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This article attempts to determine the conditions of ecological entrepreneurship in micro-enterprises producing wine in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Currently, the implementation of pro-environmental ideas in local enterprises is of great importance. This is particularly important for micro-entrepreneurs, whose share of GDP in this region is the highest in Poland. The wine industry is deserving of attention because the number of producers has increased greatly in recent years (including in the Lower Silesian Voivodship). In addition to a literature review, the article will present the results of the author's own doctoral research on determining the conditions and manifestations of local entrepreneurship in the Lower Silesian Voivodship on the example of wine production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three decades ago, political science and legal studies took almost no interest in a small region in Central Europe called Upper Silesia. Today, the scholarly literature in many disciplines is growing due, among other things, to the references to the situation of Silesians made by the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in the Fourth Opinion on Poland. However, most of those studies do not include analysis of the most important political context: ethnopolitics in the Republic of Poland, its past and present. In this paper, we aim to explore the dynamic relations between Poles and Silesians and the consequences of those relations on public law. We also analyse the rise of the ethnoregionalist movement in Upper Silesia. Then, we analyse ethnopolitics in Poland in relation to Upper Silesia, especially in the context of Polish national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the 20th century, a discussion on the status of the Silesian ethnolect emerged in Poland. Several years ago, the creative and language activist circles advocating for the linguistic autonomy of Silesian initiated actions aimed at the description and codification of the Silesian language. Among the many published works, only the few-page Wstępne zasady pisowni śląskiej (Preliminary Rules of Silesian Orthography) from 2009 and Gōrnoślōnski ślabikŏrz from 2010 can be considered valuable studies that had a real impact on the development of Silesian literature in the second decade of the 20th century. The relatively general normative decisions presented in these works are revised and extensively expanded in Zasady pisowni języka śląskiego (Rules of Silesian Language Orthography) from 2022. This monograph, which codifies not only Silesian orthography but also elements of grammar and vocabulary, can serve as a foundation for further activities towards the complete standardisation of the Silesian language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Łódzkie Studia Etnograficzne is the property of Polish Ethnological Society / Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article talks about the life and work of ethnologist and anthropologist Martin Gusinde, who dedicated himself to studying and documenting indigenous cultures in Tierra del Fuego and other parts of the world. Gusinde had a scientific and humanistic vocation, and his goal was to preserve and disseminate knowledge about these cultures before their extinction. The Gusinde Foundation, established in 2018, is dedicated to promoting the recovery and dissemination of Gusinde's work. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Athenaeum: Polskie Studia Politologiczne is the property of Faculty of Political Science & Security Studies Nicolaus Copernicus University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of the presented study was to diagnose the role of religious engagement in the social attitudes of young Silesians, operationalized on the continuum of closeness vs. openness in three areas: (1) community engagement, (2) approval for religion’s interference in the public space, and (3) accepting Catholic Church hierarchs’ views on problems such as euthanasia, artificial contraception, homosexual relationships and in vitro fertilization. The group defined in the presented study is young (age: 16-19) Silesians from Śląskie (Silesian) Province, for whom religion is one of the fundamental values and is regarded by scholars as the core of their identity (N=567). The results of the study confirm that religious engagement is a significant predictor of a closed social attitude in two out of three areas proposed in the model. Higher religious engagement promotes the desire to incorporate the approved religious principles into the secular space. Religious engagement is also a significant predictor of acceptance of Catholic Church hierarchs’ views on underlined problems. The analysis did not show any significant relationships between religious engagement in community engagement of young Silesians.

