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Copyright of Opole Studies in Administration & Law (OSAO) / Opolskie Studia Administracyjno-Prawne (OSAP) is the property of University of Opole / Uniwersytet Opolski 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.)

Effective implementation of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the main challenges in regard to the organization of local energy microgrids with buildings. One of the solutions is the use of dynamic building façades with photovoltaic (PV) panels, in particular the innovative perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This paper describes a case study performed on a pilot installation of perovskite PV panels located in Poland, Central-Eastern Europe. Results of preliminary measurements on this installation are provided in terms of verifying its energy efficiency and the possibility of selecting settings for the façade dynamics control system. Our experiments have considered the sun-tracking mechanism and its energy consumption as well as the impact of weather conditions at different times of the year. The energy efficiency results for the PV system, with average levels below 10%, are rather low. Therefore, even small energy savings in the operation of the PV system itself are significant. Changes in control scenarios for sun-tracking have been proposed and have obtained a reduction from 5% to 1% of energy consumption in autumn and from almost 3.2% to 0.6% in spring, in relation to overall energy produced by the PV system. The need for further experimental research from the perspective of the development and extension of the analyzed installation is pointed out as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, typically inherited as a recessive trait, is a genetic condition predominantly observed in Central and Eastern Europe, with birth prevalence in Poland amounting to 1/118,336. In most European countries, e.g., in Poland since 2014, this disorder is included in newborn screening. Case Presentation: This paper presents the ophthalmic symptoms of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency in three pediatric patients. Visual acuity testing, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed and data were collected over several years (2017–2022). In case 1, a female born in 2010, exhibited abnormalities in the central part of the posterior pole, mainly in the macula, and included choriocapillaris atrophy and severe disruption of the outer retinal layer. Case 2, a female born in 2012, presented with progressive shortsightedness and choroid atrophy documented with angio-OCT. Case 3, a male born in 2013, experienced recurrent hospitalizations due to metabolic decompensations and presented with mild myopia, thinning of the choroid layer, and slight pigment dispersion with macular sparing. Conclusion: The main ophthalmic symptoms of LCHAD deficiency were choroidal atrophy, disorganization of the outer retinal layer, and myopia. Choroidal atrophy and pigment dispersion were consistently the earliest signs of LCHAD-associated chorioretinopathy. Although the progression of chorioretinopathy in each case resulted from metabolic decompensation, one documented case revealed that not every metabolic crisis results in ophthalmological changes. Nonetheless, strict adherence to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet remains crucial to prevent gradual deterioration and vision loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Central European Political Studies / Środkowoeuropejskie Studia Polityczne is the property of Faculty of Political Science & Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz 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.)

This paper compares the integration of third-country youth in Poland and Hungary in two Central Eastern European contexts characterized by a hostile sociopolitical environment for migrants, right-wing policies, illiberalism, and regression in various related policy areas. Our article is based on a three-year EU-funded research project that investigated the integration of migrant youth in precarious circumstances (MIMY). It uses data from qualitative interviews conducted with migrant youth and thus focuses on the migrant's perspective while exploring how coping and navigating such hostile environments occurs. The analysis is based on the concept of migrant agency in extremely difficult and complex sociopolitical situations. Our findings highlight the particular importance of the latter in these hostile environments. We argue that while the withdrawal of the state from integration has created difficult contexts for migrant youth, they exhibit different forms of agency, enabling them to adapt to opportunity structures. While these forms of agency are important and real, the structural constraints imposed by hostile states' anti-immigration and anti-integration attitudes significantly limit migrants' options for coping with everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we overview the benefits of cereal-grain legume mixtures in low-input farming systems and identify the key factors affecting their agricultural performance. The review was based on the data collected from databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The gathered literature covered the original research articles, reviews, book chapters, and, in a few cases, conference proceedings. The focus was on literature coming from Mediterranean countries and Central-Eastern Europe, especially from Poland. Originating from two different plant families, legumes and cereals complement each other. The legumes provide biologically fixed nitrogen for the cereals in the mixture, but also increase its pool available to the following crops. Additional benefits include, but are not limited to more efficient pathogen and weed control, supply of high-quality fodder, and improved economic efficiency. Cultivation of crops after such mixtures usually results in higher and more stable yields. The productivity of cereal-grain legume mixtures largely depends on the soil factors (soil type, pH, water availability, etc.), crop species, crop variety, and crop management. Cereal-grain legume mixtures are particularly relevant to the poor (sandy) soils which are often unsuitable for the production of the components grown as a sole crop and are often linked with low-input farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RESPECT Index (RI) is the first index of socially responsible companies in Central and Eastern Europe and has been operating in Poland since 2009. In accordance with its philosophy, the RI includes listed companies showing the highest standards of quality in corporate governance and information governance regarding their impacts on the natural environment, society, and employees. Do the non-financial reports of these companies confirm that they meet these standards? This article attempts to answer that question, which aim can also be described as the qualitative assessment of the non-financial reports of the largest listed Polish companies in the RESPECT Index, with particular emphasis on analyzing the structure and content of the companies' non-financial information disclosures. In order to achieve this goal, the paper first defines non-financial information and its usefulness to stakeholders in modern enterprises. Secondly, the paper discusses problematic aspects of non-financial reporting. And the third part of the paper is a qualitative analysis of the non-financial reports of 12 out of the 31 Polish companies in the RESPECT