in the mechanical properties of the coated paper sheets. Furthermore, the biodegradability test indicated that the paper samples coated with the new composition showed a 50% weight loss after one week of incubation in the soil, and after three weeks, they exhibited 100% weight loss, demonstrating their outstanding biodegradability.

Abstract Nests of Lindenius pygmaeus armatus were examined in northern Poland in Kowalewo Pomorskie and Sierakowo. Adults were encountered from late May to late July. The nests were built in sandy areas and wasteland. Seven nests were observed, of which two were dug up and their structure was examined. The channel was approximately 2.5 mm in diameter and 8–10 cm in the length. The material removed during digging was placed near the nest entrance. The main burrow led to 3–5 cells. The cocoons were approximately 5–7 mm long and 2.5–3.5 mm wide. Females of L. p. armatus provided their nest cells with chalcid wasps averaging 14 prey items per cell. Parasitoids Myrmosa atra and kleptoparasites Senotainia conica were observed entering the burrows. Both females and males of L. p. armatus were detected on the flowers of Achillea millefolium, Peucedanum oreoselinum, Daucus carota, and Tanacetum vulgare. The article also includes phylogenetic relationships of Western Palearctic Lindenius species.

Abstract Recent research has shown that moral character judgments are prone to the liking bias—well-liked people are seen as morally superior to disliked or neutral ones. However, whether moral information about their past behavior would moderate the liking bias is still an open empirical question addressed in present studies. In Study 1 (N = 653), participants updated their biased moral character impressions when moral information about the target was introduced after the liking induction. In preregistered Study 2 (N = 601), when moral information about the target was presented before the liking induction, moral information had a stronger impact on moral character judgments than liking. Study 3 (N = 398) showed that moral character impression updating was three times greater when moral information was presented after (vs. before) the attitude induction. Further analyses of changes in participants’ moral judgments certainty revealed that moral information reduced their uncertainty stronger than attitudes. In effect, the latter were more amenable to updating than information-based judgments. Thus, we present evidence that moral information updates moral character impressions biased by liking. Nevertheless, liking also, but to a lesser extent, updates moral character impressions initially grounded on moral information. We propose that certainty about others’ moral character explains when and how moral information limits the impact of attitudinal influences on moral character judgments.

This study of digger wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) was carried out in the cultural landscape of the Drwęca, Lower Vistula, and Warta river valleys in northern Poland during 2011–2013. The study was undertaken on sites representing a succession gradient from dry grasslands to high levels of tree cover which we hypothesised would influence the structure of digger wasp communities. During our research additional information on flower use, insect prey, and phenology was also recorded and is reported here, revealing dependencies between woodland cover and both the prey and nesting types of digger wasps. A total of 136 species were recorded, i.e., nearly 56% of all Spheciformes species recorded from Poland. Among the species collected, 30 were on the Red List of Threatened Animals in Poland. Most endangered species were recorded in psammophilous grasslands, which are open habitats, and the least in mesic sites. These results significantly update the known distribution of the digger wasp in northern Poland. Knowledge on the biology of digger wasps in Poland is also supplemented by information on the feeding of larvae of 14 species and information on food plants visited by imago digger wasps. The results of our research confirm the correlations between the increase in forest cover and the number of digger wasp species.

Abstract Background Mental healthcare is delivered across service sectors that differ in level of specialization and intervention modalities typically offered. Little is known about the perceived helpfulness of the combinations of service sectors that patients use. Methods Respondents 18 + years with 12-month DSM-IV mental or substance use disorders who saw a provider for mental health problems in the year before interview were identified from WHO World Mental Health surveys in 17 countries. Based upon the types of providers seen, patients were grouped into nine mutually exclusive single-sector or multi-sector ‘treatment profiles’. Perceived helpfulness was defined as the patient’s maximum rating of being helped (‘a lot’, ‘some’, ‘a little’ or ‘not at all’) of any type of provider seen in the profile. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the joint associations of sociodemographics, disorder types, and treatment profiles with being helped ‘a lot’. Results Across all surveys combined, 29.4% (S.E. 0.6) of respondents with a 12-month disorder saw a provider in the past year (N = 3221). Of these patients, 58.2% (S.E. 1.0) reported being helped ‘a lot’. Odds of being helped ‘a lot’ were significantly higher (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.50–1.89) among the 12.9% of patients who used specialized multi-sector profiles involving both psychiatrists and other mental health specialists, compared to other patients, despite their high comorbidities. Lower odds of being helped ‘a lot’ were found among patients who were seen only in the general medical, psychiatrist, or other mental health specialty sectors (ORs = 0.46–0.71). Female gender and older age were associated with increased odds of being helped ‘a lot’. In models stratified by country income group, having 3 or more disorders (high-income countries only) and state-funded health insurance (low/middle-income countries only) were associated with increased odds of being helped ‘a lot’. Conclusions Patients who received specialized, multi-sector care were more likely than other patients to report being helped ‘a lot’. This result is consistent with previous research suggesting that persistence in help-seeking is associated with receiving helpful treatment. Given the nonrandom sorting of patients by types of providers seen and persistence in help-seeking, we cannot discount that selection bias may play some role in this pattern.

