Recent Labour Market Trends in the Visegrad Group Countries

The large declines in the Slovak and Czech employment appeared because the countries' GDPs grew smaller while real wages grew bigger. Shorter working hours and limitations on labour productivity that the two countries introduced could not reverse the unfavourable employment trends that occurred during economic downturn.Duże spadki zatrudnienia w Słowacji i Czechach były związane ze słabym wzrostem PKB i silnym wzrostem płac realnych. Redukcje czasu pracy i wydajności pracy nie były w stanie odwrócić niekorzystnych tendencji w zatrudnieniu

The Okun Misery Index in the European Union Countries from 2000 to 2009

The study is composed of four main parts and a summary. The first part, introduction, discusses various measures of the economic system's efficiency that are used in practice. Part two emphasises that the GDP per capita according to purchasing power parity still remains the most popular among those measures. Further, it presents the ranking of the European Union countries taking that measure into account, the research period being 1999-2009. Part three points out that it is also the level of poverty (misery) that determines the economic system's efficiency. That level can be measured by means of various indicators, among others, the so called HPI-2 index calculated by the UN. It will be the Okun misery index, however, computed as the sum of inflation and unemployment rates that will be presented as an alternative being of interest from the macroeconomic point of view. The ranking of the European Union member states according to that measure in the 2000-2004 and 2005-2009 periods will be provided in part four. The article will end in a summary containing synthetic conclusions drawn from earlier observations.Opracowanie składa się z czterech części zasadniczych i podsumowania. W punkcie pierwszym omówiono różnorodne mierniki sprawności systemu gospodarczego wykorzystywane w praktyce. W części drugiej podkreślono, iż nadal najpopularniejszym z nich jest PKB per capita według parytetu siły nabywczej. Zgodnie z tym miernikiem przedstawiono ranking państw Unii Europejskiej w latach 1999-2009. W punkcie trzecim podkreślono, że o sprawności systemu gospodarczego decyduje także poziom ubóstwa. Może być on mierzony różnymi wskaźnikami, m.in. tzw. indeksem HPI-2 obliczanym przez ONZ. Jako ciekawą z makroekonomicznego punktu widzenia alternatywę ukazano jednak miarę wskaźnika ubóstwa Okuna obliczanego poprzez zsumowanie stopy inflacji i stopy bezrobocia. Ranking państw Unii Europejskiej według tej miary w okresach 2000-2004 oraz 2005-2009 zaprezentowano w części czwartej. Całość zamknięto podsumowaniem, w którym zawarto syntetyczne wnioski z przeprowadzonych obserwacji

How does gender influence the recognition of cardiovascular risk and adherence to self-care recommendations? : a study in polish primary care

Background: Studies have shown a correlation between gender and an ability to change lifestyle to reduce the risk of disease. However, the results of these studies are ambiguous, especially where a healthy lifestyle is concerned. Additionally, health behaviors are strongly modified by culture and the environment. Psychological factors also substantially affect engagement with disease-related lifestyle interventions. This study aimed to examine whether there are differences between men and women in the frequency of health care behavior for the purpose of reducing cardiovascular risk (CVR), as well as cognitive appraisal of this type of risk. We also aimed to identify the psychological predictors of engaging in recommended behavior for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease after providing information about this risk in men and women. Methods: A total of 134 consecutive eligible patients in a family practice entered a longitudinal study. At initial consultation, the individual’s CVR and associated health burden was examined, and preventive measures were recommended by the physician. Self-care behavior, cognitive appraisal of risk, and coping styles were then assessed using psychological questionnaires. Six months after the initial data collection, the frequency of subjects’ self-care behavior was examined. Results: We found an increase in health care behavior after providing information regarding the rate of CVR in both sexes; this increase was greater for women than for men. Women followed self-care guidelines more often than men, particularly for preventive measures and dietary advice. Women were more inclined to recognize their CVR as a challenge. Coping style, cognitive appraisal, age, level of health behaviors at baseline and CVR values accounted for 48% of the variance in adherence to self-care guidelines in women and it was 52% in men. In women, total risk of CVD values were most important, while in men, cognitive appraisal of harm/loss was most important. Conclusions: Different predictors of acquisition of health behavior are encountered in men and women. Our results suggest that gender-adjusted motivation models influencing the recognition process need to be considered to optimize compliance in patients with CVR