Index. Finally conclusions are that the research conducted confirmed a wide variety of these companies' disclosures, and on the other hand, exposed some deficiencies in published reports, including their narrative character, limited comparability across time and space, and lack of external verification. All this shows that it is not enough to be a socially responsible company; you must also report this activity skillfully. This study used the following research methods: literature review, analysis of legal regulations, desk research, and inductive and synthetic reasoning strategies, in order to formulate conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sociology has been developing since the 1970s; however, it only recently became institutionalized in Poland with the establishment of a respective section in the Polish Sociological Association. We argue that environmental sociology in Poland and the broader area of Central and Eastern Europe has made an important contribution to international research on relations between humanity and nature in the Anthropocene. This paper presents the current state of the art in Polish environmental sociology and discusses future research questions. Our contribution is based on a literature review and the results of a workshop with Polish environmental sociologists. Future research areas discussed in this paper emerge from the following five main thematic domains: (I) social aspects of nature conservation; (II) environmental groups and movements; (III) sustainable development and the participation of local communities in rural and urban areas; (IV) environmental risks and threats and (V) and energy and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water transport, both sea and inland, is the cheapest, least invasive, and safest option for non-standard loads; hence, it is important to increase the percentage share of inland waterway transport on the rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Transporting cargo is particularly difficult on shallow waterways because rivers overloaded with sediment determine the vertical parameters on inland waterways. A ship's safe manoeuvrability depends on the available water depth of the navigational area concerning the vessel's draught. The draught is related to channel depth and sediments. The paper presents a model assessment of a new tool for studying limitations for ships carrying oversized cargo and the shallow channel bed inland waterways. Our analysis was carried out on the Vistula River lowland reach for the winter hydrological conditions. The Lower Vistula River in Poland is a clear example of a sedimentation problem. This waterway is also a zone of active sediment transport of sandy material; a massive volume of sediment reaches 1 million cubic meters per year. The results of this research could be helpful for inland transport management, risk assessment of ships entering waterways with shallow channel beds such as the Vistula River, and analysis for a new waterway project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, the disclosure of non-financial information in non-financial reports (N-FRs), in particular in Corporate Social Responsibility reports (CSRRs), integrated reports (IRs), and activity reports (ARs), has a global dimension, and the quality and scope of such disclosures affects both a wide range of stakeholders and the global economy. In the last decade, changing trends, considerations, as well as economic, legal and social factors have significantly influenced the content of corporate disclosures. In the context of N-FRs, special attention should be paid to the energy sector, which is in many ways essential for both the domestic and global economy. Therefore, its functioning also attracts the attention of researchers. The objective of this paper is to show the practical aspects of N-FRs and to assess the quality of reports submitted by companies in the Polish energy sector. The authors assessed the quality of non-financial information contained in the reports of energy sector companies in terms of four key management areas: Environmental Management System (EMS), Quality Management System (QMS), Enterprise Risk Management System (ERMS), and Corporate Governance Principles (CGPs). On the basis of their analysis of all CSRRs and IRs submitted by Polish energy sector companies in Poland in 2010–2020, the authors propose a model for the disclosure of information on these systems. Standardized reporting on these key management areas in the energy sector will improve the quality and usefulness of information from the perspective of all stakeholders. A model like this may be useful in many countries that manage their energy sectors in a similar way, such as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a necessity to combine the development of the European Union with a model of a sustainable economy, which is important to stimulate eco-innovation. The government of each member state is obliged to create support mechanisms that will encourage entrepreneurs to implement pro-environmental solutions. This requires the identification of determinants for eco-innovation. This paper identifies and compares conditions of eco-innovation in two sectors in Poland: ICT (information and communication technologies) and industry. Putting together many different types of conditions into one model (including government, science, industry, and ICT) allows us to explain what is more important when making a decision about implementing new eco-solutions. The study covered over 3000 enterprises. Stepwise logit regression was used to examine all relationships of interest. We discovered two separate (independent) paths of approach to eco-innovation for ICT and industry. This means that another condition should be fulfilled to reach any eco-innovation in each of the sectors. There are just a few factors supporting new environmental solutions in ICT with strong impact—cooperation with suppliers, journals as a source of new knowledge, or financial support by credit institutions with high materials and energy efficiency at the end of the process. Industry could be described more like a horizontal approach—a wide number of conditions with low impact on eco-innovation. Therefore, innovation policies in the catching-up country should be more sophisticated and take care of more relevant tools for both sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates links between religion and migration processes through a study of religious communities' approaches towards migrants. Drawing from the religious economy perspective, the paper explores the under-researched topic of the role of migration in the dynamics of a religious field in the context of Central and Eastern Europe. The qualitative research performed in 2020 in Krakow - one of the key destinations for migrants in Poland - confirms the claims of religious economy that monopolists and quasi-monopolists are usually more reluctant to adapt to social changes. On the other hand, less-privileged but entrepreneurial religious communities are more aware of migrants' situation, and respond to their needs in the following ways: 1) providing cosmopolitan "temporary homes"; 2) bridging cultures; 3) setting up ethno-cultural service hubs. We argue that these kinds of engagements have significant implications for the dynamics inside the religious market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comparative Economic Research is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego 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.)