Ethnoregionalist movements across Western Europe are gaining scholarly attention. Central European states usually have limited places in those studies. Still, in Polish Upper Silesia, ethnoregionalist movements have been present since 1989 and have stable support from the inhabitants of the region. Since at least 2002, ethnoregionalists have attempted to secure political representation among the Upper Silesians. Recently registered parties have used the ethnic identity of this minority group as the main tool to gain support in political elections in the region. This article applies social science and political science perspectives to the politicization of ethnicity. These equip the researcher to answer the question: How has Silesian ethnic identity become politicized? In responding, the researcher explores the consequences of the emergence of the ethnoregionalist movement in Upper Silesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of the phonemic-graphemic analysis of the official reports' entries from the early second half of the 16th century, which come from the town council of Sibiu (Hermannstadt) and the Concilium Transylvania Saxonicum. The reports constitute a part of the first liber civitatis of Sibiu (Hermannstadt). The aim of the paper is to answer the question how far the script fixes the features of the spoken language. Due to the analysis it could be unambiguously proved, the German used in the text corresponds to the level of development of the German language within the periodization of history of the language as it contains the standard Early New High German features as well as the dialectal structures and the sound changes, which are characteristic for the Silesian dialect. The text can therefore be classified as one of the linguistic monuments of the East Central German of Silesian tradition. All the results of the exploration are supported with the appropriate examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the National Census of Population and Housing 2011, Silesians are the second largest nationality in Poland. Nevertheless, Silesian nationality is not recognised under Polish law. In this paper, the main aspects of the identity of the Silesian people are discussed. Research was carried out using questionnaire-based interviews in ten municipalities in the Silesian Voivodeship, characterised by the greatest share of Silesians. The ethnic identity of Silesians is complex – more than half of the respondents declared dual nationality. Most of the respondents demand the recognition of the Silesian ethnolect as a regional language, and consequently, its inclusion as a school subject in Upper Silesia. The postulate of establishing autonomy is popular, with a model of the Silesian Voivodeship from the period of interwar Poland.

This article traces changes in Polish administrative approaches toward indigenous Upper Silesians in the 1960s and 1970s. By commissioning reports from voivodeship leaders in 1967, the Ministry of Internal Affairs recognized that native Silesians held reservations toward Poland and, moreover, that postwar "Polonization" efforts may have backfired. These officials further understood the need to act quickly against "disintegration" trends. Although administrators in Katowice and Opole noted that relatively few Silesians engaged in clearly anti-Polish activities, these leaders still believed that West German influence threatened their authority in Silesia. Increasing West German involvement in the area, particularly through care packages and tourism, seemed to support this conclusion. In response to fears of West German infiltration and the rise in emigration applications, local authorities sought to bolster a distinctly Silesian identity. Opole officials in particular argued that strengthening a regional identity, rather than a Polish one, could combat the "tendency toward disintegration" in Silesia. This policy shift underscored an even greater change in attitude toward the borderland population: instead of treating native Silesians as an innate threat to Polish sovereignty, as had been the case immediately after the war, the administration now viewed them as essential for maintaining authority in western Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing interest in the field of coal bed methane (CBM) extraction in Poland shows the demand for rock mechanics data, used to design hydraulic fracturing operations. The elastic response of the rock is typically determined by sonic logging calibrated with laboratory tests. This paper presents the laboratory ultrasonic measurements of the core samples, performed to determine the elastic moduli and brittleness index (BI) of the coal. Tests were performed on 20 core plugs from four coal mines located in the central and southern part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), Poland, characterized by varied maceral composition and mineral additives. The samples were cored out in three directions: perpendicular, parallel, and at a 45° angle to the bedding planes, and tested with the given effective pressure. The majority of the samples were saturated by water with a potassium chloride additive (swelling inhibitor). A P- and S-wave velocity upward trend was observed when the mineral content in the samples increased. Elevated velocities in samples of high mineral content resulted in exceeding the Ed to vd limits for coal as proposed in literature. With increased BI, upward trends in the liptinite and inertinite content as well as a downward trend in the vitrinite content were observed. The dynamic elastic moduli of the measured samples were compared to the available literature data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica is the property of University of Gdansk / Uniwersytet Gdanskim and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annales UMCS, Sectio K (Politologia) is the property of Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Upper Silesia in terms of ethnicity is a typical example of a historical region in Europe, but in fact, one of the few exceptions in contemporary Poland, where its mixed ethnic and religious structures have at least partly survived until today. While their existence had been denied by Nazi Germany (1933-1945) as well as by the Polish People's Republic (1945-1989), the emancipation of the German and Silesian minorities after the democratic changes of 1989 have evoked strong emotions in the ethnically almost uniform country. Nonetheless, the recent situation of minorities has improved as never before. Minority organisations has been officially recognized and German finally has become the second language in some municipalities of Upper Silesia, but the largest ethnic group in the whole country, the Silesians, have still experienced no formal recognition as a national minority. This article deals with the demographic aspects of the ethnic groups in Upper Silesia since the 19th century until recent times. The census results concerning the ethnic minorities or languages in Upper Silesia have been contested since the first records of that kind have been taken. The outcomes of the both last censuses of 2002 and 2011 concerning the minority question reflected for the first time a much more realistic picture of the status quo. Furthermore, they showed that the idea of Silesian identification found an unexpected high number of supporters. This fact indicates an emerging meaning of regional identification amid significant changes of cultural values in Polish society.