Artykuł ma na celu przybliżenie potencjału kulturowego Spycimierza oraz wskazanie możliwości jego wykorzystania dla rozwoju turystyki. Biorąc pod uwagę zasoby miejscowości związane z dziedzictwem przyrodniczym, historycznym, zachowanymi i kultywowanymi tradycjami oraz zaangażowaniem wspólnoty mieszkańców, autorzy podejmują próbę stworzenia produktu turystycznego „Spycimierz ‒ kwiatowa wieś”, uzupełniającego i uatrakcyjniającego dotychczasową ofertę Uniejowa i okolic. Przygotowanie produktu turystycznego, będącego częścią tej oferty, nie tylko powinno przynieść lokalnej społeczności określone korzyści ekonomiczne, ale także dodatkowo zintegrować wspólnotę wokół innych działań niż wspólne przygotowywanie uroczystości religijnych.

The genera Trichrysis Lichtenstein, 1876 and Chrysidea Bischoff, 1910 from India are reviewed. A new species, Trichrysis poseidonia sp. nov. from India and Nepal is described. Trichrysis bengalensis (Mocsáry, 1889) is revalidated from the previous synonymy with T. lusca (Fabricius, 1804). Trichrysis inops (Gribodo, 1884) is recorded from India for the first time. The lectotype of Chrysis spectrum Wickwar, 1908 is designated. Chrysis mendicalis Cameron, 1897 is transferred from the genus Trichrysis to the genus Chrysidea. Keys and illustrations are provided for the identification of the eleven species of Trichrysis and the four species of Chrysidea so far known in the country, including a Sri Lankan species.

The article discusses the problem of the migration phenomenon in Italy. The first part of the paper presents the analysis of the current migration events on the Italian territory. Next the author presents briefly the teaching of the Catholic Church about the problem of immigrants. The second part will be dedicated to qualitative research by analyzing the content of catholic-inspired scientific journals and popular magazines about the migratory phenomenon in Italy. The research was conducted in July-August of 2016. The research results are made based on the analysis of 100 articles found in journals published between the years 2011 and 2016.

Salesian educational work with street children has its origins in the educational practice of Fr. Bosco. Currently, hundreds of Salesians around the world are involved in education of street children. Salesians’ commitment to working with street children is a clear example of the continua­tion of Fr. Bosco’s practice of working with the poor and homeless children and with those without prospects for the future. In this article, the author seeks to look at the specificities of Salesian educa­tors’ influence on children and adolescents (methods of action while working with street children, goals). The theoretical part will be enriched with qualitative research conducted in May 2017. The research results are based on an analysis of the content of the available websites in dozens of countries in the world.

The laser surface modification of metallic implants presents a promising alternative to other surface modification techniques. A total of four alloyed metallic biomaterials were used for this study: medical steel (AISI 316L), cobalt–chromium–molybdenum alloy (CoCrMo) and titanium alloys (Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al7Nb). Samples of metallic biomaterials after machining were subjected to polishing or laser modification in two different versions. The results of surface modification were documented using SEM imaging and roughness measurement. After modification, the samples were sterilized with dry hot air, then exposed to citrate blood, washed with PBS buffer, fixed with glutaraldehyde, sputtered with a layer of gold and imaged using SEM to enable the quantification of adhered, activated and aggregated platelets on the surface of biomaterial samples. The average total number, counted in the field of view, of adhered platelets on the surfaces of the four tested biomaterials, regardless of the type of modification, did not differ statistically significantly (66 ± 81, 67 ± 75, 61 ± 70 and 57 ± 61 for AISI 316L, CoCrMo, Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al7Nb, respectively) and the average number of platelet aggregates was statistically significantly higher (p < 0.01) on the surfaces of AISI 316L medical steel (42 ± 53) and of the CoCrMo alloy (42 ± 52) compared to the surfaces of the titanium alloys Ti6Al4V (33 ± 39) and Ti6Al7Nb (32 ± 37). Remaining blood after contact was used to assess spontaneous platelet activation and aggregation in whole blood by flow cytometry. An in-depth analysis conducted on the obtained results as a function of the type of modification indicates small but statistically significant differences in the interaction of platelets with the tested surfaces of metallic biomaterials.