An assumption shared for years by Romani studies scholars is that the Roma language is seminal to the group's identity. The text is an in-depth analysis of the beliefs of Roma in Poland regarding their mother tongue. The inspiration for this exploration stems from a theoretical model shedding light on correlations between knowledge of the Romani language and the Roma ethnic identity, the model Marushiakova and Popov developed with reference to the situation of Roma in Central Eastern Europe. The paper focuses on the question: What meaning do Roma in Poland assign to knowledge of the Romani language in the construction of their own ethnic identity? The authors argue that irrespective of the fact that the mother tongue currently appears to be a key element of group identity, Romaniness contains the potential to reproduce itself even under circumstances of language abandonment and even among the most conservative Romani groups. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management & Innovation is the property of Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu-National Louis 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 2021 European Quality of Government Index (the EQI) is the largest survey ever undertaken to measure perceptions of quality of government, collecting the opinions of over 129,000 respondents in a total of 208 NUTS 1 and NUTS 2 regions in all EU 27 member states. This paper highlights some of its main results and compares the results with previous rounds of the survey. The survey is not only unique in size, it is also allows for new insights into the intricate link between government institutions, health policy and crisis management, since it has been conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a time of important challenges, we find an overall increase in the perceived quality of government of European regions. However, the geography of QoG is slowly shifting, with many regions in Eastern Europe now surpassing regions in Southern Europe. We also see a drop in most regions in Poland and Hungary, whose response to the pandemic has involved important infringement of democratic rights and institutions. Such drops cause concern for future crises management and beyond. We find that regional level corruption is closely linked to the extent to which citizens' worry about the effects of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hipogrifo: revista de literatura y cultura del siglo de oro is the property of Hipogrifo: revista de literatura y cultura del siglo de oro 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.)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of self-employment exit in Poland and its determinants.Design/methodology/approach The author examines the outflow from self-employment into different labour market status: employment, unemployment, inactivity using multinomial logistic regression. The analysis is conducted separately for men and women using Polish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) (2001-2007).Findings Results indicate that personal and family characteristics have different impact on self-employment exit for men and women. However, unfavourable macroeconomic conditions have similar impact regardless gender. The author’s results show that higher local unemployment rate reduces the likelihood of self-employment exit into employment, while conducting business in a sector affected by economic downturn increase outflow from self-employment for both men and women.Research limitations/implications Certain limitations of the study arise from the design of the Polish LFS. It is a rotating panel with relatively few time periods, so it can only allow the author to analyse the outcomes in short-term perspectives.Practical implications Those results provide some background for potential policy interventions. In the context of persistent, high unemployment rates in Poland, there is need for some policy incentives which reinforce self-employment – an important alternative form of the labour market participation.Originality/value Majority of previous studies focusses on self-employment creation, as policy incentives do. However, very little is known about the reasons for leaving self-employment. The author fills this gap analysing the outflow and transition from self-employment to different labour market status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at pointing out the evolution in real and financial plans in order to adhere to the EMU, using a comparative approach, on the example of Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. The main results of the study are the following: the four countries have made notable progress in the years preceding the current crisis; however, considerable efforts are still needed in order to comply with the euro zone, in terms of living standards, economic structure, degree of openness of the economy, etc.; refer the financial convergence, directions are needed to increase the financial intermediation and financial depth in Romania and Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary recording slightly more favourable indicators. On the other hand, central banks, except the Polish one, should significantly improve the transmission mechanism of monetary policy upon the financial and real sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Museums are a constantly developing segment of cultural tourism. Poland is in line with current trends in museums, expanding its offer and adapting it to the requirements of the world of contemporary image culture and multisensory experiences, which is increasingly dominated by technology. The authors of the paper undertook to recognise the specificity of military museums, by conducting a survey of approximately a third of all such institutions in Poland. Due to the subject-matter of their exhibitions, military museums create a broad field of research both in terms of aesthetics and museum practice, as well as the issues of shaping and maintaining collective memory and the identity of the nation. They form a special mirror in which the country's ideas and aspirations are reflected more often than any real characteristics. In reference to contemporary trends in museums, the article aims to place Polish military museums between locality and universality, education and entertainment, stability and dynamism, knowledge and experience. The results obtained allowed the authors to distinguish three groups of military museums in Poland, as well as indicate conditions conducive to the further development of such attractions in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the research presented here is the language and content of the definitional terms, categories and concepts relating to museum education in the historiography of the topic. The article is a review that provides an analysis of selected papers on museum education, surveying the categories, terminology and definitions proposed by Polish, Ukrainian and Russian researchers. The study also involved looking at museum websites to review the descriptive terms, concepts and categories used in the sections relating to the museums' educational activities. Finally, against this background the authors present their own approaches and definitions relating to museum education. The work is partly a result of the experience of the authors' own common educational practice and investigations. The cultural contexts of museum education are significant and influential in the quality of the services provided in each of the surveyed countries and museums. The generalisations presented are appropriate to the specific contexts of the research reports and educational projects quoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Church in the World / Crkva u Svijetu is the property of University of Split, Catholic Faculty of Theology 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.)