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) is a narrow structure delineating the boundary between the Central and Outer Carpathians. It is built of nappes stacked during the Cretaceous and Paleocene and then re-folded in the Miocene during the formation of the Outer Carpathian overthrusts. The internal structure of the PKB at the Polish/Slovakian border first formed during northward nappe thrusting processes, which were most intense at the turn of the Cretaceous to the Paleocene. A secondary factor is the change in strike of the PKB turning from W-E to WNW-ESE, associated with dextral strike-slip faulting in the Carpathian basement (North-European Platform). These NNW-SSE oriented strike-slip fault zones, broadly parallel to the Teisseyre-Tornquist Zone, are responsible for the segmentation of the down-going plate, which influenced the subduction and collision between the North-European Platform and the Central Carpathian Block. Among them, the most important role was played by the Kraków—Myszków Fault Zone separating the Małopolska and Upper Silesian blocks in the Carpathian foreland. Shifts and interactions between the neighboring Pieniny and Outer Carpathian basins—during contemporaneous sedimentation and deformation—resulted in a difficult-to-define, transitional zone. Until now this zone had the rank of a tectonic unit, named “Grajcarek Unit” in Poland and “Šariš Unit” in the Slovak Republic. However, its northern boundary, often taken to represent the Central/Outer Carpathians boundary, is ambiguous. These problems are due to the spatial overlap of thrusting and gravitational flows resulting in chaotic breccias, olistoliths and olistostrome formation, which formed repeatedly and became deformed during the Maastrichtian to Early Miocene. Tectonic deformations in this area gradually vanished towards the north. This zone can therefore be defined as the Peri-Klippen part of the Magura Nappe that lacks a distinct northern tectonic limit. For this reason it is named Šariš Transitional Zone (ŠTZ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship is presented in this article. From the European Union's perspective, Lower Silesia is an example of a less developed region; however, it is also an example of a region that has improved significantly in regards to development due to a change in its innovation model. The purpose of this article is to identify the factors that have had an impact on the change in the region's development path (stimulants), as well as to indicate the weaknesses and barriers limiting further development. This article is based on a review of the literature, statistical data analysis as well as structured, in-depth interviews that were conducted with representatives of regional and local authorities, scientific units and business-related institutions. Recommendations for the regional policy of Lower Silesia have been formulated on this basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author suggests a possible use of postmemory to analyse the contemporary family memory of the people of Silesia. Their memoirs about WW2 (such as working for the Wehrmacht, the Red Army invading Silesia, working in labour camps, nationality verification, displacements to Germany, and deportations to Siberia) bear signs of latent memory which is rarely revealed even to the next of kin. Present mainly within the family circle, within the local society, and among friends, these memoirs integrated Silesians and made them a unique community that considers itself a stigmatized minority. This contributed to mythologizing and stereotyping the whole memory. The family memory of the past events, full of emotions and understatements, often contradicting the official version of history, has been developed by children and grandchildren who tried to learn about it and understand it. As a result of political changes that occurred in Poland after 1989 - which triggered a slow process of memory democratisation and incorporation of Silesians' memoirs into the official history - new academic papers, memoirs, and documentaries were released. This process inspired the second and the third generations of Silesians to share ‘family myths and legends'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Silesians are an ethnic or national group that coalesced in the nineteenth century. During the subsequent century, they survived repeated divisions of their historical region of Upper Silesia among the nation-states of Czechoslovakia (or today its western half, that is, the Czech Republic), Germany, and Poland, which entailed Czechization, Germanization, and Polonization, respectively. The ideal of ethnolinguistic homogeneity, a typical goal of Central European nationalism, was achieved in post-war Poland. After the end of communism (1989) and the country's accession to the European Union (2004), this ideal is still aspired to, though it appears to stand in direct conflict with the values of democracy and the rule of law. The Silesians are the largest minority in today's Poland and Silesian speakers are the second largest speech community in this country after Polish-speakers. Despite the Silesian's wish to be recognized as a minority, expressed clearly in their grassroots initiatives and in the Polish censuses of 2002 and 2011, Poland neither recognizes them nor their language. This inflexible attitude may amount to a breach of the spirit (if not the letter)of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, both of which Poland signed and ratified. The case of the Silesians is a litmus test of the quality of Polish democracy. In order to resolve the debacle, the article proposes a genuine dialogue between representatives of Silesian organizations and the Polish administration under the guidance of observers and facilitators from the council of Europe and appropriate international non-governmental organizations.