The paper presents an evaluation of the surface quality and properties of multilayer coatings, obtained using cathodic arc evaporation, of the same structure, in which the top layer is a CrN chromium nitride layer. The second components of a double-layer module with a thickness of 400 nm and a thickness of each layer about 200 nm are two component TiN, Mo2N systems and three component TiAlN and CrCN systems. In studies using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy, the surface density of the macroparticles of the coating and their dimensions were estimated. The largest amount of macroparticles was recorded on the surface of the TiAlN/CrN coatings and the lowest on CrCN/CrN and Mo2N/CrN coatings. Their adhesion to steel substrates using a scratch test and Rockwell test and wear were also investigated. The results indicated that the melting point of the cathode material directly affected the number and size of the macroparticles on the surface of the growing coating. The number of macroparticles increased with the lowering of the melting point of the cathode material. All the coatings showed good adhesion with the critical load Lc2, greater than 60 N with a hardness above 20 GPa. The Mo2N/CrN coating, despite its relatively low critical load compared to the other tested coatings, had the best wear-resistant properties, which was probably due to the Mo2N → MoO3 transformation.

In this article, the authors tackle the issue of Salesian social rehabilitation perceived from the point of view of the paradigmatic foundations of contemporary social rehabilitation. The scientific goal of this article is to look at the Salesian preventive system through the prism of the paradigmatic foundations in modern social rehabilitation. The article is based on the analysis of available literature on the subject. The analyzes undertaken allow to state that the Salesian preventive system fits into the paradigms of social rehabilitation in the Polish context. Therefore, the presented analyzes prove that this system correlates with paradigms functioning in contemporary social rehabilitation practiced in relation to socially maladjusted youth.

In this paper, we present a novel approach to task planning based on an intelligent expert system that makes it possible to obtain a conclusion based on linguistically characterized knowledge. The main goal of the proposed task planning system is to arrange and display tasks for the solver in an effective way. Therefore, the system shows the most important tasks first and then the less important ones (in a determined ordering). The solver has a list of tasks arranged according to their importance at each time the task list is displayed. Another goal of the system is to show the effectiveness of all subordinate workers (solvers) for the manager. The expert knowledge contained in the system is characterized by three linguistic descriptions: determination of the task importance, determination of the final task importance, and determination of the efficiency of the task solvers. The system shows the ordered task list in real time. Evaluation of the relative and final importance of the tasks is performed periodically. The system has been implemented as a WEB application and verified on real data set. We also present experimental results of our system.

Research background. Cellulose is an ingredient of waste materials that can be converted to other valuable substances. This is possible provided that the polymer molecule is degraded to smaller particles and used as a carbon source by microorganisms. Because of the frequently applied methods of pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials, the cellulases derived from thermophilic microorganisms are particularly desirable. Experimental approach. We were looking for cellulolytic microorganisms able to grow at 50 °C and we described their morphological features and biochemical characteristics based on carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activity and the API® ZYM system. The growth curves during incubation at 50 °C were examined using the BioLector® microbioreactor. Results and conclusions. Forty bacterial strains were isolated from fermenting hay, geothermal karst spring, hot spring and geothermal pond at 50 °C. The vast majority of the bacteria were Gram-positive and rod-shaped with the maximum growth temperature of at least 50 °C. We also demonstrated a large diversity of biochemical characteristics among the microorganisms. The CMCase activity was confirmed in 27 strains. Hydrolysis capacities were significant in bacterial strains: BBLN1, BSO6, BSO10, BSO13 and BSO14, and reached 2.74, 1.62, 1.30, 1.38 and 8.02 respectively. Rapid and stable growth was observed, among others, for BBLN1, BSO10, BSO13 and BSO14. The strains fulfilled the selection conditions and were identified based on the 16S rDNA sequences. BBLN1, BSO10, BSO13 were classified as Bacillus licheniformis, whereas BSO14 as Paenibacillus lactis. Novelty and scientific contribution. We described cellulolytic activity and biochemical characteristics of many bacteria isolated from hot environments. We are also the first to report the cellulolytic activity of thermotolerant P. lactis. Described strains can be a source of new thermostable cellulases, which are extremely desirable in various branches of circular bioeconomy.