Poland was one of the first countries of Central and Eastern Europe with stable wolf populations to effectively introduce year-round protection of the species. This paper traces the process of policy change using institutional theory as an organizational perspective. Based on the analysis of data from desk research and semi-structured interviews, we propose a model of institutional change and argue that in the 1990s, environmental activists and wildlife biologists successfully used a political window of opportunity connected with socio-economic transformation after 1989 and managed to induce the government to move the species from the domain of hunting to the domain of nature conservation. The new policy, informed by an ecological paradigm, diverged from the historical path dominated by hunters and the vision of the wolf as a pest and a hunting target. The improved protection led to the numerical growth of Poland's wolves and ultimately to their westward expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the problem of the growing water deficit and the possibility of sustainable development of water resources in rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe (using the example of Poland). It is estimated that the amount of resources in this region is reduced by about 70% compared to the average for Europe. In drought periods it comes to limitation of economic activity, including agriculture. Particular attention was paid to the necessity to extend landscape, underground, and snow retention, as an alternative to dams, which are currently the most popular in lower-order catchments. It has been shown that the construction of small agricultural reservoirs is not always preceded by adequate consultations and pre-design studies, which may result in financial losses and legal problems. Simultaneous use of many alternative forms of retention should be more effective than the implementation of reservoirs. In addition, increasing the hydraulic roughness of the catchments slows down the outflow of products of erosion and contributes to the protection of surface retention structures (maintaining natural and economic usefulness of reservoirs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1989 was a turning point in the socio-economic development in the former Eastern bloc, initiating a systemic transformation that affected the society at large. It also contributed to the crystallisation of certain cultural landscapes, hitherto largely illegible due to the inhibition of spatial processes encountered during socialism. In Poland, after a quarter-century of a free market economy, the focus on social problems began to expand to the spatial realm as well. It became apparent that the progressive social polarisation that followed was most prominent in environments striated by a particular landscape type – the former State Agricultural Farm (PGR). Considering PGRs as 'the epitome of rurality' subject to ideas informing about the direction of contemporary 'rural development' prompts a different way of looking at the problem. In this paper, we investigate the concept of rurality in the discursive tenor of implemented policy and contrast it with contextualised empirical examples. Our findings suggest that an efficient policy should be confronted with the expectations of residents at the local level, and introducing top-down actions usually ends in failure as in the case of post-PGR estates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to analyse the association between the use of accrual-based and real earnings management practices before the company goes public and the decision of institutional investors on buying or refraining from buying shares offered in initial public offering (IPO). The sample consists of 258 Polish new stock companies over the period 2005-2020. We find that such companies refrain from massive earnings management in the pre-IPO period: both real and accrual-based. However, we find evidence that the presence of institutional investors in the IPO is related to earnings inflation (selling, general and administrative expenses). Our study contributes to the debate on the role of institutional ownership in the IPO process in Central and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support vector machines (SVM) have been extensively used for classification problems in many areas such as gene, text and image recognition. However, SVM have been rarely used to estimate the probability of default (PD) in credit risk. In this paper, we advocate the application of SVM, rather than the popular logistic regression (LR) method, for the estimation of both corporate and retail PD. Our results indicate that most of the time SVM outperforms LR in terms of classification accuracy for the corporate and retail segments. We propose a new wrapper feature selection based on maximizing the distance of the support vectors from the separating hyperplane and apply it to identify the main PD drivers. We used three datasets to test the PD estimation, containing (1) retail obligors from Germany, (2) corporate obligors from Eastern Europe, and (3) corporate obligors from Poland. Total assets, total liabilities, and sales are identified as frequent default drivers for the corporate datasets, whereas current account status and duration of the current account are frequent default drivers for the retail dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present China's economic model and discuss, in this context, bilateral trade and investment relations between China and Poland. The analysis presented herein is based on the strategy of cooperation with countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as presented by China's Prime Minister, and on the growing importance of Poland as a main partner of China in the Central and Eastern Europe region. The paper describes main premises of the Chinese economic model, followed by a diagnosis of Chinese economy. The authors analyze the main directions of China's foreign cooperation, placing the emphasis on relations with Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in gene therapy and genome editing give hope that new treatments will soon be available for inherited eye diseases that together affect a significant proportion of the adult population. New solutions are needed to make genetic diagnosis fast and affordable. This is the first study of such a large group of patients with inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD) and inherited optic neuropathies (ION) in the Polish population. It is based on four years of diagnostic analysis using a broad, targeted NGS approach. The results include the most common pathogenic variants, as well as 91 novel causative variants, including frameshifts in the cumbersome RPGR ORF15 region. The high frequency of the ABCA4 complex haplotype p.