From Europe to the Arab Peninsula? : cultural diplomacy practices in the United Arab Emirates

This paper analyzes the practice of "cultural diplomacy" and "soft power" in the United Arab Emirates in light of previously developed practices in European countries such as France and Germany. These two concepts referred to international relations and invented in the Western world, describe strategies that have been taken up by non-Western governments, either to complement their hard power capacity with its soft equivalent orto fill a gap where hard power is missing. Diverse (especially state) actors in international relations appear convinced that public and cultural diplomacy, as an example of soft power, is the most advanced, non-invasive way of conveying a positive image, values, or lifestyle, being at the same time a non-violent means of pursuing national interests. How is the concept of cultural diplomacy applied and facilitated in non-Western countries? Which model of public diplomacy best describes actions undertaken by the Emirati authorities and what are the reason for developing a soft power strategy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)? This article answers these questions through a comparative analysis of the United Arab Emirates with the examples of France and Germany. It points out the potential challenges and opportunities which arise from a non-Western government using a tool of cultural diplomacy by analyzing diverse initiatives undertaken by UAE, including the "Emirati Film Review in Poland"

The person of Athanasius of Brest in the light of his "Diary" : an attempt at interpretation

The short study is devoted to the person of Athanasius of Brest, one of the most prominent Orthodox priests and religious activists of the 17th century, seen in the light of his only work, Diary (Дыярыуш, 1646). The paper attempts to analyse Athanasius’ dis-uniate mission as a consequence of his own prophetic creation, belief in supernatural visions and radical passion for the Orthodox traditionalism, described in his book. It appears that the key place in the work of Athanasius is occupied by the Icon of Virgin Mary of Kupiatycze, the sacred image regarded by the monk not only as a source of grace for his Apostolic ministry, but also as a sign of the real identity of the Orthodox Church. Athanasius’ social activity turns out to be important for understanding the controversies surrounding the Union of Brest

"Thou hath ebellished the shape of man over all creation" : on the Good of creation and the evil of sin based on psalmic cantos in "Niepróżnujące próżnowanie" by Wespazjan Kochowski

The study is devoted to the issues of eulogy of the world and contempt of the temporal and sinful condition of man based on "psalmic cantos" in "Niepróżnujące próżnowanie" ["Not Idling Idleness"] by Wespazjan Kochowski. As I try to prove, the religious attitude of the Sarmatian poet indicates continuity of patristic tradition, especially the so-called "golden era" of the Fathers of the Church (turn of the fourth and fifth centuries). Kochowski’s theological vision contained in the song Everything from Heaven and in the poetic series To the Penitent is based on the dichotomy between the original perfection of creation and the need for God’s healing grace

SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE TRAIN TIMETABLE CONSTRUCTION OF PASSENGER TRAINS WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF PLATFORM EDGES AND STABLING TRACKS ALLOCATION PROBLEM

The aim of the article is to present a method concerning the problem of the construction of timetable from the point of view of the assignment of platform edges and stabling tracks. Taking into account these two issues in the method is extremely important from the point of view of the fluency of railway traffic, as well as minimizing railway undertaking costs related to access to the infrastructure offered by the manager in terms of occupying the platform edge above the set time. The paper describes the issues of allocating platform edges and stabling tracks in operating offices, with particular consideration of the costs related to this. The formulation of the problem of the train timetable construction was presented, including the allocation of edges and stabling tracks in a mathematical manner. In the model specified those parts that are relevant to the research problem considered in the article. In addition, the algorithm of the construction method with the use of a block diagram was discussed

Osteoblastoma of the femur in a patient with recurrent paronychia : case report

Background: Osteoblastoma is a rare primary benign bone tumor that has varied radiologic presentation depending on the affected site. In selected cases, differential diagnosis with subacute osteomyelitis is necessary. Case Report: The authors present the case of a 23 year-old male with recurrent paronychia diagnosed with osteoblastoma of the femur. On the basis of CT and MRI findings, osteosarcoma, ABC, enchondroma, chondromyxoid fibroma, and Brodie's abscess were excluded from differential diagnosis, with the last option being the second most probable diagnosis given the coexistence of chronic pyogenic process. Discussion: Plain film findings in osteoblastoma and Brodie's abscess may be strikingly similar with an osteolytic lesion surrounded by prominent sclerosis. The nature of the lesion can be further elucidated by cross-sectional imaging. CT helps to assess the lesion matrix and presence or absence of sequestra or fistulae, while MRI defines the extent of the changes in bone marrow cavity and soft tissues

Finansyzacja gospodarki krajów Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej

The blurring boundary between the financial and real economy, as well as the growing autonomy of the financial sector have been observed since the late 1970s. This phenomenon has been referred to in literature as financialization. The article presents several definitions of the financialization process, which occupies an important place in the modern economic world. The paper presents the reasons, sources and effects of financialization, followed by a discussion on the right measures of that process. These measures are then used for an empirical study of the degree of financialization in selected Central and Eastern European  countries. The analysis led to the conclusion that the scale of the financialization phenomenon in this part of Europe is relatively small, but not completely uniform in individual countries. The scale of financialization in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, and Poland should be assessed to be rather similar, while Slovak economy is the most resistant to the financialization process.Obserwowana od końca lat siedemdziesiątych XX w. zacierająca się granica pomiędzy finansową i realną sferą gospodarki oraz dokonująca się autonomizacja sektora finansowego spowodowały zainteresowanie się ekonomistów tematyką, określaną w literaturze pojęciem finansyzacji. W artykule dokonano systematyki definicji finansyzacji, zjawiska odgrywającego istotne znaczenie we współczesnym świecie. Wskazano również jego przesłanki, źródła i skutki, a także omówiono wykorzystywane w badaniach mierniki oceny stopnia finansyzacji gospodarki, co dało podstawę do analizy finansyzacji gospodarek w wybranych krajach Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. Analiza doprowadziła do sformułowania wniosku, że skala tego zjawiska w tej części Europy jest stosunkowo niewielka. Indywidualny poziom mierników wykorzystywanych do oceny tego zjawiska jest zróżnicowany w poszczególnych krajach. Niemniej jednak po ich zagregowaniu skalę finansyzacji gospodarek Czech, Węgier, Estonii i Polski należy oceniać na zbliżonym poziomie. Najbardziej odporna na zjawisko finansyzacji okazała się gospodarka Słowacji.