Autorzy — opierając się na wypowiedziach z epoki, tzn. z XVI i pierwszej połowy XVII w. — upominają się o rolę normalizacji w procesie kształtowania się polskiego języka literackiego. Skonfrontowanie normalizacji językowej z grafizacją w tym procesie pozostawiają do osobnego opracowania.

Introduction Population ageing constitutes an increasing medical, social, and economic burden worldwide. Optimal senior policy should be based on well-assessed knowledge on the prevalence and control of age-related diseases, multimorbidity, disabilities, and their social determinants. The objective of this paper is to describe the assumptions, methods, and sampling procedures of the PolSenior2 survey, which was aimed at characterising the health status of old and very-old adults in Poland. Material and methods The project was conducted in the period 2018–2019 as a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of people aged 60 years and over. Subjects were selected using three-stage stratified and proportional random sampling in seven equally sized (n = 850) age groups. The study protocol consisted of face-to-face interviews, specific geriatric scales and tests, and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements performed by well-trained nurses at participants homes as well as blood and urine sample laboratory tests. Results In the Polsenior2 study a group of 5987 subjects underwent the questionnaire parts of the survey, and almost all (n = 5823) agreed to blood or urine sample collection. Conclusions In recent decades several studies focused on various aspects of elderly health and life conditions had been carried out in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. However, none of them is so complex and has covered so many issues as PolSenior2, which is the largest study devoted to the health status of older persons in Poland and one of the largest and the most comprehensive in Europe. The results of the study will help to improve health policy targeted at the elderly population in Poland.

The concept of obtaining uniform and high-precision 3D models of large and complex engineering structures based on terrestrial laser scanning surveys highly depends on the accuracy of registering a series of adjacent scans. If it is not possible to place the required number of reference points in the observation scene, and there are no identifiable structural elements that could serve as such reference points, the issue can be solved by using the virtual reference points. The virtual reference points are not marked, but their position can be re-created in the post-processing of the scans on the basis of the geometrical features of the object. In the case of an industrial chimney, these can be the structural axis points determined at arbitrarily selected altitudes. In the solution presented herein, the coordinates of the reference points were independently determined twice: in the geodetic coordinate system using traditional method, in the local system of the scanner using the bisector of the chord of the circle, and by approximation of the circular arc shape of the chimney shell. Both procedures are preceded by the filtration of outliers. The concept of virtual reference points was verified by the measurement of the verticality of the axis and the structural geometry of a steel industrial chimney, which was accessible only on the foundation level.

Biorąc pod uwagę wrażliwość współczesnych banków na wzrost ryzyka bankowego, można zaobserwować swoistą ucieczkę w kierunku alternatywnych usług finansowych i związanego z nimi ryzyka. W badaniu rozważono następujące problemy badawcze: „Czy transakcja faktoringowa pozwala na ograniczanie ryzyka transakcyjnego przez bank?”, „Czy na rynku usług faktoringowych w Polsce występują zjawiska, które mogą sugerować preferencyjne podejście banków do ryzyka faktoringu w kontekście obsługi klientów korporacyjnych?”. Artykuł stanowi podsumowanie wstępnego etapu badań nad ryzykiem transakcji faktoringowych w działalności bankowej. Celem badania była ocena percepcji ryzyka transakcji faktoringowej przez bank w kontekście wybranych statystyk rynku faktoringowego w Polsce. W badaniu wykorzystano metodę analizy piśmiennictwa, metodę porównań w czasie wybranych danych statystyki rynku faktoringu oraz metodę indukcji w kwestii wnioskowania i ustalenia dalszych kierunków badań. Alternatywne usługi finansowe, do których należy faktoring, dzięki elastycznej formie i zróżnicowaniu oraz możliwości wyłączenia z bilansów bankowych stają się coraz bardziej atrakcyjną formą finansowania klientów korporacyjnych banku – zwłaszcza krótkoterminowego.