Wpływ warunków homogenizacji na strukturę i własności wlewków ze stopu 6082

The paper presents the results of laboratory homogenization investigations of the 6082 grade alloys, differing in Mg and Si content. At the first stage, the microstructure of alloys was analysed after homogenization finished with water quenching. SEM/EDS investigations and DSC tests were applied to evaluate the dissolution of the Mg2Si particles and concentration of the main alloying additions in the grains interiors, depending on soaking conditions. In the case of alloy with lower Mg and Si content, homogenization the temperature of 535ºC for 8h is sufficient for significant Mg2Si particles dissolution. For the alloy with higher Mg and Si content, after homogenization the temperature of 550ºC for 8h, the amount of undissolved Mg2Si particles decreases visibly, compared to homogenization at 535ºC for 8h. However, an unfavourable tendency of dispersoids growth is observed and these soaking conditions are not found to be recommended. At the second research stage, the influence of homogenization cooling rate on the size and distribution of the Mg2Si particles observed in the alloys microstructure was analysed. The ability of the Mg2Si particles, precipitated during various homogenization coolings, to rapid dissolution was estimated. For this purpose, the hardness after solution heat treatment with short annealing and ageing was determined and the DSC tests were performed. It was found, that cooling after homogenization at 315ºC/h is sufficient for precipitation of fine Mg2Si particles, which dissolve during subsequent rapid heating. Cooling at 40ºC/h, causes precipitation of Mg2Si phase in the form of large particles, unable for further fast dissolution.W artykule przedstawiono wyniki laboratoryjnych badań homogenizacji dwóch stopów w gatunku 6082, różniących się zawartością Mg i Si. W pierwszym etapie analizowana była struktura stopów po homogenizacji z chłodzeniem w wodzie. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na rozpuszczanie cząstek fazy Mg2Si podczas wygrzewania oraz zawartość głównych składników stopowych we wnętrzach ziarn. Oceny parametrów wygrzewania dokonano w oparciu o badania SEM/EDS oraz testy DSC. W przypadku stopu z niższą zawartością Mg i Si, homogenizacja w temperaturze 535ºC przez 8 h jest wystarczająca dla znaczącego rozpuszczenia cząstek fazy Mg2Si. W przypadku stopu z wyższą zawartością Mg i Si, po homogenizacji w temperaturze 550ºC przez 8h, udział nierozpuszczonych cząstek Mg2Si spada wyraźnie, w porównaniu z homogenizacją w temperaturze 535ºC przez 8h. Jednakże, stwierdzono niekorzystną tendencję do rozrostu dyspersoidów, zatem tych warunków wyżarzania nie uznano za rekomendowane. W drugim etapie analizowano wpływ szybkości chłodzenia z temperatury homogenizacji na wielkość i dystrybucję cząstek Mg2Si obserwowanych w strukturze stopów. Wykonano badania SEM oraz dokonano oceny możliwości szybkiego rozpuszczania cząstek Mg2Si wydzielonych podczas chłodzenia z temperatury homogenizacji z różnymi szybkościami. W tym celu wykonano badania twardości stopów po przesycaniu z krótkim wygrzewaniem oraz starzeniu, jak również badania DSC. Stwierdzono, że studzenie z temperatury homogenizacji z szybkością 315ºC/h jest wystarczające dla wydzielenia drobnych cząstek Mg2Si, które ulegają rozpuszczeniu podczas późniejszego gwałtownego nagrzewania. Chłodzenie z temperatury homogenizacji z szybkością 40ºC/h powoduje wydzielanie fazy Mg2Si w postaci dużych cząstek, które nie ulegają pełnemu rozpuszczeniu podczas późniejszego szybkiego nagrzewania

The Effect Of Homogenization Conditions On The Structure And Properties Of 6082 Alloy Billets

The paper presents the results of laboratory homogenization investigations of the 6082 grade alloys, differing in Mg and Si content. At the first stage, the microstructure of alloys was analysed after homogenization finished with water quenching. SEM/EDS investigations and DSC tests were applied to evaluate the dissolution of the Mg2Si particles and concentration of the main alloying additions in the grains interiors, depending on soaking conditions. In the case of alloy with lower Mg and Si content, homogenization the temperature of 535ºC for 8h is sufficient for significant Mg2Si particles dissolution. For the alloy with higher Mg and Si content, after homogenization the temperature of 550ºC for 8h, the amount of undissolved Mg2Si particles decreases visibly, compared to homogenization at 535ºC for 8h. However, an unfavourable tendency of dispersoids growth is observed and these soaking conditions are not found to be recommended

The Effect of Cooling Rate after Homogenization on the Microstructure and Properties of 2017a Alloy Billets for Extrusion with Solution Heat Treatment on the Press

The influence of cooling rate after homogenization on the 2017A alloy microstructure was analysed. The capability of the θ (Al2Cu) particles, precipitated during various homogenization coolings, for rapid dissolution was estimated. For this purpose, the DSC test was used to determine the effect of the cooling rate after homogenization on the course of melting during a rapid heating. Moreover, the samples after solution heat treatment (with short time annealing) and ageing, were subjected to the microstructure investigations and the microhardness of grains interiors measurements. It was found that cooling after homogenization at 160 °C/h is sufficient for precipitation of fine θ phase particles, which dissolve during the subsequent rapid heating. The cooling at 40 °C/h, causes the precipitation of θ phase in the form of large particles, incapable of further fast dissolution