(Leu541Pro;Ala1038Val) was confirmed. Additionally, a deletion of exons 22–24 in USH2A, probably specific to the Polish population, was uncovered as the most frequent copy number variation. The diagnostic yield of the broad NGS panel reached 64.3% and is comparable to the results reported for genetic studies of IRD and ION performed for other populations with more extensive WES or WGS methods. A combined approach to identify genetic causes of all known diseases manifesting in the posterior eye segment appears to be the optimal choice given the currently available treatment options and advanced clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has highlighted Poland's significant geopolitical role in Eastern Europe. Despite ongoing conflicts since 2014, the recent escalation has increased regional security volatility, particularly for countries like Poland. This study examines Poland's strategic position and role in the Ukraine conflict by analysing its geopolitical and geostrategic implications within the broader Eastern European framework. The research, employing qualitative content analysis and a phenomenological approach, investigates how Poland's geopolitical stance both influences and is influenced by the evolving dynamics of the Ukraine war and Eastern European geopolitics. Our findings indicate that Poland has not only reinforced its strategic importance in the area, but also shaped its role as a key player in the ongoing conflict. This engagement reflects a broader strategy to counter Russian aggression while strengthening ties with NATO and the EU, thereby enhancing its sway in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of fundamentals in the speculative episodes experienced by the Czech Republic and Poland during the 1990s. The evidence suggests that the currency crises of the two Central and Eastern European countries are significantly related to macroeconomic fundamentals. The analysis has implications for the design of macroeconomic policies in transition economies and for the sustainability of an exchange rate commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Poland, as well as for other Central and Eastern European countries, export is an important factor for economic development. Particular importance of exports in these countries is attributed to FDI inflows. However, both theory and empirical research indicate that FDI outflows (even though their values are smaller than the values of inflows) may also affect exports from these countries. After 2004 there was a sharp increase in Polish investments in Europe, which was also the main destination of Polish exports, raising the question of how this would affect exports. The purpose of this paper is to prove that FDI outflow affects exports more than its inflow. Granger causality test was used to examine the causality between the accumulated FDI flows and exports in selected manufacturing industries. The study showed that FDI outflow was determining exports in three industries, whereas FDI inflow was dictating exports in two industries. Additionally, there was causality from FDI outflow to exports at the macroeconomic level and from exports to FDI inflow at the sector level (manufacturing). The conclusion is that more emphasis should be put on examining the consequences of FDI outflow from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theory of economics, innovations are currently perceived as one of the most progressive factor of growth and development. After 30 years of economic transformation, combined with regular growth of productivity, the condition of Polish emerging economy is still negative in the respect of innovations. This especially concerns the activity of enterprises, which are important actors in the whole innovation system. On the other hand, significant investments are realised in Poland by multinational enterprises (MNEs), deriving from leading European countries in terms of innovation. In this context, the assessment of the economic value added generated by innovative MNEs operating in Poland remained the main purpose of this paper. The return on invested capital as well as the economic value added, in five-year period, for the focus group of Scandinavian MNEs were estimated. The results of the empirical study proved, that all analysed enterprises generated the value added above the market benchmark, representative both for Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the differences in approach enhancing enterprises' innovative activities, including management and social factors, were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teleosauroid thalattosuchians were a clade of semi-aquatic crocodylomorphs that achieved a broad geographic distribution during the Mesozoic. While their fossils are well documented in Western European strata, our understanding of teleosauroids (and thalattosuchians in general) is notably poorer in Central-Eastern Europe, and from Poland in particular. Herein, we redescribe a teleosauroid rostrum (MZ VIII Vr-72) from middle Oxfordian strata of Załęcze Wielkie, in south-central Poland. Until now, the specimen has been largely encased in a block of limestone. After preparation, its rostral and dental morphology could be evaluated, showing the specimen to be a non-machimosaurin machimosaurid, similar in morphology to taxa Neosteneosaurus edwardsi and Proexochokefalos heberti. The well-preserved teeth enable us to study the specimen feeding ecology through the means of comparing its teeth to other teleosauroids through PCoA analysis. Comparisons with inferred closely related taxa suggest that the referred specimen was a macrophagous generalist. Notably, MZ VIII Vr-72 displays a prominent pathological distortion of the anterior rostrum, in the form of lateral bending. The pathology affects the nasal passage and tooth size and position, and is fully healed, indicating that, despite its macrophagous diet, it did not prevent the individual from food acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the article is to assess the firms' digital maturity and examine how the adoption of Industry 4.0 solutions affects global value chain (GVC) relationships. Research Design & Methods: The study combined a critical literature review with quantitative empirical research. We collected the primary data during computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) among 400 industrial manufacturing firms in Poland. Findings: The study demonstrates that I4.0 technologies adoption modifies the awareness of partners' progress in digital transformation, affects integration among partners, and leads to changes in GVCs' diversification, geographic scope, and governance. Thanks to the study on the digital maturity of firms from a posttransition country, we demonstrated that I4.0 still requires conceptual development and that the emerging theory of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is interdependent with the theory of GVCs. Implications & Recommendations: We focused on the disruption caused by the advancement of digital transformation in companies that operate in a constellation of relationships and are interdependent in the same GVC. The study recognizes the relationships within the GVC as channels of transmission of challenges, risks, and opportunities that emerge from the disruption. We referred to the case of a post-transition, post-communist country in Central and Eastern Europe under digital transformation, which is highly specific yet offers valuable findings transferable to other economies on the eve of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Contribution & Value Added: The novelty of the study lies in the integration of research on digital technology adoption as diagnosed among manufacturing companies in a post-transition country with the inquiry regarding their participation and role in GVCs. Thanks to this approach, we identified how firms' digital maturity reshapes their buyer-supplier relations and, thus, their position in value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcutaneous dirofilariasis is a disease in animals caused by invasions of nematodes, most often of the following species: Dirofilaria repens, D. tenuis, and D. striata transmitted by mosquitoes. Until recently, D. repens was endemic to the Mediterranean countries in Europe, but, in recent years, it has also been increasingly reported in Central and Eastern Europe. Cytological preparations collected by a fine-needle aspiration biopsy from nodular lesions located in the subcutis and skin of dogs were used to diagnose suspected proliferative lesions of a cancerous or inflammatory nature. The microscopic examination of the delivered cytological preparations revealed erythrocytes (very numerous), neutrophils and eosinophils (quite numerous), macrophages (single), and whole and/or damaged fragments of microfilariae of Dirofilaria sp. in various numbers. It should be noted that the described infection of Dirofilaria repens in Poland and other countries of this latitude will be an increasingly common pathology in dogs. Due to the mosquitoes transmitting the microfilariae, it is a zoonosis that is an increasingly frequent and a more serious threat to humans. In the differential diagnosis of various types of skin and subcutis lesions of unknown aetiology, dirofilariasis should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of life expectancy in Central Eastern Europe and increase in the number of older people in that region are the consequences of changes in the 1990s period, connected to transition from the communism into a market economy. Central Eastern Europe is already facing consequences of fast ageing and insufficient development of state health care and social services. Those result in gaps in the provision of end-of-life care and overburden of family caregivers. This essay addresses gaps in end-of-life care, showing the development of hospice-palliative care on one side, and highlighting main problems with long-term care on the other. There is scarce support for informal caregivers and lack of cooperation between health and social care. End-of-life care is over medicalized in hospice-palliative care and hardly existing in long-term care. Dying is more a social than medical event, and as such, it should be cared for by compassionate communities, encouraging cooperation of professionals with family caregivers and society. Unfortunately, to date, there is no adequate cooperation in social dimension of end-of-life care in most of Central Eastern Europe. The social dimension of end-of-life care has to be recognized and empowered with the health promoting palliative care and introduction of compassionate communities in Central Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Łódź, the so-called "Polish Manchester", was the biggest textile center in the Eastern Europe, which developed in the 19th century and experienced all dramatic changes that happened in Poland during the long 20th century. As the vanguard of modernity, this industrial city was the place when all the pros and cons of the early capitalism appeared in much more dramatic way then elsewhere in Poland. In a result the problem such as workers motherhood and child labor became the real social phenomenon that forced many journalists, medical doctors, factory inspector and political activists to work against them. In this article, the way in which the workers motherhood and child labor was problematized in the discourse of Łódź is analyzed as the struggle with modernity. In author's opinion, the experience of living in the industrial cities cause that approach to such complicated social problems developed in places like Łódź is less ideological and more empathizing then nationwide one. The specific case of Łódź can be useful in refreshing the Polish debate about modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This article examines pregnancy results in a changed metabolism, with more frequent glucose intolerance and subsequent gestational diabetes. Metabolic disturbances may significantly influence foetal development and neonatal health; therefore, a routine checkup of glucose tolerance is performed. Several factors may influence the prevalence of gestational diabetes, including ambient temperature, light exposure, and vitamin D levels. The published data related to seasonal impact are contradictory. We have retrospectively analysed a large cohort of newborns and their mothers. In total, 30,205 newborns and their epidemiological and clinical characteristics were evaluated. We documented that the prevalence of gestational diabetes in Central Europe varied depending on the season; that is, it appears more frequently during the summer, while its prevalence was lowest during the winter (seasons with higher vs. lower insolation). The seasonal variation in the prevalence of gestational diabetes affects both mothers of babies born at term and prematurely. The existing literature does not address the question of the seasonal impact on pregnancy in Central-Eastern Europe; therefore, this study was designed to investigate the seasonal variation in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on a recent Polish sample. The data of 30,205 newborns from singleton pregnancies and their mothers, including the date and gestational age of birth, neonatal sex and weight, maternal age and parity, mode of delivery, ethnicity, and a detailed list of comorbidities (including GDM), were retrospectively analysed. The prevalence of GDM was significantly (p < 0.0001) lower in spring (14.71%) than in the other seasons (16.78%). A higher incidence of GDM was observed for mothers who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test from June to August compared to those who were tested from December to February (17.34% vs. 14.75%, p < 0.0001). Similarly, there were significant differences between