The present article is an attempt to provide an answer to a question whether the actions on behalf of obtaining autonomy for Upper Silesia by members of the Silesian Autonomy Movement (SAM), are a threat to, or an opportunity for the Republic of Poland (RP). Before moving on to the principal topic, the author is going to present the research methodology and familiarize the reader with the most important facts about the history of Silesia. Then, the author shall attempt to define the term autonomy. The reader will become familiar with the goals, structure and activities of the Silesian Autonomy Movement. Finally, specific examples of events will be provided along with results of sociological research. The whole will be summed up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive environmental studies taking under consideration the structure of the radiation balance during the vegetation growing seasons of 2001 and 2002 were carried out on the open sandy surface of the area called the Błędów 'desert' located on Silesian Upland. The research in each site covered the composition of plant species, their age and height, the condition of the substratum, the composition and structure of the soil and the meteorological conditions with elements of the radiation balance. The article presents some part of the research on meteorological elements and their impact on ecosystem. Special attention was devoted to radiation conditions on the open sandy surface in the context of the formation of BSC (biological soil crust). Having presumed that the values obtained on the grassy surface constituted 100%, the values of radiation reflection measured on the open sandy surface were 185% higher and the values of net longwave radiation were 105% higher in day time and 137% in night time. Values of net radiation of about 63% lower were observed on the sandy surface during a typical sunny summer day. It was found that a strong irradiation of the sandy surface (26 MJ·m-2d-1) creates extremely difficult conditions for the initiation of the process of ecosystem formation (including BSC or plant succession). The elements of the radiation balance, net radiation, albedo and temperature of the open sandy surface were represented quantitatively. The test surfaces were classified based on the value of the albedo: group I with low albedo values, up to 0.15 (spore-bearing plants on a dark surface), including BSC; group II with mean values of the albedo from 0.16 to 0.24 (spore-bearing plants and seed on a dark grey surface); and group III with high albedo values, above 0.25 (plants growing on bare or loose sands). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of the article concerns the issue of place attachment and its determinants. An analysis of place attachment was performed in terms of place identity and place dependence (Williams, Vaske, 2003). Moreover, links between place attachment and selected geographical (size and type of place, geographical region), demographic (age, sex) and psychological (satisfaction with life) variables were investigated. The study group included 759 respondents: 398 women and 361 men, aged 18-83 years, residing in 74 places in the Silesian Province, a region in Poland: in 10 sub-regions in the Upper Silesian conurbation and outside the conurbation. The study used the Place Attachment Scale (Williams, Vaske, 2003), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, Griffin, 1985) and a personal information section containing questions regarding place of permanent residence, sex and age. Results showed that subjects residing in smaller and non-industrial places had a stronger place attachment than those residing in larger and industrial cities. People living outside the Upper Silesian conurbation were more strongly attached to their place of residence in terms of place identity than those residing in the Upper Silesian conurbation. People living in the Zagłębie (industrial) sub-region were more strongly attached in terms of place dependence than those residing in the Bytom sub-region (devastated with high unemployment). Satisfaction with life was positively correlated with place attachment. Older subjects were more strongly attached to their place of residence. Men and women did not differ in the sense of place attachment and life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper was aimed at assessing the health risk in the populations of three Silesian cities: Bielsko-Biała, Częstochowa and Katowice exposed to the inhalation intake of cadmium, nickel and arsenic present in airborne particulate matter. In order to establish how the exposure parameters affects risk a probabilistic risk assessment framework was used. The risk model was based on the results of the annual measurements of As, Cd and Ni concentrations in PM 2.5 and the sets of data on the concentrations of those elements in PM 10 collected by the Voivodship Inspectorate of Environmental Protection over 2012–2013 period. The risk was calculated as an incremental lifetime risk of cancer (ILCR) in particular age groups (infants, children, adults) following Monte Carlo approach. With the aim of depicting the effect the variability of exposure parameters exerts on the risk, the initial parameters of the risk model: metals concentrations, its infiltration into indoor environment, exposure duration, exposure frequency, lung deposition efficiency, daily lung ventilation and body weight were modeled as random variables. The distribution of inhalation cancer risk due to exposure to ambient metals concentrations was LN (1.80 × 10 −6 ± 2.89 × 10 −6 ) and LN (6.17 × 10 −7 ± 1.08 × 10 −6 ) for PM 2.5 and PM 10 -bound metals respectively and did not exceed the permissible limit of the acceptable risk. The highest probability of contracting cancer was observed for Katowice residents exposed to PM 2.5 – LN (2.01 × 10 −6 ± 3.24 × 10 −6 ). Across the tested age groups adults were approximately one order of magnitude at higher risk compared to infants. Sensitivity analysis showed that exposure duration (ED) and body weight (BW) were the two variables, which contributed the most to the ILCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The role of endogenous vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is still controversial. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate for the first time in women with “classic” PCOS phenotype and healthy controls the role of the serum endogenous vitamin D level and VDR gene polymorphisms in PCOS etiology. Design: Ninety-two women with “classic” PCOS phenotype and 85 controls from lower Silesia with comparable body mass index (BMI) were studied. In all women the waist circumference, android/gynoid fat deposit, parameters of lipid and glucose metabolism, testosterone, free androgen index, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and vitamin D were evaluated. Also, VDR gene polymorphisms rs731236, rs7975232, rs1544410 and rs10735810 were assessed. Results: Serum vitamin D levels in both groups were comparable. Also high, comparable frequencies of hypovitaminosis and vitamin D deficiency in both groups were observed. Women with “classic” PCOS phenotype had statistically significantly higher values of all measured parameters, except serum SHBG and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, which were lower. The frequency of VDR genotype polymorphism was also comparable in both groups. Conclusions: For the first time, we show that endogenous vitamin D deficiency and VDR polymorphisms are not associated with homogeneous “classic” PCOS phenotype. 背景：内源性维生素D和维生素D受体基因多态性在PCOS中的作用扔有争议。 目的：本研究的目的是首次调查典型PCOS表型的女性患者和健康对照组内源性维生素D和维生素D受体基因多态性的血清水平在PCOS病因中的作用。 设计：92名典型PCOS患者和85名体重指数相匹配的西里西亚女性作为对照组进行研究。测量了所有女性的腰围,，臀部脂肪沉积，脂肪和糖代谢，睾酮，游离雄激素指数，性激素结合球蛋白和维生素D。此外还评估了维生素D受体基因多态性rs731236，rs7975232，rs1544410和rs10735810 结果：两组患者的血清维生素D水平进行了比较。发现两组患者维生素缺乏症和维生素D缺乏的发生率是高度匹配的。典型PCOS患者的所有测量参数除了血清性激素结合球蛋白和高密度脂蛋白-胆固醇较低之外，其他均显著升高，具有统计学意义。两组患者维生素D受体基因多态性的发生率也进行了比较。 结论：我们首次表明内源性维生素D缺乏和维生素D受体基因多态性与典型PCOS表型并不相关。 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management / Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie is the property of Silesian Technical University, Organisation & Management Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether polymorphisms of the VDR gene may increase the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) development in Lower Silesian patients in comparison with other populations. Material and methods: 108 AD patients (aged 73.7 ± 8.6) vs 77 healthy volunteers (aged 64.5 ± 7.8) in the Lower Silesian population were studied. We investigated the frequency of the VDR polymorphisms rs731236 (TaqI), rs7975232 (ApaI), rs10735810 (FokI) and