The wide range of applications of wood are due to its strength properties. The mechanical properties of wood in various parts or directions are different. The complex structure of wood and its hygroscopicity prevent the use of coolants and lubricants, resulting in rapid tool wear disproportionate to the hardness of the processed material. This significantly affects machining efficiency and the quality of the processed surface. It seems that an effective method of reducing tool wear is its modification with a thin hard coating produced by the Physical Vapor Deposition or Chemical Vapor Deposition methods. The article presents tool materials used for woodworking, areas for improving the efficiency of their work, and the impact of thin hard coatings on the increase in tool durability, including binary coatings and also doping with various elements and multilayer coatings. Scientific centers dealing with the above-mentioned subject are also mentioned. A brief review of the effects of surface modifications of woodworking tools in the context of their durability is presented. It was found that the most promising coatings on tools for woodworking were multilayer coatings, especially based on chromium. Higher wear resistance was demonstrated by coatings with a lower coefficient of friction. This value was more important than hardness in predicting the service life of the coated tool.

The author, referring to data from over ten years ago (owing to a lack of more recent data), presents the Polish language as – contrary to a common stereotype – one of the most largely spoken languages in the world. On the list of the world’s largest languages in descending order, Polish is ranked at the end of the top twenty, or, more likely, just outside the top twenty (Alfred F. Majewicz convincingly argues that a more accurate placing of Polish is impossible).

Background. A study reveals – against to common beliefs –less support between rural area residents in comparison to town-dwellers and significantly higher support for healthy, not for poor health research participants. Objectives. The aim of our paper was comparing support from spouse/partner, relatives, friends and strangers among people with good and ill physical health. A next purpose was to find differences of social support and experience of social undermining in urban and rural residential settings. Material and methods. The study “Epidemiology of Mental Disorders and Access to Mental Health Care, EZOP – Poland” was carried out on random sample of 24 000 of Poland residents and a 50,4% response rate, 10 081 computerassisted personal interviews. Of those respondents, 4 000 constituted a sub-sample asked to complete the social networks and support section of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed by age, gender, residential setting and marital status for statistically significant differences in the percentage of functional and structural social support being reported, using the chi-squared test with a significance level of 0.05 used to reject the null hypothesis (H0 = lack of relationship between variables). Results. A majority of respondents maintain that in difficult life situations, family and a close network of friends and acquaintances make it possible to openly discuss problems and obtain help. However, respondents who rate their health as “poor” or “very poor” significantly less often than healthy individuals experience support coming from their relatives, friends, or strangers. In comparison to urban areas, the extent of social support in rural areas is significantly limited. The rural setting offers less support and even less opportunities for interaction with relatives, friends, acquaintances and strangers. Negative social factors– low levels of trust, isolation from friends and family, lack of a social life, lack of a helpful neighborhood – are conditions significantly more often found in the countryside than in urban areas. Conclusions. Results obtained from the EZOP study shows that amount of social support received is higher in urban areas and among those who enjoy better physical health.

Biogas production within cooperatives and energy clusters that include both food businesses and biogas plants seems to be a good way to both improve financial health and increase energy self-sufficiency. The paper assesses the financial health of more than 2100 food businesses operating during the period of 2014–2020; the analysis was based on data from public statistics. The financial analysis carried out using the ROS (Return on Sale) indicator and the SI for the study (saving indicator) showed that the average SI/ROS increased by more than 2.78-fold over the study period. Moreover, for 185 powiats, the observed growth remained above average over a period of one to five years. The application of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method allowed the relative efficiency of biogas utilization to be calculated at the powiat level (former LAU level 1). It was found that the utilization of biogas potential within cooperatives and energy clusters grouping food businesses is most effective mainly for urban powiats.

Statin use and its impact on long-term clinical outcomes in active cancer patients following acute myocardial infarction (MI) remains insufficiently elucidated. Of the 1011 consecutive acute MI patients treated invasively between 2012 and 2017, cancer was identified in 134 (13.3%) subjects. All patients were observed within a median follow-up of 69.2 (37.8–79.9) months. On discharge, statins were prescribed less frequently in MI patients with cancer as compared to the non-cancer MI population (79.9% vs. 91.4%, p < 0.001). The most common statin in both groups was atorvastatin. The long-term mortality was higher in MI patients not treated vs. those treated with statins, both in non-cancer (29.5%/year vs. 6.7%/year, p < 0.001) and cancer groups (53.9%/year vs. 24.9%/year, p < 0.05), respectively. Patient’s age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.05, p < 0.001, per year), an active cancer (HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.89–3.11, p < 0.001), hemoglobin level (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09–1.20, p < 0.001, per 1 g/dL decrease), and no statin on discharge (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.61–2.78, p < 0.001) independently increased long-term mortality. In MI patients, simultaneous diagnosis of an active cancer was associated with less frequently prescribed statins on discharge. Irrespective of cancer diagnosis, no statin use was found as an independent predictor of increased long-term mortality.