seasons with higher and lower insolation. The regression analysis revealed that seasonal patterns were significantly associated with the prevalence of GDM. In conclusion, this large retrospective cohort study demonstrated seasonal changes in GDM risk. The observed seasonal patterns may equally refer to mothers of babies born at term and prematurely. Further research concerning GDM risk and other seasonal and gender associations is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do countries move from public to private financing of healthcare? This paper explores this issue by looking at the divergent reform trajectories of three postcommunist countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. While existing accounts emphasize veto points to explain changes in healthcare systems, the present analysis finds that moves towards private financing can be better explained by differences in access to the policymaking arm of the state. Specifically, a penetrable single-party government and weak bureaucratic capacities allow physicians to capture the reform process and implement their preferred policies. The results suggest that scholars of health policy should focus more attention on the actors seeking change and their access to policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the issue of energy security has been the subject of many studies, debates, and discussions. Undoubtedly, geopolitical crises in Eastern Europe and the actions of the EU as part of the continuous development of the EU's climate and energy policy have contributed to the advancement of discussions in this area. Due to the growing role and importance of energy in the economic systems of individual countries, the need to guarantee energy security is commencing to be regarded as an element of the economic security of the state and therefore, national security. The legal solutions adopted in Poland in recent years and the launch of government support programs for the development of micro-installations and prosumer energy have led to the rapid development of this sector. The aim of this article is therefore to assess the conditions of renewable energy sources development in Poland on the example of photovoltaics in the line of energy security concept. The empirical results emphasize that the development of photovoltaic is so dynamic for several reasons, primarily due to lower technological costs, stakeholder cooperation, confidence in the regulatory environment, as well as the high interest of the Polish public in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on European business elites has been dominated by a national career model approach, which argues that each country has a specific top management career pattern embedded in national institutional contexts. Research has focused on applying those patterns to Western European countries while no analysis of Eastern European managers has been conducted to date. In recent years, the line of argumentation on national career patterns has been challenged due to the increasing international circulation of top managers. In this article, we analyse the applicability of these patterns to an Eastern European country, specifically, Poland. For this purpose, we analyse the career paths of Polish top management team members and investigate their development. We collect biographical data and career-related information from the top managers employed by the 30 largest stock-listed companies located in Poland and Germany. Our analysis reveals that the most important career distinctions from existing models are applicable to the Polish market, and our data show similarities with the Germanic national model. These results will likewise shed light on the stability of certain career pattern features of top management profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recognition of the importance of effective communication in the healthcare system has been growing. Given that communication courses must be adjusted to the specificity of a particular culture, language, and other contextual issues, many countries and communities sharing a common language have proposed their recommendations for a communication curriculum for undergraduate medical education. To date, no recommendations have been developed for either any Central and Eastern Europe countries or for regions where Slavic languages are spoken. Their specificity of post-communist transformation should be acknowledged. This study aims to review communication curriculums and offer recommendations for medical communication training for undergraduate medical students in Poland. Methods: The recommendations were developed through an iterative consultation process with lecturers, faculty members of medical schools, and education coordinators. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify full text English and Polish language articles on communication curriculum for undergraduate medical education. Additionally, the new Regulation of the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education, defining educational standards for undergraduate medical education was analysed in search of learning outcomes that could be applied in communication skills teaching. The authors extracted the most relevant communication skill competencies, as determined by the process participants, discussed current challenges, including those of the COVID-19 pandemic era, and indicated best practices. Results: A review was conducted, and a set of recommendations was developed pertaining to the scope and methodology of teaching communication skills. The study included: (1) definition, (2) education content, (3) learning outcomes, (4) the recommended teaching methods. The recommendations are in concord with the graduate profile, as well as the current structure of medical studies. The authors listed and discussed the basic communication competencies expected of medical graduates, as well as medical communication course content viewed from different perspectives, including clinical, psychological, sociological, legal, and linguistic. Conclusions: Detailed recommendations aimed at integrating best practices into a comprehensive communication curriculum may promote successful teaching, learning, and assessment of medical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland is regarded as the country which has made the greatest progress following the economic liberalisation of Eastern Europe. This paper examines the strength of the relationship between the new Western context and the understanding of the methods which Polish enterprises need to address their current difficulties. The study was undertaken by visiting some 50 Polish businesses to analyse their views on progress. The conclusions of the study suggest that there is much scope for continued success in the future, but that this will require an adaptation of Western methods as well as an ability to use them selectively to overcome the constraints of the emerging Polish environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comments on five problems concerning the transformation of the Polish economy with special emphasis on employee participation and trust. 