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The paper refers to sublocal units within metropolitan governance, focusing on Wrocław in the context of multi-level governance and good governance. In Poland, such units function as ancillary units of municipalities (gminy). The paper describes their legal status and functioning within the Polish territorial government and discusses selected urban districts (powiaty). The analysis is based on legal acts and interviews with people involved in the local and sublocal government in Wrocław. The organisation of metropolitan governance based on smaller units is an efficient solution applied in cities worldwide, however, in the case of Wrocław, the borough model leaves a broad potential to develop this element of municipal management structure. Currently, a clear concept of their role in the city is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Electrogastrography (EGG) is a noninvasive diagnostic method recording gastric electrical activity with electrodes affixed to the abdominal wall overlying the stomach. The paper presents consensus on EGG with respect to indications, methodics, interpretation of the results in different age groups, as well as advantages and possible limitations of this diagnostic method reached by a panel of experts from leading Polish gastrointestinal clinics (children and adults) and research centres frequently applying this highly sophisticated technique who met at the 1st National Symposium on the Importance of Electrogastrography in Clinical Practice in Wroctaw on 12th of December 2009. Indications: According to the experts, EGG might be of some value in diagnostics and follow-up, predominantly in a variety of functional gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, aerophagia, cyclic vomiting syndrome, functional abdominal pain, functional diarrhea, functional constipation, nonretentive encopresis and some organic disorders, e.g. gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis, chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, postoperative and drug-induced dismotility, cystic fibrosis, hyper-/hypothyreosis, Parkinson's disease, anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa or renal failure. Methodics: Proper recording requires a set of optimal conditions like a warm and quiet room, thorough skin preparation and comfortable but relatively motionless supine or slightly reclining position. Typical EGG, usually carried out after withdrawal of agents affecting gastric motility prior to examination, consists of a fasting recording for 30-60 minutes followed by a short break for food intake (a test meal) and then postprandial examination lasting from 60 to 120 minutes. Interpretation of the results: Raw signals obtained during the examination undergo a visual and computer evaluation. The analysis of parameters characteristic for a traditional single channel EGG like dominant frequency (DF), dominant power (DP) or power ratio (PR) enables to define the final recordings as normogastria (2.4-3.7 cycles per minute - cpm), bradygastria (<2.4 cpm), tachygastria (>3.7 cpm), non-specific rhythm pattern, lack of postprandial power increase or uninterpretable waveform due to, for example, motion artefacts or other technical problems. Normal values may differ according to age of the patient. Uncoupling of slow waves, defined as the lack of synchronization between different parts of the stomach, is what a novel method known as multi-channel EGG can show due to simultaneous recording of signals with a help of four channels. In addition, multi-channel EGG enriched the range of parameters to be interpreted and striving for its application should be advised. However, clinical significance of some of these new indices deserves further study. Advantages and disadvantages of EGG: EGG is a noninvasive, relatively easy to perform and repeatable diagnostic method and, most likely, a valuable complementary tool in diagnostics and monitoring of the treatment of motility disorders in both children and adults. Nevertheless, EGG neither diagnoses unequivocally any specific disease nor is a substitute for other diagnostic modalities like a manometric study or scintigraphy. Moreover, EGG results may not enhance the currently available choice of medical therapy. In spite of the fact that the list of its indications is growing fast, there are still a lot of questions to be answered (selection of a test meal, quality improvement in signal acquisition, positive impact of the disclosed abnormalities on the management of affected patients, characteristics of the pathophysiology of EGG dysrhythmias, clinical significance of transient dysrhythmias, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport management, drivers' control and verification of the tasks performed by them, as well as fuel consumption control, are some of the many activities the realization of which belongs to the transport management staff. Systems using GPS satellite navigation, called GPS monitoring systems, are a kind of tools supporting transport management. The GPS monitoring system is composed of elements that, when connected, permit to determine the position and the speed of the vehicle with a precision of several meters, and permit to transmit the acquired data from additionally mounted gauges to the