rs1544410 (BsmI) in the AD group vs the healthy group. Afterwards, MEDLINE and ResearchGate were studied to compare our investigation with other populations, due to the relatively small group size in our study. Results: We did not observe any significant differences in frequency of genotypes of rs731236 (TaqI), rs10735810 (FokI) or rs1544410 (BsmI) VDR polymorphisms between the two Lower Silesian groups. Frequency of allele A of ApaI in the control group was significantly higher vs AD patients (p < 0.0177) in the Lower Silesian population. Furthermore the difference in the occurrence of allele t in TaqI and allele A in ApaI between AD patients vs the control group was significant (respectively p < 0.0056, p < 0.0140) in British Europeans. This observation may suggest that allele "a" of the ApaI polymorphism is a risk allele in AD Lower Silesian patients. We compared our results with those obtained for the population of British Europeans. In multivariate stepwise regression, allele "A" of ApaI was associated with 30% lower risk of AD (OR = 0.70, p = 0.0009) in total treated Polish and British populations. We did not observe similar results in Turkish and Iranian populations. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the allele "A" VDR genotype of ApaI reduces AD risk, probably depending on ethnic origin and climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial proximity to competitors is an important factor in the acceleration of technological change in industrial systems in most developed countries, but does it also apply to Poland? The main objective of the study was to identify the impact of distance from the nearest competitor on the innovative activity of a selected regional industrial system in Poland. Surveys were conducted in the years 2011-13, including a group of 773 industrial companies in the well-development region. Methodical analysis was based on the theory of probability - probit modeling. The obtained results showed in the Lower Silesia region differences between spatial proximity of competitors and the innovation activity of industrial system compared to most developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of Silesia and Silesians, is an example of "minority histor", „subaltern past“ that in postwar Poland was subjugated to the official vision of the national past, doomed to marginalization and "oblivion". Experiences of Silesians disappeared not only from homogenizing stories of Polish historiography, but also oft en from family transfers. The alteration was brought about by political changes of 1989, which began a period of democratization of memory and „recovering the past" by hitherto marginalized minorities, within the framework of the fight waged by them for the inclusion and representation. The abolition of censorship resulted in the disclosure in the public sphere the memory of the repressed and unspoken beforehand events. The article presents the processes of "recovering the past" undertaken by Silesians aiming to the ethnic emancipation. It is based on empirical research conducted among the Silesian leaders. My researches deal with issues related to the inter-generational transmission concerning events linked to the Second World War and the Upper Silesian Tragedy causes and consequences of discontinuities of transfer associated with discrimination of Silesian historical memory of the community and relationship between communicative memory and cultural memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of universities in Prague, Vienna and Krakow enabled the Silesians to participate to a greater extent in the university culture of late Middle Ages. Although a number of higher education institutions had sprung up in Central Europe in the 15th century, the relationship with the Krakow University proved the most permanent and fruitful.

The article discusses the significant depictions of the eastern Silesian and Pole immigrants in the late nineteenth-century Berlin novels. Among the novels mentioned include Die Grandidiers. Ein Roman aus der französischen Kolonie (1879) by Julius Rodenberg, Irrungen, Wirrungen (1887) by Theodor Fontane, and Kraft (1894) by Fritz Mauthner. It offers exploration on ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic factors of immigration from east territories of Germany and assimilation in Berlin.