W niniejszym artykule autorzy podejmują zagadnienie resocjalizacji salezjańskiej postrzeganej z punktu widzenia paradygmatycznych podstaw współczesnej resocjalizacji. Celem naukowym tegoż artykułu jest spojrzenie na salezjański system prewencyjny przez pryzmat paradygmatycznych podstaw obowiązujących we współczesnej resocjalizacji. Artykuł opiera się na analizie dostępnej literatury przedmiotu. Podjęte analizy pozwalają stwierdzić, że salezjański system prewencyjny wpisuje się w paradygmaty resocjalizacji w kontekście polskim. Ukazane analizy dowodzą zatem, że system ten koreluje z paradygmatami funkcjonującymi we współczesnej resocjalizacji praktykowanej w stosunku do młodzieży niedostosowanej społecznie.

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BACKGROUND:Systematic collection of mortality/morbidity data over time is crucial for monitoring trends in population health, developing health policies, assessing the impact of health programs. In Poland, a comprehensive analysis describing trends in disease burden for major conditions has never been published. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides data on the burden of over 300 diseases in 195 countries since 1990. We used the GBD database to undertake an assessment of disease burden in Poland, evaluate changes in population health between 1990-2017, and compare Poland with other Central European (CE) countries. METHODS:The results of GBD 2017 for 1990 and 2017 for Poland and CE were used to assess rates and trends in years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Data came from cause-of-death registration systems, population health surveys, disease registries, hospitalization databases, and the scientific literature. Analytical approaches have been used to adjust for missing data, errors in cause-of-death certification, and differences in data collection methodology. Main estimation strategies were ensemble modelling for mortality and Bayesian meta-regression for disability. RESULTS:Between 1990-2017, age-standardized YLL rates for all causes declined in Poland by 46.0% (95% UI: 43.7-48.2), YLD rates declined by 4.0% (4.2-4.9), DALY rates by 31.7% (29.2-34.4). For both YLLs and YLDs, greater relative declines were observed for females. There was a large decrease in communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disease DALYs (48.2%; 46.3-50.4). DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) decreased slightly (2.0%; 0.1-4.6). In 2017, Poland performed better than CE as a whole (ranked fourth for YLLs, sixth for YLDs, and fifth for DALYs) and achieved greater reductions in YLLs and DALYs than most CE countries. In 2017 and 1990, the leading cause of YLLs and DALYs in Poland and CE was ischaemic heart disease (IHD), and the leading cause of YLDs was low back pain. In 2017, the top 20 causes of YLLs and YLDs in Poland and CE were the same, although in different order. In Poland, age-standardized DALYs from neonatal causes, other cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, and road injuries declined substantially between 1990-2017, while alcohol use disorders and chronic liver diseases increased. The highest observed-to-expected ratios were seen for alcohol use disorders for YLLs, neonatal sepsis for YLDs, and falls for DALYs (3.21, 2.65, and 2.03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:There was relatively little geographical variation in premature death and disability in CE in 2017, although some between-country differences existed. Health in Poland has been improving since 1990; in 2017 Poland outperformed CE as a whole for YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs. While the health gap between Poland and Western Europe has diminished, it remains substantial. The shift to NCDs and chronic disability, together with marked between-gender health inequalities, poses a challenge for the Polish health-care system. IHD is still the leading cause of disease burden in Poland, but DALYs from IHD are declining. To further reduce disease burden, an integrated response focused on NCDs and population groups with disproportionally high burden is needed.

We agree with Doliński (2018, this issue) that behavior is disappearing as an object of study of contemporary social psychology and it has been increasingly replaced by verbal declarations of imagined behaviors, which are analyzed as dependent variables. We read this as a case of a methodological version of Gresham’s law: “bad methods drive out good”. We notice a complementary trend on the side of manipulations of independent variables. Instead of manipulating real situations, researchers frequently instruct their participants to imagine these situations. In effect, social psychology drifts to studying imaginary behaviors in imagined situations and this poses a serious threat for the validity of our findings. We present one study comparing responses to imagined and actually experienced situations (concerning moral judgment and trust) and find that these two types of situation produce divergent responses. We conclude that imagined situations cannot be a source of knowledge about responses in situations that people really experience.