base. The object of the presented paper is the analysis of the use of the monitoring system in one of the firms of road transport branch in Wroclaw. The firm has implemented the system in its 40 vehicles in order to assure the possibility of improving the control of its workers and improving the quality of the performed service. A short diagram of the construction of the GPS system is presented, as well as the principle of position determination with factors influencing the precision of the positions being determined. The most important profits for the firm, resulting from the application of the monitoring system are described. An analysis has been performed of data resulting from vehicle counters of the distance covered compared with kilometers acquired from the GPS, and data concerning refueling according to invoices compared with data from the vehicle device; the analysis concerned the period from 1 January 2006 to 31 January 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper the problem of optimization of controlling the work of a larry car in transport-warehouse systems is discussed from the theoretical point of view. The selection, functioning and rational operating of technical assemblies in systems of the so called "intelligent warehouse" is described, according to verification research carried on with the use of appropriate experimental installations at the Faculty of Mechanics of the Wroclaw University of Technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular functioning of the organism of a city calls for the organization of logistically integrated systems in various areas of activities of the city, among them what concerns maintaining of cleanness and order, what is permanently disturbed by a continuous production of waste material, called communal waste when generated by the inhabitants and industrial waste generated by the industry functioning on the terrain of the city. There exist proofs that already 9000 years before J.C. waste being consumption residue was stored outside of the settlements. It can be supposed that people secured themselves against smell, parasites and "visits" of wild animals. In the case of an activity that consists in cleaning the city one can talk about logistics being understood as planning, organizing, realizing en controlling the flow of waste material from the place of its forming, through waste gathering, treatment (connected with recuperation), and finally rendering the waste harmless by methods of storing, in order to fulfill legal requirements concerning environment protection, with involving optimal financial means. The principles of city waste management are regulated by several legal law-based acts, by several accompanying orders and many regulations of local governments. Beneath, a chronological list of fundamental laws in this domain is presented: • The "Law concerning the obligation of maintaining cleanness and order in the community" (Journal of Laws 1996, Nr. 132, pos. 622), • The "Law concerning environment protection" (Journal of Laws 2001, Nr. 62, pos. 627), • The "Law concerning waste material" (Journal of Laws 2001, Nr. 62, pos. 628), • The "Law concerning the obligations of the undertaker" (Journal of Laws 2001, Nr. 63, pos. 639), • The "Law concerning the road transport" (Journal of Laws 2004, Nr. 204, pos. 2088). The law concerning the obligation of maintaining cleanness and order in the community is binding for the local authorities in the domain of organizing a rational system of management of waste generated on the terrain of the community. The presented paper presents a system implemented in conditions of the Wroclaw agglomeration by the enterprise WPO ALBA -- the entity with the most important scope of activity in that domain. The city of Wroclaw is an agglomeration with faculties of a district, with a population of 634.000 inhabitants, functioning on a surface of 292,8 km2, what signifies a population density of 2165,2 persons/km2 (data of 2001). In the community of Wroclaw 90.640 entities of national economy were registered. The number of working people (without economic entities with less than 9 working persons and without persons working in individual farms) amounted to 192.500 in 2002, and 179.900 in 2003. The city has generated in 2001: • 230 000 Mg of communal waste, • 295 300 Mg of other waste (without communal waste), • 39 732 dam³ of industrial and communal liquid wastes that required cleaning treatment, and emitted industrial air pollution with the following amounts, namely: • 2513 Mg (dust contamination) and • 1989551 Mg (gas contamination). In the framework of cleaning activity the city, the total of carried away waste amounted in 2001 to: • solid wastes 804.9 dam³, among them 504.4 dam³ in apartment buildings; • liquid wastes 158.8 dam³, among them 152.8 dam³ in apartment buildings. There are more than 70 enterprises that are dealing with carrying away waste material. These unities have to possess a license to perform an activity consisting in gathering waste material. Such licenses are granted by the Waste Management Administration on the basis of regulations of the law concerning maintaining cleanness and order in communities. In this domain, it is the firm 1. WPO ALBA S.A., which plays the dominating role.… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]