The aim of the study was to determine the average length of gestation and its variation in a population of Silesian mares bred during a period of 55 years (1945-2000) in national studs and private farms in southern Poland. Considered was the sex of foals, season, month and year of birth, environmental conditions (national or private breeding centres), breeding history of a mare (number of foals born) and influence of the preceding reproductive period. Gestation period in Silesian mares lasted on average 338.66 days ±13.57 and ranged from 299 (the shortest) to 386 (the longest) days. Gestations lasting from 311 to 356 days were considered normal for the breed. Gestations resulting in a birth of a colt lasted one day longer (339.23±13.44 days compared to 338.19±13.60 days for fillies). Gestations from the autumn reproductive period (October-December), when photoperiods become shorter, were the shortest, whereas gestations from the late spring season (April-June), when photoperiods become longer, were the longest (329.82±10.25 and 341.14±13.87 days, respectively). Significant differences were also found in the length of gestations that ended in particular months: the shortest gestations ended in October (327.45 days ±12.24 days), while the longest in May (342.19±14.19 days). The analysis of the years of foaling, grouped in ten-year periods, showed that the shortest gestations occurred before 1960 (335.41±13.87 days), whereas the longest between 1961 and 1970 (339.64±15.15 days). A slow decrease was observed in the length of gestation in subsequent ten-year periods. Mean gestation period in mares from national studs lasted 5 days longer than that in mares from private breeding centres (334.79±11.21 and 339.60±13.92 days, respectively). The number of foalings did not affect the length of gestation significantly; a small difference was found in the case of multiparous mares (more than eight foals born), whose gestation lasted one day longer compared to remaining mares (338.71±13.52 and 337.46±12.32 days, respectively). Gestations in mares whose preceding reproductive period ended with a miscarriage were the shortest, while gestations in mares that were barren in the previous season were the longest (336.36±13.11 and 340.05±13.71 days, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the report on the journey of Cardinal Friedrich of Hessen-Darmstadt from Rome to Wrocław, undertaken in 1676 to assume governorship of Silesia and real power over the diocese of Wrocław. The report, published in this city soon after the completion of his journey, is now preserved in the Old Prints Department of the Wrocław University Library. This source contributes new facts from the biography of the cardinal -- the founder of the famous St. Elisabeth Chapel alongside the Cathedral of Wrocław, decorated with statues sculpted in Rome. During his journey to Silesia, Friedrich of Hessen-Darmstadt stayed with his retinue in Loreto, Verona and Trento, entertained everywhere with great pomp and ceremony. Then he went to Vienna, where he took part in imperial audiences and was granted the title "Durchlauchtigst". At the end of his journey he went to Nysa and from there to Wrocław. From the art history point of view this travelogue contributes information about the "occasional architecture" and the decoration of the churches in Nysa and Wrocław, liturgical vestments and vessels, and about costumes and vehicles of Silesian dignitaries. From the literature on the subject we know that on the occasion of the arrival of the cardinal to Wrocław three new doors to the local cathedral were founded. The main entrance doors were decorated with relief depicting Jacob's Dream and Joseph in a Well. In the light of the appropriate biblical quotations and commentaries on them these scenes illustrate the idea of the gate to the heavenly Jerusalem as well as the symbolical transition from the sphere of death to the realm of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A Berriasian–lowermost Cenomanian composite stratigraphic section of the Silesian Basin of the Outer Western Carpathians was studied palynologically with an emphasis on quantitative palynomorphs and dinoflagellate cyst distribution. The quantitative composition of the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages reflects a palaeoenvironmental change from inner neritic to outer neritic or oceanic conditions. This change is considered to reflect a relative rise in sea level (according to the 2nd order eustatic curve) and/or tectonic subsidence in the basin. In the lower part (Berriasian to Hauterivian), dinoflagellate cysts characterising a shallow-water environment with variable salinity dominate. The quantitative composition of the dinoflagellate cysts of the latest Hauterivian to early Aptian is characteristic of a deeper shelf environment. In the latest Aptian to Albian, there is already sedimentation in a basinal sedimentary environment (oceanic dinoflagellate cysts are present here as an autochthonous element), with the redeposition of material supplied from littoral to deeper shelf areas. For the composition of palynomorph assemblages, sporomorphs play a more important role in the period from the late Valanginian to the early Aptian. This role is proved by an increased supply of terrestrial material, and it corresponds to a higher amount of black claystones and sandstones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cordaitalean cuticles represent a great deal of the dispersed cuticular assemblages obtained from coal seams of the Upper Silesian Basin. Cordaitalean cuticles are easy to distinguish having stomatal complexes mostly with two polar and two lateral subsidiary cells. The stomata of the abaxial cuticle usually form stomatal rows or stomatiferous bands. The cuticular types obtained from coal of the Upper Silesian Basin are not identical with any “in situ” cordaitalean cuticles so far described. For the purpose of classifying cordaitalean dispersed cuticles and because it was impossible to correlate adaxial and abaxial cuticles within dispersed cuticular