1) There can be no ethical evaluation or justification of employee participation independent of the goals of the transformation. 2) In Poland this participation is affected by deep distrust towards the whole process of transformation. 3) Privatisation is the topic most often mentioned in this connection. 4) The definition of trust becomes even more crucial when the phenomenon of distrust has to be explained. 5) Institutions can become the substitute of trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the judicial reforms that have taken place in Central and Eastern European countries. Research will focus on the steps that have been taken to conform to the spirit of Article 2 of the TEU and take necessary measures to implement reforms required for EU accession. The core of the study focuses on the much-misunderstood concept of judicial independence which is increasingly becomes a much-debated concept in countries such as Hungary and Poland. A comparative legal method is used throughout the article to illustrate and help the reader to better understand the nuances of the problem in Central and Eastern European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to explore the decision-making policies by Polish Venture Capital (VC) firms, with special focus on the perception of entrepreneurs. This paper presents the results of a conjoint analysis and assessment of the importance of select characteristics among entrepreneurs and the qualities of a team of founders comprising managers of VC firms. The data were collected via face-to-face interviews with 26 Venture Capitalists. In the conjoint experiment, six attributes were presented, among which three represented characteristics of the entrepreneur (his/her passion and experience) and the management team (experience and completeness) alongside three characteristics of the opportunity (readiness of the product/service, growth rate of the market, and innovativeness of the whole project). VC managers ranked the importance of eight characteristics of the entrepreneurs related to their decisions and assessed the functional composition of the team of founders. The results of the experiment show that venture capitalists (VCs) most strongly appreciate the readiness of the product and entrepreneur's passion. However, their preferences varied across the sample. The results of the ranking also show that the VC managers highly value the honesty of the entrepreneur. VCs typically prefer a team of founders, rather than a single-person project, preferably consisting of persons at least familiar with the technology and the market. This study contributes significantly to the state-of-the-art, as research on VC investment policy (investment criteria) is relatively rare in Central and Eastern Europe, where the VC industry is starting to flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing emissions of pollutants from transport is clearly one of the main challenges of the constantly developing world. Because the environmental impact of different means of transport is significant, it is necessary to cut down on fossil fuels and turn to more eco-friendly solutions, e.g., electric vehicles. Almost all European countries are now adapting their transport policies to this new paradigm. Nonetheless, due to large economic disparities, these processes are currently at different levels of implementation in Western and Eastern Europe. The main focus is on private electric cars and more traditional means of transport, rather than water trams. This article presents possible means of developing water tram lines in Gdańsk served by hybrid or full-electric vehicles. The analysis presented herein reflects the multidimensional nature of the issue. The article provides data on the socio-economic situation in the city, technical issues related to the implementation of such tram lines, and the possible consequences of introducing a new means of transportation into the existing system. A key part of the analysis is the identification of anticipated economic and environmental consequences of introducing both hybrid and full-electric vehicles into the system. A comprehensive socio-economic and technical-environmental analysis of the possibilities of developing urban electromobility in the form of urban passenger shipping in post-communist countries, such as that presented in this paper, has not been previously published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change in people's lifestyles, their desire or compulsion to move constantly and the development of technology, have forced development of communications, which has led, among other things, to an intensive increase in traffic. For this reason, the purpose of the article is to identify the main causes of traffic delays and the factors affecting the sense of safety on the road. It is followed by the analytical part, which presents the effect of a survey conducted on a group of 401 respondents. The respondents' answers show that the most common causes of road accidents and collisions are: failure to adjust the speed to road conditions (89 %), failure to give priority (84 %), which is in line with the 2019 police report. The results show a clear difference between Western Europe and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research concerns the possibility of monitoring low deformation rates in tectonically stable regions using GPS/GNSS observations. The study was conducted in an area of Poland located in Central and Eastern Europe, where horizontal stress resulting from plate boundary forces in the N–S or NNE–SSW direction has been observed. This stress can translate into deformation of the Earth's surface. The problem, however, is that it corresponds to strain rate magnitudes of much lower than 10 × 10−9 per year. This is not much higher than the figure determined using current GNSS observation capabilities. In this study, long-term observations from several GNSS networks were used. The result was a very dense but irregular velocity field. By carefully analyzing and filtering the data, it was possible to eliminate the impact of various errors, creating a more consistent velocity field. This article presents a final GNSS strain rate model for Poland and determines the impacts of the analysis methods on its variation. Regardless of the filtering method adopted, dominant compression rates in the N-S direction are evident. Moreover, this result is consistent despite the use of varying velocity. This shows that even in tectonically stable regions, strain rates can be monitored at 10−9 per year (below 3 × 10−9/year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]