Artykuł jest próbą charakterystyki istotnych czynników mających znaczenie w procesie konkurowania przedsiębiorstwa na rynku. Z całego wachlarza niematerialnych zasobów organizacji gospodarczej, zdolności adaptacyjne należą do dynamicznych zdolności przedsiębiorstwa dynamic capabilities. Badania nad tą teorią zostały zapoczątkowane i rozwijane głównie przez Teeceg’o. Zdolności te pozostają w kanonie paradygmatu zasobowego i są kluczowym czynnikiem sukcesu na współczesnym rynku, w warunkach bardzo agresywnej walki o klienta. Są one determinowane ciągłymi zmianami otoczenia biznesowego i zdolnością dostosowania się do pojawiających nowych uwarunkowań. Zdolność adaptacyjna przedsiębiorstwa jest szczególnie widoczna chociażby w kontekście budowy i dostosowania się do istniejących powiązań międzyorganizacyjnych (sieci), gdzie kluczową korzyścią jest m. in. ograniczenie ryzyka czy dotarcie do wiedzy innych organizacji w strukturze, umożliwiając budowę przewagi konkurencyjnej. Należy podkreślić, iż teraźniejsze środowisko gospodarcze oraz szybkie zmiany dokonujące się w nim dają szansę jedynie na tworzenie krótkotrwałych przewag konkurencyjnych co związane jest głównie ze zjawiskiem emulacji zasobów niematerialnych organizacji będących impulsem do pojawiania się tego typu zachowań

This article presents the historical progression of changes and arguments indicating the need to move from fossil energy sources to the green economy in the European Union (EU) countries. It shows trends in the EU’s climate and energy policy compared to the rest of the world. At the same time, it points to the elements of the necessary compromise between the climate requirements and the energy security of countries and their economies. The aim of the article is to present the main quantitative challenges for the development of the green economy in the EU, which are analyzed from the perspective of the year 2030. For this year, specific values have been established to be achieved by European countries in several fundamental areas. On the other hand, the strategic goals and further development perspective are included until 2050. This undoubtedly indicates the complexity of the issue, which is intensified as a result of the various economic and political strategies of many European Union members. At the same time, as part of the analysis carried out, efforts are made to develop concepts and practical recommendations for the development of a green European economy.

Structural changes occurring in the crude oil market have stimulated the emergence of hypotheses suggesting that the relationship between prices of this raw material and the US dollar exchange rate can gradually become similar to that observed between oil prices and exchange rates of the currencies of the countries whose revenues from the export of this resource are a significant part of their current account balance. The purpose of this study was to determine and evaluate the time-varying dependence between oil prices and the exchange rate of the US dollar in the context of the same relationship for the Chinese, European, Japanese, Saudi, and Russian currencies. The results of our analyses implicate that a negative correlation between the variables in question grows stronger in time periods preceding global shocks and during thereof. The dominance of the USD in the crude oil market is reflected in similar characteristics of the correlations of the currencies of other countries, such as China, countries of the Euro area, or Japan. As for countries exporting crude oil, the situation varies. The results of our research suggest the lack of a stable relationships between prices of crude oil and currency exchange rates. It is also impossible to observe a long-term, unequivocal tendency of the currencies of oil exporting countries being positively correlated with oil prices. Russia was the closest to this situation. In Saudi Arabia, a positive correlation emerged during moments of crisis.

There are currently many job portals offering job positions in the form of job advertisements. In this article, we are proposing an approach to mine data from job advertisements on job portals. Mainly, it would concern job requirements mining from individual job advertisements. Our proposed system consists of a data mining module, a machine learning module, and a postprocessing module. The machine learning module is based on the SDCA logistic regression. The postprocessing module includes several approaches to increase the success rate of the job requirements identification. The proposed system was verified on 20 most searched IT job positions from the selected job portal. In total, 9971 job advertisements were analyzed. Our system’s verification is finding all job requirements in 80% of analyzed advertisements. The detected job requirements were also compared with the Open Skills database. Based on this database and the extension of IT job positions with other typical job skills, we created a list of the most frequent job skills in selected IT job positions. The main contribution is the development of a universal system to detect job requirements in job advertisements. The proposed approach can be used not only for IT positions, but also for various job positions. The presented data mining module can also be used for various job portals.