spectra, two new fossil genera are erected — Cordaadaxicutis Šimůnek et Florjan, gen. nov. and Cordaabaxicutis Šimůnek et Florjan, gen. nov. Nine species of Cordaadaxicutis and nine species of Cordaabaxicutis are described. They are from the Westphalian Mudstone Series (Załęże and Orzesze Beds) and the Cracow Sandstone Series (Łaziska and Libiąż Beds). Most species were collection from the Duckmantian/Bolsovian Łaziska Beds. The greatest difference between the cordaitalean cuticles from coal and cuticles from mudstones (“in situ” cuticles) is in presence of papillae on cuticles from coal samples. The papillae occur seldom on cuticles isolated from adpressions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Communists had ambitious plans with regard to young people. They intended to educate them in such a way that they would ultimately become the builders of the "new system". Yet this plan turned out to be impossible to implement in Poland where young people were strongly attached to tradition, religion and most importantly, where they were inculcated with patriotic values in their family homes. The communists, who knew that controlling young people would be a difficult process, issued a number of instructions to the security apparatus. The latter concerned among others the ways in which one ought to control the young generation. Young people had to bear the consequences of their independence activities. Following their arrest, they were usually subjected to a brutal investigation which lasted many hours; during these investigations the Intelligence Service (UB) officers usually bullied and harassed the detained. In most cases the investigation ended with drawing up charges and bringing a case to the Military District Court. As a rule, the military courts issued verdicts of a few years imprisonment. After the verdict had been passed, the young people could lodge an appeal to the Supreme Military Court in Warsaw; the latter could lower the sentence, but it could also refer the case for reconsideration with the recommendation that the defendants should obtain the highest possible punishment. After the passing of the sentence, members of youth independence organizations were for instance sent to forced labor camps. When having served their prison terms, they left the detention centers, the security apparatus continued to gather information about them, fearing that the young people will begin to set up independence organizations yet again. Sometimes, the invigilation continued for years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk of waterborne diseases from the perspective of recreational surface water use was discussed. The legislation in force from year 2002 to year 2010, with its amendments, was presented as well as the related changes that have taken effect since 2011. Additionally, the obligations imposed on the control body, i.e. the State Sanitary Inspection, local authorities and the facility owners were discussed in terms of water quality control and assurance of safe use of swimming facilities as well as of general access to information. Risks related to use of water of uncertain quality, both at the time of previous and current laws being in force, were presented in the example of quality analysis of surface waters used for swimming in the Silesian Voivodship. It was shown that the recreational objects where the water had often been contaminated are now no longer available for use. Water quality in the facilities currently open meets the requirements and their annual and the fouryear quality assessment is at least satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an empirical study of semiotic mechanisms of culture. We apply the methodology developed by the Tartu-Moscow School of Semiotics, building also on the criteria of boundary-work dynamics to examine a collected corpus of adverts appearing in Silesian Catholic periodicals (in German and in Polish) from the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. We discuss the cultural implications of the diff erences and similarities in German and Polish ads and propose functional explanations of the results in terms of the notion of boundary confi gurations in a region as a particular structuring of cultural codes. Th e two analytical axes are the social boundary implicated in the use of German vs. Polish on the parameter of 'sacred' (sacrum) reference, and the symbolic border in the use of Fraktur (German script) versus Antiqua (Latin script) (boundary objects). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Petřkovice Member (Carboniferous, Mississippian, Early Namurian) is in many ways the most interesting lithostratigraphic unit of the paralic part of the Carboniferous coal-bearing Upper Silesian Basin (described as the Ostrava Formation in the Czech part or as the Paralic Series in the Polish part). Petřkovice Member represents a transition between the non-coal-bearing Carboniferous flysch sedimentation of the Moravian-Silesian Basin and the coal-bearing sedimentation of the Upper Silesian Basin. The paper includes maps of the basic sedimentological parameters of this unit — thickness, sand content and coal-bearing capacity. The thickness of the Petřkovice Member ranges from approximately 50m in the east of the basin to around 770m in the west and has a clear polarity in the NNW-SSE direction. Sand content ranges from 23% in the west of the basin to more than 90% in the east. Its polarity is approximately the same as its thickness. The greatest coal-bearing capacity, expressed as total thickness of the coal layers with a thickness greater than 10cm, is known from the Czech part of the basin, where it exceeds 25m in places. In the majority of the Polish part of the basin the Petřkovice Member''s total coal content is less than 5m, at times up to 7m. However, in this part of the basin their level of recognition is very low. On the basis of the above parameters 3 assumed zones of differing mobility in the basin''s bedrock are defined in the Petřkovice Member''s area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]